What’s all the fuss about raw food for dogs and why is it becoming a sensation? Everybody has at least considered it, but is it worth feeding our dogs raw? Read on to find out…
Firstly, raw food for dogs is a meal that hasn’t been cooked at all. It is easier to prepare than homemade cooked dog food, but it is more expensive than buying dry dog food. To feed raw or cooked food, it could roughly cost double to three times that amount depending upon where you live. However, if you’re blessed to be living in rural areas, you may have access to free wildlife, but check your local laws.
Interestingly enough, if you were to feed your dog only canned food, it would cost almost the same as feeding raw or home-cooked. There are a few dog food brands that offer pre-packed raw food for dogs. Although more expensive, it’s a good option if you’re pushed for time. Checkout the recommended brands below.
Arguments concerning raw food for dogs?
One argument suggests that the ancestors of our dogs were wolves (not wolf dogs). They ate only fresh raw food; their digestive system was meant to eat uncooked food. It is believed today that dogs can not tolerate raw. However, I believe if you introduce a dog to this way of eating slowly, then their stomachs will become accustomed to raw foods eventually.
I have seen many dogs thrive on raw…
Over the years dogs have become more prone to degenerative diseases, and they’re generally much weaker than their ancestor wolves. The general argument states that caution needs to be considered before feeding your precious darlings raw. Again, I differ to agree, every dog can tolerate raw if it’s introduced to it slowly.
Like all things, it’s always a risk to try anything new, if your dog can digest it, then this is a good sign. When changing over to a new food start very small and build up slowly.
Feed your dog raw food because you want to and not because you’re being pressured – it is a big commitment.
How much raw to give your dog?
This is a very good ratio:
- 80% meat, sinews, ligaments, fats
- 10% edible fresh raw bones
- 5% liver meat
- 5% all other organ meat
Meat is quite high in phosphorus and bones are quite high in calcium. Therefore, when your dog is fed 10% bone with 80% meat, your dog is receiving the exact ratio of phosphorus and calcium.
Other foods that have a balanced ratio are: prey, whole eggs including grounding up the egg shells, tripe and fish.
Liver should be given in very small amounts, any more and it will become too toxic. Organ meat needs to be 5%, but you can include a little more, but no more than 10%. If you are uncertain which liver meat to use then choose organic beef as it is high in nutrients. Quality liver meat is essential since it is responsible for filtering toxins.
Pork can be fed to dogs, but in small amounts. Salmon is also fantastic, but carries mercury, so be careful.
Since raw fish is prone to parasites, freezing is recommended for at least two weeks before consuming.
It is not wise to just serve your dog muscle meat as it is low in calcium and is too high in phosphorus.
Raw food for dogs guidelines are:
- A puppy up to 4 months needs to be fed 4 meals plus per day.
- A puppy between 4 months and 6 months needs to be fed at least 3 meals per day.
- A puppy over 6 months shoulds be fed at least 2 meals per day.
The benefits of feeding raw food for dogs
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Experts agree that if your dog has an illness, then fresh food should clear everything up. This obviously is dependent on the quality of the dog food ingredients used.
Raw food contains all of its nutrients, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and photo-nutrients. It is a balanced diet for any dog.
Disadvantages to raw foods for dogs
1. Raw food for dogs can be expensive to prepare.
2. Supermarkets fruit and vegetables contain pesticides etc., if the meat isn’t organic it is probable it will contain hormones, antibiotics, parasites and other potential toxins.
3. Cheap raw bones could be dangerous to give to dogs because their stomachs are much weaker now, splintering could be an issue. Always choose quality fresh bones.
4. It can be difficult to create a perfectly balanced raw meal.
5. You would need to feed your dog organic which will double, if not triple the cost.
6. Vets prefer cooked meals verses raw because of contamination issues.
7. Buying and preparing can be time consuming.
Other options?
My dogs are always fed a quality dry food and raw. I occasionally add additional raw tripe, chicken, cooked eggs, leftover homecooked foods etc. to add variety. My dogs have beautiful coats, white teeth, healthy gums, and are active but not hyper.
You might want to feed your dogs quality meal as a base, and then add a little raw or cooked meat to their dried. When cooking a meal for ourselves, I always prepare more vegetables etc and add some to my dogs dinners. These are just some options you might want to consider.
To avoid weight gain:
- 100g of dry food x 2.2 = 220g of raw food or 2 to 3% of your dog’s ideal body weight
Some owners opt to buy ready made raw dog food, not because they’re lazy but because they’re very busy. You are still giving your dogs the best.
Ready made raw food for dogs
Paw Naturaw Organic is five-star raw food for dogs. This company offers a variety of meals, which are considered a complete, balanced and non-toxic food. Paw Naturaw is definitely top of the range human-grade and with ingredients that are beneficial; consequently, you will find no grains or cereal in this product. This brand’s quality surpasses the AAFCO to give you peace of mind and guaranteeing you excellence for your dog.
There is Barf UK and a Barf USA, both are five-star raw food for dogs, choose the country which is fitting for you. BARF stands for Biologically Appropriate Raw Food, which basically means it’s more suitable for a dog than dried. Barf is definitely not a new concept; dogs apparently ate raw until the late 1930s. This is when we saw a rise in commercial processed dried foods, and this is when people began switching; hence, dried became more popular.
Wysong raw food for dogs is called Artchetype has a variety of tasty options.Strictly speaking it isn’t raw, but it is considered raw because of Wysongs patented heating process. Wysong use a method called TNT (True-Non-Thermal) which means the food has been cooked at very low temperatures to keep all the vital nutrients intact. The Artchetype contains high-protein content unlike the Artchetype Buffet which contains 29%.
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