What is Raw Food?
Raw is one of the best and healthiest ways to feed dogs. Put simply, it is a mix of lean muscle meat, organs, ground bones, vegetables, and other substances such as natural oils and egg shells. Raw food’s unique selling point is that it is unprocessed, meaning that it is highly bioavailable to the dogs it is fed to. None of the component ingredients’ nutritional value has been removed by processing and manufacturing meaning that the final feed is as healthy as possible. Raw food is comparable to “clean eating” for humans”, and the limited number of ingredients mean that unhealthy additives can be totally removed. Raw food’s high bioavailability make it very nutritious, arguably more so than kibble and other commonly available processed feeds.
Although dogs have no evolved into a genetically distinct species, they still share a number of characteristics with wolves. One of these is a remarkably similar digestive system and while dogs are more able to absorb starches, this does not mean that a carbohydrate heavy diet is preferrable. Uncontrolled carbohydrate consumption can lead to an excess of calories and overweightness or obesity, which is often the case with kibble given how starches are used as a cheap filler by many manufacturers. Raw diets can and do include carbohydrate content, but this will only be in appropriate quantities and from healthier sources such as root vegetables.
In addition to being healthy and nutritious, raw diets are easy to customise and match to an individual dog’s particular needs. If allergies or intolerances are an issue, then a limited ingredient list can help with identifying and eliminating the problematic substance while more of a desired component can also be added if necessary. For example, if a dog is competing in a sport such as agility, their feed can be altered to contain a higher proportion of lean proteins to promote muscular growth and retention.
Raw is a diet all dogs could benefit from. Healthy and natural, its nutritional offer is unparalleled. For more information on transitioning your dog to a raw diet, please email or DM us on any of our social media accounts.