ReWild Your Pets Diet

Species-Appropriate Feeding for Dogs and Cats

Dogs and cats are not small humans. They are carnivores with very specific anatomical and metabolic needs, and their food should reflect that. This program is designed for real pet parents who want to move away from ultra‑processed foods and toward species‑appropriate, biologically aligned nutrition—without needing a biochemistry degree.

On this page you’ll find:

How dogs and cats are built to eat
The basic diet frameworks for dogs and cats
Why balance happens over time, not every bowl
How and why we use fermented or juiced plants
Why bones matter
Special considerations (puppies/kittens, seniors, GI, allergies, TCVM, transitions, cooking)
How the ReWild 6‑month mentorship can support you through all of this

Dogs: Facultative Carnivores

What “facultative carnivore” means

Dogs are facultative carnivores. That means they are biologically designed to thrive on a meat‑based diet but can handle some plant foods when necessary. Their teeth, jaw motion, digestive tract length, and enzyme patterns are all still geared toward hunting and scavenging animal tissue first, not living on cereal grains and starches.

In practice, this means the foundation of a dog’s diet should be whole‑animal ingredients—meat, organs, bone, and some seafood—with a small, strategic amount of plant matter added for specific benefits, not as cheap bulk.

Feeding Dogs: Balance Over Time

For healthy adult dogs, the basic program looks like this when averaged over about a week:

50–60% muscle meat: Skeletal muscle and heart from a variety of species (beef, poultry, pork, lamb, game, etc.).
5–10% small oily fish: Sardines, mackerel, and similar, for omega‑3s and trace minerals.
10–20% organ meats (about half liver): Liver plus other secreting organs such as kidney, spleen, pancreas, etc.
10–15% raw edible bone: Appropriately sized, raw, edible bones included in meals, adjusted to stool.
Up to 10% plant matter: Fermented or juiced vegetables only, no high‑starch fillers.
Fur and feathers: Used as a topper or occasional addition to mimic whole‑prey roughage.

In simple language: about 80–90% of your dog’s bowl comes from animal parts, and up to 10% comes from carefully prepared plants that support, rather than replace, their carnivore biology.

Nutrient-Dense Additions

Alongside the core ratios, some dogs benefit from occasional, thoughtfully sourced additions that better mimic a full prey animal.

Blood

Added as a natural source of highly bioavailable iron and other minerals.
Reflects what would be present in real prey, not just drained, trimmed meat.
Used in small, sensible amounts as a periodic nutrient boost, not as a primary food.

Reproductive Foods

These are foods linked to growth, fertility, and life cycles in nature. They’re potent, so they’re used as periodic enhancers, not as the base of the bowl. Examples include:

Raw milk from healthy, ethically raised animals: Offers easily absorbed fats, proteins, and micronutrients when tolerated.
Eggs: A concentrated package of amino acids, fats, vitamins, and minerals—essentially “a complete start” for new life.
Bee pollen and similar hive products: Provide a wide range of micronutrients and bioactive compounds in tiny amounts.
Reproductive organs and tissues: Such as testicles or ovaries, included as part of a nose‑to‑tail approach for dogs who do well with them.

These foods are rotated in thoughtfully to enhance an already balanced, species‑appropriate diet, not to replace meat, organs, or bone.

Balance over time: 7–10 day window

Dogs in nature don’t eat a perfectly balanced prey item at 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. every day. They eat different animals, different parts, and different amounts over time. Your dog’s body is designed for that.

This program balances nutrients over 7–10 days, not every single bowl. That means:

You rotate different proteins during the week.
You hit the overall ratios across that time frame.
You allow some meals to be meat‑heavy, others more bone‑rich, others organ‑focused, as long as the week is balanced.

This approach is more realistic for pet parents and more in line with how a facultative carnivore is built to eat.

Cats: Obligate Carnivores

What “obligate carnivore” means

Cats are obligate carnivores. They are designed to obtain nearly all of their nutrition from prey animals. Their physiology—including their dependency on certain amino acids and fatty acids found primarily in animal tissue—means they do not thrive on plant‑heavy diets.

