feeding a raw diet

One diet that is becoming increasingly popular is raw food. Raw food diets have helped pets deal with many common ailments such as fleas, hot spots, constant shedding, poor dental health, allergies, gastrointestinal problems, immune disorders and degenerative diseases.

Nutrition is the foundation of good health. The fresher the diet, the more nutrients available to aid in building immunity, healing illness and warding off disease. Putting some thought into your pet’s diet can produce big rewards over their lifetime, and most likely help them avoid serious and costly illnesses caused by poor nutrition. A diverse menu is far more likely to provide complete nutrition than the same diet fed over and over again—imagine eating the same dinner every night of your life.

Cats and dogs are carnivores, meaning that their digestive systems are designed to digest raw meat. Cats are “obligate” or true carnivores, meaning they need no grains at all. When a carnivore eats an herbivore such as a rabbit, the carnivore eats some meat, bone, organ meats, as well as green vegetation contained in the herbivore's digestive tract.

Raw diets replicate the meal that nature intended carnivores to eat. The fear of feeding raw meat is often filled with fears of salmonella, E. coli and parasites. It is important to note that the digestive system of cats and dogs is very different than ours—they are very short, meaning foods are processed quickly, before harmful bacteria have a chance to multiply and cause problems. They also have a very high level of acidity allowing them to break down the nutrients in raw meats and bones, while creating an environment that’s hostile to bacteria.

Raw diets can be purchased in a variety of forms: blends (a mix of raw meat, grains and fresh vegetables) designed to provide complete nutrition, and pure raw meat, which can be added as a supplement to other types of food, or mixed with supplements. Raw food can be purchased in its original form, in containers, rolls, pre-made patties, medallions, ground, whole, and blends.

One of the newest options on the market are freeze-dried foods. Simply put, this is raw food freeze dried. Freeze drying preserves the nutrition and biological nature of fresh foods by keeping natural enzymes, amino acids and probiotics intact, and can make the transition to raw easier.

Naturally raised, hormone and antibiotic-free, or organic meat is best for your pets (and you, too!). Use meats from free-range sources—the bacterial counts and the possibility for parasite contamination are considerably lower in meats from animals raised in better conditions. Don’t cheat and use cheap sources of meat unfit for human consumption. Do your research into the foods that you’re considering.

Ready to make the switch? It’s important to introduce raw food slowly over the course of a few weeks. Work up to replacing at least ½ the normal diet for several days. Finally replace one full meal with raw for a day or two, then fully transition. If your pet is resistant to raw at first, you may want to mix in a bit of canned food to entice them.

Use as much variety in their diet as they will accept. Dogs and cats who are accustomed to variety can handle new foods more easily than those who do not. Cats, in particular, can be resistant to a change in diet. They imprint on food at an early age, and will resist switching to a healthier diet.

Nothing can replace a wholesome well-balanced diet when it comes to promoting good health for your pet. Proper supplementation however, can make a great diet even healthier. By identifying specific problems and providing additional nutritional support through supplements, many of these conditions can be helped.

Remember, there is a risk with anything you feed. Respect those risks and take steps to minimize them. If you're not going to source good quality fresh meats and serve the food correctly and safely, then please just buy a quality canned food and serve that. Don't put your pet at unnecessary risk feeding by a raw diet incorrectly.

And of course, handling raw meat for your pets requires the same precautions that you would normally take. Clean all surfaces that touch raw food, wash your hands thoroughly, and don’t let small children have access to the food. Thaw meat in the refrigerator, not on the counter. Do not microwave—the live enzymes are damaged and bones can harden in as little as 30 seconds.

Your pet will likely go through a detoxification process during the transition to a healthier diet, so it is important to go slowly. In the long run, your pet’s health and vitality will be the ultimate reward.

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