Should I Feed My Dog Raw Food?

What is the Raw Dog Food Diet?

The Raw Dog Food Diet is essentially a combination of uncooked meats and organs, crushed or whole bones, certain types of fruits, vegetables, and eggs. Ensuring quality ingredients is important when using the Raw Dog Food Diet as some may carry bacteria and parasites harmful to both you and the dog. It is recommended that meats used to feed the dogs are frozen for a few weeks prior to serving to kill off parasites and bacteria. Do note that not all parasites and bacteria are killed by the cold. Feeding the right type of meat is important too as not all meats are made equal.

This diet is also known as the BARF Diet, which was founded by veterinarian and nutritionist Dr. Ian Billinghurst.

Getting Balanced Nutrients

One of the issues with using the raw food diet is the fact that some may think of exclusively using meat to feed their dog and skip out on other important foods such as fruits and vegetables. Nutrient deficiencies and diseases may occur by feeding dogs too much meat and not enough fruits and vegetables.

Including Bones or Not 

Bones are beneficial to dogs as it contains calcium and phosphorous. They also help maintain their teeth by preventing tartar buildup. It is important to note that bones used should either be raw or dried and never cooked. Feeding a dog cooked bones may cause damages to their esophagus, bleeding, and even choking. Cooked bones tend to become harder and more brittle causing sharp splinters when crushed. You can feed your dog raw chicken feet since most of the food is made out of cartilage, skin, and connective tissue. Worried about nails? Although you can feed it to them, feel free to remove it too.

“Chicken feet are naturally rich in protein, glucosamine and chondroitin. While protein is an important source of energy, according to the National Research Council, that should only account for 10% of the diet by weight of an adult dog. The most interesting nutrients of chicken feet are glucosamine and chondroitin. Both natural compounds are building blocks of cartilage and connective tissue.”

The bottomline is that you can feed them bones as long as it raw or dried.

Avoiding Bacterial Contamination

There will always be risks associated with feeding your dog a raw diet as the products might be contaminated with Salmonella and E.Coli. Meats purchased from your local grocery stores or open air markets are prone to contamination; therefore, carrying more health risks. Ground meats also pose a risk due to the mixing and chopping process that can push bacteria inside the meat. It is important to always freeze your meats prior to feeding to lessen the bacteria or kill off the parasites in the meat.

Although the likelihood for these bacterials making your dog ill is minimal, if it does happen, you would typically see diarrhea. If symptoms occur, consult your vet. It is important to practice safe handling of the raw meat products as it can also make the pet parents sick. Raw pork will ALWAYS pose potential risks for parasites, so proper handling is a must.

Benefits of Eating A Raw Food Diet

Billinghurst and his supporters say the benefits include:

• Leaner, more muscular build; nearly 60% of dogs are overweight or obese based on body condition scoring, which leads to a number of related conditions
• Skin and coat improvements
• Cleaner teeth and fresher breath
• Less odor
• Vibrant, calm energy

*Avoid feeding too much heart as this is rich in Phosphorus