DIET

In my opinion, the convenience of kibble isn’t worth the high price of disease, illness and allergies resulting from a poor, moisture depleted, highly processed, ‘dead’ food diet. The canine ancestral diet is a natural, raw diet and we know that dogs’ digestive systems are designed to process bacteria very differently from humans. Consider the fact that dogs are able to eat poop and not get sick!  It’s a disgusting thought, but it just goes to demonstrate that a dog’s digestive system is very different from a human’s!  

 

I used to feed my dogs a convenient, “high quality” kibble diet and although I was hearing good things about a raw diet, I was afraid to start because of some vets’ concerns that dogs can get sick eating raw food.  After more research, I started to ask questions like, “How often does this actually happen?” and in those rare cases, “Could that raw food have been spoiled?”  Based on my experience, fresh raw food will last in the fridge for a few days.  I serve their meal (usually twice a day), and only leave it out for 10-15 minutes before putting any leftovers back in the fridge.  Frozen raw food is good for at least 6 months.  

 

My dogs’ diet has been an evolution and I wish I would have known to feed my first 2 dogs, Teddy & Bear, a whole food raw diet.  I’ve learned a few things since then and of course, I’m still learning.  When I decided to transition from kibble to raw, I was buying pre-ground raw food from the freezer section of our local natural pet stores.  Some raw food brands use High Pressure Pasteurization (HPP), and some don’t.  What’s the difference?  HPP is a method used to prevent food spoilage, applying extremely high pressure to foods to manage bacteria. But wait – I thought dogs’ digestive systems are designed to handle the bacteria in raw food?  Why then would we be so concerned about putting raw food through this extra process that changes the quality of the food?  I’ll tell you why – It’s for the peace of mind of humans who are susceptible to getting sick from the bacteria - not for the benefit of our pets. What’s the solution?  Since humans are highly sensitive to the bacteria in raw meat, it’s important for us to disinfect the areas where we prepare the food – just as we normally do before cooking a meal.  It’s that simple, and I personally don’t see any reason to downgrade the quality of our pet’s food.

 

When it comes to pet food in general, all the research and various vet opinions can be confusing!  Every single brand (kibble or raw) claims to provide the healthiest, most balanced brand on the market!  No matter what type of food you choose to feed your dog, if you decide to make a dietary change, it’s always important to slowly transition him or her to the new food.

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Written by Diana McIntosh

@teddybearyorkies IG