You’re an open-minded soul and you genuinely want your pooch to live a long, happy and healthy life. You‘ve been hearing all about these raw dog food diets but the truth is, you’re confused. You certainly want the best for your pooch as much as I want the best for my Pebbles and Gabby, even though you’re keen to learn, you’re getting overwhelmed by the amount of contradicting information you’ve read. Trust me I know the feeling. To assist you, we’ve tried to shed some light on raw dog food diets and make it simple for you by outlining their advantages and disadvantages.
What is a raw dog food diet?
A raw food diet, as the name indicates, implies you’re feeding your pooch raw meat including edible organs and bones. However, things are not that simple. As is the case for human raw food diets, there are different types of raw dog food diets including the omnivorous BARF and the carnivorous Prey Model. The BARF diet (bone and raw food), inspired by the Australian vet, Ian Billinghurst, revolves around the idea that dogs should eat the same diet as what canines ate before domestication: raw meaty bones, eggs, fruits and vegetable scraps. The Prey Model mimics what dogs would eat in the wild. A whole prey diet includes hair, skin and connective tissues. In the Prey Model, a dog should eat about 80% muscle meat, 15% of raw meaty bones and 5% organs. They should not be fed any fruit or vegetables. The main difference with the BARF model is that advocates of the BARF model believe dogs are omnivores and therefore fruit and vegetables play a role in a healthy dog diet. The menu still revolves around raw meat, meaty bones and organs but also includes fruit and dairy. A typical BARF diet should consist of 70% muscle meat, 10% raw meaty bones, 10% organs and 10% fruit, veggies or dairy.
The pros of a raw dog food diet
One of the key reasons dog owners advocate for a raw food diet for their four-legged friends is because it is a natural diet. Indeed, feeding your dog with raw meat and meaty bones leave no space for additives, conservatives, aromas and other chemicals added to commercial dog food. Even supplements are only given occasionally and strictly as required.
One way to quickly judge a dog’s health is by looking at their coat and skin. I know when we see a dog with a beautiful shiny coat and a healthy skin, we know he/she has some loving parents. A raw food diet is rich in proteins, vitamins and minerals. Therefore it contributes to healthy skin and healthy hair. It also helps reduce dermatological problems and alleviates skin infections. Including the dreaded ear infections, which we will address in a future article.
When given raw meat and meaty bones, pups have to masticate for longer which helps clean their teeth and gums. By gnawing on a raw bone, they scrape off the plaque on their teeth which helps prevents periodontal disease.
Numerous dog experts believe raw food is easier for dogs to digest. Indeed, many pets experience the correlation between cooked meat, highly processed, starchy foods and sensitive digestion. As dogs’ digestive systems haven’t evolved to handle highly processed foods, many experts argue that their enzymes are best suited to raw foods. Therefore, when fed a raw food diet, our little furry friends absorb nutrients better and their stool is smaller. Raw food could, therefore, be the key to restore or protect your pup’s gut health.
Raw food diets contain a higher amount of animal proteins, dogs on a raw food diet are observed to have more energy throughout the day and are more alert.
Cons of a raw dog food diet
Of course there are some con and concerns that a loving dog owner should consider before making the plunge to a raw dog food diet.
Quality meat can be hard to come by. If you decide to feed your dog a raw food diet, you’ll need to source high-quality meat and bones. Make sure you select lean pieces. If you don’t, not only will your dog not get all the nutritional benefits from the raw food but you’re also running the risk of exposing your loving canine to disease and gut complications.
It’s not always easy to find optimum quantities of raw food to match your dog’s nutritional needs. Detractors of raw dog food diets argue that by eliminating entire food groups from the menu, specifically fruits and vegetables, your furry friend will be deprived of critical nutrients. On the other hand, feeding too many bones to your dog can be detrimental due to an excess in minerals. Therefore, you need to do your due diligence, including speaking to a licensed Veterinarian, to ensure you tailor the best raw food diet possible to meet your dog’s needs. Our job, as pet parents, is to ensure our dogs live a long and healthy life.
Not only can bones be a wonderful source of Calcium and Phosphorous, but they are also one of a dog’s favorite past times. One of my primary concerns when first hearing about and contemplating a raw dog food diet was the safety of feeding my dogs bones. Turns out almost any raw bone is safe for dogs. And helps aid in dental health. However, there becomes a choking risk when a dog has gnawed a bone into a small chunk and attempts to swallow it. Also, cooked bones should be avoided entirely, as the cooking process makes them brittle and prone to cracking or splintering. The resulting sharp shards can cause damage to your dogs gums, teeth, or throat. This is particularly true of cooked fish or poultry bones, but to be safe stay, away from cooked bones entirely. It is also highly recommended that your dog be monitored while enjoying their bone. Never leave your dog alone with a bone.
Research is still at the early stages when it comes to studying the pros and cons of raw dog food diets but one thing is for sure: if you want to feed your dog a raw food diet, you need to make sure you select high-quality meats, carefully prepare the meals and keep an eye on your adorable four-legged friend while they’re eating. If you don’t have the time to do this properly, feeding them a cooked diet is a much safer option!
We hope this article has provided you with some basic information on a raw dog food diet for you furry friend, however, please make sure to do your own due diligence as well and seek out the opinion of a licensed Veterinarian.
Like this article? Don’t forget to check out our post on “Benefits of Homemade Dog Food“
