Top 5 Benefits of A Raw Food Diet for Dogs
Top 5 Benefits of A Raw Food Diet for Dogs
A raw food diet for dogs tends to comprise of raw meat, bones, fruits, and vegetables, however the thought of feeding raw food tends to divide us into two camps. Either it strikes you as a diet fit with how nature intended, or it conjures up images of messy time-consuming food prep and carcasses strewn around the kitchen floor. Whatever your position may be on the matter here are 5 of the top benefits a raw diet can provide.
A Raw Food Diet Can Improve Coat Condition
The first physical change that you will likely see will be in the coat. Around 40% of the protein a dog eats goes into their skin and coat so when a dog is fed a low meat protein, cereal based diet (most dry foods) they will not have the protein spare to grow a healthy coat. Raw food diets however are high in fresh meat (protein) and fresh fat, which work together to give a shiny luxurious coat.
Raw Food Diet – Muscle Tone
Dogs are carnivore’s, meaning all they need to eat is protein (and fat). When fed this diet, they will shed the carbohydrate-fuelled fat to reveal their beautiful, sleek, firm body. Raw food for dogs is nearly always void of cereal filler (carbohydrates) which is central to getting a dog’s weight and muscle tone right. Protein is the building blocks of muscle, organs, skin, hair and joints. There is no alternative.
Raw Food Diet – Dental Hygiene
Your dog’s teeth and gums will be cleaner and healthier from chewing raw meaty bones. When your dog starts eating raw meat with consumable bones; you will learn that raw meat and bones do not allow for plaque to build up. The crunching of small bones by your dog naturally provides scraping for his teeth. Raw bones are easily digested and they are a good source of calcium and roughage for cleaning the teeth and gums naturally. On the other hand, canned dog food consists of highly processed food with added fat and preservatives, which will most likely cause plaque. I’m sure we’d all love a dog with fresher breath in our life.
Raw Food Diet – Behaviour
The improvement in behaviour from raw dog food is primarily due to the removal of dry food from the diet.
Dry feeds fuel poor behaviour in three ways:
- It is high in easily digested carbohydrates, which fuel high blood sugar and insulin levels, long linked to poor behaviour.
- It is full of chemicals (just have a look at the back of the packet).
- it has a low vitamin B content (the mind soothing vitamins), and the B vitamins are very sensitive to long storage times.
Raw Food diets for Dogs Produces Less Waste
The last advantage of switching to raw food and maybe one of the most beneficial to you is all about what comes out of your dog, not what goes in.
The stools produced by raw fed dogs is far less smelly and much smaller in quantity that the poop produced by kibble fed dogs. Which lets face it, doesn’t smell great. Raw fed dog stools are largely powdered bone and smells of very little. This is of no interest to your dog, but a source of great pleasure to raw fed dog owners.
So there you have it. 5 top reasons as to why a raw diet may be beneficial to not only your dog but to also to yourself. Perhaps it is worth considering for your dog?
