Is Raw Feeding Good For Your Dog?

Many pet owners have been feeding raw meals as a solution diet for years, and the results have been fantastic. When you feed your dog the way nature intended, they will obtain nutrients from sources that their bodies are built to absorb, resulting in better overall health.

Feeding raw food should be a lot less intimidating if you have the correct information. Let’s take a look at how it is good for your canine together.

What is raw feeding my dog?

Photo by Berkay Gumustekin on Unsplash

Raw feeding is essentially feeding your dog a meal with raw ingredients. These ingredients are usually made up of organ or muscle meats, whole or grounded bones, vegetables and raw eggs.

What does a raw feed consist of? 

Raw meaty bones, flesh, and other organic components such as organs that are healthy for canines make up the majority of a raw dog food diet. Raw food for dogs comes in a variety of forms, including the prey food model (PMR) and BARF diet.

Prey Food Model

The Prey Food Model (PRM) diet consists of solely feeding entire prey without any additional plant elements, with the idea that this provides a more natural eating experience, comparable to that of their wild canine counterparts. 

This diet consists of a combination of 80% of your dog’s favourite meat, 10% raw edible meaty bones and 10% of secreting organs.

A PMR diet aims to eliminate processed chemicals commonly found in commercial dog food, as well as any potentially harmful side effects associated with plant-based foods such as a reduction in mineral absorption.

The genuine version of this raw diet is built to closely mimic the natural eating habits of both dogs and wolves' common ancestor, a prehistoric wolf that lived between 9,000 and 34,000 years ago in Europe and/or Asia.

BARF Model

The B.A.R.F model stands for “Biologically Appropriate Raw Food”. It is a natural raw diet that consists of roughly 80% raw meat, 10% bones and organs, and 10% veggies.

This meal is based on the idea that your pet should eat a variety of foods. In addition to raw meat, bone, and organ diet, your pet should also eat fresh fruits, vegetables, eggs, and supplements like cod liver oil, garlic, and flaxseed.

Benefits of raw feeding for dogs

Feeding your dog a raw diet is beneficial in many aspects. Here are some of the benefits:

• Leaner, more muscular build
• Improvements to the skin and coat
• Healthier stool
• Cleaner teeth
• Increase in energy levels
• Aids digestion
• Boost in the immune system

Learn more about the benefits of raw dog food which makes a healthy happy dog.

Does raw meat make dogs aggressive?

There is often a myth surrounding raw feeding that it makes your dog aggressive. Raw meat feeding will not make your dog violent, but like with any meal that your dog adores, some canines may get protective or territorial when eating and refuse to share!

Regardless of what sort of diet your pet consumes, teaching it basic manners and courteous behaviour around food is critical. 

A raw meat diet will neither create nor exacerbate your dog's behavioural issues nor will it turn him into an aggressive monster.

How to start feeding your dog raw food?

If your dog is new to raw food, start with little amounts at first. The entire shift may usually be completed in a week; but, as with any dietary change, the key is to do it gradually. 

Since puppies are younger and have better digestive systems as compared to adult canines, they might transition into eating a raw meal faster. 

To begin, we recommend fasting your dog for a half to a full day prior to the first meal to guarantee a good appetite.

Then feeding a little amount of raw dog food to your dog to watch how it reacts to the new food. If everything is going well, gradually replace a portion of the previous diet with the new raw diet.

Keep an eye on your pet. If your pet's stools are loose, don’t transition them to a new diet as this shows that their body is not taking to the new meal properly. 

What you can do in this instance is to continue feeding them their old diet while introducing the raw dog food slowly. You can also use this process to explore which raw meat is the most suitable for your dog’s digestive system.

Can I feed my dog raw ground beef, mince or steak? 

Even while raw beef, mince or steak is a fantastic source of healthy fats and nutrition for your dog, there are numerous dangers associated with eating raw meat, if it is not prepared properly.

Salmonella, a bacterial infection, may spread through raw ground beef, putting your dog at risk. Nonetheless, like all raw food, if handled correctly, is safe for dog consumption.

To start raw feeding for your dog, you should first learn how you should safely handle them to ensure the meal reaps benefits and does not harm you or your canine.

Moreover, because some raw meat products advertised as pet food contain additives to keep them appearing fresh, they may be harmful to your pet’s health. Therefore we advocate only using human-grade raw meat and raw meaty bones.

Photo by Mathis Jrdl on Unsplash

Can I feed my dog raw meat from the supermarket?

Yes, you can buy raw meat from the supermarket. To ensure the raw meat is safe to be consumed by your dog, check the food labels. Any raw meat that is sold for consumption has to pass the hygiene standards placed by the local lawmakers.

For example, in Singapore, all supermarkets have to comply with a wide set of safety procedures and one of them is to adhere to the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) principles when they sell primary produces like raw meat. Due to this certification, the meat sold is safe from biological, chemical and physical contamination.

Since you are going to essentially feed your dog without cooking the food, it is critical to take note of the quality of the meat to lower the risk of your canine getting sick.

Conclusion

Raw feeding has many health advantages for your dog. Care and proper planning in feeding raw foods is the key to giving the best for your pup.  To start this journey, you can try out PetCubes’ raw dog food. Our raw meals are made with the highest quality meat and ingredients that cultivate your dog’s health for the better. Just thaw and serve!

Reviewed by: 

Dr Francis Cabana

Dr Francis is one of the top wildlife nutritionists in Asia. Originating from Montreal, Canada, he left at 21 to pursue his Masters and subsequently a PhD in wildlife nutrition at Oxford Brookes University. Instead of taking the path of common animal science to learn about farm animals, or through the veterinarian space and taking a certificate in nutrition, he took the road less travelled to dive deep into the world of animal ecology, metabolism and nutrition.