Every pet owner who wants their pets to live long, healthy lives, should consider feeding them raw dog food. These domesticated animals have grown to be dependent on the people who take care of them, and cannot do so on their own. In return, they give us their lifelong companionship and love without any strings attached. Learn more on this topic below.
Dogs are famous for their tendency to eat anything they can get their jaws on, even if it is harmful for them. There is no better example of that than food meant for people. Many things such as onions, tomatoes, and chocolate are perfectly fine for people, but extremely toxic to dogs, and can even be lethal if eaten by a dog.
For this reason, it is always a good idea to feed your pet chow meant for dogs. Most conventional store-bought dog chow comes in two varieties, dry or wet. Dry dog chow has a long shelf life and is usually very cheap and convenient. Wet types, on the other hand, has a high moisture content but can also have higher fat content.
While these types are created specifically for animals, they can sometimes contain ingredients that are not very healthy and can in fact be harmful to your pet. For example, many cheap dog chow brands will contain bone meal or animal byproducts in their pet chow. Also, brains and spinal cords which are not allowed to be in human food can be in dog chow. These parts are dangerous as they can carry specific diseases.
To make matters worse, there are no real regulations as to what can be put into pet chow, or how it can be packaged. Many packaging of pet chow makes it seem like it is healthy or natural dog chow, when in fact it can even be harmful. It is very important to do the research and know what's in the food that your pet is consuming.
Some pet owners observe that their pets are happiest if fed raw meat. This is usually true, but it's important to distinguish the differences between meat sold for human consumption vs. pet consumption. Meat sold for human consumption is meant to be cooked and therefore will not be pasteurized, while raw meat sold for pet chow often will be. Pasteurization is a process by which harmful bacteria are killed, so when feeding your dog raw food, be sure it's meant for pet consumption, since feeding your pet un-pasteurized raw meat can be risky, especially for dogs who are not accustomed to a raw diet.
Many dog owners find that their pets become more happy and healthy when fed raw meat. This is often the case, but there are differences between raw meat sold for human consumption vs. raw meat sold for consumption by animals. Meat meant for human consumption is not pasteurized, since it's intended to be cooked. Raw meat sold for animal consumption is usually pasteurized, which is a process whereby harmful bacteria are killed. If your dog is just starting to transition to a raw diet, it may be helpful to start with pasteurized meat in order to ease the transition.
Buying raw dog food can sometimes be a bit more expensive than the usual, economy branded food, but the difference in the health and happiness of your pet will be no small matter. Specifically, the pet foods created in such a way can even make your pet more energetic, and overall more fit and healthy, even improving the look and feel of your pet's coat. Some older pets may find moving easier, and become more playful.
Jamie is a family pet health authority who specializes in
natural dog diets. Check out her
Website for more information!.
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