Table of Contents[Hide][Show]
- Gum disease epidemic in pets fed store pet food
- the form of the food we feed our pets is crucial
- degenerative disease rampant in conventionally fed pets
- #1: stronger, healthier gums
- #2: clean white teeth
- #3: improved nutrient assimilation
- #4: weight control
- #5: less stinky stools
- #6: fresher breath
- #7: reduction in yeasty ear gunk/infections
- #8: softer, shinier coats
- #9: friendlier, more affectionate demeanor
- #10: healthy mental, psychological and physical stimulation
- Raw Fed Puppies
Is the concept of raw pet food a little too out of the box for you? How about homemade dog food or cat chow in general?
Have you been incorporating raw unprocessed foods into your own diet and that of your children to improve health, vitality, and immunity but are still buying store pet food for your furry friends?
If so, consider that Dr. Weston A. Price’s groundbreaking research on diet and its connection to human health has profound implications not just for our own health but for our pets’ oral and systemic health as well!
Gum disease epidemic in pets fed store pet food
Just as with human beings, one of the biggest health issues today in pets is that of poor oral health. The sad truth is that the majority of domestic cats and dogs fed a diet of commercial pet food these days develop either gingivitis or full-blown periodontal disease by the age of 3.
This is due in large part to the fact that all commercially available pet food is highly processed, and as such is extremely unnatural for our beloved animal companions to eat. This is because the pet food industry is all about profits, not our pets’ health!
Cans and bags of pet food usually contain large amounts of cheap GMO soy, grains and/or other starchy plant-based foods that are neither nutrient-dense nor are they natural fare for carnivores. So whatever nourishment these products may contain is not well assimilated by the animals consuming them.
the form of the food we feed our pets is crucial
Another factor is that the form of the food our carnivorous pets eat is critical to their oral health. And unfortunately, neither extruded, cereal-like kibble, nor mushy, ground, cooked canned pet food are the natural form of food for a carnivorous canine or feline to consume.
Here are some graphic photos demonstrating the difference between the oral health of conventionally fed pets as compared to that of properly raw fed pets:
http://rawfed.com/dental/dental.html
http://rawfeddogs.net/Term/Meat-Grinder/Photos/
degenerative disease rampant in conventionally fed pets
Once we begin to understand how inferior and downright damaging these highly processed diets of commercial pet food can be, their potential connection to the dramatic rise of chronic ailments in pets we’re seeing today becomes abundantly evident.
Such health issues include things like obesity, cancer, diabetes, arthritis, respiratory infections, ear infections, skin rashes, digestive issues like IBD, IBS, food allergies, constipation, diarrhea, constipation, vomiting, urinary issues including cystitis, struvite crystals (common in cats) and CRF (chronic renal failure), among others.
In contrast, many people who feed their pets a diet of whole raw foods, which includes raw meaty bones, hunks of raw meat, and raw organs, often notice a variety of benefits and improvements to their pets’ health.
** It’s important to note here that although I wholeheartedly support and promote raw feeding for dogs and cats, in no way am I suggesting here that raw diets for pets are a panacea, or that feeding your pet raw will assuage or resolve any or all maladies. **
Here are just a few of the many great benefits reported by people who feed their pets a diet of whole raw foods:
#1: stronger, healthier gums
When carnivores eat hunks of raw muscle meat and raw meaty bones, including attached sinew, tendons, cartilage, and other connective tissues, the ripping, tearing and gnawing they’re compelled to do with their teeth and jaws provides these animals’ mouths with a naturally beneficial scrubbing and flossing action.
The consumption of the proper, natural form of food for carnivores, along with all its scrubbing benefits, as well as the bioavailable nutrients such minimally processed foods contain all help to promote both superior gum health as well as excellent overall oral health.
#2: clean white teeth
The plaque and tartar that develop on the teeth of most conventionally fed domestic pets is due largely to the starchy, carb-rich ingredients found in almost all kibble, and/or the unnatural (for carnivores) mushy texture of canned pet food. Conversely, the consumption of whole, minimally processed raw foods does wonders to keep a carnivore’s teeth clean, healthy and white.
No more expensive pet teeth cleaning bills at the vet!
#3: improved nutrient assimilation
Since the digestive systems of carnivores like cats and dogs are specifically designed to digest and derive their nourishment from the raw meat, bones, and organs of other animals, it’s this food that supplies them with the most ideal, bioavailable, and easily assimilated nutrients.
