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What is the Raw Diet?

Posted on Feb 15. 2022

I get a lot of questions about Zara's diet. I'll try to break this into a series to try and get as much info as I can into it. This post will be about the basics of the raw diet, the pros and cons, and the reasoning behind why I chose to put Zara on this diet.


Disclaimer: All statements made in this post are my own personal opinions and from my own research.


So what is the raw diet?

According to the AKC, "raw dog food can be homemade, store-bought, freeze-dried, or dehydrated." The diet itself contains organ meats, muscle meat, whole or ground bone, raw eggs, fruits, vegetables, and some dairy products.

Popularity of the raw diet increased after Australian vet Dr. Ian Billinghurst wrote a book called Give Your Dog a Bone on how dogs would thrive on a diet consisting of raw meaty bones and vegetable scraps. However, there are many veterinarians that disagree with this view,


Types of Raw Diet

There are a variety of models on the raw diet. Here's a couple that are two of the most common:

  • B.A.R.F. (Biologically Appropriate Raw Food): a diet that is high in protein, moderate in fat, and has minimal carbohydrates. Contains- muscle meat, raw meaty bones, organ meta, fruits and vegetables, and supplements.

  • PMR (Prey Model); a diet that consists of whole, wild prey animals and does not include plant ingredients

I won't go into too much detail here (linked below), but each model has their own ratios. Your dog's weight will determine how much food they eat per day. Depending on which model you use, it will determine the ratio of ingredients you have in each meal. As for Zara, she is on the B.A.R.F. diet. I'll write another post on exactly what I feed Zara and why later on.


Pros vs. Cons

Previously, there has been no scientific research proving that raw diets are superior to other diets. Rather, the benefits have been stated through word of mouth. Based on my own personal experience, I can attest to these claims. When comparing her to other bullies not on the raw diet, I can see a difference.


What the other dog is eating and what their home environment is may play a factor into this difference. Another factor to consider is the customization you can have with the raw diet, there are so many different options between ingredients which can affect your dog, and every dog is different.

Some of the benefits of a raw diet include:

  • Leaner, more muscle build

  • Cleaner teeth

  • Firmer stool

  • Shinier coat

  • High Energy

In a December 2021 article called "Raw Proof: New Research on Species- Appropriate Diets" from Dogs Naturally Magazine, there currently is a study about species-appropriate diets for dogs. The study is broken into two parts: the first part being whether a raw diet could meet the highest nutritional guidelines for a canine and the second part being whether the diet would be nutritionally adequate.


With the 26 week study, results showed that it IS possible to provide balanced species appropriate (raw) dog foods. After the 26 weeks, each dog was examined and there were no clinical or pathological signs of nutritional deficiency or excess. This is new and exciting and hopefully there will be more studies in the future. The article and the report will be included at the end of this post.

Now it's time for me to play devil's advocate. Like all raw food, there is bacteria. There is even bacteria in commercially processed dog food. The American Veterinary Medical Association advises against the feeding pets meat that hasn't been "subjected to a process to eliminate pathogens" since it can lead to food-borne illnesses that can affect both pets and humans. Although a pet may not be sick, because dogs have immune systems that work well against harmful bacteria, it may be a bigger issue when and if their immune system is compromised. Many vets also advise against the raw diet because there may be deficiencies in nutrients such as calcium or phosphorus.

Why we did the switch

When I first got Zara, she was eating Kirkland Nature's Domain Puppy Kibble. This was the kibble she was on while she was with the breeder. She would eat her kibble here and there and one day, I gave her a can of wet food. Since that moment, she just stopped eating kibble and would only eat wet food. I didn't want to just give her canned wet food for the rest of her life. Not going to lie, it was just awful smelling.


That was when I decided to look at other options. I followed a lot of local breeders in Hawaii and saw some put their dogs on the raw diet. I did some research, found a local raw dog food provider, and asked some questions. I decided to give it a try and since then, there's been no looking back!


Personally, I've seen a difference with her build, coat, and energy compared to other dogs. We get compliments all the time on how shiny her coat is and how muscly she looks. Of course, this is all my opinion, but I can attest to those benefits. I'd suggest any person interested in putting their dog on the raw diet do their research. The quality of the ingredients you use, the supplementation you provide, and the ratios you have are key to ensuring your dog gets all the nutrients they need. As for the bacterial contamination concerns, like human food, handle it with care and in a clean space. Every time I meal prep for Zara, I pretend that I am a Michelin star chef preparing a meal for royalty!


Sources:


Raw Diet Basics


Pros vs. Cons


Study




 
 
 

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