Food & Nutrition

Your Lupine Lane puppy has been weaned to a species-appropriate raw diet including beef muscle and organs, turkey, and ground raw bone, as well as pumpkin and hemp oil. By feeding your puppy the diet they were designed to eat, we are giving them the best start possible.

We have taken canine nutrition courses and consulted respected holistic vets in Oregon. We’ve also spoken to raw feeding professionals, including other breeders who’ve been successfully feeding raw for over 20 years.

Regarding Kibble:

Kibble is balanced in its own way, but it isn’t the best choice for maintaining the long-term health of your dog. So, why do people feed kibble? The short answer is because it’s easy and we’re used to it! If you feel you must feed kibble, please contact us. If you must feed kibble, we recommend mixing it with fresh raw food.

Feeding your puppy, the right way:

We prefer you follow our recipe for at least the first four weeks after your puppy arrives home. Beyond that, if your schedule does not allow for a homemade raw diet, we’ve also listed a few trusted commercial raw diets to consider.

  • DHL’s Fresh Food Diet – We will be updating this shortly with our own recipe! DH stands for Daisy Hill, a former breeder with which we work closely.

  • Darwin’s is a natural, raw pet food brand. We were impressed that the product arrived completely frozen with dry ice. They do require a recurring order, but you can cancel at any time.

  • NW Naturals is another raw pet food brand in Portland, Oregon. If you live in the Pacific Northwest, you might want to consider them.

Raw feeding instructions:

Your Lupine Lane puppy will be healthiest on a fresh raw diet such as Darwin’s, NW Naturals or our own recipe, which we’ll gladly share.

  • Feed your puppy 3 times daily until they lose interest in one of the feedings. Then you can slowly work to feeding twice daily.

  • Feed puppy approximately ½ cup of raw mix at each meal. If your puppy finishes that, add more. If they don’t finish their meal, refrigerate immediately.

  • Add Fish Oil supplement at morning feeding.

  • Add Vitamin supplement at morning feeding.

Treats:

Treats should only be freeze dried meats such as fish or liver. All that your puppy needs is the fresh meat mixture with some supplements. Your puppy does not need any additional kibble.

  • Treats Should consist of natural, non-commercial sources.

  • You may offer your puppy an appropriate raw meaty bone once a week. NO COOKED BONES.

  • You may offer your puppy beef marrow bone. Always supervise. Freeze bone when not in use. Give in crate or pen. As a rule of thumb, the bone size should be matched to the size of the dog's head. Bones that are too small may become choking hazards.

  • Organic USA freeze-dried salmon, liver (sparingly, large amounts can cause diarrhea).

  • USA organic Beef Bully sticks.

Regarding veterinarians:

We strongly suggest you find a Holistic or Interventional vet, but that doesn’t mean you have to lose your current vet. Both conventional and holistic vets are valuable and have your pet’s best interests at heart. 

Your conventional vet may discourage you from feeding raw, as they are concerned that your dog may not receive a balanced diet. This would be a valid concern if you simply gave your dog a slab of raw meat every day but shouldn’t be an issue with any of our recommended raw diets.

Holistic Veterinarians are specialists when it comes to a fresh species-appropriate diet. If your conventional vet knows you are in contact with a respected holistic vet, they will most likely be accepting of a species appropriate diet. If they don’t, find a new vet!

VetFinder by the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association is a great way to find a holistic vet near you.

Want to learn more about your pet’s nutrition? Get started here:

Keep the Tail Wagging – A blog about raw feeding, pet wellness and more.

The Kibble Conundrum – An article about why feeding kibble isn’t the best choice.

Veggie Dog! – An article about dogs and their nutritional relationship with vegetables.

Pet Health and the Microbiome – Why your pet’s microbiome is so important.

Dogs Naturally Magazine – Holistic vets and experts help you give your dog a life that’s free of chemicals, drugs and processed foods.

Dr. Becker’s Real Food For Healthy Dog & Cats – Based on the ancestral diets of dogs and cats, this book provides a rotation plan and recipes for a meat-based diet that includes appropriate levels of vegetables, fruits and supplements to complete the diet, analyzed to make sure that nutrition needs are met.