# Does anyone mix some raw food to their kibble meal?



## Puppy0226 (Jun 7, 2012)

Is that a no no or would it mess with a dogs tummy? When our dog wasn't feeling well, she was on rice and chicken and she really loves the chicken so much. In general, I was just thinking we could add a very small portion of raw to her food sometimes. It wouldn't be a daily thing but to change it up a bit. I don't know though if people do this or it's a good idea so thought I'd ask. thanks!


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## WuWu (Dec 6, 2012)

Personally if i could I would feed just raw but its very expensive. You can add some raw meat to your dogs food, it will be good for them you just have to be very careful. Make to the raw meat has no seasonings or anything and NEVER add raw hamburger. Some raw meat is more susceptible to parasites and bacteria. I wouldn't feed raw salmon to a dog, because salmon is very susceptible to parasites. Just be very careful and do some research on the specific meat that your adding. Make sure your dog is also getting a balenced diet, dogs are NOT carnivores like cats so they need vegetables and other foods. If your dog has an upset stomach pumpkin is very good for that, the kind you buy in a can without the seasonings, for pumpkin pie.


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## kathylcsw (Jul 4, 2011)

I do feed raw and I feed ground meat all the time. I have never had any problems using it. I think that adding raw to kibble is a good thing for your dog.


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## PackMomma (Sep 26, 2011)

WuWu said:


> dogs are NOT carnivores like cats so they need vegetables and other foods. If your dog has an upset stomach pumpkin is very good for that, the kind you buy in a can without the seasonings, for pumpkin pie.


Dogs are not obligatory carnivores like cats, they are more 'opportunistic' carnivores.. but no, they do not NEED vegetables or 'other' foods. They can scavenge and get by on whatever they could find if they were starving, but it does not mean that is a balanced or required part of their diet. Dogs are not at all much different than wolves or coyotes when it comes to their digestive system, and their teeth/skull. They are both specifically designed to catch, kill, break down and digest animal carcasses, and they can thrive solely on raw meat, bones and organs. Yes, small amounts of plant matter are digested by many carnivores, but it does not make up a huge part of the diet, nor is there huge nutritional benefits. Its unlikely you would see a wild carnivore digging up your garden rooting for vegetables, he would be more interested in your chickens and livestock, as they provide the fully balanced nutrition they need. Stray dogs will hunt also, but because most are in the streets, they usually have to feast on garbage, but you could bet that they are going to look for meat scraps before discarded fruits and vegetables.. but, have you ever really seen a perfectly healthy looking street dog? Feeding raw is also not expensive at all if done properly, I feed both my dogs %100 prey model diet and its costing me much less than it was to feed them a combo diet with high quality kibble and raw, so I made the complete switch and my dogs are much healthier and I'm spending less.

To help answer your question OP, SOME people strongly discourage against adding raw food to kibble, but it wont hurt to try and see how your dog reacts.. every dog is different. The main concern with this is that raw and kibble digest at different rates, and if the kibble holds up the digestion of the raw food it can accumulate bacteria in the gut thus causing usually nothing more than some really bad diarrhea, it is something I have witnesses first hand with one of my dogs, but MANY people do it with no issue's. However that aside, my best recommendation if you wish to feed a little bit of raw occasionally, would be to feed it as a separate meal. For example, feed your dog half its daily kibble portion in the morning, then in the evening try a raw meal, like chicken/turkey necks, or whatever you wish to feed. I'm not saying you CAN'T add it to the kibble, if you wish to add a little raw diced chicken or ground beef to kibble I wouldn't discourage you from trying, just do so in very small amounts at first. You can also add a raw egg to the kibble a few times a week, that is absolutely fine as well. But, if and when you can offer a boney raw meal, like chicken necks, quarters, or something a little larger like that, I would recommend doing it as a separate meal. If you have access to buy frozen large fresh sardines, I would half thaw one out and cut up into slices and feed once a week or so too, oily fish like sardines are rich in omega 3's and would be a nice treat, providing your dog likes fish


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## gingerkid (Jul 11, 2012)

We don't mix it with his kibble, but Snowball will occasionally get some raw chicken when I'm making dinner (just before he eats his). I haven't noticed any problems, but like PackMomma said, something that works for me won't necessarily work for someone else.


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## Canyx (Jul 1, 2011)

Years ago I used to hear that the digestion of kibble and raw meat is different so they should be fed separately or it might cause some upset bowels... I assume this is false?


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## Miss Bugs (Jul 4, 2011)

Depends on the dog. Gem eats orijen 6 fish mixed with raw. I tried her on all raw which my other dogs eat, but she licks the top of her feet non stop, soon as I mix in the kibble, no other changes, she's fine. I have known some dogs that get terribly sick if you mix the 2 however


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## Sibe (Nov 21, 2010)

WuWu said:


> Personally if i could I would feed just raw but its very expensive. You can add some raw meat to your dogs food, it will be good for them you just have to be very careful. Make to the raw meat has no seasonings or anything and NEVER add raw hamburger. Some raw meat is more susceptible to parasites and bacteria. I wouldn't feed raw salmon to a dog, because salmon is very susceptible to parasites. Just be very careful and do some research on the specific meat that your adding. Make sure your dog is also getting a balenced diet, dogs are NOT carnivores like cats so they need vegetables and other foods. If your dog has an upset stomach pumpkin is very good for that, the kind you buy in a can without the seasonings, for pumpkin pie.


