BCR BIGCOUNTRY RAW. FEEDING GUIDE for your new puppy. Food for dogs, naturally. BIGCOUNTRYRAW.CA RAW FOOD

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1 FEEDING GUIDE for your new puppy. The type of food a puppy is fed is a significant factor in determining the long-term health and longevity of your dog. Food is the building blocks for optimal growth and resistance to disease and injury. The most appropriate feeding choice, is to provide your puppy with a diet that contains essential nutrients in a highly digestible form, just as nature intended! Raw Meat, Bones, and Organ Meats Growing puppies need protein for muscle growth and that amount is significant as puppies grow very quickly! Providing a variety of proteins is especially important to ensure that sufficient amino acids (the building blocks of protein) will be absorbed and utilized for growth. The protein should be highly digestive animal protein as this is much more digestible than plant protein (e.g. corn). Big Country Raw diet's contain 65-75% high quality muscle meat which is important foundation to a balanced raw diet. A raw diet must contain a balance of calcium and phosphorus for normal skeletal development. A raw diet must contain ground or whole bones to ensure adequate calcium, as well as cooper, iodine, iron, magnesium, and zinc in their diet. Connective tissue such as sinew and cartilage are also important parts of a raw food diet. Big Country Raw diet's contain 15 20% ground bone including sinew and cartilage. Along with muscle meats and bones, a puppies diet must also contain organ meats such as liver, kidney and spleen. Organ meats provide a rich source of enzymes and complex vitamins that every puppy needs to grow. Big Country Raw diets contain 5-10% organ meat. BIGCOUNTRY RAW BCR RAW FOOD Food for dogs, naturally. Fruits and Vegetables Plant matter such as fruit and vegetables should not make up more than 10% of our puppies entire diet. Vegetables and fruit do provide vitamins, minerals and fibre to their diet which can help to maintain normal blood glucose levels and add some additional taste and texture to their diet. Big Country Raw Dinner's contain 5-7% fruit and vegetables which closely mimic's the amount of carbohydrates typically found in your dog's ancestral diet. The fruit and vegetables found in BCR diets are apples, pears, carrots, kale and spinach. We only use locally grown fruits and vegetables from Ontario growers. Supplements A proper balanced raw diet including a rotational diet of 2 or more proteins and containing the correct ratios of meat, bone and organ meats will ensure a wide variety of mineral and vitamins. Additional supplementation will enhance the diet and help to ensure good peace of mind and long-term health benefits. BIGCOUNTRY ALL-NATURAL SUPPLEMENTS FOR DOGS Bigcountry Raw diets require daily supplementation with an Omega 3 Fatty Acid. Omega 3 s are essential for skin and coat health. Nature s richest source of Omega 3 Fatty Acids is found in fish, particularly salmon or herring. We recommend daily supplementation with BCR THRIVE Canadian Herring Oil. Dosage required is 5 ml per every 25 lbs of body weight.

