PORTION & RATIO GUIDE
Dogs require about 2-3% of their adult body weight. Each dog has a different metabolism and as such has their own diet requirements. The simplest way to start raw is to begin with 3% of their body weight and observe your dog’s weight, adjust the amount as needed. Puppies requirements are determined by the age of your puppy. Please see both adult and puppy feed guides below to help determine daily portion requirements.
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There are several different ratios of food available from Courtlyn Custom. The biologically appropriate ratio for dogs and cats is 80/10/10 and is a great place to start when feeding raw. It is important to keep in mind that not every dog is the same and some dogs will benefit from the addition of fruits & vegetables. This can easily be added by feeding Courtlyn Custom Fruit & Veggie blends 60/10/30 and 70/30 to your dogs.
A FEW BENEFITS OF FEEDING RAW
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Smaller Lower Odor Poop - a raw diet reduces the volume, frequency, and odor of your dog’s stool. The stool is small and firm and is a lightish brown to white in color.
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Healthier Skin & Coat - many dogs experience dry skin/coat while on a dry kibble based diet due to lack of hydration. A raw diet has a naturally high moisture content; with this increased internal hydration your dog is able to flush out toxins in their body more effectively, preserve bladder and kidney health, and helps promote healthy digestion. All these improvements in system functions will lead to a shiny coat, less shedding, and hydrate skin and coat.
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Dental Health - raw meat contains enzymes that are destroyed through cooking. These enzymes help prevent plaque and tartar build up. Though this does not eliminate the need for other dental care it helps contribute to prevent bacteria build up in your dog's mouth.
CHOOSING A PROTEIN SOURCE
If your dog does not have any dietary restrictions or allergies it is recommended that 80% of their diet comes from red meat sources (venison, bison, beef, pork, duck, kangaroo, rabbit, etc.) the remaining portion should be made up of fish, fowl, etc. Each protein source offers different nutrition, feeding a wide variety of protein sources is highly recommended and contributes to a well balanced diet for your dog.
Supplements
Courtlyn products are made pure with only the proteins listed in the ingredients and therefore do not have supplements added to the food. Supplements can be a great addition to your pets diet and can be catered to your pets specific needs. Some of our frequently used supplements are probiotics, omega 3&6, vitamin e, zinc and kelp.
Probiotics: goats milk, kefir, and adored beast probiotics are our go to sources
Omega 3 & 6: quail eggs, Courtlyn fish products (cod, salmon, tuna, herring), pollock oil, and green lipped mussel powder. Be sure to keep mercury content in mind and only feed high mercury fish once a week.
We have several multi-vitamins that we use or recommend. NuVet vitamins are a great veterinarian approved vitamin. Dr. Peter Dobias' line of vitamins is another great option.
Health & Safety
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Always wash your hands, pet bowls and work surfaces immediately after handling food
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Thaw raw food in the fridge only, do not thaw in the microwave or in water
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Once thawed raw food is safe in the fridge for 2-3 days