Why you should consider feeding your pet raw dog food

We know you love your dog, but have you ever thought about what you’re feeding it with? 

In the past few years the interest in alternative diets such as the keto or the paleo diet has risen. With heart and circulatory disease being in the top 5 causes of death in the UK and obesity being a worldwide health concern, the trend is to seek new and more natural ways of nurturing our bodies. But whilst we humans seem very worried about what we eat, we don’t seem to pay that much attention to what we put on our furry friends’ plates.

 Are we feeding our pets the right food or are we just making lazy choices? How does the type of food our dogs eat affect their quality of life?

Here are some of the reasons why you should consider feeding your pup raw dog food. 

Better digestion

The idea behind the BARF diet (which means both Bones And Raw Food and Biologically Appropriate Raw Food) is similar to the paleo diet, and it takes us back to the first dogs that walked over Earth, or further back: to actual wolves.

We all know that wolves are the nearest evolutionary ancestor of our dogs, and we are also aware that early dogs wouldn’t have eaten grains or highly processed foods (who would have, back then?). So logically, their digestive system has evolved to digest some types of foods, and not others.

BARF diets include the types of foods that dogs would have been eating naturally in the past (muscle, organs, fish sometimes, even some vegetables and fruit), which would improve their digestion.

Of course, this has great benefits which are easy to see. For instance, in the consistency of their poo and less flatulences. 

Increased vitality

A dog’s diet can have a great effect on their mood and vitality. Owners who have been feeding their seniors dogs a raw food diet have seen their pets become more active within just weeks of starting their new diet. The reason? Their digestions are easier, therefore their bodies don’t need to put so much energy in processing the food, so they can use it in something more fun. 

At the same time, owners have reported less hyperactivity in younger dogs. This is probably because of two things: on one hand, dogs don’t produce serotonin (the hormone that works as a mood stabiliser) but they find it in raw food more than in processed foods; and the other, they release endorphins (hormones of happiness) when they chew, so when they are chewing muscle and bone they are calming themselves down naturally. 

Each dog is a world

There are many benefits to changing your dog to a BARF diet, but it is worth consulting professionals first. Each dog has their own needs, and they all are different: their age, their breed and even their lifestyle are things to consider when changing their diet. Raw food is a great alternative for your dog, but even though there are many people who feed their pets homemade raw food, raw diets consist of more than just putting some raw chicken in a bowl - they are supplemented with other ingredients, so that your dog will get all the nutrients they need. Hence, if you are not an expert animal nutritionist, it’s best to leave the preparation of your dog’s meals to experts who will balance the meals out. Click here to find out more about Bella & Duke’s options and how their food can help your dog live a healthier and a happier life.