2 Feeding Portions A raw fed puppy should be kept at an ideal weight during these important first year of growth. Overfeeding can damage developing cartilage and can cause bone disorders, premature closing of growth plates and a weak bone structure. Overweight puppies also face increased risk for early arthritis and hip/elbow dysplasia. For these reasons it is important to ensure your puppy receives a proper daily food portions. A healthy puppy is lean and athletic. You should easily feel your puppy s ribs and they should be barely visible. If your puppy shows signs of weight gain we would adjust our daily food intake decreasing the amount fed. The simplest method for determining how much to feed your puppy is by estimating your puppies anticipated adult body weight. Your breeder may be able to provide you with this information. Formula 8 weeks to 16 weeks Anticipated Adult Weight x 2% 16 weeks to 9 months Anticipated Adult Weight x 2.5% 6 months to 18 months (high energy breeds only) Anticipated Adult Weight x 3% Examples: Anticipated adult weight 50 lbs 8 week puppy 50 x 2% = 1lb per day (up to 16 weeks) 16 week puppy 50 x 2.5 % = 1.25 lb per day 6 month old (highly active) = 50 x 3% = 1.5 lb per day Anticipated Adult Weight = 80 lbs THIN All ribs are easily visible A healthy puppy is lean and athletic. You should easily feel your puppy s ribs and they should be barely visible. IDEAL Ribs are barely visible OVERWEIGHT Ribs are not visible OBESE Ribs are not visible Layer of fat 8 Week old Puppy 80 lbs x 2% = 1.5 lbs per day 16 Week old Puppy 80 lbs x 2.5% = 2 lbs per day 6 Month Old 80 lbs x 3% = 2.5 lbs per day IDEAL The amount determined would be divided into 2 or 3 equal meals. We recommend transitioning your puppy to 2 meals per day between 8 16 weeks of age. We would recommend moving to 1 meal per day (if preferred) at 2 years of age. Puppies require a substantial amount of food when growing, likely more food than they will require as mature adults to maintain body weight. We recommend adjusting your puppies food intake every 4 6 weeks when growing to match their growth pattern and level of exercise. High energy breeds or highly active puppies burn more calories and therefore they require additional food to build and maintain a healthy weight. Inactive breeds and more sedate puppies likely will never require more than 2.5% of their anticipated adult weight. Most breeds reach their adult size by 12 months of age and health adult weight by months of age.

3 MENU Recommended Meal Planning Menu Our recommended meal choices for puppies (8 weeks 16 weeks) are prepared ground meals fed 2-3x per day. A rotational meal plan of the following proteins, and rotating every 3-4 days is the best way to ensure a wide variety of nutrients. We do not recommend frequent rotation of meals or offer proteins such as fish, pork, lamb, tripe and raw meaty bones till your puppy is older and their digestive tract is much more capable of digesting more complex fats, red meats and bones. Chicken Dinner Turkey Dinner Beef Dinner Breeder Blend Duck Dinner Rabbit Dinner Recreational Chewing Bones (e.g. flat rib bone, marrow bones, cold smoked bison bones) Once puppies have reached 16 weeks of age more variety can be added into the diet to include menu items such as: Pork Lamb Tripe Salmon/Fish Raw Meaty Bone (meal replacement bones such as duck necks, chicken necks etc.) The following information is helpful to explain the Bigcountry Raw Diet in more detail so you can make appropriate feeding choices for your puppy. Prepared Ground Meals are complete and balanced ready to serve choices such as our Dinners, Blends and Pure Formulas. These come in easy to thaw and serve 1, 2 or 4lb sizes and make up the majority of your meals. Bigcountry Raw Dinner s are complete and balanced meals that include the correct ratio s of meat, bone, organ meats but also contain 5-7% fruit and vegetables. The fruit and vegetables found in our Dinner s include apples, pears, carrots, kale and spinach. Kelp is also added to Bigcountry Raw dinners. The only required supplementation is an omega 3 fatty acid (THRIVE Herring Oil) Bigcountry Pure Formula s are complete and balanced meals that include the correct ratio s of meat, bone, organ meats. Pure formula s are single protein which means that only the protein named (example Pure Beef contains only Beef protein) are found in this meal choice. Pure formula s are recommended when choosing to feed a raw diet with no fruits or vegetables. The only required supplementation is an omega 3 fatty acid (THRIVE Herring Oil) Bigcountry Blends are signature to Bigcountry Raw and are uniquely created based on established recipes that we know dogs LOVE! Bigcountry Breeder Blend is our # 1 selling menu choice and is economically priced making it a great choice to include in your puppies diet as well. Blends combine 2 or more proteins together and are complete and balanced meal choices containing correct ratios of meat, bone, and organ meats. Blends DO NOT contain fruit and vegetables, but we do recommend supplementing blends with our Fruit and Vegetable Blend or Superfood Blend if you choose not to offer the dinner formula s in rotation with Blend meal choices. The only required supplementation is an omega 3 fatty acid (THRIVE Herring Oil)

