Raw Food Diet for Dogs Pros and Cons

Pet owners are now increasingly becoming conscious of raw food diet for dogs. It was a notion popularized in the mid 90's by veterinarian Ian Billinghurst. The diet aims to imitate the meals eaten by sled dogs s well as racing greyhounds who feed on raw meals. According to Billinghurst, the same can be fed to domesticated pets because it is a natural meal.

Through this diet, around 80% would be devoted to feeding dogs with actual raw meat and bones. But it should be noted that there are only identified types of meat that should be used. These are from chicken, beef, lamb, and fish only. The same goes for feeding bones wherein chicken and lamb are the two recommended sources.

But aside from these, other important nutrients are also being included in the meals. Among them are vegetables and fruits as well as small portions of organs like liver, kidney, and even a portion of the heart. The organs should also come from the same animals listed as the acceptable raw meats to feed to dogs.

Apparently, there has been a lot of talk too about the positive effects of eating raw food among dogs. Owners say that most of the benefits are seen physically. They say their dogs start to have even more shinier coats after they eat raw meals and they are also finally blessed with better skin.

However, there are still some experts who are doubting the credibility of this newfound diet. Among them is the FDA which says there might still be negative implications about eating raw for pets.

Some experts say that making dogs feed on raw food might do them more harm than good. Their argument is that this type of feeding only increases the possibility of cultivating bacteria. Salmonella can be passed on from the raw meat into the pets and even humans who handle the raw meat can get it as well, they say.

There's also concern about feeding dogs with raw bones. Some experts say that the diet runs the risk of having splinters get caught inside the dog's throat. They also worry that these bones can in the long run cause teeth to break and even have some internal punctures as they pass through the digestive system.

Considering all these pros and cons presented about the raw food diet for dogs, it really becomes important to consult a vet first. Before you try it out for your dog, make sure you can get clearance from the vet first.

What to Feed as Raw Dog Food

Raw dog food diet is a very promising type of food program for pets because it has so many positive effects. Pet owners have noted how their dogs end up with shinier coats and also healthier skin as they take on this new diet. Dogs also get noticeably cleaner teeth after succumbing to this type of diet.

You can feed your pets with raw dog food either by creating the meals yourself or buying them already prepared. You can give them raw meats but be sure to just stick with fish, chicken, beef, and lamb. In terms of giving them fruits and vegetables, of course these are important and must also be part of their raw dog food diet.

If you will be giving your dogs with raw dog food that are already in packages, just make sure that you research about your source. Check the ingredients contained in every package and take time to know the manufacturers behind the said food item.

Another way to give raw dog food to your pet is by following the prey model. This is also known as the diet that's similar among wild wolves. This doesn't necessarily mean that you would have to let your dogs hunt down their own food but instead, huge chunks of meat will be given to them with some small amounts of bone mixed in with small portions of organs and eggs.

Because of the success of feeding dogs with raw food, it's not surprising to find a lot of commercialized raw diets popping up these days. These are often packed as frozen so that the freshness can be preserved. They are convenient too because you don't have to take your own time fixing the meals yourself.

Aside from feeding your dogs with meat, you can also provide homemade vegetarian meals for them which can help make sure that they are getting complete nutrition. Aside from meat, you should also add some eggs and dairy within their meals. Don't forget to include fruits in puree form and you can do the same method for vegetables such as lightly cooked broccoli, green beans, and squash.

Another quick variant for veggies and fruits would be their dehydrated counterparts. Not only are they cheap and quick to serve, but you can always store them at just room temperature to make sure that their quality do not degrade in any which way.

Finally, the raw dog food diet also dispels rumors that bones are bad for dogs. It can be dangerous when it's cooked and you should only limit giving them raw chicken or lamb bones because these are softer and easier to crunch.

Making the Raw Dog Food Switch

The raw dog food diet has really taken on pet owners by a storm. Because these days not only are people becoming more conscious of eating natural healthy food but they are also becoming more conscious of how they apply this to almost anything. In this case, even pets are included in the healthy regimen.

However, making the switch to feed your dogs with raw food is not that easy. There are some important pointers that have to be taken care of first. Among them is that there should be some transition involved. Your dog cannot change his diet just like that especially if he has been used to eating commercial and cooked foods.

Getting under the transition process would help your pet adapt into this newfound diet. This would help take care of instances wherein the dog would refuse to eat the raw meals given to him. It would also give them ample time to adjust physiologically in terms of developing the enzymes necessary to digest raw meals.

