Of the three commonly used raw diet models, Ancestral, BARF (Biologically Appropriate Raw Food), and PMR (Prey Model Raw), the Ancestral diet is the only one to include seafood. The omission of fish can result in an essential fatty acid deficiency, mainly Alpha-linoleic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Fish are also an excellent source of vitamin D. 

Other vitamin and mineral deficiencies seen with raw diets include vitamin E, iodine, zinc, and manganese. Including the following whole foods will prevent the nutrient gaps created if raw diets do not contain a wide range of foods, including seafood, fiber, and organs.

While ALA can be converted to EPA and DHA in dogs and cats, the conversion rate is low compared to other mammals, so they must be obtained through diet. Small, fatty fish  like sardines, mackerel, and herring can be added to your dog’s bowl to provide adequate levels of Omega-3s. 

Many raw diets are low in EPA/DHA because they rely on commercially raised meats. Animals raised in factory farm settings have reduced levels of Omega-3 and higher levels of Omega-6, another essential fatty acid. 

The Omega 6:Omega 3 fatty acid  imbalance can lead to inflammation throughout the body. Adding EPA and DHA to a raw diet can assist in restoring this imbalance and satisfy necessary fatty acid requirements. 

Omega-3 fatty acids play several important roles in a dog's health, including skin and coat health, joint health, cardiovascular and immune system support, and cognitive function. They contribute to a stronger immune system in dogs, aiding their ability to fight infections and diseases.

Omega-3 fatty acids, particularly EPA and DHA, are essential for maintaining healthy skin and a shiny coat for your dog. They help reduce inflammation, itching, and dryness, promoting overall skin health.

The reduction in inflammation also benefits dogs with joint conditions like arthritis. The Omega-3 fatty acids reduce joint inflammation, alleviate pain, and support better mobility and flexibility in aging or arthritic dogs.

The best whole food source of Omega-3 is seafood, including:

Sardines and herring- If using canned sardines or herring, ensure they are packed in water only, no oils or spices!

Salmon- Avoid farm-raised salmon (Atlantic salmon) as it can contain growth factors or antibiotics.

Shellfish- Oysters and mussels must be steamed or boiled before feeding your dog due to the risk of toxoplasmosis in raw shellfish. 

Alternatives to fresh fish  for Omega-3s are phytoplankton and fish oil capsules. When buying fish oil, refrain from using a pump on the bottle and only purchase in small, dark glass bottles. Fish oil oxidizes quickly when exposed to air. 

Elk and grass-fed beef and lamb have higher levels of Omega-3 fatty acids than their factory-farm-raised counterparts. 

Iodine  is a trace mineral that helps maintain your dog's cognitive health, regulates thyroid function, promotes a healthy metabolism, and aids growth and development. Consuming too much or too little iodine can cause severe health conditions. A great whole-food source of iodine is brain tissue. However, sourcing whole prey containing the brian is challenging, and some dogs are unwilling to eat an intact carcass.

There are several whole food sources of iodine that you can incorporate into your dog's diet.

Seafood: Seafood is one of the richest sources of iodine. Cod, haddock, salmon, and sardines are good options. 

Seaweed and Kelp: Seaweed and kelp are natural sources of iodine. They can be added to your dog's diet in small amounts. Make sure to choose edible varieties specifically meant for canine consumption.

Eggs: Eggs  contain iodine, among other nutrients. Feeding eggs can contribute to your dog's iodine intake.

Iodized Salt: Iodized table salt contains iodine and can be used in cooking your dog's meals. However, moderation is critical, as excessive salt intake can lead to health issues.

Meat: Meat, including beef and poultry, contains iodine, though the content may be lower than seafood. Grass-fed meats are best because grass-fed animals primarily consume a diet of natural grasses, forages, and vegetation that can absorb iodine from the soil.

Other sources of iodine are spirulina , brain tissue, and oysters. 

If you feed a variety of small, oily fresh fish regularly, adding other iodine sources to your dog’s diet may not be necessary. If your dog does not exhibit signs of hypothyroidism, such as low energy, weight gain, cold intolerance, and poor hair coat, and has regular bowel movements with a balanced weight. In that case, the likelihood of deficiency is low. 

Soft tissue injuries are unfortunately common in pets. These ailments are frequently attributed to a lack of manganese in the diet. Manganese  is a mineral your dog's body requires in minimal quantities. That contributes to your dog's skeletal structure and maintaining strong and healthy ligaments.

In a fresh food diet, animal-based products should be the predominant source of manganese. All of the components of the Real 6x Ancestral Diet™ , muscle meat, raw meaty bones, organ meat including liver and another secreting organ, fish, and fur, all contain manganese. When feeding a biologically appropriate diet to your dog, there is little chance of a manganese deficiency!

Of the Real Ancestral diet components, the liver has the highest levels of manganese. Other whole food sources for manganese include blue mussels, which have ten times the manganese of liver, and hemp seeds, with more than 20 times the manganese of liver. Hemp seeds should be given in moderation to avoid intestinal upset in your dog. 

Furred items such as the ears of rabbits, cows, lambs, or wild boars and rabbits' feet are a natural source of manganese for dogs. These all-natural, air-dried chews are available from Real Dog Box . 

Manganese can also be found in cloves, ginger, cilantro, coconut meat, broccoli, pumpkin seeds, green tripe, green leafy vegetables, and nuts.

