Getting Started
Can you recommend a menu plan for my dog?
Yes! Our Pet Nutrition Experts are happy to help provide a complimentary meal plan just for your pet.
When should I switch my puppy to raw?
It's never too early to switch your puppy to a fresh food, Big Country Raw diet. All recipes are complete and balanced for dogs of all life stages. Fresh food encourages balance of the gut microbiome benefitting immune system function. When health starts on the inside, it shows on the outside.
How do I transition my pet to a raw diet?
You have two options for the transition, and we suggest starting with a poultry meal for the first couple of days. Next, we recommend a rotation of three or more proteins including both red meats and poultry.
Option 1 - All at once
Feed the last kibble meal and the first raw meal 8-12 hours later, it’s just that simple!
--OR--
Option 2 - Gradual
Start adding progressively more raw to the kibble meal during the course of a week.
- Day 1-2 : 25% raw + 75% kibble
- Day 3-4 : 50% raw + 50% kibble
- Day 5-6 : 75% raw + 25% kibble
- Day 7: 100% raw
How much food does my pet need?
Average feeding portions are calculated based on a pet's weight and activity level.
Dogs usually require 2% of their ideal adult weight in food daily, while puppies require approximately 4% of their current weight in food each day.
Example: A 50 lb dog would require about 1 lb of food daily (50 x 0.02 = 1 lb)
The box contains a detailed feeding guide or you can let us take care of the math for you and use our online cost and portion calculator.
Portioning Tools
Meals for toy and small breed dogs should be weighed using a kitchen scale as over/under feeding can happen easily when food portions are small.
Raw to Dry Conversion
Another handy tip to remember is that 1/2 lb of raw is approximately 1 cup of high-quality, grain-free dry food. So if you were feeding 2 cups of dry food your dog is likely going to eat 1 lb of raw per day.
It's important to always monitor your pet's body condition to ensure they are not gaining or losing undesired weight.
Can I feed Big Country Raw to my pregnant dog?
Yes! Pregnancy and lactation place a high demand on your dog’s dietary needs. Ensuring all essential nutrients to maintain optimal health during pregnancy is best achieved with a high-quality, nutritionally balanced raw diet. Big Country Raw Dinner and XL recipes are complete and balanced nutrition for all life stages. Meeting the nutritional needs of a pregnant dog will just require more calories so increasing food portions is required.
Common Questions
Can you feed raw and kibble together?
Yes, you can feed both kibble and raw. All Big Country Raw recipes make great kibble toppers.
We have studied the various research and also conducted our own customer polling and trials to determine that every dog is unique and individual needs vary. What may work well for one may not be the best choice for your dog. In the end, some fresh food for your pet is better than none at all.
If you choose to feed both dry and raw together may we make the following suggestions:
1. Choose the best high quality dry food you can find.
2. Do a trial of feeding exclusively 100% raw food first. This will help strengthen the digestive system and make it more capable of deriving the full nutrients out of a raw food diet.
3. The true benefits of feeding raw are not as noticeable when feeding raw less than 20% of the entire diet. If you want better results, such as smaller stools, less shedding, fresher breath and no odors, it may be necessary to switch to 100% raw.
4. If your dog starts to experience digestive upset including vomiting or diarrhea, we suggest feeding the meals alternatively e.g. morning raw and evening dry food. You can also alternate days, 1 day dry and 1 day raw.
Can I cook your raw meals?
We do not recommend cooking any of our raw meals. Our raw recipes contain raw, ground bone that is highly digestible and a natural source of calcium and phosphorus. Once cooked, however, bones can become sharp, splinter, and potentially cause damage to the digestive tract, posing a safety concern for pets to consume.
Can I thaw food in a microwave?
We do not recommend thawing food in the microwave. This can create hot spots and potentially cook the bone. If you have forgotten to thaw food, often sitting the food in some lukewarm water will help thaw it quickly. Many dogs also enjoy eating their raw food frozen.
Can I feed just one recipe or should I switch it up?
Offering varying proteins (both poultry and red meats) is helpful in keeping consistent stools. Poultry proteins will firm stools whereas red meats will soften them. A variety will also help reduce the risk of developing allergies, food fussiness, and balancing caloric intake - we recommend 3-5 different proteins (or more) per month.
During the transition period it is best to stick to one protein for the first 5 to 7 days to ensure everything is fine with stools and appetite before rotating more proteins into the diet.
How long is raw food fresh?
Kept frozen, Big Country Raw products maintain their quality and safety for more than 2 years. Each individual pack will have visible Best Before date printed on it.
