Dogs should be given appropriate and healthy food so that it keeps them in good shape and health. There are many options of dog food that are available in the market for our little furry friends. However with varieties of dog food available there is a new trend that we have been noticing among the dog owners — the trend of feeding raw food to their pets. There has been a constant debate among the masses as to if feeding raw dog food is safe for dogs or not.
This article will help you to understand every detail about raw dog food and its advantages and disadvantages. Also, I have mentioned little tips that you can use if you want to give raw dog food to your little friend.
What does raw dog food include?
The concept of feeding raw food is now very much in trend as people think it’s healthy to feed their dogs the natural food without any preservatives. A raw dog food meal consists majorly of raw bones, meat and other organic compounds that are safe for dogs. There are different types of raw food models available for dogs such as kibble, prey food and BARF.
BARF stands for Bones and Raw food- an original raw food meal for dogs that was proposed earlier by veterinarians that was common among the masses for the pre-domestication of the dogs. Then came the prey food model that has fewer vegetables and fruits compared to other food models; after these models kibble was introduced as a raw dog food option.
The idea behind feeding dogs with all raw food is that the belief that manufactured dog food might contain some preservatives or components that are not suitable for dogs.
Pros and Cons of Raw Dog Food
Pros of feeding the raw dog food | Cons of feeding the raw dog food |
| There have been reports that suggest that feeding raw dog helps in making the dog coats more shinier. | The raw dog food contains larger fragments of bones which might be difficult for dogs to eat. |
| The dogs eating raw dog food tend to develop stronger bones and muscles. | There are also cases where eating dog food has lead to gastrointestinal inflammation and infections. |
| As these meals can be made at home, it is easy to keep track of what your dog is eating. | It is very time-consuming to prepare the meals at home. Also, it is comparatively more expensive than feeding them the dog food available in the market. |
| Along with homemade raw dog foods, there are options of frozen raw dog foods also available in the market easily. | There are bacteria and parasites in raw bones and meat that leads to infection in dogs. |
| The raw food diet helps in getting the smaller and firm stool. | Dogs can also suffer from diarrhea and bowel constructions because of eating raw dog food. |
| Feeding dogs with this kind of meals are helpful in managing their weight and keeping their weight under check. | Such raw dog food can be nutrient deficient for dogs that can trigger health problems in them. |
| Some reports suggest that feeding raw dog food helps in curing and fighting cancer and other such diseases. | Many experts suggest that raw dog food should not be given to dogs suffering from cancer or other such diseases as they are more susceptible to bacteria. |
These are all the pros and cons of giving raw food to your dog eating. Many experts suggest that raw dog food is not suggested for every dog. The dogs suffering from kidney diseases or liver diseases should not be given raw food as it has high protein levels that become difficult for dogs to digest. Also, the people who prefer to feed homemade raw food meal should see to it that the nutritional value of the meal is meeting requirements for their canine.
Tips:
- If you want to give your dogs raw dog food meal, then you must consult a vet to decide what is suitable for dogs.
- Keep their health in check to see that there is no allergy or infection caused due to feeding the dogs with raw food.
- You can also look up to recipe books for dog food that are available in the market. There are too many youtube videos to help with making healthy and nutritionally balanced dog food.
I hope this article is helpful in getting all the required details about feeding the raw dog food to your little furry friends. Make sure to consult an expert before deciding upon any diet for your dogs as it is essential for your dog’s health.
