Overcoming diabetes in dogs with raw food
Canine diabetes is a serious disease and one that is escalating rapidly. Did you know that one out of 500 dogs suffers from this debilitating disease, and the numbers are only going to go up?
Diabetes is just as bad as the human one. In fact, many veterinarians often use the same treatment and diagnostic methods for dogs with diabetes.
A dog with diabetes is likely to suffer from:
Most forums discuss the treatments for canine diabetes; however, not many of them discuss the reasons. There are primarily two: genetic and environmental. While genetic predisposition is through parentage or breed, one of the main environmental causes is a poor diet.
Homemade or processed, a diet rich in fats and without any of the essential nutritional requirements is one of the fastest-growing reasons for
canine diabetes.
Once detected, your vet might recommend prescription diabetic dog food. However, even as a prescription diet, your dog could be getting an overdose of sugar in each meal.
Are there any alternatives to prescription
diabetic dog foods?
Yes, prescription diets are not your only option. Your vet might be pushing you to try prescription dog foods because, well, he is paid to do so. Or maybe simply because he doesn’t know of any other alternative.
Don’t be afraid to switch to a different diet
Assuming you did try the diabetic commercial diet and it didn’t work for your dog, don’t be afraid to switch. Different dogs need different diets. If your dog’s diabetes is not being taken care of by commercial dog food, it does not mean that a home-cooked or raw diet won’t work too.
Raw feeding is a good solution for Canine diabetes
Unlike a commercial diet, raw feeding gives you greater control over what you put into your dog’s mouth. You can easily regulate the intake of carbohydrates and sugars. Moreover, unlike home cooking, raw feeding is actually much easier and you will prep meals much faster.
With a raw diet, your focus will be on feeding your dog whole and healthy foods. This is ideal for a diabetic dog as it reduces the stress on its internal organs. Your dog gets all the necessary (and right) vitamins. You know that a raw diet eliminates most chemicals and preservatives, and there are hardly any unnecessary carbohydrates in a raw diet.
Say no to treats, unless raw!
If you buy ready-made dog treats, understand that you are feeding your dog nothing but a bag full of carbs, sugars, and fats, not to mention tons of artificial ingredients. If you won’t eat these, why would you feed them to your dog?
Throw that bag out and introduce your dog to diabetic-friendly whole food treats, like carrots, apples (without the core), blueberries, melon, broccoli, natural fish jerky, and oatmeal-based homemade treats.
Keep tabs on how much your dog eats:
Do you know the worst way to worsen your dog’s diabetes is indiscriminate feeding? This means fixed meal times, no in-between snacking, no table scraps and definitely no extra treats. Make sure everyone in your family understands this and doesn’t do any kind of ‘pity’ feeding.
You have to understand that even one small treat can mess up your dog’s blood sugar levels!
Have you given thought to
BARF – Basic Ancestral Raw Food?
The best way to combat diabetes in your dog is to feed it a balanced, species-appropriate food. And the best option is to feed it raw. A part of the wolf family (yes, even your sweet Lab or lap-sized Apso), your dog needs and will thrive on a raw diet.
Raw food is a natural food and it contains the exact mix of all the nutrients and goodness that a dog would get if it were a wild creature. More importantly, it doesn’t have any of the allergy-causing grains.
You can make your own raw food in the right proportion, or you can buy
pre-made raw food for your diet. Whatever you do, eliminate or limit the amount of grains and carbohydrates in your dog’s diet. And watch your furry companion thrive again.
