Raw Diets for Dogs

Many pet parents consider their dogs part of the family. Therefore, they will stop at nothing to ensure that their fur baby receives the best possible care. Few issues bear greater importance than what their dog eats. Certain people believe raw diets best serve a dog’s nutritional needs and increase their chances of living long, healthy lives. Learn the facts about raw diets for dogs.

What is the Raw Diet?

Basically, the raw diet describes a nutritional plan dictating pet owners feed their dogs only natural products. Researchers suggest that this concept is not new. For decades, a number of individuals owning racing dogs like greyhounds and sled dogs have fed their animals raw foods.

However, the individual credited with bringing this idea to the mainstream is Australian veterinarian Ian Billinghurst. In the early 1990s, Billinghurst introduced a dietary concept abbreviated BRAT. The acronym stands for Bones and Raw Food or Biologically Appropriate Raw Food.

The esteemed veterinary professional believed that dogs stand the best chance of thriving both physically and biologically if they consume foods dogs typically feasted on before becoming domesticated.

What Makes Up a Raw Diet?

Currently, veterinarians and animal nutritionists divide raw diets into two categories: BARF and the prey model.

Pet parents following the BARF technique feed their fur babies mainly raw bones such as poultry necks, backs, and wings. The rest typically consists of products like:

• Fish
• Produce
• Eggs
• Dairy offerings
• Vitamin supplements

The other popular raw dietary plan for dogs is the prey model. The outline received its name because the foods included bear a similarity to what dogs regularly consume while living out in the wild. Specific products include gamey meats like rabbit and hen, animal bones, and the meat from internal animal organs such as stomach, liver, and kidney.

Potential Benefits

Those favoring the raw diet believe that the nutritional outlines provide numerous health benefits including:

Healthy Weight Maintenance

Raw offerings contain little if any fat or fat-producing chemicals. Therefore, dogs following this nutritional blueprint usually do not pack on extra pounds. Any weight added usually comes from additional muscle mass because raw foods contain large amounts of muscle-building nutrient protein. Moreover, raw foods produce a sense of fullness. Ergo, dogs do not overeat and remain full for longer periods of time.

A Well-Functioning Circulatory System

The natural ingredients found in raw products help increase heart muscle strength and blood flow. Typically, these attributes result in stable blood pressure and a well-functioning circulatory system.

Stronger Physical Makeup

In addition to strong bones, raw edible items strengthen connective tissues such as cartilage, tendons, ligaments, and joints. Such events result in fewer physical injuries. In turn, dogs stay fit and active as they age.

Improved Digestion

Typically, raw foods increase the production of gastric juices necessary for normal digestion. A properly operating digestive tract helps the dog’s body better absorb nutrients and avoid possible problems like constipation.

Decreased Cancer Risk

Natural ingredients, especially produce, contain large quantities of special nutrients known as antioxidants. These chemicals possess the ability to lessen and eliminate inflammation. Over time, inflammation breaks down the cells, tissues, and organs inside a dog’s body possibly resulting in physical injuries and an increased risk for serious illnesses like cancer.

Good Oral Health

The natural act of chewing strengthens a dog’s teeth. Hard edible products like bones offer one’s fur baby a chance to exercise their teeth, jaw muscles, and jaw bones and increase the firmness and power of these physical features. Additionally, bone particles erode potentially harmful materials from the canine’s teeth like plaque, which often leads to tooth decay and may result in more serious health problems as the dog grows older.

Eye Health

Antioxidants also prove critical to a dog’s vision. These substances strengthen a part of the eye known as the retina. Dogs need healthy and functioning retinas to enjoy good vision their entire lives, particularly as they age.

Possible Risks

Not every member of the veterinary or animal nutritional communities shares favorable views about feeding dogs raw diets. Those arguing against such practices believe the effort carries certain risks such as:

Food-Borne Illnesses

Arguably, food-borne illnesses are the biggest concern associated with feeding dogs raw food. Raw products, especially meat often contain organisms like bacteria and viruses capable of causing serious gastrointestinal upset. These sicknesses could prove fatal in aging animals or those with notable underlying health issues.

