Raw Feeding: What is it and Why Do it.

Raw feeding is the process of feeding dogs a diet that primarily consists of uncooked meat, organs and edible bones. The thought process behind the raw food diet is aligned with that of to the theory of evolution. Many argue that the dog has evolved over many millions of years on a natural raw diet and therefore is “programmed” to eat raw foods rather than manmade, processed ones. Though domesticated, our canine companions are natural hunters and carnivores whose digestive systems remain virtually the same their ancestors.

Raw feeding has been practiced by European countries for decades. In Germany, for instance, it is commonly recommend by Veterinarians as the best possible diet for dogs and cats alike. But in the United States, raw feeding is often met with much scrutiny and hesitation. Researches believe this is because Americans have been conditioned to fear Salmonella, Escherichia (e) coli and parasites that exist in raw meat. A study of 25 commercial raw diets for dogs and cats, for instance, detected salmonella in 20% and e coli in 64% of the diets. Proponents of raw feeding however believe that this fear is overblown and that dogs’ stomach enzymes and short intestinal tracts allow them to handle raw bacteria.

Dr. Ian Billinghurst is perhaps one of the foremost proponents of raw feeding. He claims that processed foods are not what dogs are programmed to eat and believes that foods similar to those eaten by their ancestors are more biologically appropriate. He is credited with the creation of the “BARF” diet––barf being an acronym for Biologically Appropriate Raw Food or, more commonly, Bones and Raw Food. Billinghurst’s BARF diet consists of 60 to 80 percent of raw, meaty bones and 20 to 40 percents of vegetables, fruits, offal, meat, eggs or dairy foods.

Billinghurst and other proponents of raw feeding believe that the benefits of such a diet are great. For one, it is said to noticeably benefit your dog’s dental health and hygiene. This is because the abrasion of the bones against your dog’s teeth, which happens during chewing, tends to scrape off dental plaque, while cartilage, ligaments and tendons found in the raw meat act as a sort of natural dental floss. What’s more, the act of tearing and chewing is believed to strengthen your pooch’s jaw, neck and shoulder muscles.

Since health is directly linked to diet. It is also believed that the fresher the diet––and you can’t get more fresh than raw––the more natural nutrients. The consumption of nutrient-rich foods can boost your dog’s immune system, which wards off diseases and infections and helps with the healing process. They also aid in treating or avoiding many common afflictions such as fleas, shedding, hot spots, allergies and skin infections.

With such benefits, it is no surprise that the raw food diet is gaining popularity among pet owners around the world. Though bathed in controversy, such diets are an important step in raising awareness of what we humans feed our dogs and cats. Even if you’re not comfortable with following the raw food or BARF feeding guidelines, it remains necessary to pay close attention to the ingredients and the nutritional value of our dog’s food, so the may live a long, healthy, happy life.

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