Ingredients
40% beef muscle meat
40% trachea / cattle larynx
20% beef udder / kidney / lungs in equal parts
The benefits of a raw food diet for dogs and cats
The Benefits of a Raw Food Diet
- Healthy skin and coat – Many pets are allergic to grains, which can lead to pathologic skin conditions. A raw natural diet provides allergy relief, reduction and/or eradication.
- Cleaner, whiter and stronger teeth – Many dry foods leave a starchy coating on the teeth, which promotes plaque. Feeding a raw diet maintains healthier teeth and gums as well as fresher breath.
- Stools- Harder, smaller, less smelly stools that are easier to scoop up from the little box or pick up in the garden. Less smelly farts.
- Decreased litter box odor – Many pet foods include protein that is indigestible for cats (and dogs), which leads to an undesirable odor at the litter box.
- Natural weight control – Cats and dogs are healthiest on a high protein, low carbohydrate diet.
- A stronger immune system, more energy and stamina – Pet’s digestive systems are designed to ingest raw meat and are healthiest eating what Nature intended.
Some Changes to Expect:
- After a full transition to a raw diet, pets will typically drink less water. In the wild they get most of their water from their prey. A raw meat diet naturally contains more moisture than dry or canned food, so your cat or dog may be less thirsty, yet be getting plenty of water.
- There will likely be a change in the size, odour, and color of the pet’s faeces. They will stink less! They may also be somewhat harder and dryer and be colored shades of dark and light brown. Much of the crude protein and crude fiber in most commercial dry and canned pet foods is not digestible and hence contributes to a higher stool volume. Along with the assurance of knowing that all the food your beloved pooch or feline is ingesting, is actually being digested, the less stinky poops are certainly a nice bonus!
- Overweight Cats and Dogs tend to lose weight. However, weight loss must be closely monitored. Rapid weight loss can lead to serious health problems. Make sure you transition your pet to a raw diet gradually and seek professional advice, especially when transitioning an animal with chronic health issues.
- Lethargic Pets begin feeling more energised, start to play more and may even exhibit hunting behaviour. Dogs and cats are healthiest when fed a high protein, low carbohydrate diet. When they aren’t experiencing the metabolic highs and lows associated with high carbohydrate intake from grains, typically found in kibble, they will use protein as their energy source, just as they were designed by nature to do. This tends to provide more sustained energy throughout the day and reduces the need to “graze”.
- Allergies tend to clear up, which may be a result of less exposure to potential food allergens. Many pets have allergies to grains that can range from very mild to severe. These allergies can manifest on the skin, can affect digestion, and also contribute to runny eyes & nose and itchy ears or paws. The reduction in allergic symptoms may be a result of not only a reduced exposure to allergens from a higher food quality, but also from a stronger immune system. The more nutritious the food, the stronger the immune system will be.
- Fur becomes incredibly soft and shedding is reduced. This is typically one of the initial benefits observed after changing to a raw diet and is a direct result of better nutrition. The humans in the household also stand to gain a lot as well, when switching their pets to raw, as they are less likely to suffer allergic reactions due to the reduction of dander.
Daily Feeding Guide Raw Food (grams)
A frozen complementary raw food for dogs and cats of any age, including puppies and kittens. Ideal for creating your own recipes at home. Always ensure there is a bowl of fresh water available for your pet and supervise when feeding.
If you are new to raw feeding, you may be rather pleasantly surprised as your pet’s health improves while they transition to a healthier diet. It’s essential to feed your animals the appropriate daily amounts based on their unique characteristics and lifestyle. Animals on a raw food diet tend to require less food than their kibble/grain-based diet fed counterparts. This is because raw food has so much more nutritional value. There are a few key factors that will influence the recommended daily feeding amounts for each pet, such as age, breed, activity level, spay/neuter status and weight goals.
We recommend using the bodyweight percentage rule, which estimates daily feeding amounts based on the weight of your pet. We also advise feeding adult pets twice daily so the estimated daily portion should be divided by two. Kittens and puppies should be fed smaller portions, multiple times a day so please factor that in when determining each meal size.
For instance, if you have a 23 kg female adult German Short-Haired Pointerd, then you would want to feed her 2.5% of her body weight, which is 575g per day.
23kg x 2.5% = 575g/daily
Body Weight Percentage Recommendation: We recommend that you feed your pet the following percentages based on their level of activity and weight goals.
- 1.5% – Overweight
- 2.0% – Average Activity (little outdoor time/2 or fewer 15-20 minute walks a day)
- 2.5% – Above Average Activity (a few hours of activity per day)
- 3.0% – Average Activity with Weight Gain Goals
- 3.5 % – High Activity or Weight Gain Goals (Working Dogs)
- 4-5%+ – Kittens, Puppies and Nursing or Pregnant Pets
Transitioning to a raw food diet using Frostfutter's Beef Mix
Transitioning Pets
If you are transitioning your pet to raw food for the first time we encourage that you do it gradually to prevent stomach aches and loose stools. Start by mixing 25% Frostfutter’s Beef Mix with 75% of the food you are currently feeding. Slowly increase the amount of raw beef while reducing their previous food over the course of 7-10 days. Monitor their temperament and stools to ensure they are transitioning well. Once your dog or cat has fully transitioned to raw food they are ready for you to begin introducing other raw food products for dogs and cats.