While there is the superficial part of helping your dog's transition, it would still be best if you can also involve your vet into the whole plan of feeding with raw dog food. This way you can rule out any other possible problems and ensure that the said meals would be fit for your dog.

Once you get into the raw dog food diet, you might get inspired by the recipes you will see online. While it's really inviting to do everything on your own, it can get a bit overwhelming to check the ingredients yourself and make sure that they are prepared the right way.

Aside from online shops, there are also pet shops which already sell these pre-packed raw dog food meals. This way you can simply enjoy choosing the types of food to feed your dog and no longer concern yourself with creating them all on your own.

You can also ask for referrals from your friends who have already adapted this type of diet for their pets. They might be a consistent client of a specific shop or raw dog food meal nutritionist. It would be good to get their approval on the matter since they have already been into the diet for their pets for a long time already.

It's really a good thing to try looking into the raw dog food diet. Just remember that you need to help your dog transition to this properly so that they can enjoy all the healthy benefits it could possibly bring.

Grain Free Dog Food is Good

There are surely a lot of good reasons why you should consider feeding pets with grain free dog food. A lot of pet owners have already sworn by its effectivity. But just to be on the safe side, you should definitely consider getting your own research done before you subject your pets to this new kind of diet.

You can also try getting some feedbacks and referrals first from among your own networks. This way you can get the real score behind this type of diet. They can also give you some helpful tips and advice when it comes to transitioning your dogs into this type of diet.

When it comes to feeding pets, it's always better to create the meals yourself. This way you can be sure that you are giving them the right food stuff. This can also help you save on costs because you can find cheap alternatives on your own. There are lots of easy recipes you can follow online.

However, if your schedule tends to be too busy, you can also buy some prepared grain free dog food already. Just make sure you only buy from trusted sources. You should also take the time knowing who the manufacturers are as well as the ingredients used in the food.

If your pets have previously been eating grains as part of their diet, you might want to ease them into this new regimen. You need to remember that they might need to have their digestive system adjust to the new meals you will prepare for them. Add the food bit by bit so that you can prevent them from having an upset stomach.

This diet has actually originated from the fact that dogs are naturally predisposed to eat more proteins. In the wild, they eat more meat than they do grains. Their diet only consists of grains if there is nothing else to feed on.

The immediate effects of eating grain free dog food. Dogs can have a shinier coat because of the new diet and they would also have better skin afterwards. Their stools are also noticeably fewer because what they eat really gets used up inside.

There are also reports that dogs apparently get their allergies from eating grains. So you can help prevent that when you start to give them grain free dog food. Aside from this, you can also observe that your dog's appetite will become much better after a few days.

Educating Yourself on a Raw Food Diet for Dogs

If electing to become a dog owner, then you are assuming a very tiring, but enthralling responsibility, and truly ushering in a new era of your life. One must be prepared for a non-stop runaround experience. There is no off button on a new dog, especially a puppy. That being the case, there are also few downsides to the company a dog brings. It is a relationship you will want for a long time, and that is why you should be serving the best raw food diet for dogs possible.

That sounds sort of bizarre though. When is a dog's food raw? Isn't it just food from a can or bag?

Well, raw food, just to clarify is the same as what is more popularly called dry food. Really, there's no difference other than the term. As long as it is not the wet food you get from a can, then it is raw food.

A diet called the raw food diet for dogs is clearly quite self-explanatory then isn't it? Of course, that's what one should look for in a healthy diet. You don't want decisions weighing you down. Although, why is a raw food diet better than a wet food diet? What difference does it actually make?

To be honest, the difference is fairly significant. However, we get that people are always looking to understand more, and when the subject matter is your own dog, it is important you hear the extended details of that specific difference in food.

Now, the biggest advantage of making the deliberate change from moist food to dry food, to a raw food diet for dogs, is cutting down on the endless price of dog food, which is always, in addition to everything else, going to be your biggest price point.

To be particularly basic about the issue of cost revolving around the feeding of your dog, there are essentially three methods to the madness. The first situation one can undertake is by far the most expensive of them all and that is to buy only wet cans of food. This is not only cumbersome to your wallet, but cabinet space and your trash can, in less you get excited about cleaning out the residue well enough to not attract the fruit flies. Next in line is a combination platter. It is half moist food and half dry or raw food. While that is certainly a better situation, it is certainly still a pricer situation. By cutting down on dry food, you do not cut down on the price of moist. You only improve it. What's our last scenario then? You guessed it, those heavy bulk bags catering to the raw food diet for dogs. They are not only the cheapest, but not the healthiest.

