Many novice dog owners think that feeding them pets is not something complicated that with different balanced dog foods available at in many different places, it has become really simple. But as soon as they begin to look for ways of the most suitable feeding or delve into this question, then they understand that choose the right one the way of feeding is far from an easy task.
In addition to a wide selection of different prepared feeds, which made specifically for dogs, there are also various alternative feeding methods, including independent cooking at home. Another alternative is a raw food diet, or raw meat.
There are polar opinions as to whether raw food in general, and raw meat in particular, in a better way feeding, i.e. this system has a large number of supporters, but also the same number of opponents.
What is a raw food diet for dogs and what does it entail?
Contents
The basic principle of feeding dogs raw meat and other raw food is the removal of all packaged, processed and prepared products such as granules and canned meat, and replacing them edible bones, organs and meat, with the addition of some quantities of vegetables, fruits, and sometimes eggs and dairy products.
Why do raw food supporters recommend it?
People who support the idea of raw food and denial from conventional finished feed, often refer to quality and composition cooked foods. They argue that the content of meat and other important foods that make up dog food can be highly volatile or low quality.
In addition to this, proponents of feeding dogs raw meat believe that dry feed and canned food are very different from their natural food in the wild and that diet of this type is not so good for dogs than one that is more similar to their food under normal conditions in nature.
Raw food is usually produced by the owner of the dog, so he knows exactly what kind of food it is, where it comes from and what she is of quality. In addition, the diet can be adapted to meet the needs of a dog with a certain allergy or other nutritional restrictions. Raw foods do not require any preservatives or additives that are usually present in finished feed, and bone and fiber-rich plant foods may be beneficial in maintaining healthy teeth and gums.
What do raw food critics say?
There are a number of problems or potential dangers associated with with raw foods that make this feeding method pretty controversial, and also give rise to regular discussions on this subject.
One of the main problems that accompany a raw food diet, is a raw meat safety aspect that can contain a number of potentially dangerous bacteria, including Salmonella and Staphylococcus aureus. These bacteria can also affect dogs, and on people. The risk exists not only for the person involved in the cutting of raw meat and meat products, but also for the dog. All of these bacteria can be in the dog’s stool, representing additional risk for those who clean the dog or spend time on earth, where she does her “thing.”
There is also an additional risk associated with bones for dogs while bones can be healthy teeth, they also bear the risk of their damage, and swallowed bone fragments can cause choking or internal damage.
Getting a balanced feed may be enough. challenging scientists and nutritionists in formulating feed for pets they spend a lot of time and effort on this. Make a balanced and complete diet for the dog to the average average the owner can be much more complicated and many owners dogs do not even imagine that something in the diet may not grab, and understand this only when the dog has a problem will become quite pronounced.
And finally, a raw food diet in general and raw meat in particular can require a lot of time and money. Dog owner must find the appropriate source of dietary components and spend cooking time for each feeding, as well as take care of storing raw meat, bones and other products in refrigerator or freezer. Switch to high raw foods qualities can be much more expensive than ready-made feeding feed, and is usually outside of financial capabilities of many dog owners.
Is raw meat and food suitable for my dog?
Despite the fact that a large number of discussions were held on the topic of the pros and cons of raw food and meat for dogs, no long-term studies of the effectiveness and risk of this at the moment are not exists. Therefore, each pet owner must independently weigh all the pros and cons and take the final the decision to feed the dog raw meat.
Remember that if you plan to make any significant changes in your dog’s diet, such as switching to raw meat, then you should discuss them with your veterinarian; but keep in mind that veterinarian surgeons often treat raw food very critically!
