A raw diet generally includes viscera, muscle meat, whole or ground bones, raw eggs, fresh fruits and vegetables suitable for dogs, and a dairy product such as yogurt. Raw food supporters claim that they offer numerous benefits to dogs, including more energy and healthier teeth, skin and coat. Torres says there isn't much evidence demonstrating the benefits of feeding pets raw food, but there is evidence of health risks, such as exposure to pathogenic bacteria. A raw diet is the natural choice for your pet.
Like humans, dogs absorb nutrients better from whole foods than from synthetic vitamins, which are often added later in the kibble and canned food manufacturing process. Dogs thrive on a diet rich in quality protein and low in carbohydrates and sugars. Our raw dog food recipes do not contain fillers, additives or preservatives, which are more difficult for your pet to digest. If your dog tolerates raw meat well, you can start feeding treat-sized portions of an all-raw diet.
Start treating your dog only with raw meat: ground beef, chicken breast or any protein you intend to introduce into their diet. Some believe that their dog's overall health, and especially their coat, would benefit from a raw food diet. The inclusion of bones in a raw diet for dogs may provide the nutritional benefit of adding calcium and phosphorus, if the bones can be chewed and ingested. This adhesive shock is an obstacle to potential raw food feeders, but for many, the long-term benefits of raw feeding outweigh the short-term cost.
Most pet owners who choose to feed dogs a raw food diet focus on meat as a source of protein, but eggs are also a great option for adding nutrients and protein to their dog's meals. Like most omnivores, your dog has canines and incisors in the front, and premolars and molars in the back, but that doesn't mean they're designed to eat the same food. This can be done as needed or seasonally to adapt to your dog's normal activity throughout the year and avoid unwanted weight gain or loss in your dog. Dog owners should avoid feeding pets homemade meals based on recipes that have not been created specifically for their dog by veterinary nutritionists.
If you decide that raw food isn't for you, then the commercial dog food you buy should be the best you can get. Since dogs that follow a raw diet hydrate through food, they tend to drink less water compared to their peers fed kibble. Feeding your dog a “Barf” diet (meaning “bones and raw food” or “biologically appropriate raw food”) has become popular in the United States in recent years, and now many UK pet owners are considering it as well. The latest issue of Petplan's PetPeople magazine included an article by animal nutritionist Marge Chandler on the risks of raw food diets for dogs (scroll down to read it).
