Is raw pet food a trend or is there some validity to it? Is following an ancestral diet the key to long term health? Well, it’s been known that sled dogs and greyhounds consume a raw food diet. And genetically, dogs resemble their carnivore ancestors who thrived on consuming meat bones and other raw whole foods. But many don’t know the true benefits that come from a raw food diet. In this article we share the 8 reasons why you should consider this way of eating for your dog.
It’s no secret that the quality of processed commercial dog food is suspect. Mislabeling within the ingredient list on some of the biggest brands packaging can really cause you to question the source of this mystery meat. It’s even more disturbing when you realize that most of the ingredients in your dog’s kibble is actually made up of grains and corn that’s been possibly contaminated with high levels of pesticide. Thus commercial foods are known for their high recalls. To avoid putting this risk on their canine companions, many dog owners are turning to a raw food diet.
When carnivores devour raw muscle meat and gnaw at meaty bones, a sort of natural scrubbing and flossing takes place that benefits the gum lining of our pets. The more they do it, the stronger and healthier their gums become. Combine that with the simple fact that meat is the most bioavailable in terms of nutrients and it seems like a complete package.
In contrast, most processed pet food like the kibble found in stores are made from carb-rich ingredients that could be easily converted to sugars that can ruin your dogs oral health. The consumption of whole raw foods has an inverse affect and thus promotes healthy teeth. Which brings us to our next point.
Consuming a raw dog diet can lead to less trips to the vet for those expensive dental cleanings. But it doesn’t stop there. Because your dog consumes more nutrient dense food from this sort of diet, their overall well being could improve as opposed to pets that consume a commercial diet.
On top of that, a commercial diet has been known to trigger yeasty ear gunk that could lead to possible infection. Switching your pup away from starch-filled kibble can often reduce the chances of this occurring and any other allergies that can take place from a diet consisting of processed grains. Going raw could even heal these conditions.
If you think about it, our pets digestive system aren’t designed to digest and absorb nutrients from kibble and processed canned meat. Just because it does, doesn’t mean that’s what nature has intended. So it might make sense to go back to a primal perspective and give our pets bioavailable and nutrient dense foods like meat bones and organ meats.
Due to the primal nature of this diet, a raw fed pet’s stool resembles something closer to what we would find left behind from a wild carnivore. The stool would be characters as smaller, firmer, little odor and can easily biodegrade back to earth. Stools from commercial pet food are quite the opposite mainly due to the fact that it may take this type of food longer to digest and breakdown. The result can be larger, unnaturally smelly and liquidy. Ew.
Another important bit that comes from eating meaty bones is consuming all the connective tissue. The main reason for this is because a protein known as collagen is a major component of this connective tissue. Collagen holds many important functions that are beneficial for you and your dog. Simply it provides structure for your skin, strengthens bones and constantly renews skin cells. Collagen is the main reason why many dog owners are reporting their raw fed canine companions having less skin issues and a shinier coat.
Allowing our pets to each a raw food diet puts them back into their natural instincts and impulses that they wouldn’t be able to get from just consuming commercial kibble from a dog bowl. You’ve seen dogs toy endlessly with their bones and the reason for that is because it provides them with the mental stimulation they need.
Instead of mindlessly consuming whatever is in their dog bowl, they received much needed fulfillment just from their diet alone. And that leaves them generally happier and even more affectionate.
