Exploring a Raw Food Diet for My Coton de Tulear: Sourcing, Preparation, and Feeding Tips

Transitioning a beloved Coton de Tulear to a raw food diet can feel like a big step. Pet owners often choose raw feeding for improved health, better coat quality, enhanced energy, and even fresher breath. In this blog post, I will share my experience of feeding my Coton de Tulear a raw food diet, detailing where I source ingredients, how I prepare meals, the tools I use, and helpful feeding guidelines.

Why Choose a Raw Food Diet?

Many dog owners advocate for raw feeding after seeing noticeable changes in their pets. A raw diet typically consists of uncooked meat, organs, bones, fruits, and vegetables. This approach closely mimics the natural diet of wild dogs, which can lead to improved health and vitality.

A raw food diet often claims to:

• Enhance coat conditions

• Improve digestion

• Boost energy levels

• Minimize sources of inflammation within the body

• Maintain wellness to fight off illness and disease

  
  

After reading The Complete Herbal Handbook for the Dog and Cat by Juliette de Baïracli Levy, I decided to explore the potential benefits of raw food and herbal remedies to enhance my Coton de Tulear's well-being.

Sourcing High-Quality Raw Ingredients

Sourcing high-quality ingredients is vital for a successful raw food diet. I explored various local and online options to provide the best for my pet.

Local Butchers and Farmers

Visiting local butchers allows one to establish a relationship with suppliers. They often have fresh, high-quality meat and can share details about sourcing. There are great benefits to this such as freshness and local sourcing, and maybe a more personalized service. But, I find this to be more than I want to do, run here to source that, then more labor/effort are involved in preparing food for your dog, and more effort in getting the appropriate balance of meat/organ/bone. But to each their own!

Online Retailers & Subscription Boxes

There are many online retailers and subscription services available for raw food for dogs. While I've looked into various options, I found that for my setup and my dogs, it was more cost-effective to do some of the prep myself. I don't have any recommendations, as I've never ordered from these places — but it doesn't mean signing up for a service such as this isn't a good idea if it fits your needs, goals, and lifestyle.

Preparing the Raw Food

Preparation is crucial for maintaining a healthy raw diet for dogs. Consistency and hygiene are equally important. One thing I've learned from my holistic vet is that fresh is best, followed by frozen, with freeze-dried as the next best option. Each stage from fresh loses some nutritional value/benefit. But, one must weigh and balance what is reasonably best for you, your lifestyle, and your dog. If it's going to be a failure for you, it will be a failure for your dog, too.

Kitchen Space and Hygiene

Before meal prep, I ensured my kitchen was clean and sanitized to avoid contamination:

• Sanitize countertops and cutting boards (if you find you need a cutting board.. I don't)

• Use separate utensils for pet food

• Wear gloves to reduce bacteria transfer (I often use a scoop or my freshly washed hands, well, one hand for the meat mix, then wash and move trays around as needed).

  
  

A dedicated preparation area helped me stay organized and efficient.

I often have it spread out with meat tub, then scale, then silicone cupckae mold. Once you get the hang of knowing about how much goes into your molds, you can skip the scale.

Tools for Preparation

Investing in the right tools can simplify the process. Here are the essentials I use:

• Food Grade Tubs: For thawing meat (this will actually hold TWO 5-lb logs of meat from RawDeliveryMN). You could also buy a food-grade bucket from Home Depot for under $10; this will hold about two 5-lb logs of meat, too. Actually, it will hold 3, but it makes stirring harder to do.

• Food Processor: For finely chopping vegetables or making homemade treats

• Freezer Bags and Containers: To store raw meals in portioned sizes for convenience

• Silicone Cupcake Molds: To portion out meals for your pup. I prefer these with the wire support. Sure, you can put a baking sheet under the others for support, but that's just another dish to wash. With the metal support you can easily transport to the freezer. I keep accumilating these and probably have about 10+. However, you can just buy a couple, or a few, and fill them up, if you have space in your fridge to store the meat mix, the next day you can pop out the frozen meals and refill your molds with the next batch.

• Measuring cup: I use this paired with a kitchen scale to get a more precise weight for each meal. I feed my adult dogs 2x/day and puppies under 6 months 3x/day (or more if your schedule allows).

• Kitchen Scale: Used with a measuring cup for more precise meal portions. Once I get a good gauge for the appropriate amount in each cupcake mold, I tend to eyeball it.

