Monday, October 17, 2011

Raw Food Diet for Dogs is the Way to Go

After three days, proceed with replacing a fourth of the meal with raw food diet for dogs and so on until such time that the meal your dogs would eat are entirely made of raw food already.

Sunday, October 16, 2011

Raw Dog Food Diet 101

Raw dog food diet has been clouded over in so much controversy these days. Experts on both sides of the coin seem to either support or aim to discourage this method of feeding pets. But what is it about raw dog food diet that people see and disapprove of?

Knowing the Effects of Raw Diet

Experts who swear by the positive effects of feeding raw dog food say that canines are meant to be fed this way based from their natural instincts. They say that dogs used to feed like other carnivorous animals in the wild, preying upon their meal and then eating them raw soon as they catch the said prey.

Meanwhile, the other side of the fence refute this by saying that pet dogs these days do not have the capacity to feed on raw food because they no longer have the enzymes necessary to digest such kind of food. It should be noted that most of the pet dogs these days are newer breeds and are largely different from wild dogs like wolves. Plus, it's also been noted that uncooked food may have parasites that would end up being harmful to pets' health.

Also, raw food diet seems to be discouraged among those who prefer giving kibble due to the fact that raw food such as bones can be harmful in the digestive tract. If dogs are allowed to munch on bones and crack them as they are, splinters might run their course into the digestive tract and eventually cause more problems that nutritive value.

Implementing Raw Diet

As experts take into consideration the many attacks being thrown the raw dog food diet, a number of pointers are now being introduced. Among them is the transition into eating raw. Since dogs who have been used to eating processed food might find the taste and texture of raw different, transition should happen within 5 to 7 days. The age of the dog is also taken into consideration, keeping the older dogs free to keep their current diet and puppies as the most promising litter to feed raw food to.

When it comes to meat, pork is also highly discouraged. It is also advised that dog owners who would like to try feeding raw meat to their dogs should keep the said meat in the freezer and should also by meats that are actually human grade. This way, owners can be sure that they are feeding healthy stuff to their canines.

Fruits are also highly encouraged to be fed among dogs. Fruits are easily digested anyway and are really healthy eaten raw than cooked. Meanwhile, a bit more care must be implemented when feeding dogs with raw vegetables. They should either be pureed or chopped into tinier bits so that the pets would find it easier to digest them. Dogs are generally carnivores and in the raw dog food diet regimen, they should be taken cared special care of when eating herbivorously.

Saturday, October 15, 2011

Consider The Raw Dog Food Diet for Your Pet

Much talk has been done these days when it comes to giving raw dog food to pets. There is still much debate surrounding this seemingly growing fad. Though if you come to think of it, feeding raw dog food to pets is not really that different from how it's like in the wild. Dogs such as sled dogs ads well as greyhounds used for racing are known to feed of a raw diet. However, the idea of extending such kind of diet to other types of dogs was only created in 1993 by Ian Billinghurst-an Australian veterinarian.

The main idea behind this kind of pet diet is that dogs are brought back into the old ways in which canines would be able to evolve within natural circumstances. Through feeding dogs with raw food, the proponents of this type of diet say that domesticated pets would be able to function much better and become stronger overall. The idea is that commercialized food is not that nutritious as compared with actual raw food. Billinghurst even states that in the long run, feeding dogs with commercialized food may actually be bad for their health.

So what does eating raw food actually do to dogs? There are several benefits reportedly stemming out from this new approach to feeding canines. Among them are the noticeable physical changes. Dogs that eat raw food are seen to exhibit a shinier coat and also have healthier skin. There were also observations that they seem to have a stronger and cleaner set of teeth.

Their stools are observed to be smaller when they eat raw food and they also have higher energy levels when it comes to being at play or going out with the family. It was also said that the quality of the food's freshness greatly contributes to the nutrition the dogs will get out of it. Highly-nutritious raw food would eventually mean strong immunity from diseases as well as easily becoming healed from certain illnesses.

Despite its many benefits, feeding raw food dog diets should not be done in a hasty fashion. It should be done carefully through a span of two weeks. This is very important especially for adult dogs that may have already been used to eating processed meals even home cooked ones. The first thing you ought to do is to figure out how often you give meals to your dog. If they get twice a day of a full processed dog food meal, you should exchange one of those for raw dog food instead. This would not just allow your pet to get used to the process but also allow his digestive system to create the necessary enzymes to process that raw diet.

In addition to slowly easing pets into the raw dog food diet, it's also important to note the food items that you will feed to them. This diet does promote the inclusion of bones into the dog's diet however you should restrict it to chicken bones. Chicken bones are easier to crunch and as the dog does chew on it, it effectively breaks down and does not become splintered. Thus, they are able to exercise their mouth and get their fill without any danger.

Friday, October 14, 2011

Get Grain Free Dog Food for Your Pet

Make sure you feed your dog wit grain free dog food. Grains are thought to be dangerous and should not be considered a part of a dog's diet. The reason is mainly because dogs are not wired to eat grains as they are naturally born as carnivores. Unlike humans who are omnivores and other animals considered to be herbivores, dogs lack the capacity to chew and digest plant food products. You will notice this right from the teeth area of dogs. They do not have the capacity to chew on vegetables nor grains because they are made for tearing meat.

Although grains, when cooked, are generally fit for dogs to eat there are still some limits to how it would be best suited for canines. Rice is the most common type of cooked grain food that can be fed among dogs, next are wheat and corn. Dogs can only absorb up to 20% of the other grains mentioned than these. If you dog cannot digest the carbohydrates or the sugar extracts contained in these types of food, they would likely cause intestinal problems for your pet dog. Carnivores do not have the enzyme called salivary amylase which is found among herbivores and omnivores.

With all these information about grains and their likely effects on dogs, you should definitely take time ensuring that you feed your pet only grain free dog food. While cooking does turn grains more dog-friendly, that's still not a hundred percent sure to be safe. You can easily check on the food your dogs consume especially if you buy them dog food because the nutritional value would be printed on the label-whether the food's in a pack or a can. Make sure you read through the ingredients thoroughly. It would also be wise if you would eventually decide to stick with just a particular brand of dog food.

You should also consider becoming a member of an online forum. There are plenty of these online that freely discuss pet care tips such as grain free dog food and other stuff you would like to know. The great thing about these online forums is that they are websites which you can go to for free. You only need to become a member to be able to post your own threads or reply to existing ones. It can also be a great way to meet fellow dog-lovers like you and get together for some pet-related events to which your dog can also be a part of.

There's a lot of grain free dog food that you can buy these days especially among commercial stores. You can also try creating a recipe for your pet to ensure the safety of what they eat. More than just protecting their digestive system, allowing them a diet that's free from grains can also help prevent them from having allergies.