Not only is raw food safe and healthy for your pet, but it is also a very natural meal. A dog’s intestinal tract is short in comparison to a human and digests food at a much faster rate, therefore bacteria that could harm a human, would pass through a dog’s system, before it would have time to multiply. Also a dog has a very acidic stomach, which can kill bacteria, such as salmonella and E. Coli.
You’ve heard this before - “You are what you eat.” This same expression works well for your dog. Commercial dog foods are made of ‘meat by-products’. By-products are generally defined as animal parts that are not fit for human consumption, such as bones, organs, blood, fatty tissue and intestines. Someone got the great idea to process all the leftover garbage, from the meat packing plant and call it, “Dog Food.”
Dogs are natural raw feeders. They closely resemble the wolf which is a carnivore, a raw meat eater. The DNA strands differ by only 2%, so it is safe to assume that dogs can also be carnivores. There are those that say dogs are omnivores, however, dogs are ‘opportunistic feeders’ or in other words they will eat whatever is available.
One popular raw diet is the BARF model, Biologically Appropriate Raw Food (or Bones And Raw Food). The BARF diet which includes non-meats and numerous supplements was designed for pets and wild animals by Dr Ian Billinghurst. This diet mimics what would be considered a 'natural' diet in the wild. It includes organ meat, skin, muscle, and bone, without extra supplements.
A diet largely composed of as wide a variety of meats and butchers’ scraps as possible and the occasional table scraps are now a chosen meal for dogs. When choosing to feed raw food to a dog, prepare the food using the same common sense as used when preparing people food, such as washing hands and counters, not leaving the food out too long and always store food properly. Taking precautions can eliminate the worst potential problems.
For a diet of raw meats, the guidelines are usually 10-10-80. Ten percent raw meaty bones, ten percent organ meat and 80 percent muscle meat. Added to this, home cooked foods such as baked chicken, eggs (cooked or raw), low-fat cottage cheese or plain yogurt, can round out a reasonable pet diet. For treats give whatever the dog normally enjoys, such as table scraps.
A diet that is high in easily digestible protein in important to a dog’s health. Protein is essential because it is utilized as the building blocks for tissues, organs, enzymes, hormones, antibodies, etc. A body cannot manufacture the necessary amino acids without protein. The most highly digestible, complete protein sources come from eggs, muscle and organ meats. Once the body has utilized the protein it needs, the extra is metabolized and used for energy.
The feeding of the raw, canine-appropriate diet can, by itself, work literal miracles on many dogs. Most pet owners notice many improvements in the health and general condition of their canine companions. Many of the improvements noticed are shinier, healthier coats with less shedding, eliminated "dog" odor, better body muscle to fat ratios, cleaner teeth and breath, decreased itching from certain food allergies, normalized energy levels, improved urinary tract health, better resistance to infections, increased mobility with a decrease in arthritis pain, decreased allergy symptoms and lower stool volume. In fact, many pet owners even report lower veterinary fees and lower costs feeding as compared to 'commercial' diets.
You’ve heard this before - “You are what you eat.” This same expression works well for your dog. Commercial dog foods are made of ‘meat by-products’. By-products are generally defined as animal parts that are not fit for human consumption, such as bones, organs, blood, fatty tissue and intestines. Someone got the great idea to process all the leftover garbage, from the meat packing plant and call it, “Dog Food.”
Dogs are natural raw feeders. They closely resemble the wolf which is a carnivore, a raw meat eater. The DNA strands differ by only 2%, so it is safe to assume that dogs can also be carnivores. There are those that say dogs are omnivores, however, dogs are ‘opportunistic feeders’ or in other words they will eat whatever is available.
One popular raw diet is the BARF model, Biologically Appropriate Raw Food (or Bones And Raw Food). The BARF diet which includes non-meats and numerous supplements was designed for pets and wild animals by Dr Ian Billinghurst. This diet mimics what would be considered a 'natural' diet in the wild. It includes organ meat, skin, muscle, and bone, without extra supplements.
A diet largely composed of as wide a variety of meats and butchers’ scraps as possible and the occasional table scraps are now a chosen meal for dogs. When choosing to feed raw food to a dog, prepare the food using the same common sense as used when preparing people food, such as washing hands and counters, not leaving the food out too long and always store food properly. Taking precautions can eliminate the worst potential problems.
For a diet of raw meats, the guidelines are usually 10-10-80. Ten percent raw meaty bones, ten percent organ meat and 80 percent muscle meat. Added to this, home cooked foods such as baked chicken, eggs (cooked or raw), low-fat cottage cheese or plain yogurt, can round out a reasonable pet diet. For treats give whatever the dog normally enjoys, such as table scraps.
A diet that is high in easily digestible protein in important to a dog’s health. Protein is essential because it is utilized as the building blocks for tissues, organs, enzymes, hormones, antibodies, etc. A body cannot manufacture the necessary amino acids without protein. The most highly digestible, complete protein sources come from eggs, muscle and organ meats. Once the body has utilized the protein it needs, the extra is metabolized and used for energy.
The feeding of the raw, canine-appropriate diet can, by itself, work literal miracles on many dogs. Most pet owners notice many improvements in the health and general condition of their canine companions. Many of the improvements noticed are shinier, healthier coats with less shedding, eliminated "dog" odor, better body muscle to fat ratios, cleaner teeth and breath, decreased itching from certain food allergies, normalized energy levels, improved urinary tract health, better resistance to infections, increased mobility with a decrease in arthritis pain, decreased allergy symptoms and lower stool volume. In fact, many pet owners even report lower veterinary fees and lower costs feeding as compared to 'commercial' diets.