Nutritional Imbalance

While raw diets contain high levels of nutrients like protein, there are those in the veterinary and animal nutritional industries expressing concern that these foods lack sufficient amounts of other key vitamins and minerals. Over time, a decreased intake of such chemicals might result in nutritional deficiencies capable of resulting in numerous bothersome symptoms and possibly even major illnesses.

Physical Hazards

Some worry that insufficiently chewed bones carry a choking risk. Moreover, poorly broken down structures increase a dog’s risk of bleeding and internal injuries.

Addressing Safety Concerns

Raw diet proponents counter the risk factor argument with claims these possible problems can be minimized through actions such as:

Practicing Cleanliness

A pet’s risk of encountering illness decreases provided its owners observe cleanliness efforts including:

Hand Washing

The simple act of hand washing with warm water and soap or using hand sanitizing liquid kills a significant percentage of bacteria and viruses known to cause food-borne sicknesses. Furthermore, a pet parent’s hands must always be washed or sanitized immediately before and after handling any type of raw meat.

Cleaning Surfaces

Dog owners must thoroughly clean all surfaces that raw meat or any other food sources routinely touch such as countertops, refrigerator shelves, dog bowls, and cutting boards.

Storing Food Properly

Dogs should be fed raw meat within no more than two to three days after purchase. Moreover, the product must be stored in the refrigerator at a temperature of less than 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Meat that will not be consumed right away must be frozen and kept in zip-locked bags to ensure freshness for as long as possible. Thaw frozen meat in the refrigerator and not in room temperature locations like sinks or countertops.

Rinsing Off Produce

Before feeding a dog raw produce, pet parents must rinse fruits or vegetables off with warm water. Such action washes away lingering bacteria or pesticides.

Keeping Raw Products Apart From Other Foods

To avoid cross-contamination risk, raw foods should be kept far apart from other items. Such products must be firmly secured in plastic containers or zip-locked bags.

Discarding Food Left at Room Temperature

No food, especially raw products should be left sitting at room temperature or outdoors for any longer than two hours. Items that have been left out must be discarded immediately.

Purchasing Raw Dog Food From Reputable Establishments

When purchasing raw food, pet parents must do so from reputable companies. These establishments share attributes such as:

Holding Name Recognition

It is in a pet owner’s and their dog’s interest to purchase raw food from a company with name recognition. Such establishments enjoy a favorable reputation and have likely been in business for years because they engage in proper practices.

Maintaining High Safety Standards

Respectable companies always maintain high safety standards. These safeguards apply to how meat is made and stored, as well as the methods used to kill potentially harmful organisms like bacteria and viruses.

Keeping Customers Informed About Possible Concerns

Reputable establishments always keep customers informed of any possible problems. For example, if a product recall becomes necessary, company officials will clearly document the specific issue and make all important associated information readily available to the public.

Employing Veterinary Nutritionists

Establishments serious about providing raw diet-based products to dogs should employ veterinary nutritionists. Such companies realize that dogs are not people and have far different dietary requirements than their human friends.

Practicing Good Customer Service

Respected companies practice good customer service. This means answering any questions one might have as quickly and efficiently as possible and displaying politeness and professionalism at all times. Poor customer service should always serve as a big red flag.

Cost

The raw diet is pricey and might prove challenging for pet parents operating on budgets. That said, specific associated monthly and yearly costs typically depend on factors such as a dog’s:

• Age
• Overall health
• Specific nutritional requirements
• Weight
• Gender
• Size

Before initiating a raw dietary plan, dog owners are urged to consult with their pet’s veterinary care provider. They will assess all previously mentioned factors and formulate the most appropriate plan. Such action helps pet parents better determine more specific dollar amounts.

How to Properly Introduce a Raw Diet?

Veterinary professionals caution against introducing a raw diet too quickly. These individuals suggest that the process be completed gradually. Furthermore, pet parents are also strongly urged to first have their dog undergo a medical evaluation. The raw diet may not be suitable for older fur babies or those with existing health conditions.

Additionally, veterinary nutritionists maintain that establishing a consistent raw diet often involves a great deal of trial and error. In many cases, time is needed to find the right mix of foods the dog in question will enjoy.

Above all, dog owners must also steadily incorporate dietary supplements to ensure their beloved animal receives nutrients not contained in raw foods.