Are there really any dangers in feeding dogs raw meat, or is it just hype to scare you into feeding something someone sells? People worry about this. Many veterinarians warn you against this. So my job is to dispel their arguments. And to suggest why they are doing this.
How Have Dogs Evolved?
Dogs have evolved for millions of years on eating a diet of raw meat. Wild dogs still do the same. They hunt in packs. They can bring down large animals. Then the pack gathers round the carcass and feeds on everything – muscle meat, organ meat, bones, skin. Nothing goes to waste unless they are disturbed by other animals who outwit them.
This happens in times of plenty, when there is an abundance of their prey animals.
Wild dogs generally remain in their same location. They don’t follow their prey as they migrate to more abundant food sources. So they have to find food in other ways.
They may dig up roots or find bush fruit. They may go hunting on their own and manage to catch a small animal. They may also discover an old, uneaten carcass that has been baking in the sun and is crawling with any pathogen common to the area.
They can eat that and come to no harm.
So dogs are very adaptable – to natural foods, to natural processes. They have what I call a cast iron stomach. Their stomach acid is very strong and they can eat rotting or infected food without coming to any harm.
Dogs have been our companions for centuries, as they would have been attracted to the constant supply of food year round; left over food or food scraps from our tables. The food may not have been abundant or adequate, but it supported them through the leaner times of the year.
The Dog Food Industry
It’s only in the last few decades that commercial dog food has become popular. Now it is a billion dollar industry and is fiercely defended by those who profit from it. And any tactic is used to hook you in, one being the so called dangers in feeding dogs raw meat.
There are no dangers. It’s all made up. The real dangers are in the commercial dog food:
- the high carbohydrate content
- the long cooking times (cooking alters protein and destroys enzymes)
- the high pressures used in cooking (destructive)
- the very poor quality meat content (the better quality going to the more lucrative human market)
- the added synthetic colours, flavours, preservatives, etc that are all toxic
- the added synthetic supplements that attempt to address the known shortfalls in nutrition, that are indigestible, cause further harm and are toxic
Getting The Diet Right Is Essential
Just feeding any old raw is not good enough. The diet must be balanced. It must provide what dogs need. There are pitfalls that need support as you gain greater knowledge.
Rest assured that there are no dangers in feeding dogs raw meat as long as you know what you are doing and getting advice on a balanced, nutritious diet.
When you have mastered the right diet for your dog, you are likely to have a much healthier dog, one with more zest for life, more enthusiasm, more energy, fewer health problems. Some conditions may take a while to go, so be patient. Other conditions may need extra help. Consider homeopathy for that.
Getting the diet right will save you so much – not just in monetary terms but in anxiety and stress, not to mention your dog’s trauma. It’s well worth taking the time to fully understand the best, healthiest, most nutritious and balanced diet for dogs.