• Container for thawing meals: Find a container(s) for thawing meals. I usually keep about 2 days worth of meals in the fridge as it can take over 24 hours for a portion to thaw (if 3oz or more). If it's still a bit frozen, that's okay; your dog will chew it. Don't heat it up, as that defeats the purpose of raw, haha. Sometimes, like on hot summer days, I send them to the yard with their frozen meal to chew on outside.

• Large Spoon/Spatula: For stirring your glorious mixture (your dog thinks it's glorious).

• Freezer

  
  

Using the right tools streamlines the process and helps with portion control.

I also sometimes use a food saver and vacuum-sealed bags for individual meals (if I have time or am preparing for a road trip/camping trip). Otherwise, I put as many frozen cupcakes as I can into a gallon-sized ziploc bag and pull them out as needed. The 6"x10" sized bags work well with the standard cupcake mold size.

I also have an old/extra fridge in my garage as well as a small chest freezer. While I make space for one tub in my house fridge while thawing, I also put another 2-3 tubs out in the garage fridge. I like to prep as much as I can in one go, so I do it less often. Sure, it takes more time to do more... but perhaps less time overall. It's kind of like dedicating a meal prep day for yourself or family.. but for the dog :)

Meal Composition

When preparing my Coton de Tulear’s meals, I aim for a balanced diet, typically including:

• Protein: Beef, Turkey, Venison, Bison, Duck, Lamb, Rabbit, etc. I order from RawDeliveryMN.

• Organs (comes mixed perfectly in my order from RawDeliveryMN.com)

• Bones: Raw meaty bones for calcium and dental health (comes perfectly mixed in my order from RawDeliveryMN.com)

• Fruits and Vegetables: 25% of the meat mix weight should be added as veggies. For example, 5 lbs of meat mix = 80 oz × 0.25 = 20 oz of veggie mix.

  I usually select about 3 different veggies as my mix, finely grated or blended for better digestion: Carrots, spinach, or blueberries, leafy greens, cauliflower, butternut squash, broccoli, etc. No onions! Go easy/sparingly on tomatoes. Can also buy a 20-oz bag of frozen mixed veggies at the grocery store (this is the perfect amount for a 5-lb log of frozen meat mix from RawDeliveryMN.com)

• Supplements (vitamins and nutritional goodness to add in)

  
  

Sample Recipe

Here's a simple recipe for a balanced meal:

The Meat/Organ/Bone mix should be 80/10/10. In other words, 80% meat, 10% organ, 10% bone. RawDeliveryMN sells many meat mixes with various proteins that meet this requirement. One thing to note is that if ordering for delivery from RawDeliveryMN, one must order NINE 5lb logs of meat mix. So, make sure you have space in your freezer for these logs or get to thawing and mixing fast, haha. Additionally, I slice the plastic sleeve with a knife/scissors when placing it into my tubs to thaw, and then remove the plastic while the log is still frozen. Seems less messy than letting it plop out of the bag into the tub, which will have some blood pooling in it as it thaws.

• Ingredients:

- 5 lbs Meat Mix from RawDeliveryMN

- 20oz of veggie mix, finely blended/grated

- Super essentials for dogs I calculate out how many meals my mix will provide and add this accordingly and mix in to my meat & veggie mix to be portioned out. (saves time at mealtime)

For example, if 80 oz + 20 oz = 100oz of meal prep / 6 oz per day = about 16.6 days of food.

Add-ons at mealtime:

- NR HERBAL COMPOUNDS 5x/week (email them or call to order).

- Fish Oil (for omega-3 fatty acids) dosed based on weight (I haven't added this in at freezing as I worry about it going bad or losing nutritional value... although it would probably be fine with how quickly I go through the food).

-Add a raw egg from time to time!

• Instructions:

1. Remove the plastic from the frozen log and allow to thaw. Depending on how you thaw, it could take up to 24 hours or more in the fridge. Always keep the meat in a tub as mentioned above or a rimmed baking sheet as juices will escape, even if you skip the step of removing the plastic 1st. Don't drain off the blood.

2. Toss the frozen veggies in a blender and blitz until very finely minced. It's okay to add some water to make it almost smoothie-like.

3. Add minced frozen veggies to meat mix.

4. Add the appropriate amount of Super Essentials for Dogs to your meat & veggie mix.

5. Stir well.

6. Using a scale and a measuring cup, weigh out portioned meals of the mixture and place into the cupcake molds, one meal per cupcake mold or double up but know you need to split for the amount of meals in each mold. Do not fret over being precise or exact in the meal portion -- this will waste your time and energy. It will all balance out in the end.

7. Freeze meals, okay to stack some of the cupcake molds on top of each other but if it gets too heavy some liquids may spill out.