Because dogs cannot produce vitamin D from sunlight like people, they must obtain it through their diet. Studies reveal that 70% of the dogs tested are deficient in vitamin D . Unless your meat is from grass-fed animals or you feed pastured eggs, you'll need to provide other whole food sources or supplements. The ancestral diet that includes fatty fish like sardine, capelin, anchovies, and salmon offers plenty of vitamin D in your dog’s meal.

Because vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin, non-whole food supplementation must be closely monitored. Clinical signs of vitamin D toxicity include decreased appetite, lameness, kidney disease, or even death.

Vitamin E  is an essential fat-soluble vitamin for maintaining your dog's health. It acts as an antioxidant, protecting cells from damage caused by free radicals and oxidative stress. Vitamin E is also involved in immune function, skin health, and other biological processes.

Vitamin E can be found in many whole food sources commonly used in a fresh diet for dogs, including liver and other secreting organs from grass-fed animals, pasture-raised eggs, blackberries, broccoli, salmon, wheat germ, pumpkin seeds, and mango.

Zinc  is an essential trace mineral vital to a dog's overall health and well-being. It is only required in small amounts, but its functions are crucial for various physiological processes. It is involved in developing and functioning immune cells and plays a role in maintaining a robust immune response to help your dog fight off infection. Without zinc, your dog's metabolism of food is affected.

Zinc levels that are too high can interfere with the absorption of other minerals in the diet. As a result, using zinc supplements with caution is advised. 

For raw-fed dogs, providing a variety of nutrient-rich foods that contain natural sources of zinc is essential for meeting their zinc requirements. High-quality meats from organically pasture-raised animals are a good source of zinc for dogs. Beef, lamb, pork, and poultry (such as chicken and turkey) are rich in zinc. Organ meats like liver and kidney can be especially rich in zinc.

Some seafood options, such as oysters, crabs, and mussels., are good sources of zinc. 

Organ Meats are Your Dog’s Multivitamins

Organ meats , especially those from free-range ruminants, are incredibly nutrient-dense and improve bodily function. Many critical nutrients are absent in meat and bone, so including liver and other organs in a fresh diet is highly recommended.

The three commonly used raw-feeding models recommend incorporating organs into your dog’s diet. For adult dogs, the recommendation is 5% liver and 5% other secreting organs, such as kidney, pancreas, sleep, or reproductive organs. 

Nutrient-rich organs include high concentrations of B vitamins, such as B1, B2, B6, folic acid, and B12. Organ meats are also rich in minerals like phosphorus, iron, copper, magnesium, and selenium. They also include trace amounts of essential fat-soluble vitamins A and D.

Whole Foods are Preferred Over Synthetic Supplements

Studies on the toxic effects of synthetic vitamins and minerals  In humans are abundant. Death and cancer rates are higher in individuals who take too many synthetic compounds rather than eating a high-quality diet. Few studies have been performed on dogs, but tainted foods have revealed devastating effects.

Scientists still do not understand how well all synthetic nutrients are absorbed and if the body fully utilizes them. Although a dog’s body recognizes the compound as a vitamin or mineral, it may not be able to use it as it would a natural compound. The synthetic may only provide a fraction of the biological effect of its natural counterpart. The body must waste metabolic energy to distinguish synthetic compounds from real food.

The dog’s body contains nutrient receptor sites that attract vitamins and minerals. Synthetics saturate the receptors, making them unavailable to natural nutrients. Vitamins need minerals to function correctly. Synthetic vitamins require more minerals to function, extracting more trace minerals from the body's reserves.

It is always best to provide whole foods that contain all the nutrients your dog needs. Pulse-dosing whole food supplements or using a variety of foods with known vitamin and mineral profiles over a few days will aid in balancing the diet. Balancing the total diet over several days, not for each meal, is how animals in the wild have eaten forever!

Balancing dogs' raw diet does not mean that every meal must be balanced. The key is to provide a variety of foods that contain the nutrients required for your dog.

Whole food supplementation is safer and healthier for your dog.

When feeding an ancestral diet, the chance of vitamin and mineral deficiencies is slim, especially if you are feeding organically pasture-raised animals. 

Role of Dietary Fatty Acids in Dogs & Cats - Today's Veterinary Practice 

Natural vitamin D content in animal products 

Vitamin E supplementation in canine atopic dermatitis: improvement of clinical signs and effects on oxidative stress markers 

Concentrations of manganese, iron, and strontium in bones of the domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris)   

Zinc, Copper and Manganese Deficiencies and the Ruminant Skeleton: A Review 

Nutrient Composition of Whole Vertebrate Prey (Excluding Fish) Fed in Zoos • AZA Nutrition Advisory Group 

Brady, C. (2020). Feeding dogs dry or raw? The science behind the debate. Farrow Road Publishing

Habib, Rodney; Becker, Karen Shaw.  (2021). The Forever Dog. HarperCollins. Kindle Edition. 

Of the three commonly used raw diet models, Ancestral, BARF (Biologically Appropriate Raw Food), and PMR (Prey Model Raw), the Ancestral diet is the only one to include seafood. The omission of fish can result in an essential fatty acid deficiency, mainly <a href="https://feedreal.com/glossary/alphalinoleic-acid">Alpha-linoleic acid</a> (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (<a href="https://feedreal.com/glossary/epa">EPA</a>), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Fish are also an excellent source of <a href="https://feedreal.com/glossary/vitamin-d">vitamin D</a>. 

Whole Foods for Essential Nutrients

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