The Benefits of Raw Diets for Dogs

A raw dog food diet is designed to mimic a dog’s natural ancestral menu. The whole concept of raw feeding is based upon a dog’s instinctive carnivorous bias. A built-in desire to capture (or find) and eat another animal.  As unsavory as it may seem, it is completely natural for a wolf to consume the entire animal. Meat, bones, organs and all.

As direct descendants of wolves, dogs are simply not genetically optimized to consume the 50% carbohydrate content of today’s commercial kibbles. So, how do these diets compare?

The Ancestral Diet Compared to Dry Kibble

No one can argue the dry baked pellets we call dog food aren’t convenient. Yet the nutrient profile of a dry kibble is nowhere near the nutrient content of a dog’s ancestral diet.  Notice the higher carbohydrate content of the kibble compared to the dog’s natural ancestral diet. Or how about the dramatically lower  protein and fat levels?

Feeding a raw dog food diet has many notable benefits…

• Firmer stools
• Improved digestion
• Healthier skin and coat
• Reduced allergy symptoms
• Better weight management
• Convenient packaging of raw diets now

The downside of a raw dog food diet is bacterial contamination. Salmonella and E. coli germs can always be a potential problem with raw meats. Yet the risk of food-borne disease is actually quite low. That is, low risk for dogs. But not for humans. That’s because a dog’s digestive system is shorter and more acidic. Proper care and handling, this risk can be dramatically reduced. Just treat your dog’s raw food the same way you would treat your own raw chicken or other meat at home.

There have been many reports of improved health when chronically ill pets were switched from a commercial product to a raw dog food.

We carry Nature’s Variety because it is the 1st and only raw diet to be scientifically substantiated as complete and balanced for all life stages through AAFCO Protocol Feeding Trials. Furthermore, their formulas do not use synthetic vitamins and minerals; instead, each diet provides complete and balanced nutrition through thoughtful formulation of only natural, real, whole food ingredients.