With so much information loaded on the internet, it should not be surprising that people have debatable views about the right food for dogs. There’s always a debate about which food to give—whether to give commercial food or raw food. Even within Raw Dog Food, different beliefs exist. Are dogs carnivores or omnivores? What diet you would feed your dogs depends on your answer. In this blog, we will explore the benefits, potential concerns, and tips for successfully transitioning your dog to a raw food diet.
What is the difference between raw dog food and a natural diet?
The key difference between raw dog food and a natural diet for dog lies in processing. Here’s a breakdown:
Natural dog food
- Ingredients: Natural dog food typically uses whole food ingredients that haven’t been significantly altered or processed. This might include meat, poultry, fish, vegetables, and whole grains.
- Processing: While minimally processed compared to kibble, natural dog food might involve some cooking or gentle processing methods like drying or grinding to enhance shelf life and palatability.
- Regulation: The term “natural” in pet food isn’t strictly regulated. While it suggests the use of whole foods, manufacturers might have some flexibility in ingredients and processing methods.
Raw dog food:
- Ingredients: Raw pet foods consist of uncooked meat, bones, organs, vegetables, and fruits. It aims to mimic what a dog might eat in the wild.
- Processing: Minimal processing is involved. Ingredients might be chopped, ground, or frozen, but not cooked.
- Nutritional Balancing: A complete and balanced raw diet requires careful planning to ensure your dog gets all the essential nutrients they need. Consulting with a veterinarian is highly recommended.
Facts about the raw dog food diet
While there is a concern regarding Feeding Raw Dog Food as there is a risk of getting infected with Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes, this can be dealt with by observing proper hygiene when preparing raw dog food for your dog.
Here are some of the things you need to keep in mind while preparing a raw dog food diet for your pets:
Ensure that you can spare enough time to prepare raw dog food for your dog, as chopping meaty bones, organ meats, and vegetables requires a good amount of time. Also, consider the fact that it’s even messier to chop them compared to taking a scoop of kibbles from a bag, which is so much easier. However, putting in your efforts is worth it for the overall health of your dog.
Dogs are meant to chew on meat because their body structure, from the jaw to the neck muscles, is meant to process meat. Since they have evolved in the wild feeding of raw meat, being domesticated has not changed this fact, and you can feed them raw meat without the risk of bacteria causing problems.
Raw meat has to be handled with the utmost care and complete safety. People who have immunity problems should not be allowed to handle raw meat. When feeding raw dog food, you should have a designated place for it. It is important to wash your hands after preparing the food. Ensure that you use only kitchen objects designed for your dog and wash them after use. Ensure that you do not store leftovers for later and advise you to immediately throw them away.
Can dogs tolerate raw meat?
A lot of dog owners get worried that their canine friends will feel sick after eating raw meat. Though experts recommend not feeding raw dog food to your pet dog if it has a weak immune system, they might not be able to deal with bacteria. However, for those dogs who do not have any issues with their immunity, you can feed them raw meat as they can withstand bacterial attacks.
RogueRaw Natural Diet believes in the power of natural, fresh foods for the pet. They offer a customized range of raw pet food for dogs and cats.
The short period of domestication does not mean dogs cannot digest raw meat.
Is raw meat a safe part of a dog’s diet?
According to nutritionists, Raw Pet Foods for Dog contains more nutrients than cooked food. Even partial cooking can take away important and critical nutrients. Feeding dogs raw meat can deliver crucial nutrients required by the dogs.
While commercial food manufacturers insist that there is a possibility of bacterial contamination that can result in death when you feed raw meat to your dog, Some even say that a dog’s teeth and gastrointestinal system can be harmed as well. Contamination can occur during transport, distribution, and selling. While these are real threats, opponents say that pathogens present in meat are not actually intrinsic parts of any meat products. The contaminants are introduced into the meat due to improper livestock production and handling processes.
Dogs have evolved as carnivores by eating meat in the wild. Their teeth are designed to chew on bones and meat, so there is a strong possibility that they can easily deal with certain amounts of bacteria. Even a few people know that dogs are also known as scavengers, apart from predators. This means they feed on decay and rotten meat in the wild. This shows that they can handle bacteria and pathogens from raw materials that could kill a human. There is no need to feed dogs cooked meat and commercially prepared kibble. Some even considered cooked food to be totally unnatural. You can feed raw dog food to your dog, and the risk can be eliminated with proper practices during transport, selling, and storage.
So we get back to the basic question again: Is raw dog food safe? The genuine answer would be that it is not entirely risk-free. There are chances of small risks to the dogs. However, the benefits of a raw meat diet outweigh the risks.
Conclusion
While raw dog food presents certain risks, its benefits often outweigh the concerns. With proper hygiene and handling practices, raw diets can provide essential nutrients and align with dogs’ evolutionary needs as carnivores. Consulting a veterinarian is crucial for ensuring a balanced diet. Ultimately, the decision to feed raw should consider individual dog health and lifestyle factors for optimal well-being.
