Many people have heard of the term ‘Raw Feeding‘ but quickly dismiss the concept without fully appreciating the beneficial impact it has on the health and wellbeing of their beloved doggo. Many owners will unfortunately choose to feed their hounds a quick and easy to prepare meal from a can or bag, that promises to provide all of the nutrients required to keep a canine companion fit and well.
I’m of the belief, as are many, that processed foods are not beneficial to my health and if I were to live off processed goods alone, I would not be ingesting all I needed to lead an active and nourished lifestyle. Why then would I choose to feed a member of my family something I am personally not willing to consume myself? The ethos of healthy living I apply to my own life, I apply to the life of my dogs.
To me, it doesn’t make any sense to provide my hounds with food, where I can only identify a small handful of the ingredients listed. In fact, when you research and dig a little deeper into what you are actually putting into the mouth of your loving friend, you will be shocked and possibly even disgusted at what you find. It usually includes a fairly hefty list of preservatives and additives used to keep the food ‘edible‘ for as long as possible. You also do not know where the meat or vegetables have been sourced from and more often than not, you wouldn’t want to know. I strongly encourage people to thoroughly look at what is in the can.
Personally, as a dog lover and advocate for my two girls, I cannot possibly feed processed foods and honestly say that I am providing them with a nutrient rich diet. In the case of my greyhound, Venatrix, she lived a life of racing, where she was fed sugar heavy, processed foods in order to give her a burst of energy to run at speed and win. As a result, prior to adopting her, she had a very sensitive stomach, passed wind frequently, her fur was patchy with dandruff and a number of her teeth were rotten.
Now, Venatrix has a diet sourced from our local butcher which includes chicken carcasses for the bone content (10%), beef trim (80%) and offal (10% half of which is liver). Alongside this, they will have vegetables, marrow bones and dried lung as treats. I also use seaweed supplements to reduce and negate the build up of plaque, which is sprinkled on to her meal each day. Her fur is now in perfect condition, her teeth and gums are good and she has no further stomach issues or flatulence . The change of diet since I adopted her, has greatly benefited her health and wellbeing and it is evident physically.
The reason for raw meat as opposed to the cooked meat in processed foods is due to the nutritional science involved. Raw meat contains an enzyme that dogs require in order to digest their food efficiently. The phrase ‘as fit as a butcher’s dog‘ was derived from the fact that before inexpensive and easily processed foods were readily available, people used to feed their dogs directly from the butcher, where the majority of canines were used as working dogs for agriculture and hunting purposes. Dogs had to be in excellent condition in order to maintain their role and a mixture of diet, exercise and training can sustain this.
There are a number of studies, websites and books available online from a range of experts in the fields of canine behaviourists, canine nutritionalists and vets, which are extremely enlightening. I would urge anyone who wants to provide the absolute best for their canine companion to seriously consider the impact of their diet. Whether or not you choose to feed raw or look for an alternative tinned food is up to you, but a little bit of research goes a very long way in understanding canine health and wellbeing. It’s also important to consider any existing health conditions and discuss diet with your trusted veterinary practice if you have concerns.
Note: Please don’t assume that raw feeding will be an expensive route to nutrition, I manage to feed both of our dogs for less than £1.00 per day. Their food consumption is calculated using their weight – you feed 2-2.5 % of the dogs body weight in order to maintain.
Leave a reply