Should you still need more convincing about their health value though, feel free to get into contact with your veterinarian. They will gladly point you in the right direction, which will no doubt be the raw food diet for dogs.

Understanding the Raw Dog Food Diet

There has been a lot of popularity surrounding raw dog food. This is not something that is unlikely because a lot of pet owners who made the switch to feeding pets with raw dog food reports positive health benefits. Also, it should be noted that feeding raw only includes fruits, vegetables, beef, chicken, lamb, and fish.

There are some concerns though that dogs seem to be drinking less when they finally get into the raw dog food diet. This is something that shouldn't really be alarming because dogs are finally getting the right amount of moisture from the raw food that they eat. When they were still eating kibble, they are more prone to seek water because this type of food is typically dry.

As part of the raw dog food diet, fish like mackerel is an essential source of nutrients. Fish is known to contain omega 3 as well as iodine. But some dogs may not fancy the thought of eating fish. In this case you can try cold water fish on them or using marine oil mixed in with their food.

There's also the concern that dogs would eat less when they feed on raw dog food. This is also quite normal because they already get the nutrition they need from one full meal. Keep in mind that dogs have a different digestive system than that of humans, so they really don't need to eat thrice daily as we do.

The important thing to remember though is to have a specific time when they would be fed. This would help train them and their digestive system to just eat at the exact same time every day. Doing this can also help them develop the necessary enzymes that would help digest food properly.

The raw dog food diet also dispels the notion that dogs cannot be fed with actual bones. Contrary to popular belief, it's not cooked bones that are healthy for them. It is the raw kind. You should also just give them raw chicken bones as well as lamb bones because these are the ones soft enough to be chewed thoroughly.

Veggies are also good for your dogs' health. But just like kids, some dogs may be fickle about eating vegetables. What you can do instead is mix some bits of vegetables in the meals that you prepare for them. This way they would eat it unconsciously.

Also, keep in mind that your dog still needs to be de-wormed so you can avoid parasites from living in their intestines. You should also clean up the food you serve them to avoid any cause for salmonella growth.

Purchasing Grain Free Dog Food

As unexpected as it sounds, pet owners can often be completely uninformed or misinformed about the sort of diet they create for the beloved pet. Granted, it is difficult to actually lay any blame to them. After all, our judgements of pet food, specifically dog food, are usually based on two factors. Either how much the food costs or whether the recommended purchase came from a vet. Neither basis is unreasonable, especially when you think about the sheer number of bags of dog food one buys. What we are here to inform you correctly about, though, is how to buy the best dog food, for the affordable price and the doctor recommended approval. That said, we want to talk about grain free dog food.

You see, there are essentially two schools of thought when considering pet food, and, in particular, dog food. They are wet food and dry food.

With this being the case, we want to speak in terms of raw food, and we want to speak in clear terms. While moist food can be all well and good, we are more interested in the health options based around grain free dog food, as well as the simple cost difference in raw food over moist food, which is often much more expensive. Not to cause any offense, it is simply our focus right now.

For a long time, moist food was seen as the expensive, fancier quality food. While its price has still remained more, its quality has lost some ground.

This is a new generation of grain free dog food, and it should be celebrated. After all, someone has finally found a recipe that processes food in a much different way, one that isn't reliant of preservatives or unhealthy syndromes that were so often found in mainstream dry food and in wet food in particular.

What this means for moist and wet food is, for right now in the situation, we must discount it as a conversation topic. It doesn't mean it isn't a good source, it just means that grain free dog food has reached a new level and, for now, it is important we discuss it and its cost-effectivenss.

Secondly, let's talk about health benefits. Grain free dog food can provide your adored pet with a less processed diet, a better coat, and with the right nutrients to help fight off the spread and production of arthritis that will slow down their way of life. Does that sound like enough of a draw to get you in? If not, then throw in the more affordable pricing, and let's get you over to your local pet store.

What is most important to note though, is that ultimately one needs to have their animal in their best interest. That means they need to provide their dog with a food they are going to want to eat, and a food that is going to make them healthier, revitalizing their lifestyle. This is much the same way we would not fill our diet eating something we didn't like to, or only eating things that could cause us health problems. The best recommendation we can make then, is to go out and find the right grain free dog food brand for your pet that you are able.