Here’s the why and the what you should add to your raw dog food
Today raw food diets are getting increasingly popular with dog owners. And yet the diet faces many
controversies.
Many people believe that dogs should eat what their ancestors, the wolves, ate, which is muscle meat still on the bone, organs meats, bones, raw eggs, fruits and vegetables. Then there those who want to shift because they understand that processed foods like kibble is not good for their dog and will cause long term damage.
The argument mostly is that dogs are not meant to eat grain, and yet most commercial or home-cooked diets offer grain. Owners who shifted their dogs to an all-raw diet have noticed cleaner teeth, shinier coats, higher energy levels, a healthier overall weight and much fewer problems. They are doing much better than they were when on the commercial food diet.
If you are on the brink of shifting to raw food and plan to prepare it by yourself, you must first empower yourself with the right knowledge. To assist you, we’ve put together a list of all the foods that you must include in your dog’s raw diet.
#1 Meaty Bones
Many diets suggest not feeding bones, but those are warning against cooked bones. Feeding your dog raw bones is important to give them the required dose of calcium. Feed bones with the meat still attached to them.
Good options of
Raw Meaty Bones to offer your dog include chicken wings, buffalo tails, chicken drumsticks and chicken necks. Make sure that meaty bones comprise about half of your dog's diet. We can’t say this enough: ensure you feed only raw bones as cooked bones can crack and splinter, and can cause injury.
#2 Fish
Your dog needs fatty acids more particularly
Omega-3, The Omega-6s are available in the chicken meat or other meats but not
Omega-3 and one of the best sources for Omega-3 is
fish. Do not feed whole raw
fish more than twice a week and feed small fish rather than the bigger ones to avoid the risk of mercury poisoning. Freezing the fish before feeding is a good idea as it can eliminate all traces of parasites, if any.
#3 Eggs
A good balanced raw diet consists of
raw eggs. Feed your dog raw eggs (including shells) at least twice a week. Raw eggs offer the perfect balance of calcium and phosphorous which is much needed by your dog. The yolk contains essential vitamins and minerals that contribute to the overall well-being of your pet.
Choose farm
fresh eggs over conventionally produced eggs since the latter are often chemically treated.
#4 Organ Meat
Even though it might make you squeamish, do not avoid
organ meat. This is an important part of your dog’s diet as it has several essential vitamins and minerals. Include this in the diet about twice a week. Organ meat includes liver, kidney, heart, brain, pancreas, lung and even testicles.
#5 Fruits and Vegetables
For some dog owners adding
fruits and vegetables in the dog’s diet is not important. However, animals in the wild do chomp on some grass and berries, so there really isn’t a downside to it.
Fruits and vegetables offer cancer-protecting antioxidants and several skin-improving ingredients too.
#6 Relax
Feed your dog a combination of these foods and you will have managed a balanced, healthy diet. This is the basic idea; however each dog is different and you might want to tweak the above combination until you find what works best for your pet.
Do not worry about salmonella or E.Coli as dogs have a very strong digestive system that can easily take care of any contamination.
Do not make the switch suddenly. Start adding raw dog food to your pet’s diet bit by bit, paying close attention to how she is responding. There could be slight diarrhea initially as she adjusts to the higher fat content, but that will go away soon enough.
Conclusion
Finally the decision to go raw is up to you. There is no set standard on how to feed your dog raw. Do your research and do what is best for your dog. You can pick up the meats and make your own raw, or you can buy
pre-made raw dog food, that is getting easily available now.
