When Lindsay asked me if I might compose a publish about why I personally selected to feed my dogs raw food as well as what’s prompting me to continue to do so, I happily agreed.
The short response is since it assisted my boxer mix Missy stay in remission from cancer for 3+ years as well as her sibling Buzz continues to prosper on it.
I essentially discovered that dogs are what they eat after Missy was diagnosed with cancer, as well as consequently I desired the best, healthiest, a lot of nourishing pet dog food for both her as well as her brother.
As I discovered out a number of years ago, raw food occurs to be it as well as trumps anything else offered on the pet dog food market.
I understand that’s a strong statement, yet it’s one that any type of raw feeder will indication in a heartbeat.
I recognize feeding a raw diet plan involves a slew of “whys” as well as “hows” from any individual unfamiliar with as well as curious about this type of pet dog food. So, here’s my attempt to describe what persuaded me as well as why I continue to believe in its power.
To feed your pet dog a raw diet plan indicates precisely that – to feed raw meat, bones, organ meat as well as often raw fruits as well as veggies. See an example of a raw pet dog food recipe here.
Why I feed my dogs a raw diet
Missy eating a poultry leg quarter
I very first came across raw pet dog food when I was trying to find a option for Missy’s cancer diagnosis in late 2014.
While she was undergoing treatment which included the removal of her thyroid tumor as well as 3 rounds of preventative chemotherapy, I spent lots of hours in front of the computer, trying to find solution to the complying with questions:
What might potentially have been the cause of a young dog’s cancer besides her genetic boxer makeup?
Was there anything that might assist her on her road to recovery?
Were there any type of way of life modifications that might improve her immune system as well as keep cancer’s awful deal with from resurfacing?
I discovered solution to all of my questions, both from holistic raw feeding veterinarians as well as typical pet dog owners who actively fed their furry good friends raw pet dog food. These pet dog enthusiasts changed their dogs to raw after experiencing canine cancer in their pack or since of their nutritional understanding in dogs.
Here’s the short rundown:
1. cancer in dogs can be triggered by environmental factors (not always, of course). One environmental aspect might include heavily processed pet dog food like kibble as well as canned food.
After reading this, my jaw dropped. Missy had been on precisely that – kibble as well as wet food – for all of her 3 years as well as 3 months of life before coming down with cancer. had I unknowingly contributed to her illness by feeding her the wrong type of pet dog food?
2. It was suggested to make a switch from kibble as well as wet food to raw pet dog food, either by means of the detour of dehydrated raw food or a chilly turkey technique to raw food (pun intended). So I made the switch.
3. It was likewise suggested to limit the number of vaccinations administered to a pet dog as well as get rid of as lots of chemical elements from their life as possible. I determined a number of in Missy’s, as well as gotten rid of dryer sheets together with topical as well as oral pest preventatives from her as well as her brother’s lives.
Buzz prepared to dig in to his raw pet dog food delivery
I likewise replaced our generic pet dog shampoo (made in China by the way…) with an all natural, chemical-free, herbal pet dog shampoo.
Side note: That was before I realized that raw-fed dogs seldom requirement a bath at all! A bit a lot more about that under “perks of raw-fed dogs.”
Unfortunately, Missy is no longer with me now as her cancer ended up coming back as well as taking her from me after all. However, I have no question that the raw diet plan enabled her to online one more delighted 3 years with me as well as her sibling Buzz.
Her immune system need to have got an extra boost, her coat was always glossy & shiny black, her pearlies were as white as they might be, as well as her appetite for her fresh, raw meals never faded. may she rest in peace together with an abundance of her preferred raw food!
Here’s why I will continue to feed (my future) dogs a raw diet:
Benefits of a raw food diet plan for dogs:
Dogs do exceedingly well on raw food since it consists of a range of cuts of genuine meat that are chock full of all the needed vitamins as well as minerals a pet dog needs not only to survive, however to thrive, as a result improving their immune systems.
Unlike kibble as well as wet food, a raw diet plan has only been minimally processed as well as not subjected to extreme warm which triggers the loss of so lots of nutrients.
It doesn’t consist of any type of man-made components like harmful preservatives, flavors, as well as colors.
It’s created to work with a dog’s teeth, jaws, as well as acidic digestive system that’s made to break down raw meat as well as bones as well as kill potentially hazardous bacteria.
A raw diet plan mimics the food dogs ate not only in the wild, however before the wise people in the food market realized there was money to be made with the introduction of canned as well as dry pet dog food in the late 1800s.
The raw diet plan addresses skin as well as coat issues, allergies, as well as ear infections.
The raw diet plan likewise includes a few side impacts I’ve extremely much come to appreciate over the years:
More advantages of raw-fed dogs
1. smaller poop volume
I like the method Dr. Ian Billinghurst explains this in his book “Give Your pet dog A Bone” (page 126):
Dogs fed raw meaty bones create smallish quantities of solid minimally offensive stools. These are rather different to the revolting mounds of evil smelling partially liquid squander which oozes its method out of the back end of dogs fed processed food.
This is so true! The difference between a raw-fed dog’s poop as well as his kibble-fed counterpart is huge. Literally!
2. No pet dog odor – eliminates requirement for baths
I might tell the difference in odor especially since of my work as a expert pet dog walker. My clients’ houses whose dogs are fed a kibble diet plan have that extremely unique pet dog odor that my house no longer had every considering that making the switch from kibble to raw, particularly when their dogs got wet on a rainy walk.
One of my Air B&B guests directed this out also after she had been in my house for a number of days! She stated something along the lines of “It’s type of odd, however your home truly doesn’t odor like dogs at all, as well as you have two!”
Once Missy & Buzz were a number of months into our raw feeding journey, the only time they would get a bath was when they had rolled around in a puddle of mud as well as genuinely had dirt on their coats.
3. enjoyment at meal time
Missy was a slave to her tummy regardless of what type of food I’d offer her, however I particularly observed the modification in enjoyment at meal time in her sibling Buzz. He was an very picky eater back in our kibble as well as wet food days, as well as it was always a bit difficult getting him to eat.
This habits altered instantaneously when I introduced raw pet dog food. He never turned down a single raw meal as well as has eaten every last bite of raw goodness that made it into his bowl!
4. clean teeth
A raw diet plan eliminates the requirement to manually clean a dog’s teeth in a lot of cases, if raw meaty bones are part of the diet.
This likewise saves pet dog owners the costly dental cleaning done by veterinarians. Neither Missy nor Buzz have needed any type of dental cleanings after their introduction to raw meaty bones as part of their raw diet, as well as I never once again touched a doggie toothbrush!
So there you have it! For a lot more information on feeding your pet dog a raw diet, see a few of our past articles:
Raw pet dog food for beginners
How to safely feed your pet dog raw bones
Supplies for feeding raw pet dog food
Raw pet dog food on a budget
The pros as well as cons of a raw diet.
Barbara Rivers composes on a regular basis for That Mutt about feeding her two boxer mixes a raw pet dog food diet. She is a blog writer as well as pet dog walker as well as preserves the blog K9s Over Coffee.