FAQs
1. Where does Marin Raw source from?
We're proud to be sourcing high quality, USDA human-grade ingredients. Our products are USDA Certified and inspected on a daily basis which helps guarantee quality and safety.
Our products are never denatured because all of our raw materials come from our USDA inspected suppliers & farms. We also don’t use any unnatural processing on our meats such as HPP. We never add anything to our meats, such as chemicals, preservatives, or anything else unnatural to your pet’s food.
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Less Odor & Less Stool Volume
We know it may be hard to believe but your dog is a carnivore. Raw feeding should include a meat to bone, organ, secreting organ, ratio, to be considered a complete balanced meal. Carbohydrates like grain, corn, wheat, rice and soy, found in a lot of kibble dog foods, are not a nutritional requirement and pose harmful health issues. When on a raw diet your pet can absorb 95% of the nutrients, resulting in smaller stools and less odor. -
Healthy Coat & Skin
If your dog has persistent skin conditions like itching and biting their coats, raw diets can significantly reduce those irritations. Our raw diets supply vital nutrients and essential fatty acids without fillers or preservatives known to cause allergic reactions. - Healthier Gums, Teeth and Breath Dogs that are fed solely grain based diets are at risk of periodontal disease which may disappear when you feed them a raw diet. Ground or whole bones provide your dog calcium for strong bones and teeth. The calcium in bones our blends are made with, reduce the buildup of tartar and helps freshen your pet’s breath. Raw uncooked bones serve as Nature's natural toothbrush!
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Leaner body mass
Dogs that are overweight will lose unwanted fat and gain muscle mass, when switched to a raw diet. You will notice improvement in their joints and overall health in just 2 weeks. -
Degenerative Disease Improvement
Dog owners who switch their older pets to a raw diet usually find that degenerative diseases improve. When arthritic dogs began to receive the vital nutrition they need, including omega 3 fatty acids, energy and activity levels increase. -
Improved Digestion
Improved digestion means better nutrient absorption. Raw food has living enzymes, phytochemicals, antioxidants, and amino acids that can positively change your dog’s current digestive routine. Many chronic digestive problems and sensitive stomach issues may disappear after you begin to feed your dog a raw diet.
Less processed, less ingredients, more balanced nutrition, greater variety to promote healthy digestion in your dog.
4. How do I transition my dog raw food?
There are a few ways to switch your dog to a raw diet including: “cold turkey”, and transition. Never hesitate to contact us for one on one help transitioning.
Cold Turkey: means you stop feeding kibble, on day 1 and on day two, you feed raw. You can introduce a fast day in between if you like to help clear the dogs system of kibble, starving will not harm your dog, in nature dogs are used to going a day or two without food after an unsuccessful hunt.
Transition:
Start with 80 percent dogs current food, 10 percent raw. Reduce the amount of kibble/ current food each day until the bowl is completely raw. This can take anywhere from 2-15 days. Rejection, stool inconsistencies, and vomiting may occur during this process and is normal. If symptoms persist more than 6 days- seek a holistic vet.
We suggest starting by substituting 25% of their current meal with raw and increasing it by 25% every other day until you’re feeding 100% raw on the seventh day.
Some pets may take shorter or longer to transition so be sure to closely monitor your pet’s reactions and adjust accordingly. Your pet typically needs to be fed 2-3% of their body weight daily if they’re over 20 LBs, or a little more if they’re on the smaller side.
5. Are your recipes complete and balanced?
The National Research Council has established minimum requirements and recommended allowances for essential nutrients for adult dogs and puppies. Additionally, the NRC provides data on nutrient deficiencies.
For every amino acid, fatty acid, vitamin, and mineral a pet requires there is a whole food that provides these essential nutrients. We suggest feeding variety of food and avoid synthetic supplements. Absorption rates are lower with supplements; whereas nutrients are digested, absorbed, and metabolized at a higher rate when provided in fresh whole foods.
Raw diets that follow strict ratio guidelines for muscle meat, edible bone and organs without additional whole foods or supplementation are usually deficient in certain essential nutrients. These deficiencies are typically present in both PMR and BARF style raw diets; and it is important to provide the appropriate whole foods to ensure the diet is nutritionally balanced. The following are recommended additional foods to complete your pets diet. We carry all of these items at Marin Raw, and once the transition to raw is complete, we can review your pets diet and recommend adding the following to balance the diet.
Flax Seeds, Chia Seeds, Hemp Seeds
Alpha-linolenic Acid (ALA)
Fatty Fish: Salmon, Mackerel, Sardines, Herring
Eicosapentaenoic & Docosahexaenoic Acid (EPA+DHA)
Kelp
Iodine
Spleen, Lean Red Meat
Iron
Green Tripe, Blue/Black Mussels
Manganese
Fatty Fish: Salmon, Mackerel, Sardines, Herring, Eggs
Vitamin D
Raw Seeds & Nuts
Vitamin E – Supplementation Recommended*
Nutritional Yeast, Pork, Lamb and Duck
Thiamin
Oysters, Lean Red Meat
Zinc
8. Can I pickup?
Marin:
245 San Anselmo Ave, San Anselmo, CA 94960
Oakland:
5808 College Ave, Oakland, CA 94618
Farmer's Markets
Saturdays
Oakland - Grand Lake 9-2pm
Splash Pad Park, 746 Grand Ave, Oakland, CA 94610
Sundays
Francisco - Clement Street 9-2pm
244 Clement St. San Francisco, 94118
9. What are the benefits of Green Tripe?
Unprocessed Green Tripe is packed with good bacteria and amino acids that can help your dog’s digestive system, which ultimately will improve your dog's immune system. Tripe will also improve metabolism, and hormonal functions.
How to Feed
Tripe is considered a muscle meat and can be feed as much as you like. We suggest adding a quarter to your dog’s daily meals.