Raw food for a Westie with IBD

A Westie with IBD who's been vet-cleared for a raw trial on a single protein — that's actually a really specific, manageable starting point, and it's good that your vet has already framed the parameters. Raw feeding done well can be excellent, but done badly it creates nutritional gaps that cause real harm over time, and with IBD in the picture the stakes are higher than usual. The single-protein rule isn't just about allergens — it's about giving an inflamed gut the least complex job possible while you establish a baseline. Before I point you anywhere, can you tell me: how much does your Westie weigh, are they currently on any medication for the IBD, and does your vet have a preference on which protein to start with — or is that left open?

Duck and rabbit are both solid choices for an IBD dog — they're novel proteins for most dogs and tend to be well tolerated by sensitive guts. At 9kg she's a standard Westie weight, so portions are easy to manage. Given that she's still on prednisolone and you're hoping the diet does some of the work the medication is currently doing, I'd lean toward a complete, ready-made raw rather than DIY — the last thing you want while her gut is healing is any nutritional imbalance adding stress to the picture. Have you already looked at any specific brands, or are you coming to this fresh?

Natures Menu is actually exactly where I'd send you. Specifically, I'd recommend their Pure duck nuggets — it's a single-protein complete raw, so it has the organ meat and bone content balanced in already, no separate supplementing needed. The nuggets format is practical for a small dog: each one is about 30g, so you can defrost just what you need and portion accurately for a 9kg dog. Duck is a leaner protein than chicken or beef, which is generally easier on an IBD gut, and because your vet specifically mentioned duck as a green light, you're working with rather than against their plan. One thing to be clear on: introduce it slowly — even with a vet-cleared trial, switching too fast with IBD can cause a flare. Start with around 20% raw alongside her current food over 10 to 14 days, watch her stools closely, and keep a brief daily note to share with your vet. If stools stay firm and she's comfortable at 14 days, move to fully raw.

For a healthy adult dog the standard guideline is 2–2.5% of body weight daily. At 9kg that puts her at roughly 180–225g per day, typically split into two meals. But — and this matters with IBD — her appetite and absorption may not be fully normal while she's still on prednisolone, and steroids can increase hunger without necessarily meaning she needs more food. I'd start at the lower end, around 180g, watch her weight and energy over the first few weeks, and adjust from there. Your vet will also be monitoring her at the weaning appointments, so those check-ins are a good time to flag if her weight is shifting.

Good plan. Keep the transition slow, trust what you're seeing in her stools over what the calendar says — if she needs 21 days rather than 14, give her 21 days. The goal is a calm gut, not a fast switch. Natures Menu Pure duck is a genuinely good product for this situation and you're going in with a clear vet-agreed framework, which makes a real difference. I hope it helps her come off the prednisolone — it does work for some IBD dogs when the diet is right.