Raw Food Demystified
The Importance of Species appropriate food. To learn more, read on or download a free copy of our Raw Food Demystified fact sheet here
The key to keeping your dog in optimum health is to give your dog foods that they were originally designed to digest. To understand what foods a dog is designed to digest we need to take a look at the dog’s most wild ancestor; the wolf.
The Wolf Within…
If you want to provide your dog with optimum nutrition then you need to think wolf.
Why, you ask?
Because the wolf is the wild ancestorof your dog, and as such, they share the same internal anatomy and physiology.
Dogs, like wolves, have short digestive tracts, made specifically for processing raw meat. If you look at the anatomy and physiology of a dog, you will see that a dog is designed to eat meat. From the short intestines to the powerful jaw bones to the teeth designed for cutting and ripping flesh.
They are from exactly the same family, the wolf’s Latin name being “Canis Lupus,” and the domestic dog named “Canis Lupus familiaris.”
This name classification happened in 1993 due to overwhelming scientific evidence that the grey wolf species is the common ancestor for all breeds of domesticated dogs.
Furthermore, dogs and wolves do not produce the digestive enzyme amylase in their saliva which aids the breakdown of carbohydrates. This is another difference between carnivores, herbivores and omnivores.
In the wild, dogs eat meat, bones, skin, organs, stomach contents, and an array of other parts. They may feed on fruits, berries, herbs and grasses. Hence the most common biological appropriate diet consists primarily of raw, meaty bones as well as a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, muscle meat and organ meats.
Interested in the Truth about Processed Dog Food, then read on or download a free copy of our Raw Food Demystified here
The first question you may be asking yourself is what is wrong with processed dog food, and why might it not be the optimum diet for my dog?
To help answer this question it may be useful to explore the recent history of processed dog food. Before the introduction of commercial pet food (invented by an American gentleman by the name of James Spratt in 1860), dogs ate table scraps salvaged from their human companions, raw meat and bones from the local butcher or anything they could scavenge or kill. There was no such thing as tinned processed dog food or designer kibble/dry food.
Processed pet foods and even home cooked meals are unnatural, and certainly not the type of thing your dog would have eaten in the wild.
For a start, processed dog food is cooked, and cooking food damages some of the valuable ‘live’ enzymes found in raw meat and vegetables. These are the very enzymes that your dog needs to be able to digest food properly.
Combine this with the fact that processed foods are full of preservatives and additives, and now you get a clearer picture of why processed dog food is probably not the best choice of feed to keep your dog in optimum health. It is not surprising that many of us have considered kibble/dry food to be the best food for our dogs. Let’s face it; kibble/dry food is convenient, easy to store and relatively inexpensive.
Furthermore, our dogs do eat and appear to enjoy it. Many of us have also been led to believe that scientifically developed pet food ‘brands’ are good for our dog because this is what we have been told by vets and the manufacturers advertising claims.
This poor nutrition combined with constant bombardment from chemicals such as toxic de-wormers, flea, tick and heartworm preventives are leading to serious health problems for our canine friends.
Health issues that were unheard of years ago are nowadays worryingly common in our canine companions; from obesity to food intolerances, allergies, dental conditions and cancers.
In fact, statistics confirm 1.65 dogs and cats in 2 will develop chronic disease! Alarming isn't it?
We would not feed our human family food that we suspect could lead to health problems, so the same ethos must apply to our dogs. As our dog’s carers, our dogs rely on us to provide them with love, exercise and correct species appropriate nutrition and diet.
Fortunately, many of these conditions can be quickly resolved by switching to a high-quality raw dog food diet.
A biological appropriate raw food diet has been shown to significantly improve your dog’s health and well-being. Not only this, it can also be of benefit to dogs that are suffering from ailments and certain chronic conditions.
It has been known to reverse the effects of the following:
- obesity;
- cancer;
- digestive issues;
- periodontal diseases such as gingivitis;
- degenerative diseases;
- irritable Bowel Syndrome;
- pancreatitis;
- reproductive health;
- arthritic conditions;
- skin allergies;
- ear infections;
- diabetes and plenty more.
How does Raw Feeding help your pet?
- monitory savings due to less trips to the vet & less vet bills;
- cleaner teeth and fresh breath;
- better weight control;
- improved digestion and gut health;
- shinier, healthier skin and coat;
- reduction of allergy symptoms;
- reduce the risk of cancer;
- reduce the risk of disease;
- harder, smaller, less smelly stools;
- increased mobility in older animals;
- more energy and stamina;
- increased chance of living a longer and healthier life;
- strengthened immune system; and
- improved liver, pancreatic and bowel health.
How much should I feed?
Generally, an adult dog should be fed between 2 – 3% of its body weight each day to maintain its weight. If your dog is currently overweight, feed it 2 – 3% of the ideal body weight to help your dog reach a healthy weight.
What is the ideal balanced raw diet?
To obtain all the nutrients required for your dog to thrive, the following components are needed:
- 55% raw meat, includes 10% fish (sardines are a good source of fish). Please keep in mind, fish has heavy metals, so its important that you keep fish to a minimum and not the main source of protein
- 20% offal – heart, kidney etc (organs are more nutrient dense than meats and the organs are Mother Nature’s multivitamins!). Do not feed fresh raw liver to pet as it is full of toxins.
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10% bone - The best way to include bones in your dog’s daily diet, is to give them a fresh, raw meaty bone such as beef brisket, tails, feet,
necks, wings separate to their meal. This will not only clean your pet’s teeth (a bone a day keeps the vet/dentist away), it will help with managing their anal glands, reduces stress and gives them endorphins (makes them happy!)
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15% vegetables (10%) and fruits (5%). When choosing vegetables add leafy greens such as celery, spinach, kale, chard, silver beet, parsley and puree them. Ideal fruits include: blueberries, apples (healing to the liver), bananas, mangos, pears, melons (such as watermelon) and papaya,
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Dishy Dogs is certified “Australian Made and Owned”. Our ingredients are 100% human grade, 100% preservative, gluten, dairy, eggs and additive free with no added salt, sugar, flavour or colour.