How to get started
The transition from regular food to raw meat for your pitbull should be a gradual one so your dog doesn’t go into shock or reject the food from the start.
The best idea is to gradually introduce raw meat to your pitbull as a treat during the first three or four days. You can slowly increase the amount of meet you give your dog until he or she is capable of eating an entire meal of raw meat.
If you provide your pitbull with an entire bowl of meat that has been cut up or a bone that is raw and meaty, your dog is likely to either have the runs, vomit, or do both. It will be messy to clean up and potentially frightening if you aren’t used to your dog getting sick.
Many pitbull owners report that their dogs are still likely to get the runs when they are first fed raw meat bones, due to the extra layers of fat on the meat. This is particularly common with puppies that get their first chicken carcasses or raw bones.
However, they will quickly adapt as long as the meat is good and will develop much stronger stomachs that don’t get upset when they are introduced to new food.
One of the advantages of feeding your pitbulls raw meat is that they will develop stronger internal systems because of the process, and you will be able to feed them a variety of new treats and foods without them throwing up or rejecting it in the future.
The types of meat you use are really up to you. There are only a few hard and fast rules to keep in mind:
First, try to avoid raw pork. This isn’t because of anything to do with pork and your pitbull’s stomach, but because some pork can still carry serious diseases that can get your dog violently sick, such as trichinosis.
This is a small parasitic worm that can infect both humans and dogs, and unless you are absolutely sure that you are getting good meat that is worm free, it’s just safer to stay away from raw pork. The worm is killed when you cook the pork, of course, but that would defeat the purpose of the raw meat diet.
Second, try to avoid raw salmon. Similarly, there is nothing inherently wrong with cooked or canned salmon, and in fact, your pitbull will likely enjoy both of these.
However, raw salmon is sometimes infected with liver flukes, which are parasites that go after the liver, and they can potentially reduce your pitbull’s liver to shreds.
Keep in mind that no matter what kind of meat you feed your pitbull, if the meat is raw, your dog will have to go through a period of detoxication. The only real exception to this if you have a pitbull puppy, as it will be less used to any kind of diet, whether dry, canned, cooked, or raw.
Detox simply means your pitbull’s system has to cleanse itself from all of the bad components that built up inside the pitbull from years of eating dry food, no matter whether it was high quality food or lower end stuff. Typically, it will take about a month for your dog to be completely ready to go on the raw meat diet.
During this month, your pitbull is likely to smell more than usual. The coat will become brittle and dull. The skin might become extra oily, and you will probably detect worse odors from their breath and stool.
However, seemingly overnight, your dog will suddenly become completely different, and in a good way. It happens to virtually every animal used to a dry food diet and switched to a raw one, so don’t worry about it.
Another concern to keep in mind is one about bacteria and germs. Sometimes people worry about the switch to a raw meat diet because they don’t know if their dogs will be able to handle it from a health standpoint.
However, dogs are designed to eat raw food; they are essentially domesticated wolves. The digestive systems of your pitbulls will easily break down bones, and in most cases, they will not be too susceptible to listeria, salmonella, or e-coli.
However, certain dogs will be more susceptible than others, including the very old, the very sick, and the very young. Use more caution with these dogs when thinking about transitioning them from dry to raw meat diets.
To take care of germs in general, just use the same ways of cleaning your surroundings that you would if you were preparing food for yourself and you shouldn’t have any problems.
Clean your dog bowls after each meal you give them. Scrub your prep surfaces and wash your utensils. If you use common sense and good practices in the kitchen, germs shouldn’t be an issue.
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Understanding Raw Diets for Pitbull Terriers
The number of options you can choose from when you are debating on the best diet for your Pitbull and if raw meat should play a part or not is likely overwhelming.
Especially with all the sources publishing the information online for no other reason except to generate clicks, commissions and have no real experience even owning a dog.
It is important to understand this and stick to information from sources that at a bare minimum, raise and own dogs and walk the walk when they are recommending a diet and what to feed your new companion.
Some veterinarians may even suggest raw meat diets for a Pitbull if your dog currently has allergies to other foods or ingredients present in processed foods.
Overall, Pit Bulls are completely capable of digesting and eating raw meat, and it is considered one of the healthiest options you can offer.
You do have some things you need to keep in mind if you decide to take this approach as an FYI.
Now comes the question of if you should switch to raw meat for your Pit Bull’s primary diet.
What meat is best for pitbulls?
Natural sources like chicken, beef, lamb, and fish are all ideal. In fact, it’s always good to go with a dog food that has more than one type of protein source. If your searching for the best dog food for Pitbulls make sure the food formula is made up of 40% protein or more.
Raw Meat Diet… How I Feed (MY) PITBULL/Cane Corso Puppies
Aside from the conventional dog food, pet owners are now exploring other options when it comes to the nutrition of their canines. One of which is the popular raw diet for dogs. As it’s called, this type of diet involves food items that aren’t heated or cooked.
The main goal of the raw diet is to bring back the natural diet of dogs in the wild. True enough, wild dogs eat raw meat, vegetables, and fruits. It’s believed that this is way better than the highly processed and seasoned dog food you can purchase in pet stores.
But is this suitable for your Pitbulls? What are the raw dog food pros and cons? Below, we discuss these in detail.