Raw diet for dogs 101: the ultimate guide

The concept of raw diet for dogs and general raw dog feeding is based on the carnivorous nature of dogs. Our domesticated canines belong to the same family as wolves, foxes and coyotes, and it is part of their natural repertoire to hunt for food. Like their close cousins, dogs have an instinctive desire to capture their prey and consume it raw.

Raw diet for dogs recommends feeding canines with uncooked meat, bones and internal organs over dried grains-based kibbles and dog meals. The reasons are simple: dogs are genetically meat-eaters, and raw dog food diet is nutritionally compatible to dogs.

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Raw diet for dogs has shown great results in improving their coats and skin, and having fresher breath, fewer health problems, and stronger immune system. Dogs that have been shifted on this diet have also become more energetic yet less rowdy over time. The regimen has been found to be beneficial to dogs, no matter what breed or size.

Raw Diet for Dogs 101: The Ultimate Guide

As natural carnivores or flesh-eating mammals, dogs are biologically designed to consume and digest raw meat and bones. Feeding them with commercially processed food like kibble is contrary to their natural need and nutritional requirements.

Here are some of the advantages of raw dog food diet:

• As your dogs’ health improves, his coat becomes smoother, shinier, and healthier. He will develop sweet-smelling skin – no need for regular baths.

• He will begin to enjoy his food and will crave for more with anticipation. It makes it a lot easier to keep him at his right weight and a lot more resistant to disease.

• His muscle tone will begin to improve and his stools normal – not too loose nor too firm.

• Raw dog feeding aids in healthy gums, sweet breath and stronger, whiter teeth. A raw diet lessens tooth decay or periodontal disease that can infect the gums, thereby reducing the likelihood of kidney, liver, and heart diseases.

• Dogs on a raw diet remain parasite-free. There will be no need to use unsafe neurotoxins for flea or tick control. You won’t need harmful chemical dewormers, either. Worms are ably blocked by a healthy immune system.

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• The dog’s character improves: he will become less hyperactive but more energetic, and have improved focus and concentration with commands. He won’t suffer metabolic discomforts that can make him fidgety or restless.

• Raw diet for dogs will also be cheaper if you have the right connections. This is especially true if you get your supplies wholesale. In the long run, your vet trips will have diminished and bills significantly cut.

Why is raw diet may be better than regular dog foods?

A dog’s physique can be likened to a car engine- it needs the right fuel type and oil to run perfectly. Otherwise, it will not function to its fullest and will conk out sooner than expected. Your dog’s body works in the same way, too. And he, being biologically omnivorous, should be accorded the proper diet he so rightly deserves – raw diet for dogs. It’s the only diet that works to keep dogs healthy and living a much longer life.

On the other hand, myriads of harmful food preservatives, additives, artificial ingredients and grain products comprise most inorganic or commercially processed dog foods. Grains are not even a natural part of a dog’s dietary requirements because dogs lack enzymes necessary to digest grains. What’s more, grains are one of the leading sources of allergies in dogs. Since grains are mucous-forming, they provide an ideal atmosphere for parasites to develop, thereby suppressing the dog’s immune system.

These so called ‘tasty regular dog diets’ are actually processed meat and bones, reduced from its whole carcass, and formed into colorful and enticing nuggets. It is highly unnatural to see dogs munching up on colorfully-shaped meat and bone nuggets instead of gnawing and tearing apart (with their sharp teeth) whole carcasses along with bones and organs, as they are biologically drawn to do.

At the end of the day, this regular menu of ground or processed food can have a devastating domino effect on the dog’s health and immune system. It can create a build-up of plaque and tartar on the teeth. This in turn can cause gum disease and possibly the inevitable loss of teeth. Problems in the oral cavity can ultimately lead to heart problems and numerous health conditions.

Here are major points where a regular kibble diet differs from an all-raw diet:

• The first glaring difference is in the form. To eat raw foods, dogs will need to cut, tear, bite, chew and chomp down on real meat and bones. Chewy kibbles will not demand so much dynamics from the dog’s teeth. The grain-based meal will only require a few bites that cannot be compared to teeth sinking deep into real meat and bones.

• Kibble and canned dog food usually comprise harmful substances such as preservatives, additives, dyes, sugar and taste enhancers, just to induce pets to eat them. Daily intake of these substances can cause health problems over time. Raw diet for dogs, on the other hand, retains all the original nutrients, the way nature intended it to be.

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• Kibble usually includes more grain substances (such as rice, corn, barley, wheat, and oats) than meat. Grains are not part of a dog’s nutritional requirements, and dogs have no ability to digest grains properly. This only doubles the strain on the liver, as it needs to secrete more bile to break down plant-based ingredients. These components are extremely hard to digest for dogs. Since animals benefit only from digested food, this low digestibility deprives dogs of the nutrients they need.