In practice, that means feline diets should be almost entirely animal‑based, with only minimal, functional additions when truly needed.

Feeding Cats

For healthy adult cats, the framework looks like this over about a week:

70–80% muscle meat: From appropriate species, with a focus on high‑quality animal proteins.
20% organ meats (about half liver): Liver plus other secreting organs for a rich micronutrient profile.
10–15% raw edible bone: Appropriate bone content for minerals and dental benefit.
5–10% small oily fish: Used thoughtfully for omega‑3s and variety (not every cat tolerates fish daily).
Minimal functional additions: Small amounts of specific ingredients (including certain plant‑derived or fat‑based therapies) only when indicated—such as a bit of coconut oil for hairballs or targeted support guided by TCVM or clinical needs.

For most cats, no routine plant inclusion is necessary. When plants or plant‑adjacent additions are used, they are used with intent: therapeutic, TCVM‑driven, or for a specific problem—not as a bulk ingredient.

Blood and Reproductive Foods

For cats, these same ancestral extras are used more cautiously and only when well tolerated.

Blood

Can be used in small amounts as a natural source of highly bioavailable iron and other minerals.
Included occasionally to better reflect what a true prey animal would provide, not as a daily staple.

Reproductive Foods

Carefully chosen “life-starting” foods such as eggs, select hive products (like bee pollen), and, when appropriate, small amounts of raw milk from healthy, ethically raised animals.
Introduced slowly and only if your individual cat tolerates them well.
Used as rare, nutrient-dense additions to an already species-appropriate, animal-based diet—not as a replacement for meat, organs, or bone.

Balance over time for cats

Like dogs, cats benefit from balance over time rather than obsessing over each bowl. Rotating proteins and prey types over that window helps cover nutritional bases, keeps meals interesting, and supports a resilient metabolism.

Why We Don’t Chase “Complete and Balanced” in Every Bowl

You’ll see a lot of commercial foods marketed as “complete and balanced according to AAFCO / FEDIAF / NRC profiles.” Those profiles can be useful references, but they were not designed around fresh whole prey; they were designed to standardize ultra‑processed products.

In the Wild Wellness ReWild program, instead of forcing every bowl to match a paper profile, we:

Use whole foods and rotation to deliver a broad spectrum of nutrients.
Aim for balance over 7–10 days, recognizing that nutrient intake naturally ebbs and flows.
Respect that actual animals, not spreadsheets, are the final authority—body condition, stool quality, coat, behavior, and testing tell us more than a label claim ever will.

“Complete and balanced” is a tool, not a religion. Species‑appropriate comes first.

Why We Limit Plant Matter . . . and How We Use It

Dogs can use some plant foods, but that doesn’t mean they should live on them. Cats need them even less. In this program, plants are

Limited: Up to 10% of the diet for dogs, and only minimal, purposeful amounts for cats.

Carefully chosen: Preferane for low‑oxalate, non‑starchy vegetables. No high-starch vegetables, no peas/legumes as protein or filler.

Specially prepared: Used fermented or juiced, not raw chunks of salad.

Why fermented or juiced plants?

We use fermented or juiced plants because they are easier for carnivore guts to handle and deliver the benefits we actually want:

Microbiome diversity

Fermentation introduces beneficial microbes and postbiotics that support gut health.

Prebiotics

Certain plant fibers, when used in small amounts, can feed beneficial bacteria.

Enzyme support

Fermentation and juicing increase enzyme availability and reduce some anti‑nutrients.

Phytonutrients

Concentrated vitamins, polyphenols, and plant compounds that can modulate inflammation and support overall resilience.

Plants are used like a supplemental tool, not as a cheap way to water down meat.

Why We Feed Bones

Bones are a natural part of a prey animal. When used thoughtfully, they

Provide bioavailable calcium and phosphorus in a form the body recognizes.
Support dental health through mechanical cleaning.
Help produce firm, well‑formed stools when balanced correctly with meat and organs.

