Why Feed Raw Dog Food?
Everyone you know buys commercial dog food! Your vet strongly recommends you to feed your dog commercial food. Why? How much do you really know about your dog’s food? And why is everybody so keen on kibble and canned?
Well, first of all, dog food companies have a clear, economic interest – selling their products. They have amazing advertising strategies and they have conquered every single corner of the market. They offer considerable discounts to breeders who sell their products, they are the main sponsors of dog shows, they hire high profile people, including vets, to talk about and recommend their products.
They have gone so far in advertising that they might make you feel guilty for not showing enough love to your dog if you don’t buy from them. This is sick!
Secondly, most vets lack some serious education concerning the dog diet. They only know what the dog food companies tell them, meaning most of them will recommend you commercial dog food.
Most Vet Associations are sponsored by pet food companies! Just take a look at the American Veterinary Medical Association or the Australian Veterinary Association. Why would they recommend something different if their money comes from dog food companies?
Moreover, feeding commercial food to dogs usually causes many digestive problems and you end up paying an expensive visit to your vet. I’m not saying vets are glad when your dog is sick, but they are surely interested in having as many patients as possible. So, forgive me if I doubt most vet's ethics, but I am convinced that even if they were aware of the dangers of commercial food, they wouldn’t tell you. They would avoid losing both their sponsorships and their patients!
10 Reasons for Feeding Raw Dog Food
Now, going back to dog food, one alternative you should really consider is raw dog food. The raw food diet for dogs focuses on feeding raw meat and vegetables and eliminating any processed or commercial dog food.
From what I’ve read so far, the advantages of raw dog food considerably outweigh the drawbacks. Here are 10 good reasons for feeding your dog raw food:
- Dogs won’t need any supplements or vitamins. Raw dog food is the best way to boost your dog’s energy;
- Your dog will stop smelling like a dog!
- Cleaner teeth and gums, no tartar, less dental treatment;
- Healthier skin and shinier coat, no more fur loss, itching, skin rashes, irritations or very dry skin;
- Smaller, inoffensive-smelling stools;
- Less digestive problems – dogs don’t eat grains (contained in most commercial foods) and their digestive systems simply can’t handle these foods. Also, the chewing required by raw meaty bones prepares the stomach for proper digestion;
- Less visits to your vet (less bills);
- Puppies follow their natural course of growing, without having bursts of growth provoked by some commercial foods;
- Dogs live longer on a raw diet than dogs on commercial foods;
- You pay less. You may be under the impression that feeding raw can affect your budget, but if you come to draw a line, taking into account the vet’s bills and the fact that the so-called high-quality premium dog foods are very expensive, you might realize that a raw diet is far cheaper.
Biology 101: Dogs need a lot of good quality protein. The kind of protein and food found in a raw fresh food diet without any chemicals or additives.
So, it’s no surprise one of the main reasons is that dogs and cats can’t easily digest vegetables or grains unless they are partially digested first. As for the reason? They don’t have a long intestinal tract like humans. Since theirs is short, it doesn’t have the ability to digest vegetable matter.
When starches are broken down, they must first be broken into sugars in order to be usable. Primary sources of carbohydrates in most diets are barley, brown rice, oats and rye. Cooking of cereal grains is necessary for your animal to properly digest starches. Dogs do not normally produce enzymes in their saliva to actually break-down carbohydrates and starches. Essentially, it’s a no-brainer: dogs can’t digest grains and starches. Their pancreas is forced to produce large amounts of this enzyme to deal with the starches.
Feeding your dog pure ingredients which are easily digestible is the ultimate way to go for your pet’s overall nutrition. Since you know now that dogs CAN'T digest grains and starches and that they CAN digest protein, starting a healthy raw diet should be easy.
How much should you feed your dog? No dog is created equal and with any feeding regimen there are things to take into consideration, like the age of your puppy/dog, the activity level, is she pregnant or a lactating/nursing mother. Below is a basic feeding guide...increase or decrease portions based upon the health of your dog.
Puppies under 6 months: 4.5% of puppy's weight, feed 3 times daily
Puppies over 6 months: 3.5% of puppy's weight, feed 2-3 times daily
Maintain adult weight: 2.5% of dog's weight, feed 1-2 times daily
Gain weight on adult: 3% of weight, feed 1-2 times daily
Weight loss on adult: 2% of weight, feed 1-2 times daily
Pregnant female: 3.5% of weight, feed 1-2 times daily
Nursing female: 6-8% of weight depending on the size of litter, feed 1-2 times daily
How to calculate: if your dog weighs 70lbs in order to maintain weight calculate 70 x.025=1.75lbs PER DAY, for 2 portions divide by 2. Remember to adjust accordingly.
What we recommend is 2lbs per day regardless of age, obviously adjusting acordingly based on weight gain. You will feed 2.5% of estimated adult weight and since all our pups will be around 65-85lbs or a 2lb per day average. Take into account that some dogs are more active than others, find what amount works best for you and your Pup!
QUESTIONS: Please feel free to ask us any questions you may have about starting your fur baby on a raw diet, including the cost of raw versus high quality kibble (grain free), how much to feed, where to get your meat, or how to prepare the meals for your dog!
Bergerhaus Long Coat Black and Red German Shepherds, Halifax PA 17032