Dog Nutrition Facts: The Truth About Raw Dog

Why Raw Food is Good for Your Dog

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We all know how much our health is dependent on what we eat, but we don’t often think on the same lines when it comes to the diet of our beloved pets. Remember that what your dog eats influences its health and longevity. And it’s up to us dog owners to provide what they need for living a healthy and contented life.



Dogs are carnivores by nature, and eating raw food is natural to them. That’s what nature expects of the canine species. As a matter of fact, the commercial dog food we feed our dogs was invented just some hundred years ago. It is quite obvious that dogs are not meant to eat kibble; it’s just a convenient way for us to meet their nutritional needs. If you’re not convinced, just look at the teeth in your dog’s mouth.

Dogs have long, pointy canines designed for tearing the flesh of their prey. Even their molars have sharp points designed for crushing bones and grinding meat, unlike the flat molars of herbivores designed for chewing grass and other soft plant matter.

How to give your dog raw diet

It is not difficult to provide a raw diet to the dog. It just involves feeding raw meat to the dog, including both organ meat and bones. Everything is fed raw, without any cooking. Food supplements can be added to the diet, not because they are necessary, but as an additional nutritional support. They can be of some benefit to the dog, just like food supplements are to us.

The benefits of raw diet

When you feed a raw diet to your dog, healthier and longer life is one of the benefits to the dog, while reduced vet bills is a tangible benefit you will enjoy.

You will notice a definite change in the physical well being of the dog on switching to raw diet. Softer and glossier coat with enhanced color and texture is immediately noticeable. The dog sheds much less owing to the increased skin and fur health. The eyes become brighter with well-defined irises. You may notice a significant reduction in the ‘doggie smell’ that is partly caused by the food additives in the commercial dog foods. The dog may not need to be bathed as frequently as before except, of course, when it gets into some mess.

Raw diet is excellent for coat health and for reducing odor, but that’s not all. It is good for dental health too. The teeth of dogs eating raw food are cleaner and whiter, and their breath is fresher, even though it may sound counterintuitive. When the dog crushes and chews the bone and the meat, the food rubs the teeth and the gums clean.

Kibble versus Raw food

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When the dog eats the kibble, it crumbles easily in the mouth and only limited chewing is needed. The sticky material gets deposited on the teeth as well as in the spaces in between. These food particles decay in the mouth, causing bad breath. The eventual tartar buildup requires you to take the dog to the veterinarian for frequent dental cleanups. The raw diet leaves no residue on the teeth; hence no tartar formation and no need for dental cleanup at the vet.




We can see that when the dog gets what nature intended for it, it works out to be best for the dog and its health. Kibble is a poor substitute because it cannot match the nutritional needs of the dog that has evolved over millennia. Even though dogs have adapted to their life with the humans to a great extent, they are still carnivores like the wolves, their ancestors. Their digestive system as well as their dentition is capable of eating and digesting meat, including organs and bones.

There’s nothing better for optimal health than species-appropriate diet, and, in the case of dogs, it is raw meat. Shift your dog’s diet from kibble to real food. Feed it raw food and see the benefits for yourself.