I saw some dogs that looked so big while checking through some profile's yesterday, I messaged the owner and asked about how he was able to make them look so fierce and weighty, he told me that, he normally serves them raw meat every morning without even washing off the blood of the meat, I asked him if he was training the dogs to become wild, because it did not sit well with me to serve a domestic animal with raw items, while my suspicion may be wrong, we will find out shortly, if it is safe to feed our dogs with raw food items.
Dogs, can naturally consume raw meat (if you give to them as a pet owner), but does the fact that they can consume meat mean we should serve it to them? Wild animals have a stronger stomach acid that helps them to digest food and kill off bacteria's and parasites that may be found in raw meat.
Every of a pet dog's requirement comes from just three sources; fat, protein and carbohydrate, these macronutients are the basic source of calories for your dog.
Protein is made up of building blocks known as amino acids. Amino acids are extremely important to your pet, as a source of energy as well as to assemble tissues in the dog. They also make enzymes that fire metabolic processes.
Fat is as well a very rich energy source, fat contains twice the amount of calories available in proteins, this is the more reason why we need to be more careful about the amount of fat we feed our pets with. Although we need to watch the amount of fat being feed to our pets, we must also not avoid the as fat protects our dog cells and it is used to make hormones and fat-soluble vitamins
While, your pet could survive without carbohydrates, fat and protein are two essential nutrients that could harm/kill your dog if there is no steady supply. However, some forms of carbohydrates can boost your dog's immune system as well as reduce the risk of cancer development and other diseases.
Fat has to be given in a specific moderation like 10%-20% as there are downsides to the intake of too little or excessive fat.
Excessive Fat: Fat naturally does not have lots of minerals and vitamins as it contains lots of calories. If your dog's diet has more than 20% of fat, it would cannibalize the vitamins and minerals in the meal, making the remaining diet nutritionally imbalance, puppies need more nutrient than older adults, so their food need to be carefully served.
Too little fat: When fat is not sufficient in your dog, you will begin to observe that your dog has a dry and itchy skin, which is the first sign of fat deficiency.
Dogs also need minerals, bone is an excellent source of mineral, so when choosing meats, try to choose the ones with bone in it, you can try other bone supplements if you don't find bone. Minerals alongside enzymes gotten from protein are necessary co-factors that fires all the metabolic processes in the dog's body. The absence of minerals in a dog's body could result in heart issues, seizures, and crippling joint disease.
If your dog is too little for bone or usually have struggle with crunching through bone, you could make use of bone substitutes. Lot's of raw feeders make use of eggshell powder, while this is okay, it is missing in magnesium and this makes it an unbalanced choice for puppies or for any diet containing over 10% of fat. The best bone replacement for raw diets is bone meal.
Should I feed my dog with raw meat?
Answering this question would require more than just saying a point blank Yes or No, it is a complicated question because dogs can be very different, and meat samples are different as well. It is possible to have your dog consume raw meat without any consequences and they could also develop a very terrible disease. So let's get through the good and bad sides to feeding your pet with raw meals, at the end of the day, the decision would be yours to make.
There are experts who suggest that raw meat be served to dogs because they are omnivores and raw diet aligns properly with their biological needs. Right before canines got domesticated, their diet were mainly raw meat, but we need to also bear in mind that, during those periods, dogs had a shorter lifespan that what we have now. The GI system of your dog is often shorter than that of human's, this means that food would pass through it faster. Dogs also have stronger stomach acids, this makes it possible for them to consume meal types that humans could never consume.
Proponents believe that raw meat benefits dogs in the following ways;
They have a healthier coat and skin: According to the research of the University of California, Davis wrote that, raw meat diet is easier for dogs to digest, they also produce a more soft and a more shinning coat than cereal-based dry food. The explanation behind this occurrence is that, raw dog food contains little to no carbohydrate filler but they contain lots of fresh fat, readily available protein and a high level of Vitamin E and Zinc, which are vital to coat health.
An improved breath and oral health: There was a published study by Brown and Park, that stated that, dental problems in dogs occurred as a result of feeding them with soft diets with insufficient dental activity, so feeding them raw meats would help them have an improved oral health and better breath.
The chance of having an improved medical condition: According to the claim by proponents, raw meat can help control conditions like diabetes, although, there are still existing arguments to this claim.
Improved digestion: There are people who believe that raw food diets would help dogs absorb more nutrients.
Now, that we have gone through some of the possible benefits of feeding your dog with raw meat, let's check through the downsides of doing so.
- Raw meats host bacteria: There is a greater chance of having a raw meat infected than a cooked one, this is because heat destroys so many pathogens and germs that may be present in raw meat. Even if your pet doesn't fall sick from the consumption of the bacteria's found in raw food, the pet would spread ineffective spores everywhere he goes therefore, leaving the humans around at risk especially when there is a little child in the home. Some of the pathogens that can be found in raw meat include; Listeria, Campylobacter, Clostridium, E.coli, Trichinosis.
We have seen the downsides as well as the advantages that can be drawn from feeding our pets with raw food, so it is completely our choice to either feed our animals with raw meat or not. However, quality is really important when it comes to feeding our dog, so if you want to feed your pet with raw meat, make sure that it looks and smells fresh, do not give your pet meat that has been staying out for too long, also ensure that;
- You freeze the meat until you are ready to use them.
- Keep raw meat away from cooked food.
- Wash your hands before and after handling raw meat.
If you want to feed your pet with raw meals but you are just skeptical about the meat aspect, it is good to know that, there are alternative options you can go for that are usually safe, just make sure to confirm with your vet before you proceed.
Conclusion.
Feeding your dog with raw meat is a completely personal option, this means my suspicion is wrong. Although, some veterinarians warn that raw diet is not appropriate with pet owners who have little children around, but there are arguments that list out extensively the good sides of allowing our pets consume raw meals, so once again, the choice is yours to make, I'll like to know what you think about this in the comment section. Thank you friends.