When you first start researching raw diets, you’ll most likely come across ratio diets, notably 80/10/10, 80/10/5/5 or 75/15/10 ratios (or something with similar numbers!). This breaks down into 75%-80% meat, 10%-15% edible bone and 10% secreting organ (5% liver and 5% other secreting organ to be exact). The inclusion of fish and eggs may also form a small part of the meat portion. Ratios do form a good foundation for the diet, but have vital nutrient gaps that need to be filled.
So what is wrong with a ratio?
Let’s have a look at some of the reasons why ratios may fall short:
1. These diets originate from a “prey model”, with the estimated meat, bone and organ content of a whole animal forming a ratio. This style of feeding is considered “nose to tail”, as you would feed all of the obscure, nutrient dense body parts too. Most manufactured ratio minces fail to include these obscure cuts, such as the heart, lungs, gizzards, tongue, brain, pancreas, fur and feathers and opt for less nutrient dense parts, such as breasts, thighs and carcasses.
2. What can be included in each ratio significantly varies. We know each cut of meat has different nutrient profiles and densities (heart for example is more nutrient dense than breast), but they are grouped into the same ratio. You could be feeding 80% chicken breast and this would provide significantly different nutrients to 80% beef heart and muscle meat. The same idea applies to organ meats; ruminant livers contain higher copper levels than poultry livers, so feeding 5% ruminant livers consistently over time can result in high copper levels. I’m sure you see a theme here- the 10% bone recommendation is also a bit vague, as soft bones contain less calcium than hard bone and you would need to feed more soft bone to achieve the correct calcium levels. 3. Most ratio diets do not include ingredients that are not derived from animal origin, such as plant matter. Unfortunately, there are some beneficial nutrients that can only be derived from plant matter, so exclusion of these will automatically mean the diet lacks these nutrients. Similarly, whole food sources of nutrients commonly missing in raw diets are often neglected or missed out.
"How would I know if there was a nutritional deficiency?"
That’s a very good question! The canine body has an incredible ability to hormonally, chemically and physiologically adapt to compensate for nutritional imbalances. Most nutritional deficiencies are not detected on routine blood tests, and specialist vitamin and trace mineral panels need to be performed to verify the adequacy of these nutrients. Nutritional imbalances usually only become evident when clinical disease becomes evident; imbalances can manifest as skin and coat conditions, musculoskeletal and joint disease, hormone dysfunction and cardiovascular disease to name just a few. The bottom line is, often we don’t know if a nutritional imbalance is present until it has a noticeable effect on body. Prevention is always better than cure.
But what nutrients are missing?
Even with protein rotation, ratio diets can be deficient in a few essential nutrients to some degree:
Iodine
Manganese
Magnesium
Omega 3 Fatty Acids
Vitamin D
Vitamin E
Zinc
Not all diets are made equal, and some may have more or less nutrient gaps than others. Of course, not every meal needs to be balanced to the mg in order to achieve FEDIAF guidelines, but it is important to feed towards them and fill as many nutrient gaps as you can.
These nutrients & their sources
Iodine: Iodine is critical for the production of thyroid hormones, which regulate metabolism and energy expenditures. Too much iodine in the diet increases the risk of developing hyperthyroidism. Sources of iodine include kelp and other types seaweed.
Manganese: Manganese functions as an enzymatic activator, and is involved in the metabolism of proteins and synthesis of fatty acids. The best accessible source of manganese includes mussels, but wheatgrass, spinach, blackberries, pumpkin seeds, fur, feather and wool are also sources. Green tripe and beef liver contains a small quantity of manganese, but in the quantities given in most diets, would not meet the minimum requirement.
Magnesium: Magnesium is the 3rd most common mineral in bone, and serves vital roles in carbohydrate and lipid metabolism, enzymatic reactions, energy production and neuromuscular function. The highest concentrations of magnesium are found in oil seeds, such as flaxseed, hemp seeds, sunflower seeds, chia seeds and pumpkin seeds; leafy greens, such as spinach and swiss chard; and mackerel.
Omega 3 Fatty Acids: Omega 3 Fatty Acids aren’t technically a vitamin or mineral, and aren’t categorised as essential! The 3 main types of omega 3s include ALA, EPA and DHA. These are vital for brain health, retinal development and are anti-inflammatory, so are great to include in the diet. Sources richest in omega 3s include seafood,fish and algal oil. Seeds and seed oils, such as flaxseed oil, are good sources of ALA, but the conversion from ALA into the beneficial EPA and DHA in dogs is poor, so they shouldn't be relied on as a source of omega 3s.
Vitamin D: Vitamin D is involved in the regulation of calcium and phosphorus for healthy bones, teeth and muscles. The highest concentrations of vitamin D are found in eggs and oily fish, such as mackerel, sardines and salmon.
Vitamin E: Vitamin E is an important antioxidant to protect the body from free radicals, but it also vital in the immune and cardiovascular systems. Vitamin E is found in wheatgerm oil, evening primrose oil, sunflower seeds, flaxseed, almonds and in small amounts in leafy green vegetables.
Zinc: Zinc is an essential nutrient in the metabolism of nucleic acids and carbohydrates, synthesis of proteins and regulation of the immune system. Sources high in zinc include tinned oysters and wheatgrass, but there are smaller quantities found in red meats and herbs, such as nettle.
So what would be a better ratio?
I don't want to make this too complicated; I know I've already given you lots of information! As I've said above, 80/10/10 is a good foundation but it needs a little bit of tweaking.
1. You want to aim to feed "nose-to-tail"; in short, this means you want to feed as many different animals and body parts as possible. By feeding a variety of proteins, organs and cuts of muscle meat, it will provide a wide variety of nutrients and help to fill some of the nutrient gaps. Aim for 4-5 proteins minimum, but more if you can source them. The Dog’s Butcher is a great brand that supplies minces which follow this nose-to-tail style of feeding.
2. Eggs, oily fish and other seafood should form part of the meat portion of the diet. These are important to give a boost in omega 3 fatty acids, and some other nutrients that are commonly deficient in a ratio diet (vitamin D and manganese for example).
You can read more about eggs here, and fish & seafood here.
3. A small quantity of fruit and vegetables can really help to provide additional nutrients, including nutrients that can only be sourced from plant matter (think phytonutrients, like flavonoids and carotenoids). 10% of the overall daily meal allowance in addition to the meat, bone and offal is a good rule of thumb, but make sure you feed more vegetables than fruit. Leafy green vegetables and dark berries are the most beneficial types, but it is best to feed a variety.
4. Include some herbs and seeds in there. This doesn’t have to be a huge quantity, only about 2% of the overall diet. If you wanted to make it easy, there are vegetable/fruit/seed/herb supplements, like SmartBarf®, that you can add to meals. Healthy fats in the form of oils can also be included in this amount; I am also a fan of Proflax® oils, which include beneficial adaptogenic herbs to support and prevent a variety ailments or conditions.
You can read more about herbs & seeds here. When this is broken down, it forms a ratio along the lines of 70% meat; 10% edible bone; 10% secreting organ (of which 5% is liver and 5% is another secreting organ); 7% leafy green or other vegetables; 2% seeds, herbs and oils; and 1% dark berries or other fruit. Don’t get too caught up with the numbers; as long as you are feeding a little bit of everything mentioned above, there's a good chance you will be filling any of the nutrient gaps that may exist. If you don't feel confident doing this, no problem! There are lots of brands that already include these things and you can check them out here: just look for the green tick ✓ or the orange exclamation mark ! .