Dogs and cats in the wild require no health care. They eat primarily meat, get plenty of exercise and when they're tired they sleep. Dog and cats in captivity usually eat a modification of the Standard American Diet (SAD) diet; they get similar diseases as humans--even diabetes and cancer--and require expensive health care.
Cheap commercial pet foods are not natural. You wouldn't see a leopard, wolf or a coyote chowing down on a pile of dried nuggets of corn, grains, and animal byproducts. Yet we give our dogs and cats such cheap foods with added preservatives and artificial coloring. Many people have turned to a raw diet for their pets because their pets have allergic reactions to the cheap commercial foods. Dogs and cats don't have a digestive system that can digest grains properly. Grains are often the source of the allergies that produce skin problems.
Raw Food Diets
A raw food diet is more work than scooping kibble into a bowl, but it can be very economical. You can feed your pet any meat that is plentiful (and cheap) in your area. It's best to avoid the commercial meats that are filled with growth hormones and antibiotics. For that matter, humans shouldn't be eating those meats either. Click the link in this paragraph for much more information on this important subject.
Here are the benefits of a raw diet reported by owners and breeders:
- no doggy odour
- naturally cleans teeth - no need for toothbrushes, de-scaling jobs, or gum disease
- the time it takes for a dog to chew a raw meaty bones give their stomach adequate time to get the acids moving
- much less stools produced - and they are firm, and turn chalky after a couple of days
- decreased or non-existant vet bills (your dogs are healthier!)
- less cost for dog food - commercial dog foods are ludicriously expensive
- puppies develop at a more appropriate rate - and quick growth spurts are avoided. A GOOD breeder will want to stop fast growth in any pup.
- the ripping and chewing involved in eating raw meaty bones develops the jaw, neck, and shoulder muscles of the dog. Commercial dog foods will never assist in this important muscle development.
- dogs who were previously un-energetic, and sluggish become completely new dogs once the raw diet feeding begins
- allergies their dogs previously had on commercial foods, disappear once they start with the raw diet
- arthritis has significantly reduced or disappeared in some dogs switched to raw
- better weight control
- dogs live longer on a raw diet than what their other dogs previously had survived on commercial dog foods
- that their bitches managed their pregnancies better
- better weight and survival figures in puppies
"Raw" Commercial Foods
For busy people who haven't the time to fuss with a raw diet, there are excellent natural pet foods that strive to provide a near-natural diet with almost all the benefits of a raw diet.
Here is a list of excellent near-natural pet foods:
- Innova http://www.innovapet.com/
- EVO http://www.evopet.com/
- California Natural http://www.californianaturalpet.com/
- Healthwise http://www.healthwisepetfood.com/
- Mother Nature - natural dog biscuits http://www.mothernaturepet.com/
- Karma Organic Food for Dogs http://www.karmaorganicpet.com/
Still, if you want to treat your pets like family members, learn to feed them naturally using raw foods. They'll be a happier and more enjoyable companion to you for a longer period of time.
