If you’re wondering what is the best food for Siberian Huskies, you’ve come to the right place! Gatsby was six months old when I took him off kibble, and it wasn’t hard for me to make that decision. From skin allergies to hot spots, loose stool, and diarrhea most of the time, my four-month-old husky puppy was having so many health issues! How can this be?!
Kibble is the Problem
After countless hours of research through the internet, reading articles and books by holistic vets, and speaking to holistic vets, I concluded that feeding kibble to Gatsby was the problem.
You see, kibble is made from rendered meat by-products (livestock, seafood, horses and other dead animals, cereals and grains, corn, fruits, and veggies mostly powdered and sourced from China. There are preservatives, stabilizers, synthetic vitamins and minerals, and so much other crap. How can these highly processed kibbles be good for dogs?
Kibble Will Hurt Your Dog’s Health In The Long Run
Some people might argue with me and say, “My dogs ate kibble all their life, and they are fine.” My response to them is, “What if you ate potato chips, nutritional bars, and all other processed foods every day for the rest of your life? Will you thrive? What will happen to your body?” I am pretty sure that over time, your body will deteriorate.
When dogs eat kibble, they are simply not getting enough moisture in their bodies. Sure, they will drink water, but what happens to the whole bowl of kibble in your pup’s stomach? Water makes the kibble expand, giving your dog an awful bloated feeling.
Dogs are carnivores and are not designed to eat processed kibble
Big pet brands spend millions of dollars in marketing campaigns to tell dog parents that kibble is convenient and nutritious for their pups. But they leave out that highly processed foods can wreak havoc on your dog’s system in the long run.
Transitioning my Siberian Husky from Kibble to a Raw Diet
I started making home-cooked meals for Gatsby at six months old and fully transitioned him to a raw diet when he turned two.
The best part about this transition from kibble to a raw diet is that Gatsby is now strong and no longer gets skin allergies with hot spots and loose stool! His hair is always glistening!
How I prepared the Meals for my Siberian Husky
When I started cooking for Gatsby, I used a dehydrated base mix called Dr. Harvey’s Raw Vibrance Dog Food and Dr. Harvey’s Canine Health Miracle Dog Food. This base mix is comprised of a holistic blend of 24 whole foods and helped me create a balanced and nutritious homemade diet without the worry of wondering if I am giving Gatsby enough nutrients. All I need to do is add hot water to the base mix, raw proteins, and oil.
If you are worried about cost, you can estimate the cost per day based on your dog’s weight on Doctor Harvey’s website. Not sure if your dog will like it? You can order the free trial size and just pay for the shipping costs.
When I’m not using the base mixes from Dr. Harvey’s (we are starting to use more of it during travel), I’ll go to the market and pick up some veggies like celery, bok choy, and green beans, and spring lettuce. I’ll also chop the veggies into tiny pieces, making it easier for Gatsby to digest.
Where To Buy Meats and Protein For Your Dog
The foundation of your dog’s every meal MUST be comprised of meat, bones, secreting organs, and regular organs. If you’re just feeding your husky “ground” beef or chicken from the supermarket, that’s not a balanced nutritious meal.
To make it easy, Raw Feeding Miami or North Star Bison offers pet blends, so you don’t have to figure out how much meat, bones, secreting organs, and regular organs to give your pup. These are the blends I order for Gatsby below.
- Bison
- Turkey
- Venison
- Chicken
- Duck
- Green Tripe
- Monster Mash – a mix of organs – liver, heart, kidney
- Salmon
- Sardines
Another easy option to feed raw is to try Viva Raw. They are a new raw food pet company that is loved by many holistic and integrative veterinarians. Viva Raw offers complete recipes so you don’t have to worry about nutrient deficiency. You can use code GATSBY for 20% off your first order on Viva Raw.
Supplements for Siberian Huskies
As for the oils, I’ll add either Doctor Harvey’s Health & Shine Salmon & Krill oil or coconut oil to his meal along with some berries so he can get his dose of antioxidants. We also use Green Lipped Mussel powder as a joint supplement and add probiotics to his meals.
For those of you who are thinking about mixing raw AND kibble at the same time, it’s a bad idea. To understand why read this article from Dogs Naturally.
Learn How to Transition Your Dog From Kibble to Raw
Another way I learned how to transition my Siberian Husky from kibble to a raw diet was by taking a course called Kibble to Raw, created by the Husky Squad.
Kibble to Raw is a comprehensive online course to help you transition your pup to an affordable raw food diet. It includes a 15-week meal plan for dogs. This course will give you a wealth of knowledge so your pup can get the nutritious meals they deserve! You can use code GATSBY to save yourself 10% on the course!
The best food for Siberian Huskies are real food! It’s what every dog deserves. Whether you just brought home your Siberian Husky puppy and trying to figure out what to feed them or just deciding whether or not to take your dog off kibble, I hope this was helpful. If you are thinking about switching from kibble to homemade dog food or a raw diet, your dog will thank you!
Watch our YouTube Video – Best Food For Siberian Huskies And All Dogs
Looking for more? Read other Siberian Husky Health & Wellness posts
* I am not a veterinarian or a canine/animal nutritionist. I am a blogger. All information shared is based on my personal experience with my Siberian Husky and research about canine health and nutrition that I do for my dog. Please do not use content from this blog in place of veterinarian care.
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I agree , all dog food is nothing less than poison. I often tell people jokingly , ” its better to feed your dog ant traps than dog food. I alway be sure to tell them i am being sarcastic DO NOT REALLY FEED THEM ANT TRAPS because there are really people that are take things too litererally.
Thank you for this post! It is EXACTLY what I needed for my peace of mind and how I felt about feeding my nee husky that is on his way. He is a puppy, under a year, anything I should differently for Falkor?
Hi Pearl! I think you are on your way. Real food is so important for or pups. No processing or chemicals or ingredients we don’t know about.
How do you figure out the correct quantity to give your dog? My husky is almost 60 pounds and done growing. He’s 2 yo. I tried Farmer’s Dog food once but it’s costly and I’d rather give my dog a variety of meals that’s cost effective to me.
Hi Jodea. I follow the recommended amounts of protein that is found from the Doctor Harveys website and booklet from every bag of food purchased. They tell you amount of protein to give based on your dog’s weight. For me, I give my Husky about 1 pound of meat a day. I always also incorporate organ meat. I’m now using Raw Feeding Miami. Check out their site.
Here is the recommendation from Doctor Harveys: https://s3.amazonaws.com/media.drharveys.com/documents/rawvibrance-070721.pdf