• Kibble feeding can cause severe dehydration in dogs since their body is meant to absorb water moisture from their prey. That’s why you need to provide them large amounts of water to stay hydrated. This, again, puts an added strain on their liver and kidneys.

• Compared to raw meat, cooked meat and meat by-products (which make up most kibble foods) are very hard to digest. as digestive enzymes, micronutrients, essential amino and fatty acids and vitamins are destroyed. Manufactured pet food is cooked at high temperatures. This process produces carcinogenic toxins that can pose health risks for the dog. Cooking also virtually destroys nutrients.

Science on side effects of raw diet for dogs

Since the time BARF diets have become popular among dog owners, and are still picking up speed – particularly as a recommendation from certain holistic vets and believers in cooking your own homemade dog food – scientists have also started looking into raw diets for dogs on their efficacy and health.

Some studies pointed out the risks of raw diets for dogs. This one in particular noticed certain dangers with these diets not being nutritionally well-balanced as well as certain infections and diseases which raw dog feeding is exposing canines to.

“Clearly, there is some compelling evidence suggesting that raw food diets may be a theoretical risk nutritionally. In addition, raw food poses a substantial risk of infectious disease to the pet, the pet’s environment, and the humans in the household.” – Daniel P. Schlesinger and Daniel J. Joffe

Another studied further looked into the bacterial risks of raw diets for dogs and how they may affect pets who are fed homemade cooked foods and raw meat on this protocol. In the study, they have pointed out a different variety of infectious pathogenic diseases that expose dogs through raw feeding.

“There is currently inadequate information regarding the safety of raw diets in terms of both animal and human disease. However, considering the variety of infectious and potentially zoonotic pathogens identified here and in other studies, the potential risks must be taken seriously.” – J. Scott Weese, Joyce Rousseau, and L. Arroyo

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Further on the infections and bacterial evaluation of raw diets for dogs, more studies have found this to be true. This preliminary assessment of Salmonella has found that about 30% of the time, dogs who are fed raw diet have stools that contain Salmonella bacteria. But as the study authors point out themselves, due to small sample study, more conclusive evidence is required.

“This preliminary study found that 30% of stool samples from dogs fed homemade BARF diets contained various Salmonella serovars, whereas none of the samples from dogs fed commercial dry diets contained Salmonella spp. Although these results are suggestive, they are not statistically significant owing to the small number of dogs studied.” – Daniel J. Joffe and Daniel P. Schlesinger

Finally, another popular and oft-quoted study has found further infections and potential pathogenic diseases which were all associated with raw dog food diets. This study used fecal matter of dogs who were fed raw dog food on a consistent basis, and found a clear pattern of bacteria present in these dogs’ stools. As the authors note, this is important for all dog owners to note.

“Since raw meats are frequently contaminated with pathogens, eliminating these uncooked meats from dogs’ diets may be the single most effective method to reduce prevalence of canine infection with these pathogens. Many of the food safety concerns related to feeding raw meat to pet dogs could be avoided by cooking the raw meat components.” – Jennifer Lenz, Daniel Joffe, Michael Kauffman, Yifan Zhang, and Jeffery LeJeune

For more, check out some of these further studies as well:

• Evaluation of raw food diets for dogs.
• The risk of salmonellae shedding by dogs fed Salmonella-contaminated commercial raw food diets
• Evaluation of the risks of shedding Salmonellae and other potential pathogens by therapy dogs fed raw diets in Ontario and Alberta.

We’ve also previously published an interesting and concise article on the Pros and Cons of BARF diets for dogs which looks at the advantages and disadvantages of raw diets for dogs.

What are the basics of feeding dogs raw meat?

Generally, you only have to absorb three key points essential to raw dog feeding: what to feed, what not to feed, and how much to feed.

What to feed?

Dogs will appreciate, and will more likely stick to the raw diet for dogs, if there’s variety. Meat and organs from chicken, ducks, turkey, quail, pig, goat, cattle, elk, deer, rabbit, and fish are good choices.

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Raw bones should be part of the meal too. Bones have high calcium contents and meats are high in phosphorus. When you feed raw meat with 10% bone, you get the precise ratios of calcium to phosphorus required by a dog. Whole prey, eggs, fish, and tripe also have a balanced ratio.

At least once a week, feed your dogs with organs like lung, kidney, testicles, or liver. Always keep in mind that organ meat should not exceed 10% of the overall diet, of which 5% must be liver as it is directly responsible for filtering toxins out of the body. It’s best to feed liver to your dog one or two meals every week.

Tails, beef trachea, chicken and turkey feet are also beneficial. They are rich in natural chondroitin and glucosamine – essential amino acids that help develop healthy joints.