Hi

 

I recently received an email from someone who wants to feed raw, but isn't ready to switch their dog to a full raw diet.  So, what to do...

 

 

When I transitioned Rodrigo and Sydney to a raw diet, I started with a hybrid diet and fed raw in the morning and kibble in the evening.  I wasn't sure if I could afford a full transition since I was feeding premade raw (it never occurred to me to do it myself).  This wasn't a popular diet in the raw feeding communities for a couple of reasons:

The back and forth leads us to wonder if a hybrid diet is okay.

 

 

By feeding a partial raw diet, I was able to gradually transition my dogs to raw, allowing Rodrigo's sensitive gut to get used to the diet.  It also allowed my boyfriend and I to get used to handling raw meat on a daily basis.  I didn't have an issue, but he was convinced that our kitchen would become a haven for bacteria.

 

Feeding a hybrid diet also gave me the time to figure out my budget, storage, and what my dogs liked. 

 

 

A hybrid diet isn't a good fit for all dogs.  While it was great for my dogs as a way to transition them, I don't think Rodrigo and Sydney would be doing so well today if they were still eating kibble.  They both had a lot of health issues pre-raw feeding and I think some of those issues would have persisted were it not for the diet change.

 

Other than stomach upset and the fact that feeding kibble isn't ideal for all dogs; I haven't found any serious downsides to starting with a hybrid diet.

 

If you are hesitant to switch to a 100% raw diet, transitioning to a partial raw diet where the other meal is kibble, canned, or cooked, may be an option.  I haven't feed kibble in nearly 6 years so I don't feel comfortable recommending brands, however, if you are looking for recommendations of any pet food, check out The List over on The Truth About Pet Food. Susan Thixton has very high criteria each brand has to meet in order to be included on this list.