What is Raw Dog Food: The Guide

Raw food is exactly what it sounds like; a diet made up of raw meats and other foods to give to our canine companions. Many fruits and vegetables are more nutritionally beneficial when eaten raw. Cooking ingredients in high heat destroys many of the heat-sensitive vitamins and minerals.

It’s thought that feeding raw saves many of the nutrients from being destroyed in the processing of the food. Many owners like to see exactly what is in the raw food they buy. The first thing you see in a raw diet is the meat content and if you feed a diet with carrots in there will also be flecks of orange. It’s comforting to see exactly what we’re feeding our pets even though many complete dry foods are highly nutritious too.

Raw diets consist of mostly protein with muscle meat and organ meat making up to 80% of the food. The rest is split between fruits, vegetables and some bone content for calcium. The biggest comfort to most pup parents usually comes from how easy it is to read the ingredients and how short that list usually is.

Raw and Simple Beef Mince Raw Dog Food, for example, contains 80% beef, 10% offal and 10% bone so you're guaranteed a single source of protein instead of derivatives from different animals. This ratio of meat to bone and offal offers your canine a balanced diet - just add dog-safe fruit and vegetables! The high protein content is extremely palatable and can even appeal to fussy eaters who can be picky with other diets.     

Giving your pooch a meal with such a high protein content can be beneficial. A study found that 94% of 218 dog owners feeding a raw diet believed their pets had shinier coats, gained muscle mass and had cleaner teeth as a direct result of raw feeding.

If you are making a DIY raw menu for your pup, you need to know what is good for them and what to avoid so you don’t include any harmful foods in their diet by mistake.

The biggest argument against feeding raw is the potential contamination of the meat. When dry and wet food diets are cooked, the heat kills some beneficial nutrients, but it also destroys any potential bacteria and parasites. One of the biggest concerns is salmonella because our beloved family pets can also pass it along to us. As part of a study, a raw chicken diet that contained salmonella was fed to a group of dogs. 16 dogs were fed the contaminated meat, none of which showed any sign of illness but 7 of those dogs shed it in their faecal matter for 1 to 7 days after feeding.

The risk is limited and can impact those with compromised immune systems or families with young children who might play in the grass where their family pet went to the toilet.

Dogs can’t be allergic to all raw food just like they can’t be allergic to all dry or wet diets, however they can be allergic to specific ingredients. One benefit of feeding a raw diet is the ability to know exactly what meat you are feeding your pooch. If they are allergic to chicken, then you can easily avoid any raw diet that contains poultry. Many other types of diets contain different sources of protein so without feeding your pup on hypoallergenic food, you can’t rule out traces of different meats.

Studies have found that feeding your puppy at least 20% of raw food in their diet as they develop makes them less likely to develop allergies later in life.

Raw dog food has a plethora of benefits for our pups. If your pooch has sensitivities or skin allergies, it can be difficult to distinguish what is triggering that, but raw food is much less complex than processed dog foods, so it’s far easier to cut things out.

Pups looking to slim down can also benefit from raw feeding. Raw food is highly digestible meaning there are fewer empty calories available in the diet, so it’s much easier to manage and adjust to help your furry friend lose weight. Older dogs can even be fed raw food, as the uncooked meats and veggies offer plenty of vitamins and minerals to support their immune system, digestive system and keep their muscles and joints healthy.

Picking a doggy diet is an individual choice for every owner, however you may want to consider trialling switching over if you’re concerned about what is in their food. Feeding can offer peace of mind and allow you to understand every ingredient on the list. You know the exact sources of protein available in the diet for any dogs sensitive to certain meats and you can offer them a highly digestible and tasty meal that is natural to them.

Raw diets help to keep teeth clean along with the added benefit of much less mess to clean up. Due to the digestibility of raw food, there is very little waste so owners tend to notice that their pets leave them fewer gifts to pick up in the garden!

Given the cost-of-living crisis, many parents might be looking for ways to save money when it comes to pet care, and raw food may not be the cheapest option for that. There are many other diets that are considered more cost-effective, however given the nutritional value of a raw diet, you may very well be saving money on vet bills in the future given the health benefits it offers. There’s also less of a need to buy additional supplements or treats as a raw diet can fulfil all your pet's needs in their meals.

If you were to buy your pup the Natures Menu Country Hunter Rabbit Nuggets, which costs £7.49, it would last a number of days depending on the size of your pooch. For a 5kg pup, they would need about 15 nuggets a day. With around 58 nuggets per bag, this would cover 3.8 days of meals for your pup. That means the cost of feeding your 5kg dog per day would amount to just £1.94 per day.

You can buy dry food for cheaper, however given the benefits of raw feeding you can still introduce it into their diet without it being their entire diet. Even by feeding as little as 20% of their diet as raw, you can still boost their immune system.

Remember! Value for money is key. Taking the cheapest option isn’t always the best way to save money long-term.

Many parents are opting to feed for freshness and the physical benefits of seeing their pups with shinier coats, brighter teeth and nice, clear eyes. If you’re looking to introduce raw feeding to your beloved family pet, take a look out at our wide range of raw food available in-store and online.