Making the Switch
Doggobone recommends a 6-day feeding schedule with a day of fasting on the 7th . Fasting is an age-old practice and has been known to aid digestion and help cleanse the body of toxins. It is not un-common for animals in the wild to fast. For those who are concerned about fasting their pet we suggest feeding plain yogurt as the alternative to food. It is not advisable to fast puppies under the age of 6 months and ensure your pet has clean fresh water available at all times.
Recommended Method
Rapid Switch:
If your pet has a strong immune system and is generally quite healthy, an immediate conversion can be done. On the first day fast your pet for 24 hours to allow the body to cleanse itself of toxins and to make your pet eager for their next day’s meal. Kindly Be aware that the normal detoxification process may cause temporary symptoms of vomiting or diarrhea and will differ from animal to animal.
*This may also be the result of eating too fast, gulping, or possible temperature variations.
*There is no need to be alarmed if these symptoms occur, as your pet’s digestive system gets used to the change.
Slow Switch:
This method is strongly recommended for pets with compromised immune systems or sensitivity to dramatic changes in diets. The raw diet should be introduced slowly to prevent major detoxification symptoms.
Day 1: On the first day fasting is recommended to allow the body to cleanse itself of toxins and get your pet eager for raw.
Day 2: Start out with 10% being the raw diet and 90% of the old diet. Because the digestion time is different for processed diets and raw diets we suggest that you separate the feedings and feed the raw in the morning and the kibble at night.
Day 3-10: Increase the raw diet each day by 10% and decrease the old diet by 10% for the next 9 days.
Day 11: You should be feeding only the RAW DIET.
Similar rules apply for cats when transitioning them to a raw diet. Cats get fixated on the food they are being fed and it will take much longer for them accept a new diet extra patience on the part of the ‘pet parent’ is vital during this phase, which can take anything from 3 days to 9 months. It is not recommended to fast your cat for more than 12 hours.