The Benefits of the Raw Dog Food Diet
The raw dog food diet is the fastest growing sector of the pet food market. The health benefits of this change are too outstanding to ignore! Increased energy, improved digestion and stools, and silky, shiny coats are just a few of the wonderful things that can happen to your dog after the switch. Not to mention, they really want to eat their meals!
The Biologically Appropriate Raw Foods (BARF) Diet: Guidelines and Nutritional Requirements
The most common raw food diet followed is the Biologically Appropriate Raw Foods (BARF) Diet. The recommended guidelines for this diet consist of 70% muscle meat, 10% raw edible bone, 5% liver, 5% other secreting organ, 7% vegetables, 2% seeds or nuts, and 1% fruit. There are other variations of the raw dog food diet, but all of them include bones because they are absolutely necessary to ensure that your dog is getting enough calcium.
Solutions for Dogs That Don't Chew Bones
But what happens when you have a dog that refuses to chew on bones? Maybe they don’t like them. Or maybe they just don’t have enough teeth to chew on them. The raw diet will not provide a completely balanced diet for your dog without them. But fear, not! There are two solutions to this dilemma.
The first solution is to purchase a high quality meat grinder that has bone grinding capabilities. If you go this route, be sure to do your research! Reach out to other raw feeders to find out what they are using. Or look for raw feeders who have reviewed the meat grinder you are thinking about getting. There are many meat grinders out there, but only select ones that will grind bones without breaking. The STX International Magnum Electric Meat Grinder is an example of a highly recommended grinder among raw feeders. Once you have selected the right grinder, simply grind the needed percentage of bones and mix the grindings in with your dog’s daily meals.
The second solution is to use a base mix. A base mix is freeze dried food that is rehydrated as needed. All you need to do is add water and meat! There are several brands of base mix. Some have the meat freeze dried right into them. But if you are looking to go as fresh as possible for your dogs, look for the base mix that requires you to add fresh meat. The Honest Kitchen has two of these types of base mixes. One is a Grain Free Fruit and Veggie Base Mix. The other is a Grain Free Veggie, Nut & Seed Base Mix. These mixes have no by-products, no preservatives, and no corn, wheat, soy or GMO ingredients. This is 100% human grade food! It’s a great way to provide your dog with a well-balanced raw diet.
Conclusion
Feeding your dog a raw diet can certainly do wonders for their health! Fortunately, there are many companies out there who want to help us give our dogs the closest thing to their natural diet as possible. Just be sure to read your labels and trust the companies that are making your dog’s food. Cheers to healthy, happy dogs!
