Should You Feed Your Pup the Raw Dog Food Diet?
Raw dog food is quite the craze now. Many people are going for a raw dog food diet for their furry friends because it is a more natural way of feeding them. The raw dog food diet is less processed than most commercial pet foods available on the market. Focusing on raw meat, fresh produce, and bones, the raw food dog diet is one of the most popular dog food trends in canine health and nutrition.
Many people feed their dogs raw food because if you and your family members are consuming a healthy balanced diet from whole food options, then why not feed your pets in a similar manner?
There are many potential health benefits of raw dog food and utilizing the raw dog food diet that we are going to cover in this article. Let dive deeper into the topic!
What is the Raw Dog Food Diet?
As the name suggests, raw dog food is based on the raw food diet of its ancestors as wild carnivores. It includes fresh meat, vegetables, offal, and vitamin and mineral supplements. They are designed to be as close as possible to the food consumed by the natural prey of dogs in the wild.
The raw dog food diet consists of uncooked whole foods that are rich in vitamins, minerals, and enzymes — all things that can help keep your pet healthy and happy!
These diets typically contain proteins from beef, poultry, fish, and fruits and vegetables. Some people even supplement their dog's diet with supplements or probiotics found in food sources like yogurt or kefir. We'll touch more on this at the end of the article.
6 Health Benefits of the Raw Dog Food Diet
The raw dog food diet benefits are numerous and include a healthier, more active lifestyle for your dog.
Some of the health benefits of feeding your dog raw food diet include:
1. A shinier coat
Dogs fed a raw food diet have a shinier coats than those fed kibbles or canned food. This is because the skin and coat are not usually exposed to harmful chemicals, preservatives, dyes, and fillers that are found in commercial dog food. A diet that has raw, fresh, and natural dog foods can provide your furry friend with all the essential nutrients they need to maintain healthy skin and coat. A dog's skin and fur are mostly built from protein, and up to 30% of the protein in the diet is used by the body to maintain coat and skin health.
Raw dog food has many ingredients that support coat and skin health, one of the most efficient and researched being omega-3 fatty acids. It plays a huge role in supporting healthy skin and soft coats as well as providing anti-inflammatory benefits, which is perfect for dogs with inflammatory skin issues or allergies.
2. Better dental health
Dogs that eat a raw food diet have fewer dental problems than those who eat kibble or canned foods. Dry kibble tends to stick between teeth, causing gum disease and bad breath in many dogs. Raw foods do not stick between teeth as easily, so there is less chance of developing plaque buildup on your dog's teeth.
The bacteria in raw food help keep your dog's teeth clean and healthy. The bacteria in kibble don't have the same effect on your dog's teeth. This is one of the biggest reasons why so many people choose to feed their four-legged friends a raw dog food diet.
According to veterinary medicine today, the reason for your raw-fed dog's clean white teeth is largely due to chewing bones as a part of their diet. One study showed that daily supplementation with raw bovine bone lowers the number of dental cavities by 70.6% after 12 days, and teeth fractures weren't reported.
3. Improved immune system function
Your dog's immune system is responsible for fighting off disease and infection in the body. The more nutrients your dog gets from their food, the better able they are going to be at fighting off any illness or disease.
Raw meat is extremely bioavailable and has live enzymes and bacteria that support digestion and aid in absorbing all the immune-boosting nutrients. With raw dog food, pups create less waste as most of the food they eat is fully utilized by their body. Raw dog food supports gut health, and 70% of the immune system is present in the gut.
Other than that, raw meat has many nutrients that help boost your pup's immune system. These include vitamins C, A, and E, iron, zinc, selenium, taurine, lysine, and arginine.
4. Improved gut health and digestion
A raw food diet can help improve the health of your dog's gut, which is especially important for dogs with allergies or skin conditions. It helps to create an environment where beneficial bacteria can flourish. The benefit of this is that it improves your dog's digestion and helps them to absorb nutrients better.
According to a review of raw dog diets, it was found that fecal bacterial diversity was higher among raw-fed dogs as compared to those fed commercial processed food.
Studies have also discovered improved food digestibility in animals fed raw food, with low fecal output, because of reduced digesta in the colon and less resulting fecal matter.
5. Healthy physique
Did you know almost 50% of dogs in the U.S. are overweight? A raw dog food diet is a natural way to help manage your pup's weight and keep a healthy physique and overall well-being. Raw pet food contains biologically appropriate ingredients and non-glycemic vegetables, unlike kibble, which contains additional carbs and sugars.
The main ingredients in most processed foods are always calorie-induced carbohydrate fillers, often with more additives to make your dog crave for more, with minimal nutritional value. These carbs trigger insulin release in the body, which leads to fat storage.
Also, the low value of quality protein in these commercially available food options leads to low satiation, which makes your dog feel hungry within a short period of time after eating. A quality raw dog food diet is a much healthier solution to manage your dog's weight.
6. Improved behavior
Dog owners have noticed that their furry friends appear to be more comfortable, interactive, affectionate, and sociable once they are on a raw dog food diet.
Survey results linked to dog behavior showed that out of 218 dog owners, 51% of them reported no abnormalities, while the remaining observed a calmer (35%) and livelier (21%) attitude, and no one reported aggression or nervousness in their dog.
Ensure Your Dog's Health is Optimized
The raw dog food diet is a great way to optimize your dog's health. As mentioned earlier, supplements can also help provide your furry little friend with the nutrients it needs. Including superfoods or superfoods supplements can help maximize health and immunity. We actually have a fantastic article on fermented farm superfoods. Click here to read it.
That said, we have looked high and low to source the highest quality ingredient for our supplements — including our dog supplements. With everything from super greens to superfoods, as well as immune blends and Atlantic Sea kelp, we want to help ensure your dog has all the vitamins and minerals it needs to stay healthy.
By leveraging the raw dog food diet and specific supplements, you can notice a drastic improvement in your dog's health.