You can find out more transitioning tips in our Blog titled “How to transition your dog or cat from kibble and canned to a raw or fresh food diet”.
Feeding Tips
- Any change to a pet’s diet can cause digestive upset, so close monitoring through the transition period is essential.
- Go slow, use caution, and consult an experienced raw feeding expert or a holistic veterinarian if you are experiencing any problems.
- Use flat dishes to serve cat food. They are often bothered when their whiskers touch the sides of the bowl, so avoid using small round or deep bowls.
- Adult dogs and cats should be fed twice daily.
- Junior dogs and cats may eat larger meals, more often.
- Weaned kittens and puppies should be fed multiple small meals throughout the day.
- It is best to serve food at room temperature. Do not cook.
Safe Handling
Always handle raw pet food the same as any other raw meat product. Clean surfaces immediately after use and never leave small children unattended around raw meat. Furthermore, after offering raw food to your cat, do not leave the food out for more than 30 minutes and discard all left-overs. For detailed tips on how to handle raw meat visit our FAQ’s section.
Transitioning cats to a raw food diet
Recommendations for Transitioning Cats to Raw Food Diets
There are various methods for transitioning cats to a raw-meat diet. A cat’s natural instinct is to ‘fixate’ on food, which helps kittens to learn what is food and to recognize it when they see and smell it. They also do not like change, whether it is the food in their bowl or their living environment. What is sometimes referred to as a cat being ‘finicky’ is really a manifestation of this natural tendency. Some cats require a gradual transition to a raw diet, while others take to it immediately. Use the method that seems to fit your cat’s personality best. When changing to a raw meat diet, we recommend eventually stopping all feeding of dry food – completely.
- Cats Currently on a Kibble Diet Only
Begin by offering a small morsel of raw food. If they taste it at all, begin offering small amounts as a treat throughout the day and do not offer kibble outside of mealtimes at all so it is not lying around for them to get full on. Gradually move toward one set meal of raw food in the morning and one of dry food in the evening. Slowly increase the raw portion and decrease the amount of kibble you feed until your cat is completely transitioned.
Another option is to transition to a high quality canned wet food, then transition to the raw diet from the canned food.
- Cats Currently on Wet Food Only
Begin a feeding schedule of twice per day. Place a small morsel of the raw food next to your cat’s regular food or mix it in with their current wet food. Gradually begin increasing the ratio of raw to canned until the transition is complete.
- Cats Currently Eating both Dry and Wet Food
Slowly move to a wet food feeding schedule twice daily and reduce the amount of kibble left out during the day for grazing. Add small morsels of the raw diet to the canned wet food or offer as a separate treat at meal times. Gradually begin offering kibble only during meals, and eventually remove from your cat’s diet completely.
For cats that have trouble recognizing a raw diet as food and are completely ignoring it all together, here is something to try:
Place a tablespoon of raw food next to their regular food. This will get your cat to begin associating raw food with their meal time. It may be a slow process, with the cat only sniffing it at first. Gradually, they will begin to adjust to the look, feel and smell of raw food and will be more inclined to taste it, with the transition eventually taking place.
Patience is key here, but once your cat has crossed over to the land of health and vitality it will all be well worth the efforts!
Storage & Expiry Date
Storage:
- Keep frozen at below –18 °C until ready to use. Thaw in a sealed container for two hours, in the fridge overnight or in warm water. Once defrosted please serve the product within 24 hours.
- Normal hygiene rules apply for preparing and handling fresh/raw ingredients such as keeping raw meat separate from other foods. Washing working utensils, hands, and any other items that touch or contact raw meat or poultry.
- Refrigerate leftovers immediately or discard. After opening use within 48 hours.
Expiry Date: 18 months after production date
Meal Preparation
Feeding a balanced diet is key and any way of achieving it takes research, knowledge, experience. If you are confident that you have the necessary skills this is for you!
We suggest that home-made meals for dogs are prepared with 70-85% Frostfutter’s just meat minces/chunks, 20-10% blended fruit/vegetables and (optional) 10-5% easily digestible carbohydrate (sweet potato, cooked brown rice or oats) and 1-1.5% supplements such as: eggshells, turmeric, coconut oil, spirulina, chlorella, salt (nonionic, fluoride free), taurine, dicalcium phosphate, folic acid, B1, vitamin E, krill oil etc..
For cats the ratio should be: 90-95% Frostfutter’s just meat minces/chunks, 10-5% blended fruit/vegetables and 1-1.5% supplements.
Should you choose to use the Beef Mix as the meat element of a home prepared raw meal for your dog or cat, then we recommend that you refer to our Daily Feeding Guide tab. It provides you with the total recommended daily percentage food amount, based on the weight of your pet.
You will then need to calculate the ratios of meat, blended fruit & vegetables and carbohydrate to achieve the recommended daily amount.
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