Raw Dog Food And Your Pet

You've probably heard about raw dog food and wondered what all the hub-bub is about and if you should feed it to your dog. The truth is that a raw food diet is very good for your dog. This is because their natural diet in the wild was mainly raw meat.

Even when they were domesticated by man to be companions and working dogs, they thrived on healthy scraps that usually included raw off cuts and bones. As our modern diet has deteriorated to be a high sugar, high fat and high processed food diet, so, too, have the diets of our animals. It should therefore be no surprise that the diseases that increasingly afflict us have also spiraled to near epidemic levels in dogs.

Canine diabetes is one such example of a modern illness that has seriously impacted dogs. The incidence of cancer in dogs is even higher. Domestic pets are dependent upon their owners to feed them and care for them and the majority of dog owners have blithely trusted modern marketing and modern thinking and fed their animals a diabetes inducing diet. Combined with lack of exercise, this modern, processed diet has led to our dog's sharing in our illnesses. Feeding your dog raw dog food along with vegetable scraps, crushed egg shells, sardines for the essential fatty acids and the occasional cooked whole grains (complex carbohydrates) sets your dog up for the best possible health.

Here are three good reasons to feed your pet raw dog food:

1. Dogs thrive on a raw dog food diet. Scientific studies have been conducted to show the difference in health between dogs given a raw dog food diet with some healthful additions and those fed cooked meat as well as the same nutritional additions. These studies were not even comparing commercial dog foods with a raw dog food diet. The studies found that dogs on a raw dog food diet had stronger immune systems, did not experience illness, were less likely to be infected by worms and parasites and had lower incidence of fleas. Some of these results were surprising to say the least. However, they indicate the benefit of sticking to a natural diet for dogs as much as possible.

2. Three are no harmful additives. We live in a sea of chemicals. We breathe them, we drink them and we eat them. The more processed our diet, the more chemicals we ingest and this is the same for our pets. We can't do much as individuals about the air we breathe or even the water we drink, unless we buy a high quality purifier or trust suppliers of pure water, but we can certainly reduce our exposure to chemicals in our diets. Commercial dog foods rely on preservatives, artificial colors and flavors, and flavor enhancers such as sodium. By giving our dogs a raw dog food diet, we are protecting them against harmful chemicals as best we can.

3. Raw dog food is environmentally friendly. A raw dog food diet is a part of the natural process and ends up back in the ground to rot. Every time we use a can of commercial dog food, we are adding to the global non-biodegradable waste problem. Commercial manufacturing is ruining the earth in the quest for markets and profits. Commercial dog food is one unnecessary market and the product is not the best food for dogs. If enough people made the simple decision to feed their dogs a raw dog food diet, the benefits would be significant, not only for their pet but also for the wider community.

Our dogs are very dependent upon us to make the best decisions for them. We need to use wisdom and not just follow the common wisdom. After all, this common wisdom isn't really very wise.

Lee Dobbins writes for Dog Breeds 123 where you can learn more about different dog breeds and their care including more about different types of dog food.