Feeding Raw: What Is Frankenprey?

Frankenprey is a term used to describe the variety of meats, bones and organs that make up a raw fed dog’s diet.

The concept of Frankenprey is to make up a prey animal from various parts of various animals. For example, someone might feed their dog(s) the head of a duck, neck of a lamb, shoulder cuts of a cow, ribs of a pig, hart of a deer, spleen of an elk, liver of a goat, feet of a chicken, etc., etc.

Feeding FrankenPery not only ensures that your dog is getting a healthy variety of meats, bones and organs, it also helps with feeding costs by allowing you the freedom to source the least expensive pieces of each animal.

Can you feed seasonally instead of feeding Frankenprey?

Certainly. Say for instance you hunt deer every year and have more than enough venison meat, bones and organs to share with your dog(s). While meat and organ variety (from different types of animals) is important, you can take advantage of this seasonal meat source and make deer a staple of your dogs’ diet.

Let’s discuss the hunting practices of wolves to show how either Frankenprey or seasonal staple meats, bones and organs are appropriate options.

Wolves have a wide range of prey animals to choose from, though they vary according to where they live and what time of year it is. Typical prey for wolves includes deer, rabbits, wild sheep and goats, moose, elk, caribou, beaver, bison, farm animals, fish and eggs.

Wolves eat according to the migration patterns and availability of prey animals. Elk sometimes migrate well over 50 miles during the winter and mule deer will travel as many as 150 miles. This puts certain prey well out of reach during these months.

Because wolves are scavengers, migration and other limited hunting opportunities aren’t detrimental. While certain prey has traveled outside of a pack’s territory there is still a lot to choose from during these months (rabbit, squirrels, wild boars, etc.). This is when wolves have a greater variety in their diets.

Then, when deer migrate back into a pack’s territory they can again take advantage of the abundant hunting opportunities of bigger game.

The two points being made here are that wolves are seasonal eaters on top of being scavengers for Frankenprey (eating anything from fish, to eggs and uneaten carcasses when prey is limited). During migration months wolves’ diets will consist of a wider variety of prey: Frankenprey. Then, when large prey is available again their diets typically become less varied.

This goes to show that variety can be fed two different ways. It can be fed in the form of meats, bones and organs from four or more prey animals, fed regularly, or it can be in the form of seasonal meats bones and organs.

There are two guidelines to follow when feeding seasonally (a different animal every 2-3 months). First, it’s not good to feed a single type of animal for a long period of time. Secondly, it’s better for seasonal meats to come from wild prey such as deer, elk and moose as these are healthier staple meats (leaner and contain a better balance of omega-6s omega-3s).

Additionally, a diet of chicken, pork, beef and lamb is a healthy variety that will sustain your dog for his/her lifetime. Creating Frankenprey from four pray animals such as these makes for a healthy raw diet. Though you may be envious over someone scoring elk and bison, know that you don’t have to overcomplicate your life by searching out the oddest and rarest eats for your dogs.

What about feeding seasonal meats as a part of the 3-4 protein Frankenprey concept? All the better. In fact, this is the best of both worlds- feeding meat, bone and organ varieties that include 4 ever-changing (seasonal) meats throughout the year.