 Premade is very expensive, yes, but doing it yourself is usually very cheap. I feed both my huskies and both my cats for about $60/month on raw. If I was to feed premade I think it would easily be over $200/month.

Raw hamburger is totally fine.

Raw pacific salmon is fine. Atlantic and farmed salmon should never be fed due to high mercury and other toxins. Salmonids (including trout, char, etc) in the pacific northwest, from Alaska to mid-California, should be frozen for a few weeks before feeding as it may have the parasite responsible for salmon poisoning. Freezing kills it and then the salmon is safe.

Dogs are carnivores, both scientifically and anatomically.
http://www.lhasa-apso.org/health/carnivorediet.html
http://rawfed.com/myths/omnivores.html


OP, it really depends. Some dogs can handle both in one meal, some can't. If you want to do both, I suggest feeding raw one meal and processed the other meal.


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## luvmyfurballs (Mar 5, 2012)

None of my dogs do well on raw, but they are okay with premade raw. 2-3 times a week I give them the premade with yogurt, cottage cheese, and eggs. They have food in their bowls if they are still hungry.


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## Chief502 (Dec 3, 2012)

I haven't thought of mixing the raw with the kibble. I thought it was a bad idea since I've also heard that raw digests at a different rate then kibble and it wasn't good to mix them. I've looked into raw for my ferret as well and figured it might be along the same lines as for a dog. Those that feed premade - what brand do you use? I've looked into Nature's Instinct for Chief.


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## Derek S (Oct 27, 2012)

For me, meat of any kind in Hawaii is EXPENSIVE so I try to find the minimum portion that will keep them satisfied, healthy and at target weight.
At first I used the 1-2% body weight portion. This didn't work out because some days their activity load is high, some days low. Portions change.

Now, I use the kibble as a gauge. I never feed at the same time because of digestion rates but I do offer a small amount of kibble in the morning. 
When I get home, there's usually a little kibble left, so I'll cut the raw portion down by a couple ounces. After a couple months, I got a good average for
raw portions v. kibble. I make sure to use very good kibble though. I think it's counter productive to feed raw and buy crappy kibble.


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## Little Wise Owl (Nov 12, 2011)

We mix raw and kibble frequently in my house and have yet to have an issue.


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## christine_72 (Jun 14, 2018)

Old thread, i know. But nothings happening on page one!



Little Wise Owl said:


> We mix raw and kibble frequently in my house and have yet to have an issue.


Same here, i regularly mix raw with kibble, and have never had a problem.


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## Jen2010 (Feb 12, 2013)

I've always heard that feeding raw and kibble together isn't good since the dogs digest them at different rates.

I feed raw in the morning and kibble in the afternoon.


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## christine_72 (Jun 14, 2018)

Jen2010 said:


> I've always heard that feeding raw and kibble together isn't good since the dogs digest them at different rates.
> 
> I feed raw in the morning and kibble in the afternoon.


I wonder if there'd be signs if it wasn't agreeing with the dog?? If i mix them together, i usually add a TBS or two to his kibble, so not huge amounts of kibble/raw, if that makes a difference..

Also, there's probably plenty of things people eat mixed together that digest at different rates too,


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## Kathyy (Jun 15, 2008)

It all depends. You'll see mucous to explosive diarrhea if it disagrees with the dog's gut. Remember dogs fed a monotonous dry kibble that's high in carbs and low in fat are going to have issues with high fat, zero carb raw and some have more of an issue than others. I suspect some people ADD the raw rather than SUBSTITUTE for some of the kibble so are not just feeding something really foreign but are also over feeding.

I guess I did when experimenting with Max. He was on cooked chicken and rice. I substituted a raw chicken bony bit for the calcium and some meat then just gave him the raw meat and rice. Decided he wasn't going to blow up or anything so went full raw after that. I've also long given a raw beef rib as a chew, that was just fine.


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## MarieLovesChis (Mar 21, 2014)

I almost always mix raw in if I'm feeding kibble. I have personally never had any issues with it. It is a VERY popular way of feeding here and I have yet to hear of anyone who has had any problems with it either. If you have a sensitive dog that is a different story, obviously you have to be careful when adding anything new, raw or not.

I do not worry about the whole food digesting at different rates thing. I eat many different foods in one meal. I'm sure some are harder to digest than others, does not stop me from eating it though lol. Also, a long while back I remember reading something about a dog that digested kibble faster than their raw meal. If I remember right, the person had x rays done to show the difference in how long each meal took to go through the digestive tract. That doesn't align with the statement that kibble would make raw food sit in the gut too long.