4 Raw Meaty Bones menu items are divided into 2 choices - Meal Replacement Bones and Recreational Bones. It is always recommended that when feeding raw meaty bones to your puppy that they are fed supervised. We recommend to offer raw meaty bones frozen to help slow down eager eaters and extent the length of chewing time. Raw bones should be fed outdoors, on washable floors or in a crate which can be cleaned afterwards for hygienic reasons. Meal Replacement Bones will be eaten and chewed fairly quickly and would be choices that contain a high % of meat and softer digestible bone. These bones can be eaten entirely and offered in replacement for the prepared ground raw and include items like chicken necks or backs, turkey necks, duck necks, lamb necks etc. Raw Meaty Bones fed as a meal replacement can make up 4-5 of your weekly meals. Recreational Bones are much harder and will last longer. Examples are flat rib bones, beef marrow bones, knuckle bones and smoked bones. Once meat and sinews have been cleaned off the bone we suggest discarding the bone. Bones left outside will harden with sunlight and heat, which can cause bones to splinter. Treats. When making the choice to feed raw we certainly want to ensure that their treats compliment their diet. This will avoid digestive upset and provide a nutritious reward for your growing puppy. Bigcountry Raw offers 2 choices for puppy families. HeroDogTreatsTM Dehydrated Dog Treats are tasty dehydrated single protein treats that also provide a rich source of vitamins and minerals. Dehydrated beef liver, lamb liver and beef lung are excellent choices for training treats. Puppies only need tiny morsels as rewards for good behaviour and as these treats are natural and low in calories and fat you can offer them frequently to reward good behaviours and established a positive training system with your new puppy. With lots of choices (over 12 or more menu items) you are sure to find treats your puppy will love. Slobbers Organic Dog Treats are nutritional and healthy treat choices for your raw fed dog. These treats use only organic fruits and vegetables and are grain-free and also low in fat and healthy and nutritious treat choices for your new puppy. SLOBBERS are great for families with young children as they contain NO meat - making them safe for all family members to handle. Essential Supplements would include Big Country THRIVE Herring Oil (essential Omega 3's for skin and coat)and are necessary to fully round out a more natural feeding choices for your dog or cat. Nonessential but also highly beneficial supplements that we would recommend considering for your pet's diet is Diatomaceous Earth & Kelp. Visit our website to learn more about how these supplements can compliment your pet's raw food diet and provide a holistic approach to treating your pet. MENU Choosing a Protein We recommend selecting least 2 or 3 proteins to ensure a wide spectrum of nutrients through a variety of protein choices. BigCountry Raw's menu includes over 12 protein choices! We would divide our proteins choices to 2 categories primary and secondary proteins. Primary Protein Choices for raw feeding would be Chicken, Turkey and Beef proteins as they are highly palatable with dogs and cats and are also BigCountry Raw's most economical protein choices. For dogs with allergies we typically suggest avoiding Chicken and we would recommend Turkey as an alternative. For dogs with allergies to Beef would recommend Lamb or Pork protein. Secondary Protein Choices for raw feeding would be Lamb, Pork, Duck, Rabbit, Alpaca, Elk and Fish. These proteins are more costly, so we would suggest offering these proteins in rotation with the Chicken, Turkey and Beef. They add variety to your raw diet but also offer an even wider spectrum of nutrition. For dogs with food intolerances and allergies we often choose at these protein choices rather than Chicken or Beef. Food for dogs, naturally.

