Feeding your dog or cat a raw diet is now easier than ever, thanks to commercial options
Feeding raw foods to dogs and cats is controversial but has become an increasingly popular option for pet owners.
Proponents of feeding a raw diet will argue that animals benefit from a diet based on what their ancestors ate before they were domesticated and that commercial grain-based foods can be harmful because they are not a natural part of their diet.
While not all grain-free foods are created equal, ingredients like corn, wheat, and soy are known allergens, and added fillers can lead to obesity, diabetes, and skin problems. in pets, while improved digestion, a silkier coat, a better skin condition, increased energy levels, improved stools, and cleaner teeth are among the benefits of feeding your pet a raw diet .
However, feeding raw has some drawbacks.
There is potential for nutrient imbalances and vitamin deficiencies; bones can be a choking hazard or cause internal perforation; and raw meat can contain bacteria and parasites that can lead to infections.
“Raw food is not necessary for everyone in the same way that not everyone should be on a vegan diet and not everyone should be on a carnivore diet; it is through animals. For an older dog, having a high organ meat diet can be a little hard on the digestive system,” says Dave Roberts, who, with his wife Sarah, owns and operates Carlisle Pet Foods on Center Road .
“One thing I’ve found with food is that the less processed, the better,” he added. “There’s really nothing less than raw food. There’s no filler in raw dog food. You can get things like vegetables added, but that’s about as much as adding outside of the raw organs that meat and bones.”
Roberts says one of the first things people notice when switching their dogs from kibble to raw food is that there’s less cleanup, because the animal processes less waste. This means that the animal uses more food.
While raw food is probably more common for dogs, cats are obligate carnivores, which means they must get their protein from animal sources because, unlike other animals, they cannot control the protein breakdown and they can only tolerate carbohydrates in small amounts.
“I’m kind of surprised it’s not as popular as feeding dogs raw,” Roberts said. “The benefits are equal, if not more, than feeding your dog a raw diet. Dogs are omnivores. Cats really need an incredibly high meat content. Using a raw diet , you also get organ meats, which aren’t necessarily present in a lot of kibble or wet food.”
At one time, feeding your pet a raw diet meant preparing it yourself, which could also expose you and your family to dangerous pathogens like Salmonella and E. coli that can cause serious illness because they can remain on kitchen surfaces and utensils if not cleaned thoroughly.
Today, there is a wide variety of commercial raw foods available that eliminate this problem. Commercial raw pet foods typically contain meats, organ meats, bones, and assorted vegetables, and come in a hamburger patty format that can be defrosted from the freezer and fed directly to your dog. or cat There are also freeze-dried or air-dried raw foods that are popular because they are stable.
“Commercially produced raws go through a lot of scrutiny,” says Dave. “They’re more balanced in terms of one patty the next will have the same amount of nutrition, whereas if you’re making it yourself it’s very hard to get that exact science down.”
