Most dog owners are quite passionate when it comes to feeding their dogs and they have very good reasons for this. A balanced diet can help dogs to live a long, healthy life and could also contribute to their psychological well-being. Most dog owners feed commercial canned food or kibble to their dogs; however, a number of them are now looking for other alternatives. The raw dog food diet is one of the approaches that has increased in popularity over the last decade.
Types of Raw Dog Food Diets
There are two major types of raw food diets available:
- Commercial
- Home-prepared
Commercial Meals
Commercial raw foods are normally in a meat patty form and may be frozen or fresh. They supply all of the requirements of the dog.
Home-prepared Meals
Typically, raw diets comprise raw meat and bones combined with fruits, veggies, added grains, and supplements. They may not be balanced every day; however, if properly designed, they should satisfy the needs of the dog over the long term.
Benefits
Health
A raw dog food diet enables you to satisfy the specific nutrient requirements of your dog. You can prepare them yourself to prevent your dog from being exposed to foods to which it may be allergic. These meals have a high water content which could enable you, if necessary, to feed more to your dog while keeping the calories low.
Typically, processed foods are laced with added preservatives to enhance the shelf life of the product. These freshly prepared foods have no added preservatives and are considered a healthier option.
Normally, commercial raw food diets are frozen, which indicates they do not need added preservatives. Additionally, the bones chosen for the raw food diet are deliberately considered to promote good dental hygiene, which could be beneficial for overall health.
Safety
In recent years, a number of pet foods have been recalled for being potentially harmful to dogs. When your dog’s food is prepared at home, you have complete control over what is included and where the ingredients come from.
Other
Feeding a raw food diet could give your pet a natural avenue for its chewing tendencies. This could assist in improving its overall behavior.
Benefits of a Raw Dog Food Diet
The benefits of feeding a raw food diet to your dog include:
- Superior health
- Enhanced immune system
- Improved digestion
- More energy
- Better coat and skin
- Increased muscle mass
Concerns Regarding Safety
Food-borne illnesses will not be a problem if you correctly prepare raw meals for your dog. In fact, the risk of human beings contracting a food-borne illness from handling the raw food is much higher. However, good sanitation practices can help in significantly lowering that risk.
For example, after the raw food has been prepared and served, anything with which the raw food comes in contact should be thoroughly scrubbed and disinfected. This includes the kitchen counter, cutting boards, knives, bowls, sink, and your hands.
Storing Raw Dog Food
To properly store raw dog food, you should individually place the meals in freezer bags or plastic containers and put them to freeze. To prevent bacteria, the meals should be kept frozen at 0 degrees Fahrenheit.
Defrosting Raw Dog Food
Raw dog food should never be defrosted in a microwave. Doing this could result in the bones being cooked and a dog should never be fed with cooked bones. These bones could become brittle, fragmented and injury the dog internally.
For quicker defrosting, you can immerse a leak-proof plastic bag into some cold water. A leaky bag could cause exposure to bacteria.