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## christine_72 (Jun 14, 2018)

Nugget has a cast iron stomach i think. I've rotated between different grain free kibbles from day one, and he gets an assortment of different meats raw/cooked, plus green tripe a few times a week. He also gets different RMB's throughout the week. He has never had any digestive upset.


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## MarieLovesChis (Mar 21, 2014)

christine_72 said:


> Nugget has a cast iron stomach i think. I've rotated between different grain free kibbles from day one, and he gets an assortment of different meats raw/cooked, plus green tripe a few times a week. He also gets different RMB's throughout the week. He has never had any digestive upset.


Sounds just like Onyx. She eats raw meat, eggs, herring and mackerel every week, along with kibble or air dried food. Never know 100% what brand it might be this time haha. She has been eating a very huge variety since she was a pup. I blame my indecisiveness for her iron gut


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## christine_72 (Jun 14, 2018)

MarieLovesChis said:


> Sounds just like Onyx. She eats raw meat, eggs, herring and mackerel every week, along with kibble or air dried food. Never know 100% what brand it might be this time haha. She has been eating a very huge variety since she was a pup.*I blame my indecisiveness for her iron gut*


Haha me too! Also, the holistic/grain free/healthier pet food thing has boomed here in Australia in recent years, and there's so many to choose from now. There's no reason to feed the same thing day in, day out year after year.

The best food available when i had my last dogs was Royal Canin :frusty:


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## MarieLovesChis (Mar 21, 2014)

christine_72 said:


> Haha me too! Also, the holistic/grain free/healthier pet food thing has boomed here in Australia in recent years, and there's so many to choose from now. There's no reason to feed the same thing day in, day out year after year.
> 
> The best food available when i had my last dogs was Royal Canin :frusty:


Lol same here in the Netherlands, right down to Royal Canin being one of the best a while back. Now there are so many high meat and organic foods left and right. Raw is really big here, apparently over 50% of us dog owners feed at least partial raw! You can't even go into a pet store here without seeing a freezer full of raw brands. We even have sites dedicated to delivering premade raw and pure raw meat to your door. It's all a bit overwhelming! I do appreciate all of the variety though. The idea of feeding one food for a lifetime has never sat well with me.


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## LeoRose (Aug 20, 2015)

Jen2010 said:


> I've always heard that feeding raw and kibble together isn't good since the dogs digest them at different rates.
> 
> I feed raw in the morning and kibble in the afternoon.


Interestingly enough, a few years ago when I was in a raw feeding group on FB, someone did an experiment. From what I recall, a dog was fed what amounted to the same number of calories of prey model raw and kibble about a week apart (I believe they fasted the dog beforehand?), and a series of x-rays were taken, one immediately after eating, and then every one to two hours for twelve hours or so, with a final x-ray 24 hours after having eaten. Interestingly enough, while it took roughly the same time for both of them to completely pass through, the kibble meal left the stomach much earlier than the raw meal. Also, there was still a bone in the dog's stomach 24 hours after eating the raw meal. I believe the dog threw it up a few hours after the last x-ray. 

I've fed raw and kibble in the same meal, and my dogs haven't had any trouble with it.


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## Kathyy (Jun 15, 2008)

Max threw up a cooked turkey gizzard 3 days after it was offered. Same thing happened with cooked cartilage from chicken legs. The raw chicken neck he forgot to chomp was found completely unchanged in his stool. The last time I tried him with veggies was canned pumpkin. It came out looking like I dumped in on the grass from the can. I understand the lumps coming back up and that a chicken neck could pass through but the pumpkin? I actually had a similar thing happen when I rebelled during recovery from food poisoning. Guts are much more actively choosing what happens than we give them credit for.

Suspect more anecdotes are needed here.


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## 3GSD4IPO (Jun 8, 2016)

They used to say that RAW food was digested with a more base Ph in the gut and kibble was digested with a more acidic Ph in the gut. It was advised that dogs who eat raw and kibble have a 5 hour window between the two. The idea of the separation was that gut Ph would adjust to the Raw OR kibble and either would be digested better. That has since been found to be false. 

I know of a few successful breeders and handlers who mix raw and kibble with no issues. RAW can be pricey. I belong to a coop and I pay less than $2 a pound (or rather, I cannot afford to pay more than $2 a pound). I also watch for grocery store sales of whole chicken breasts and thighs (with bones) (often the sales are at $0.77 a pound to $0.89 a pound). I stock up on that and cut back some on the mix and use this with the raw mix. 

Sometimes I make up meals using the chicken as noted above along with organ meat (calves liver, chicken hearts and gizzards), a couple of carrot slices, eggs (shell and all) and a few blueberries. 

One of my dogs gets kibble in the morning and raw at night. The other dog gets all raw.


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## Billy Jones (Oct 16, 2018)

I used to mix a raw egg in my previous GS's kibble and he loved it! You should totally seek out for some recipes, I had some in my PC but now they are nowhere to be found ://


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