Benefits of a Raw Food Diet for Dogs

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the benefits of a raw food diet

We love our dogs. They are part of our family. That’s why we started WOLFit BOX, to give dogs a gold standard diet that is convenient to modern life. We want our fur babies to live a healthy life that's full of tail wags, for as long as possible. A biologically-appropriate raw feeding diet is how we achieve that.

Eating a biologically-appropriate raw dog food diet provides:

a healthier, longer life
a strengthened immune system
a reduction or elimination of allergy symptoms
healthy skin and shinier coat
more energy and stamina with increased mobility in seniors
improved digestion
improved, natural weight control
cleaner teeth and fresher breath
behavioural changes that can reduce anxiety resulting in a calmer temperament
harder, smaller stools
improved liver, pancreatic and bowel health
less trips to the vet clinic meaning cost savings

the problem with processed dog food

You’ve probably heard the expression; ’fit as a butcher’s dog’. It’s used to describe a dog in optimum health. Its origins stem from a dog that was fed scraps from the butchers shop e.g. quality, human-grade, raw meat. Before WWII, most dogs were fed a similar diet to this, one based on table scraps or anything they could scavenge and kill for themselves. However, World War II brought a scarcity in meat supplies and with it, a surge in prices.

Commercial pet food companies, faced with soaring prices for both meat and tin used to make food cans, turned to other sources to keep profits intact. They created cereal based dry foods, consisting of cheap, bulky carbohydrates such as wheat, barley, corn, rice and soy. Just like plain crackers, flavour coatings were sprinkled and sprayed on to the dry food so dogs would find them appetising. Since then, incredibly successful marketing has led pet parents to believe that highly processed kibble is the best diet for their dogs. However this is far from the truth.

Highly processed, dry kibble is not beneficial for dogs. They contain unnaturally high levels of carbohydrates, are often full of preservatives, artificial additives and are supplemented due to the naturally occurring nutrients being damaged or destroyed during the high temperature cooking process.

Most commercial pet dog foods are at least 50% grain. They require these grains because carbohydrates are needed to hold the food together. Carbohydrates are not essential for dogs, nor can dogs properly digest them. This results in larger, smellier dog poops! In contrast, a raw food diet results in much smaller and much (much) less smelly stools. People who switch over to raw food diets are often surprised (+ delighted) by this development!

These high levels of non-essential carbohydrates are included at the expense of the essential nutrients found in muscle meat, bone, offal and vegetables. The result of this is the increased amount of health problems found in dogs today, inextricably linked to a processed diet. Obesity, cancers, dental problems and increased allergies and intolerances bear testament to this. Product recalls are not uncommon due to toxicity levels and harmful ingredients.

We know that highly processed convenience foods are not healthy for humans - so why would processed food be any different for our dogs?

Fortunately, these problem can be addressed by switching to a biologically-appropriate raw food diet.

the problem with cooked food

The crux of the problem with cooked food is just… why?

How many animals do you know that cook their food? If you can name one, we’ll send you $50 in the post…. we’ll wait!…

Well, spoiler alert! The answer is none! Animals do not cook their food - and that very much includes dogs. Dogs have been eating raw food for nearly 15,000 years since they were first domesticated.

The cooking process removes essential nutrients that dogs need from their food. The result is that many cooked foods for dogs are full of additives and supplements to counter-balance that removal.

dogs are designed to eat raw

Here are three key examples of how dogs are built to eat a biologically-appropriate raw dog food diet:

1) Take a look at those teeth! Dogs’ teeth reflect the mechanics of the ripping and tearing of meat and crushing bone. Their back teeth are sharp and their jaws can only move up and down. They’re the complete opposite of a cow (a herbivore) that has square teeth and chews side to side.

2) Dogs' stomach acid measures pH 1 - that’s as acidic as battery acid! It provides incredible natural protection against pathogens such as salmonella and other stomach bugs. Bacteria is killed and passes through their short gastrointestinal tracts within 4-6 hours. It’s also acidic enough to breakdown bone.

3) Dogs have a limited ability to convert vegetable based sources of Omega-3 into their active forms (a low 5-15% conversion rate). That’s why we include our Delish' Fish meal in our balanced + complete 7-day meal plan so that our dogs receive Omega-3s in their natural, active form without having to rely on a their limited conversion ability.

mythbusters

1) ‘A raw meat diet isn’t a balanced diet’

One of the main myths that commercial pet food companies spread when it comes to discouraging dog owners from feed a raw diet is that it isn’t balanced, and doesn’t provide all your dog’s nutritional requirements.

This couldn’t be further from the truth in regards to our raw dog food subscription plan. A wide variety of proteins, nutrients, vitamins and minerals are found throughout our meals; chicken, beef, lamb and fish which contain offal, bone, fruits, vegetables and superfoods such as turmeric and alfalfa, giving your pooch a kaleidoscope of different nutrients through the week.

On the flip side - feeding a dog the same processed kibble every day is not achieving variety for them - and it sounds incredibly boring for them too!

2) ‘My dog will get salmonella from raw meat’

As mentioned before, dogs’ stomach acid measures pH 1 which is as acidic as battery acid. It kills pathogens such as salmonella and other bacteria in the stomach upon entry. It’s also why they don’t get ill when they (some of them, sometimes) eat poop on occasions! Gross... but perfectly fine for them.

3) ‘My family will contract salmonella from raw dog food’

You’re no more likely to contract salmonella from preparing your dogs raw meal than you are from preparing your own. Use a common sense approach - clean work surfaces and wash your hands and utensils used to serve. Remember to practice good hygiene habits as you would normally.

4) ‘Raw bones are dangerous because they splinter’

A common misconception is that raw bones are dangerous, however they are in fact fundamentally important to a dog’s diet. They are highly nutritious and provide essential minerals including calcium, magnesium, phosphorous and potassium. By crushing raw, soft, easily digestible chicken bone we are able to provide essential bone in our meal plan safely. Whilst raw bone is safe to eat please note that dogs should never been given cooked bones as these are brittle and can splinter.

5) ‘A raw diet will make my dog aggressive’

A raw meat diet won’t cause or worsen any behavioural problems. In fact the opposite is true, research (and our customer feedback) shows that a raw diet is more likely to reduce anxiety and promote good behaviour.

6) ‘A raw meat diet isn’t suitable for small and toy dog breeds’

A raw food diet is absolutely as appropriate for small dogs as it is for big dogs! It’s believed this myth arose from the largeness of some bones, but as mentioned our boned is ground and added to our meals and is no way hazardous to any sized dogs.

7) ‘Feeding raw is expensive’

Feeding raw often costs the same or is slightly more than commercial pet foods, however the far superior quality pays dividends though the positive health benefits. It’s an investment that means less costly visits to the vet!