Everyone you know buys commercial food for their dogs! Your vet strongly recommends you to feed your dog commercial food! Why? How much do you really know about your dog’s food? And why is everybody so keen on kibble and canned?
Well, first of all, dog food companies have a clear, economic interest – selling their products. They have amazing advertising strategies and they have conquered every single corner of the market. They offer considerable discounts to breeders who sell their products, they are the main sponsors of dog shows, they hire high profile people, including vets, to talk about and recommend their products.
They have gone so far in advertising that they might make you feel guilty for not showing enough love to your dog if you don’t buy from them. This is sick!
Secondly, most vets lack some serious education concerning the dog diet. They only know what the dog food companies tell them, that meaning most of them will recommend you commercial dog food.
Most VET Associations are sponsored by pet food companies! Just take a look at the American Veterinary Medical Association or the Australian Veterinary Association. Why would they recommend something different if their money comes from dog food companies?
Moreover, feeding commercial food to dogs usually causes many digestive problems and you end up paying an expensive visit to your vet. I’m not saying vets are glad when your dog is sick but they are surely interested in having as many patients as possible. So, forgive me if I doubt most vets’ ethics, but I am convinced that even if they were aware of the dangers of commercial food, they wouldn’t tell you. They would avoid losing both their sponsorships and their patients!
10 Reasons for Feeding Raw Dog Food!
Raw Dog Food
Now, going back to dog food, one alternative you should really consider is the raw dog food. The raw food diet for dogs focuses on feeding raw meat and vegetables and eliminating any processed or commercial dog food.
From what I’ve read so far, the advantages of raw dog food considerably overweight the drawbacks. Here I gathered 10 good reasons for feeding your dog raw food:
- Dogs won’t need any supplements or vitamins. Raw dog food is the best way to boost your dog’s energy;
- Your dog will stop smelling like a dog!
- Cleaner teeth and gums, no tartar, less dental treatment;
- Healthier skin and shinier coat, no more fur loss, itching, skin rashes, irritations or very dry skin;
- Smaller, inoffensive-smelling stools;
- Less digestive problems – dogs don’t eat grains (contained by all commercial foods) and their digestive systems simply can’t handle these foods. Also, the chewing required by raw meaty bones prepares the stomach for a proper digestion;
- Less visits to your vet (less bills);
- Puppies follow their natural course of growing, without having bursts of growth provoked by some commercial foods;
- Dogs live longer on a raw diet than dogs on commercial foods;
- You pay less. You may be under the impression that feeding raw can affect your budget but if you come to draw a line, taking into account the vet’s bills and the fact that the so-called high-quality, premium dog foods are very expensive, you might realize that a raw diet is far cheaper.
If you’re feeding your dog raw food, please let me know more about this experience. If you’re not familiar with this type of feeding but you want to know more, feel free to ask questions. I’ll do my best to provide you with the right answer! Also, you could start by reading Maggie Rhines’ tutorial. I find really informative!
2 Responses to Why Feed Raw Dog Food?
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Be careful when you say dogs don’t need grains just meat, because in fact dogs DO need some grains. Just not nearly as much as they put in some commercial dog food. Like humans dogs are omnivores not carnivores, unlike cats who are carnivores and truly need an all meat diet. A dog not getting the correct balance of proteins, grains and vegetables in their diet will have health issues regardless of raw or commercial diet. Before you say but meats what they eat in the wild, let me make two points. One, dogs are not wolves and have had generations of breeding slightly change the way their systems work. And two, canines in the wild often eat grass and other foliage as way to get those extra nutrients. Please do not take this as an attack on your site because I fully believe a raw diet can be a great way keep your pet healthy, but only if done correctly. And I would hate to see some poor animal get sick because their owner fed them incorrectly while trying to make them healthier.
Hi Chelsea,
Thank you for your comment.
What I wanted to say is that dogs don’t need grains in such a big amounts. Commercial dog foods are based on grains (probably 60 or 70%), which often leads to all sorts of allergies and insufficiencies in time.
Of course, the best diet should be balanced; it should include meat (whether raw or cooked), grains or any other type of carbohydrates and fresh vegetables (better) or fruits.
As for the cats, I have two that eat home-made food; I usually cook for them or share my own food with them. They don’t eat only meat; I also treat them with beans, carrots or chicken soup (their favourite) which also has potatoes and other vegetables.
I initiated this site from a desire of helping dog owners. I am indeed strongly against commercial food which is most unhealthy but I try to point out both the advantages and disadvantages of an alternative diet.
Thanks,
Di