#4: weight control
Overweight and even obesity in pets, especially those that eat mostly kibble, is an increasing problem. But most all pets that are started on raw very early in life as puppies or kittens have no problems with their weight, and many overweight animals that are transitioned to raw tend to lose excess ounces and pounds with time.
#5: less stinky stools
The stools of cats and dogs fed commercial pet food are usually unnaturally large and extremely foul-smelling. They also seem to take forever to break down. By comparison, a raw fed pet’s poop is much smaller, has very little odor, and rapidly crumbles to ash, quickly and easily biodegrading back into the earth – just like the natural scat of a wild carnivore.
#6: fresher breath
Most dogs and cats that eat nothing but junk pet food day after day have notoriously and often seriously nasty “doggy/kitty breath.” However just about anyone who has a totally raw fed dog or cat will tell you that their pet’s breath is MUCH less offensive than that of pets that eat nothing but conventional pet food.
#7: reduction in yeasty ear gunk/infections
When carnivorous canines and felines eat starch-filled kibble day after day, this can often trigger the accumulation of dark, rank-smelling gunk in the ears, or perhaps even contribute to chronic ear infections. Starting pets on raw early in life as puppies or kittens can often prevent such conditions outright, and switching adult pets to raw has been known to help mitigate or even heal them.
#8: softer, shinier coats
Many people whose pets are conventionally fed are unaware that their animals’ coats actually have a slightly greasy feel to them, and may even be somewhat dull in appearance. By contrast, most everyone who switches their pets to raw is amazed at how much softer and cleaner feeling and glossier their pets’ fur becomes.
#9: friendlier, more affectionate demeanor
Many folks who switch their pets are pleasantly surprised to discover that their animals suddenly seem to get friendlier and more interactive, and some even become more sociable and affectionate!
#10: healthy mental, psychological and physical stimulation
When a dog or cat eats some whole raw food, they’re compelled to use their minds, psyches, and bodies in ways they never would just mindlessly lapping up a bowl of kibble or canned food. Feeding our pets raw puts them in touch with their natural, innate, dynamic instincts in a way that feeding them junk pet food simply never can.
If you’ve only ever watched cats and dogs eat kibble or canned pet food, and have never seen one dive into and enthusiastically tackle a meal of whole raw foods, please check out the videos and photos below.
They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Well once you’ve seen these pictures, I think you’ll agree that witnessing these animals eat first hand the way nature intended them to, truly does say it all – infinitely better than any words ever could!
Raw Fed Puppies
Raw Fed Kittens
Reference
http://rawfeddogs.net/Recipes/
I have really enjoyed these posts. A practical guide to making dog food would be very helpful!
Every person must have to feed their pets a diet of whole raw foods:
In a future post I’ll outline how to assemble a raw prey model diet for dogs and cats.
In the meantime, check out these websites for some excellent information on feeding dogs a diet of whole raw foods:
http://www.rawfeddogs.net/
http://rawfeddogs.org/
Great post! I wish I would have had this knowledge long ago. Thanks!
I read a great book called Give A Dog A Bone by an Australian Vet and never looked back. I blame all the problems my dogs and cats had before on the food that I was buying. Now I do 70% raw meaty bones that a lot of them I can get for cheap from the butcher. I also make chicken stock by WAPF guidelines and mix that with rice and mixed veggies. It costs me approximately $2 a day to feed 2 big dogs. And everything is so healthy on them. Their teeth are so white you would think they were puppies!
Jennifer, if you skip the rice, (which is a plant based, very carb-rich food that carnivores are not designed to consume in any quantity) there’ll be much more room in your dogs’ diet for the nourishing, meaty, animal based foods on which canines are meant to thrive.
Another suggestion, if you’re not already, is to regularly include some raw organ meats in your dogs’ diet – particularly liver, which contains essential nutrients that not found in either raw meaty bones, rice or veggies.
If you can get raw milk they love that too. Not only the milk but when I clabber some my dog is right there begging for some of the whey. I think she may like the whey even more than the milk. Now I not only have to ration it out for fermenting, I have to split it with the dogs and garden plants too!
My pup, Zeke whines for a sample when I am straining my home made raw milk kefir. 😉
Are chicken bones safe for dogs?
It is my understanding that they’re not. I think it is okay to give cats raw chicken bones, but not dogs. However, someone with more experience than I may chime in. (I think it’s the way the animals chew the bones, the dogs can do it in such a way that the bones are more likely to splinter and lodge in their throats than cats).
