We make transitioning to a raw diet very simple with our Beginner's Bags, however here a re a few tips if you want to manage it yourself.
The general view is to go ‘cold turkey’ when changing to raw food. Stop the dry food immediately to allow the PH levels in the stomach to lower for the raw diet. Raw meats and bones need high acidity in the stomach (low PH of approx 1-2) to properly digest protein and in particular bones. Dry food promotes higher PH levels in the stomach (of approx PH4) lowering the acidity and making it incapable of properly digesting the raw diet and also making the dog vulnerable to pathogenic bacteria which high acidity levels are able to control. To aid the higher acidity levels introduce a probiotic (e.g a teaspoon of apple-cider vinegar each day) into the dry diet a week prior to transition. When starting the raw diet, stick initially to one protein source (e.g chicken meat which is accessible and easily digestible). Introduce additional sources after a week or two, once the stools are normal (they will be harder, smaller and far less smelly than on dry food.) As bones a re a little harder to break down and digest, introduce soft , non-load-bearing bones (e.g chicken frames/ backs) around the third week. As offal can cause loose stools, introduce these once the dog has properly adjusted to the diet (after at least a couple of weeks). For older dogs who have exclusively been fed a dry diet, you may need to transition more slowly if cold turkey doesn't work. Add approximately 25% raw food to their dry diet and keep gradually increasing if their stools remain normal.