In this program, we keep it simple:

We focus on raw, edible bones that are appropriate for the animal and size.
We adjust bone percentage based on your individual dog or cat’s stool and tolerance.
We avoid cooked bones and inappropriate bones that can damage teeth.

Bones are one of the reasons a truly species‑appropriate diet doesn’t need a long list of synthetic calcium sources.

Special Considerations

Puppies and Kittens

Growing animals need more energy and different mineral support than adults. The core ratios stay similar, but:

Total daily intake is higher (a larger percentage of body weight).
Bone, organ, and fat levels are adjusted more carefully.
Protein rotation and careful observation are crucial during growth.

Puppy and kitten plans are customized rather than copy‑pasted adult plans scaled up.

Seniors

Senior dogs and cats may need:

Adjusted fat and calorie levels.
Softer textures or more gentle bones.
Support for kidneys, joints, or other age‑related changes.

We keep the species‑appropriate base but tweak proteins, textures, and add‑ons for senior bodies.

GI Issues (IBD, pancreatitis, SIBO, etc.)

For digestive or pancreatic issues:

We may start with simpler, lightly cooked versions of the same ratios.
We use fewer, well‑tolerated proteins at first.
We lean more heavily on fermented/juiced plants and targeted additions to support the gut barrier and microbiome in dogs.

For cats, plant use remains minimal and therapeutic, not routine.

Cooking in these cases is a therapeutic tool, not the philosophical ideal.

Allergies and Sensitivities

When allergies or sensitivities are in play, we:

Use limited‑ingredient phases with a narrow set of proteins.
Rotate carefully and slowly.
Avoid common trigger ingredients, including unnecessary plant fillers and legumes.

We respect the ratios while simplifying the ingredient list.

TCVM‑Driven Modifications

Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine may call for:

Warming or cooling proteins.
Slightly more or less plant matter.
Specific functional ingredients for damp, heat, stagnation, or deficiency patterns.

These adjustments are done on top of a species‑appropriate base. We don’t abandon carnivore biology to chase energetics; we integrate the two.

Transitioning from Kibble and Ultra‑Processed Foods

Most pets today come from an ultra‑processed, high‑carb background. Transitioning usually involves:

Gradual introduction of raw or fresh foods.
Watching stools, energy, and skin as markers of how the body is adapting.
Addressing detox‑like symptoms if they arise.
Supporting the microbiome with fermented or juiced plant matter (especially in dogs).

Ultra‑processed foods are convenient, but convenience has a cost: highly refined ingredients, high heat processing, oxidized fats, and long‑term metabolic strain. Moving toward species‑appropriate feeding is a way of opting out of that system.

Cooking: When We Use It and When We Don’t

Raw, whole‑animal ingredients are the species‑appropriate baseline. However, there are times when cooking or lightly cooking is the most compassionate choice:

Significant GI disease
Certain pancreatic or liver conditions
Very sensitive or medically fragile animals
Guardians not yet ready for raw

In those cases, we keep the same philosophy and ratios as much as possible, but change the preparation method. Cooking becomes a bridge—not the destination.

ReWild Your Pets Diet: 6‑Month Holistic Mentorship

If you’re reading this and thinking, “This makes sense, but it feels like a lot to manage alone,” that’s exactly why the ReWild 6‑month holistic mentorship exists.

ReWild is for both dogs and cats and is designed to guide you from confused, overwhelmed pet parent to confident, holistic feeder over six months.

Inside ReWild, we:

Build or refine your pet’s species‑appropriate diet step by step.
Customize for age, health conditions, and sensitivities.
Integrate nutrition with environment, lifestyle, and holistic care so food isn’t working alone.
Support you as you navigate transitions away from ultra‑processed foods and into a more natural way of living with your animals.

If you want hands‑on support applying this philosophy to your real life, you can learn more and join ReWild here: https://www.wildwellnesspet.com/products/rewild-your-pets-diet