Fiona, raw bones are softer and do not splinter as dry, cooked bones do Also, after about a week of raw feeding dogs begin to produce more stomach acid than kibble fed dogs and can digest edible (non weight bearing) bones. They do not really chew as their jaws move only up and down (not side to side) so they chomp to break the bone up and also rip meat from the bone with their teeth so both bone and meat are small enough to swallow then the stomach does the rest. It is rip, chomp, chomp, swallow.
RAW chicken bones are perfectly safe for dogs & cats. Even puppies & kitten cans chew them up.
Yes RAW chicken bones are great for dogs. Just not cooked ones.
Yes, you can definitely feed chicken bones to dogs, as long as they’re raw.
Check out all these photos of dogs and cats eating raw meaty chicken bones!
rawfeddogs.net/Recipe/Chicken/Photos/
Our dog gets raw chicken every night, bones included and we’ve never had a problem. It’s the cooked chicken bones that can splinter.
Thanks so much for these posts on pets…please, keep them coming! I rescued a litter of 4- day old puppies and their mom last year. We found homes for all of them except for one little male who no one wanted because of a bad tremor/shaking – almost like those with Parkinson’s. The vet told us it was most likely a birth injury and wouldn’t get any better. I started giving him raw food along with a very high quality kibble, and he made a full recovery. The vet was astounded 🙂
My 15 month old German Shepherd Dog has been eating a raw diet since he was about 5 months old and the improvements on his health are phenomenal. On kibble and canned foods his coat was straw-like and his health was only OK. He was also a poor eater while on foods that came in a bag or cans, but now he loves mealtime! He is now the epitome of health and beauty.
My dogs have been on raw food for the last 2 years and they are super healthy! One of my dogs had a hard time losing weight (even with daily walks) before raw…she had lost some weight with a high quality grain free kibble, but stalled out. With raw food she had no trouble losing weight and maintaining her appropriate weight. I also give my dogs coconut oil every day and I just started giving them kefir this week.
You should have heard the “discussion” with my vet when I decided to change their food…he was very much against it. If anyone is considering changing their pet’s diet, be prepared for your traditional vet to give you a hard time about it. Remember, just like physicians for people, they get very little nutritional training. And what they do get is provided by the pet food manufacturer of the prescription pet food they sell in their clinics. Do your own research…raw comes out ahead every time!
Vets make a ton of money on the garbage pet food they sell for premium prices in their offices.
Yes, they do! I also have 2 cats (17 and 18 years old) with CRF and he was pushing the kidney diet relentlessly. I basically ignored everything he advised (except for the sub-q fluids) and over a year later they are both doing fantastic! No weight loss and both are as energetic as they ever were. Gotta love real food! 🙂
Absolutely true about the vets!! I mistakenly mentioned feeding my pets raw (for the week that I did) to my vet and she flipped out.
My dogs also love kefir and coconut oil. Kefir is probably one of their favorite treats! 🙂
Amazing what a difference raw can make!
When it comes to vets and discussing the merits of feeding raw, I say ‘don’t ask don’t tell’.
Excellent article! Thank you for putting this info out there! I have fed my cocker Spaniel an all raw diet for the past 6 yrs. His health is amazing – no allergies, no gum disease. The Vet comments on his yrly check up that I must brush his teeth as they have no tartar, no gum disease. Ha! He is no longer overweight & compared with dogs his age (9) he looks & acts younger and has no health issues or arthritis. His shedding has decreased to almost none, no bad breath or stinky poo. I recently adopted a stray cat that was completely carb addicted – it took some doing but she has converted nicely to eating chicken necks & rabbit. Her teeth & health are remarkable too.
Fantastic! Congratulations. 🙂 Thank you so much for sharing this.
Your story is a living testament to so much of what I’ve written in the above post!
Keep up the good work!
My cat acts ravenous all of the time now! I feel like I feed her enough; will she ever tone out down?
Depends on what you are feeding her Sara R. One of our cats weighs 15# (his normal weight) and he generally eats 2-3 pieces of chicken per day. A smaller more typical cat would need to be fed at least twice a day. A possible day for one of our other cats might be a chicken leg or thigh in the morning and then canned tuna, mackerel or salmon in the evening, Or just another piece of chicken, a good sized handful of ground meat or a plate of 2-3 lightly cooked eggs. Some cats do better being fed smaller amounts 3-4 times a day.
She is a bengal; maybe I’m just not feeding her enough, then. Thanks for the reply!
How old is your bengal?
Is she raw fed?
What are you feeding her and how much?