The reasons we prefer feeding raw dog food

Since we opened, we’ve had lots of questions about the benefits of raw dog food or cat food. The start of feeding raw pet food was due to Shinji developing allergies probably through a combination of over-vaccination, an already weak immune system and kibbles. This was the diagnosis we received from a holistic vet we were seeing after his condition became difficult to manage. We’ve not looked back since. His food sensitivities are more manageable, his teeth, coat and overall vitality improved significantly after we switched to quality raw.

Strip away all the noise/media of who says what and simply ask yourself the questions of how or what would my cat or dog eat naturally. Did they thrive on their natural diet? After all, it wasn’t too long ago that infant breast feeding was frowned upon.

There have been many issues with the manufacture of dog kibble food. See here for our blogs on Vitamin D Toxicity in dog food or even read on the FDA warnings on Dilated Cardiomyopathy.

How is raw dog food better?

Here’s our compilation for all the reasons we prefer raw dog food or raw cat food.

1. Raw feeding was the way our furry pets (dogs and cats) have eaten for generations with table scraps thrown in.

   • Kibble is relatively new in terms of feeding pets. James Spratt launched the first commercial dog biscuit around 1860. Its convenience was marketed to pet owners — at the expense of biologically appropriate food.
   • Kibble pet food manufacturers market the science behind pet food but if you go far back enough, there have been issues with the science. For example, taurine was an issue with cat food and with the recent announcement on Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM) in dogs, the science is so far not complete.

2. Biologically appropriate food for carnivores consists of muscle meat, organ meat, raw meaty bones and sometimes fresh raw fruits and vegetables.

   • It is supposed to duplicate what animals would eat in the wild.
   • It makes sense… if you ask yourself what feral cats and dogs would eat without us in the equation, the answer would be killing fresh prey is equal to raw. The quote that follows is from a vet who does not believe in raw pet feeding. However, he acknowledged that “Wild cats and dogs eat their whole prey including the liver, intestines, skin and fur so they get all the nutrients they need.” Dr. Sean Delaney, Board certified veterinary nutritionist, former Chair of the American College of Veterinary Nutrition.

3. Raw whole prey diet is a living food for carnivores, and therefore contains live enzymes, and essential amino acids naturally occurring in the meat.

   • Once cooked, some of these vital nutrients die (See Dr Pottenger Cat Study). That’s why high-quality raw foods, which follow the balance of mimicking what wild cats and dogs would eat, are balanced diets without having any/much synthetic supplements added to it!
   • See here for a discussion on nutrient loss when food is cooked.

4. Zero to few synthetic supplements are required in raw pet food

   • When prepared carefully as discussed above, zero to few synthetic supplements are required, making raw food a natural, whole food diet.

5. Less chemically synthetized supplements equals less burden to their bodies.

   • Nature intended a balance between the way nutrients work. It’s best to get nutrients from REAL WHOLE FOOD INGREDIENTS, along with the micronutrients that come with the whole food ingredients.
   • For example, for humans eating an apple with the peel will give you potassium, Vitamin A and triterpenoids (able to destroy cancer cells), which you would not get if you just took a Vitamin A pill.
6. Raw dog food ”
   

   Prolongs dog’s life for at least 2 to 5 years.

   ” Dr. Peter Dobias

   • See here for Dr Peter Dobias take on feeding processed food versus raw dog food.

7. Better dental health due to raw pet food… MUCH BETTER dental health!

   • “Kibble is no better for your pet’s teeth than crunchy human food is for our teeth. It would never occur to you to eat a handful of peanut brittle to remove plaque and tartar from your teeth. The idea that dry food keeps your pet’s teeth clean is just as silly!” Dr Karen Becker. See here for more suggestions on how to prevent your dog from having bad breadth. 

8. Moisture in raw pet food could prevent bladder stones

   • You’ll notice a decrease in water intake relative to a pet on dry food due to the moisture in raw pet food.
   • Both cats and dogs are less likely to have bladder stones caused by not enough intake of water as they get the moisture from their food. However, note that we’d advocate adding water even to raw food diets. This will ensure that your pet has adequate water intake.

9. Shinier and softer coat; healthier skin on a raw pet food diet.

   • Your dog may initially shed a lot of fur while it is going through detoxification.
   • For most dogs and cats that have dull looking hair or skin issues on dry food diets, a switch to raw pet food along with help from a holistic vet on probiotics, etc could make the difference in how healthy your pet feels and mitigate the itching.

10. More energy and better vitality.

    • This is anecdotal as there hasn’t been any study that we’ve seen that points to this.

11. Seemingly better utilization of raw pet food by dogs and cats

    • Typically, most raw pet feeders will point to the smaller stool as evidence of better utilization of food.
    • What is clear is that better made raw pet food does not contain any fillers or extra fiber and should not contain too much bone.
    • This is important as the extra filler or fiber tend to be from grains (wheat, corn, rice) and potatoes.  In fact, anywhere between 1 in 100 to 1 in 500 cats as well as dogs develops diabetes, and this is expected to increase!
    • Cats are obligate carnivores and dogs are also carnivores, although adaptable to carbohydrates.  Feeding a diet with the fillers described above is not the same as thriving on raw pet food.

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