Once thawed, raw food should be used within 3-4 days.
Raw food should always be stored in the freezer until ready to use, and then thawed in the fridge to maintain a consistent internal temperature.
Can I add supplements? Are they required?
All Big Country Raw Dinner and XL recipes are complete and balanced nutrition for dogs of all life stages so vitamin and mineral supplementation is not required.
Supplements intended to support joint health, gut health, or skin and coat can certainly still be added.
Adding vitamin and mineral supplements is not recommended to ensure nutrition remains balanced.
Products and Packaging
Are Big Country Raw meals complete?
Big Country Raw recipes are complete and balanced nutrition for dogs of all life stages. In the formulation of our recipes we use the dietary recommendations for main nutrients, minerals, vitamins, amino acids, and fatty acids set forth by The Nutrient Requirements for Dogs by the National Research Council (NRC) and AAFCO.
However, we believe that a truly complete and balanced diet should have a meal / protein rotation of at least 3-5 proteins per month when possible. Variety widens the nutrition spectrum and also keeps pets interested in their meals.
Full nutrient panels for all our products are available online. Click the menu item you're inquiring about, then “Nutrient Facts” for full nutrient content information.
How is it packaged?
Big Country Raw offers several convenient packaging options and sizes. The variety ensures you can select the packaging that's best for you and your pet.
4 lb Cartons - 1 recipe 4 x 1 lb vacuum-sealed pouches.
Grab n Go 12 - 3 different recipes, each carton containing 4 x 1 lb vacuum pouches, 12 lbs of food.
XL - Contains 20 x 1½ lb vacuum sealed pouches - a total of 30 lbs of food - our largest bulk box.
Why do the recipes contain cod liver oil and DHA?
Our goal is to provide as much nutrition as possible from raw ingredients, to be able to rely less on added chelated vitamins and minerals. Cod liver oil is included to meet the vitamin D requirement. Using purified forms of vitamin D can be risky so opting for naturally-occurring sources of vitamin D is the safest way to meet minimum requirements. Our primary source of Omegas is DHA from the marine algae, which we use in a stable, powdered form that resists oxidation. DHA is not only more shelf-stable, but also a direct precursor to EPA, offering additional benefits for skin, coat, and cognitive health.
Do I need to supplement with fish oil?
Though not required to meet minimum nutritional requirements, fish oil is a great way to supplement any pet's bowl. The safe upper limit for omega-3 fatty acids is more than 10x higher than the required minimum so adding extra is safe and can offer a lot of benefits to skin, coat, and joints. Also, offering different types of whole fish and fish oils bring a wider variety of beneficial fatty acids and other essential nutrients.
What about dogs with fish allergies? Can they eat Big Country Raw recipes?
Most allergies are caused by proteins, not fats. Highly purified fish oil carries a very low risk of triggering allergic reactions. Additionally, marine algae is entirely different from fish and seafood and is unlikely to cause a fish-related allergic response.
Why do the recipes contain salt?
Sodium and Chloride are essential electrolytes that play a key role in regulating fluids and supporting healthy organ function and a strong immune system. While salt gets a bad reputation, sodium and chloride when included in the right amounts are vital and only problematic in excess. We carefully provide the appropriate levels to support a pet’s optimal health - never to enhance the taste. In fact, our recipes contain salt levels that are approximately 10x lower than those found in many lower-quality pet foods. We include it only where it truly benefits the nutritional profile of the recipe.
Do you add vitamins and minerals to your recipes?
Our aim is to bring as much nutrition as possible from fresh, whole food ingredients, with minimal reliance on added vitamins and minerals. Some micronutrients like zinc, manganese, and copper, are added to recipes in their amino acid form to ensure they meet AAFCO nutritional requirements.
Food Safety
Where are Big Country Raw ingredients sourced?
All raw materials; meat, poultry, fish, and fruits and vegetables, are sourced from federally and provincially inspected facilities providing human-edible, hormone and antibiotic free ingredients for our recipes.
Which steps are taken to reduce the presence of harmful pathogens?
We believe in layers of protection, combining this new technology with:
• Human-Grade Sourcing: Only the best ingredients enter our kitchen.
• Bacteriophage Technology: Natural, targeted interventions against harmful bacteria.
• Test & Hold
• Strict Certifications: Our facility holds a HACCP third party certification and has been CFIA certified for US exports.
• Rigorous Audits: Continuous internal and external testing and cold-chain management.
Safety is not a one-time achievement it’s an ongoing process. Big Country Raw. conducts randomized product sampling, laboratory pathogen testing, and environmental monitoring as part of our quality assurance program.