(optional: let your pup lick your prep tub clean)

8. Pop frozen meal cupcakes out of molds and store in the freezer in an air-tight container like a gallon-sized ziploc bag or something else to your liking.

This recipe can be adjusted based on your Coton de Tulear’s age, weight, and activity level.

Feeding Guidelines

Feeding a raw food diet involves consistency and awareness. Here are essential tips for a successful meal plan.

Portion Sizes

Calculating the right serving size isn't so hard. A general recommendation is to feed 2-3% of your dog's body weight daily. For instance, a 10 lb dog would need about 0.2-0.3 lbs of food each day.

12 lb dog x 16 oz = 192 oz

192 x .02 = 3.84 oz (just round up unless your dog is getting heavy) 2%

192 x .03 = 5.76 oz (just round up unless your dog is getting heavy) 3%

14 lb dog x 16 oz = 224 oz

224 x .02 = 4.48 oz (just round up unless your dog is getting heavy) 2%

224 x .03 = 6.72 oz (just round up unless your dog is getting heavy) 3%

My adult Cotons typically eat 6 to 8oz of mix per day, each. Just as you would with any food, I keep a check on their body condition and increase/decrease accordingly.

Puppies: General Rule: Total Daily Intake = feed 10% of current weight until that reaches 2.5%-3% of ideal adult weight

4 lb puppy

4lbs x 16oz = 64 oz

64oz x .1 = 6.4 oz (10% of puppy weight). Divide this by the total number of meals to be fed each day.

13lbs x 16(oz) = 208 oz. x .03 = 6.24 oz as 3% adult weight

Frequency

Feeding frequency can vary with age and activity level. Adult dogs typically eat twice daily, while puppies may require three to four smaller meals a day to support their growth.

Monitoring Health

Keep an eye on your dog’s reactions as you transition to a raw diet. Monitor:

• Stool consistency (fewer and more efficient poops)

• Energy levels

• Skin and coat condition

• Moisture gained from the raw meat -- I've found my dogs crave less water

  
  

Consult a veterinarian during the initial transition to ensure your Coton de Tulear adapts well.

Transition

Some switch immediately, kibble one day (or skip a meal entirely) and raw food the next. This would be my suggestion. But keep in mind, a switch of food (of any kind) can upset your dog's digestive system.

Another option is to gradually introduce raw food over one to two weeks, feeding some meals as raw and other meals as kibble, increasing the amount of raw vs kibble. Feeding raw and kibble in the same meal could also cause upset.

Challenges and Considerations

Despite the benefits, raw feeding comes with some challenges.

Cost

Raw feeding can be pricier than traditional kibble, but quality ingredients often lead to better long-term health for your pet. Preparing it myself, as I've outlined above, I've found it to be competitive if not cheaper than high-quality kibble. I can also add any supplements or herbs I wish while preparing my mix, and my dogs will eat it up.

Time-Consuming

Meal prep may take more time initially, but it becomes simpler with practice. Establishing routines can improve efficiency.

Oftentimes, I will prep enough veggies for multiple logs of frozen meat. For example, I will freeze multiple batches of 20oz of finely blitzed veggies in quart-size freezer bags and pull out when I pull out a 5-lb log of meat mix to thaw. This way, I am getting my food processor and all it's parts dirty once, instead of each time I prep.

Nutritional Balance

Ensuring balanced nutrition is important, but! My vet told me it doesn't have to be precisely perfect every single day, as long as on average, they are getting all they need. I met with a holistic veterinarian regarding the guidelines for feeding raw, and that is what I follow, as I based my plan above. Researching and possibly consulting with a veterinarian or pet nutritionist can be extremely helpful. Again, I would suggest finding a holistic veterinarian - even having one available by doing 'remote' visits can be beneficial. I find some conventional vets to not be on board with raw, but your dog has never intentionally built a fire to cook it's own food before....

Final Thoughts

Feeding my Coton de Tulear a raw food diet has been a rewarding journey. From sourcing quality ingredients to preparing fresh meals tailored to their needs, the transition required effort but delivered significant health benefits.

If you're considering a raw food diet for your dog, take the time to learn about sourcing, preparation, and feeding guidelines. Every dog is different, and the path to raw feeding can be tailored to your pet's specific needs.

With the right tools, knowledge, and commitment to high-quality ingredients, exploring this diet can lead to a healthier lifestyle for your furry friend. Who knows, it may be just what your Coton de Tulear needs to thrive!

P.S. no affiliate links here, I get no reward for suggesting any of these products or RawDeliveryMN. It's just what I use and how I use it.

Fresh ingredients ready for raw meal preparation