Sunday, December 2, 2007

What is the Raw Dog Diet?

Ever wonder why dog food is sold in those great big bags of kibble consisting of ingredients you've never heard of? A lot of what dog food consists of isn't exactly high-quality stuff. Bone meal, fat, and blood meal more often than not are gotten from animal carcasses that contain disease and possibly harmful drugs. Do you think it might be time to think about a better diet for your dog, maybe the raw dog diet?

Before dogs became the household pets we know today, what did they eat? Just look at how dogs that live in the wild manage to get adequate nutrition. For example, a wolf eats what it kills. The wolf first eats the contents of it's prey's stomach. By doing this, the wolf ingests vegetables, grains, and enzymes required for good nutrition. For the next course, the wolf eats some bones and the meat. Calcium and protein are now added to the wolf's diet. This all natural raw diet of the wild has maintained quality health for centuries. Animals like the wolf usually possess excellent immune systems, unlike their domesticated counterparts.

A raw dog diet feeds your dog's immune system. Your dog's diet will consist of natural foods that supply your dog's body with what it requires to not only repair itself, but maintain optimal performance as well.

The raw dog diet only needs to be prepared once a day. It isn't very complicated and is worth the effort in order to ensure your dog's health. Remember to always discuss changing your dog's diet with your vet before you make any changes. The raw dog diet has assisted a lot of dogs with their battles with weight problems, arthritis, and skin problems.

The ingredients that are found in the raw dog diet include grains, vegetables, and meat. Meat makes up about half of the diet. Grain, vegetables, and fruit make up the rest.

A good way to start your dog on the raw dog diet is when you're making your dog's meal. Feed your dog approximately the same portion of the raw dog diet as you would have kibble. From there, you can then adjust your dog's diet as needed to meet the dog's specific needs.

As an example of a raw dog diet meal, get in touch with a local butcher to buy ground turkey. Make a bowl each day of 50% raw ground turkey and some wet oats. Then juice some vegetables like swiss chard and carrots and add the resulting juice to the mix.

Juicing the veggies in your raw dog diet assists your dog digest the enzymes they contain. The carrots will supply your dog with calcium, potassium, and vitamins A, B C, D, and E. Apples are a good source of vitamin C and greens supply chlorophyll and vitamins A and C.

Certain vegetables possess healing properties, therefore, you may want to consider including them in your raw dog diet mixture. For example, kale can help remedy digestive problems. Mustard greens and watercress assist in cleansing the intestines. Celery has a number of advantages including help with blood flow, chemical imbalances, and it is also a natural diuretic. Parsley helps the thyroid and metabolism. Beets offer manganese and copper, making them great for the blood.

A few foods you should avoid including in your raw dog diet include turnips, cabbage, and broccoli since they create intestinal gas. Potatoes, cucumbers, and onions are not digested well by dogs.

Flaxseed is another excellent ingredient to add to the raw dog diet because it provides your dog with 3 fatty acids and omega 6, which will encourage a healthy coat and healthy joints.

The raw dog diet can battle several health issues. This natural raw diet lets your dog eat the foods that nature had originally intended. The raw diet also lets you know exactly what your dog is eating without having to read another commercial dog food label. The raw dog diet is healthy and is an excellent quality food for your dog.