The Benefits of Feeding Raw Food

There are many benefits to feeding a raw, species appropriate diet, these are just some of the things you can expect:

Better mobility for pets with orthopaedic ailments and arthritis
This is especially true for older or overweight animals. Raw Food is far less inflammatory than commercial food. We add a healthy dose of Omega 3 from phytoplankton to further help reduce inflammation. Reducing the weight of an overweight pet will also make movement much easier for them as much less strain will be placed on their joints. This is a very important reason to keep your pet lean, but not too thin. You want to see muscle on your pet, not fat.

Better body water balance, reducing kidney disorders
Raw food contains around 75% moisture, this moisture is not only water, but also contains vitamins, minerals and electrolytes. This reduces the need for your pet to drink as much water as it might when fed a dry diet. The moisture included in raw food assists the kidneys and the quality of the protein also helps reduce the number of toxins the kidneys need to filter.

Better dental and oral health
The carbohydrates in commercial food help contribute to an extremely acidic environment in your pet’s mouth. This acidic pH is ideal for the propagation of pathogenic bacteria and plaque. A raw food diet renders a much more alkaline environment in the mouth, meaning plaque growth is significantly slower to develop. Feeding appropriately sized raw bones once a week will help your dog keep their teeth clean mechanically. It is important they are able to grasp the bone and chew on it with their back teeth as well as their canines, this will help physically remove plaque.

Always feed oversized bones for the size of your dog. If your dog does not chew bones, then you will have to from time to time clean their teeth yourself. Do not use anything containing Xylitol, this is extremely toxic to dogs. Try and get a natural, pet specific tooth paste if you must use one, or use coconut oil and a firm brush. We add Kelp (Ascophyllum Nosodum) to our food which has proven dental health benefits from studies in both humans and dogs.

Relief from “Dry eye” syndrome
The benefits of feeding raw food again mean the moisture in the raw food helps to generally hydrate your pet’s system, helping with conditions like dry eye. The anti-inflammatory nature of the food also assists with these types of conditions.

Management of issues like obesity and diabetes
Raw food contains little to no carbohydrate (1 to 2%). Mammals like dogs and cats (and us) can do nothing with carbohydrates but use them for energy or store them as fat. They serve no other nutritional purpose and offer very little in terms of nutritional value. What they do in carnivores, who are not designed to eat starchy carbohydrates, is make them fat. When we withdraw starchy carbohydrates like wheat, corn, oats, rice, soya and legumes (10 to 30% carbohydrate) from the diet, weight loss is inevitable as the diet is then comprised primarily of moisture, protein and fat.

Diabetes is also linked to an excess consumption of carbohydrates in pets, feeding a low or no carbohydrate raw diet goes a long way in stabilising blood sugar when it comes to diabetic pets, in some instances it can even be reversed. This is one of the biggest benefits feeding raw food can offer as a treatment.

Proteins are the building blocks for almost every function in our pets’ bodies and fats are important for hormone production and cellular health. Both fats and proteins are used for biological functions (like blood cell and cell production) and for energy. Carbohydrates are not really required for our pets, the only reason one may include them is too boost calorie content in terms of carbohydrate for dogs who have large energy demands, like working dogs or very lean, active dogs.

Reduction in allergic reactions and digestive issues
While not all allergies can be solved by a raw food diet as many are environmental or “idiopathic”, dietary related food allergies to grain or specific proteins can be addressed using a raw food diet. Even in the case of environmental allergies, feeding raw food can dramatically improve the histamine response of your dog, making the allergy far less severe. The lack of carbohydrates and sugars can also help to inhibit yeast infections which are also responsible for ‘itchy dogs’. For extremely allergic dogs we usually suggest beginning with a Duck based diet, if your dog improves then you can begin to experiment with other proteins.

We see far fewer environmental allergies in cats, most cat allergies are related to IBS or are digestive, which usually develop as a result of feeding grain based commercial foods and so are food related. Removing the grain from a cat’s diet who does not have advanced IBS is often enough, but in some more advanced instances, novel proteins may be required.

Pets with digestive issues or allergies must consume a healthy amount of probiotics every day. 