5 Transitioning from Dry to Raw Food If your puppy was weaned onto a raw diet by your breeder, congratulations!. If not, you may find the following information regarding transition helpful. Transitioning your pet from a dry commercial dog food to raw is simple and normally very quick and easy, especially with puppies.! In most cases you should expect to have healthy firm and formed stool the very day you start. The BEST and quickest transition for young healthy adult dogs and puppies is to make a complete switch from kibble to raw food. Mixing raw food with kibble can result in loose stools or vomiting. For this reason we suggest the following steps for best success. More tips for success... We do not recommend mixing raw and dry food kibble together. Raw food is passed through the digestive system at a much quicker rate than dry food. If you do want to continue feeding kibble with raw food, feed them separately (raw-am, kibble-pm). Occasionally we have dogs that do not transition as easily or as quickly to a raw food diet. This is more common in senior dogs or picky eaters. If you have tried the above method for 2-3 days without success you can pan fry or sear the raw food so it is partially cooked Gradually each day cook the food less and less until your dog eats the food completely raw. Introduce a plant based probiotic such as the Best in Show Digestive Enzymes with the raw meals to help restore the good digestive bacteria required in your pet's digestive tract. Fast your pet for 1 meal or at least 12 hours. For example if you were starting the raw the next day, you would feed breakfast today, skip dinner tonight and offer the first raw meal tomorrow AM. Fasting will allow their digestive system to empty and it will also creates hunger which may be helpful for picky or fussy eaters. Choose a simple protein such as chicken, turkey or rabbit when transitioning from dry to raw. Do not start with beef, lamb, pork, fish, or tripe as these contain more complex red meats, organ meats and fats which can result in soft or loose stools. Don't rotate too quickly, feed the same protein for 3-4 days before moving to another protein choice. To frequent rotation too soon can cause digestive upset especially in puppies. Feed your raw food at room temperature for the first 1-2 weeks. If fed too cold and eaten to quickly, your dog my have trouble digesting and even possibly throw it up. Most dogs can tolerate cold raw food 2 weeks after transitioning Occasionally dogs throw up bile, foam or even their food during the transition period from dry food to raw. This is normal and not overly alarming. Bile is created by your puppies digestive tract to break down food but on a raw diet the amount of bile needed is significantly less than on dry food. For this reason some puppies with excessive bile in their digestive tract will vomit. This concern is normally resolved within 5-7 days of transitioning to raw, or may never happen at all. BCR BIG COUNTRY RAW RAW FOOD

6 Rotational Meal Planning Packaging Options Safe Handling of the Raw Diet Prepared Ground Meals We suggest rotating your pet's protein choices every 2-3 days, so that they have a varied diet. It is not necessary to rotate daily, as too frequent rotation can cause digestive upset. Try to plan accordingly, so that you should finish the container of thawed food before moving to the next protein. For smaller breeds eating 1/4lb of raw per day this would mean less frequent rotations than a large breeds that require 2lbs of raw per day. We normally suggest once you are finished with one container to move to another protein feeding choice. Big Country Raw prepared raw diets are available in 1lb, 2lb, and 4lb sizes. To serve, simply thaw the container and portioning out your required feeding amount with a spoon. Bigcountry raw diets are safe for human contact as we only use CFIA inspected meats and ingredients and we process as per CFIA guidelines. We recommend handling, thawing and serving Bigcountry Raw meals in the same manner that you would handle raw meat should you be serving this to your own family members. Thaw times at room temperature. (double thaw time in refrigerator) 1lb 4 6hrs 2lb hrs 4 lb 8 12 hrs 16 lb Tote 18 24hrs Once thawed,we suggest storing in your refrigerator with a sealed lid and using with 3 days of thawing. This will ensure you are always offering a safe and fresh product. We do not recommend thawing and re-freezing product. Purchase the food in the smallest container size possible. If you do need to portion out into smaller amounts, thaw the food just enough to be able to cut apart without thawing completely. Simple steps to keep in mind are to wash hands, utensils and bowls after serving with hot water. We also recommend serving Bigcountry raw meals in a ceramic or stainless steel bowl. Food once thawed is best used within 3 days of thawing. Questions, Comments or Concerns All of the staff at Bigcountry Raw are happy to help answer your questions whether it be related to diet, ordering, retail locations, home delivery etc. Please do not hesitate to call ( ), (info@bigcountryraw.ca) or contact us through our website. We look forward to seeing your puppy thrive on a raw diet and would love to hear from you should you experience any concerns.