Fewer general behavourial problems
Sugars have been linked in both humans and dogs to behavioural issues, affecting not only demeanor, but also concentration and mood. A diet containing an excessive amount of carbohydrates (sugar) can contribute to hyperactivity and in the case of working dogs, a lack of concentration or focus. In some pets it can also induce nervousness. Sometimes changing to a species appropriate raw diet can make significant changes to your pet’s behaviour. There are studies which also claim that the use of probiotics in kennel environments contribute greatly in reducing the number of dogs experiencing behavioural issues while kennelled.

Cancer, epilepsy and raw food:

Pets experiencing health issues such as cancer or epilepsy will benefit greatly when fed a raw diet
Research is proving that cancer cells like sugar (carbohydrates), so for pets with a cancer a largely ketogenic diet is recommended. This diet is high in fat and protein, the fats should be medium chain fatty acids (MCT oil for example) and the protein should be of high quality. Carbohydrates, processed proteins, additives, preservatives and colourants should be avoided, ruling out most commercial foods as beneficial for dogs with cancer. If your pet has cancer, then please email us for a suggested feeding plan.

A similar diet is recommended for dog’s with epilepsy. This however, needs to be done carefully depending on the medication your dog is currently taking and the frequency of seizures, there are risks associated with the diet while the dog is on certain medications. Please email us for advice in this regard. This should be done in conjunction with a specialist veterinary physician.

There are also some added bonuses to feeding a species appropriate raw diet:

Smaller, firmer, tidier and “no smell” doggy doo’s
The reason for this is the very high absorption rate of raw food, most commercial foods have absorption rates of between 50 and 75%, while raw food has absorption of closer to 95%, rendering less fecal output as most of the food is utilised.

A shiny, glossy coat and healthy skin
Raw food has a good amount of fully utilisable fats in it which help condition the skin and coat, our added Omega 3 from Phytoplankton also assists in this regard.

Healthy digestive and reproduction systems
You can expect better gut health in your pet on a raw food diet, the food is bioavailable and will produce minimum waste products for other organs to filter out or process. High quality protein and fats ensure that breeding dogs and cats produce better quality eggs and sperm for longer than is seen in commercially fed breed dogs. Digestive systems compromised by inappropriate foods will begin to heal and digestive improvement can be seen almost instantly. Always use a probiotic if your pet has digestive issues.

Strong bones and joints
Because the minerals and vitamins available in a balanced raw food are provided in their most natural bioavailable form, uptake of these nutrients is naturally regulated by your pet. Natural calcium and phosphorus ensure strong bones and natural glucosamine from cartilage helps ensure they have healthy joints. Overfeeding puppies can be one of the biggest mistakes people make when a dog is growing, the slower the initial growth, the better for the bones and joints, so be sure to feed your dog appropriately. Do not feed them ‘to make them big’, you may compromise their long term health.

Increased lean body mass
High quality protein ensures maximum muscle formation and moderate fat means your pet will be lean, mobile and agile. This helps their joints especially as they age.

A natural resistance to parasites
Better gut health means your pets will likely be more resistant or tolerant of parasites they might be exposed to. Feeding our food you are not likely to encounter food borne parasites, but they can still be present in the environment and your pet may still be exposed to them. In our 18 years of feeding raw food, we have never had any of our pets diagnosed with a food borne parasite or even hookworm, which is present in almost any public park, training or show ground. 

Sweet, fresh doggy breath
Stinky breath can be a thing of the past, use probiotics with your raw food for the best results!

Fewer vet’s bills, expensive medications and unnecessary medical procedures!
Some vets don’t like raw food, some because they aren’t educated about it and some because they know they see fewer raw fed pets for the most common ailments – digestive issues and allergies. Feeding a raw diet can help prevent a myriad of potential health issues down the line, even if it seems like a more expensive option in the present. It is worth it. Again, the sooner you start, the better.

Longer, healthier life span
Anecdotal research suggests raw fed pets live on average four years longer than their commercially fed counterparts! The sooner you start, the more this is true!

More years with your best pal by your side!
This is the best part… you get to see your pet live out its life, healthy and happy with as few medical interventions as possible! 

We could go on about the benefits of feeding raw food, but if you have a question or need more information, drop us an email.