Why a natural raw food diet for my dog or cat instead of corn, cereals and/or grains? Because your dog isn’t a pig!!!
🐶 Your dog isn't a pig? 🐷
In terms of nutritional needs, I'll clarify. 🙂
Obviously, you might ask, what's the connection...?
🤨 Here's a short (long) text in response to the True or False question: Is the dog a carnivore like the wolf or an omnivore like the pig?
Here are my thoughts on the subject:
Thousands of years ago, Hippocrates, considered the father of medicine, made the following statement: let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.
Nowadays, more and more studies demonstrate the importance of nutrition for health. At the same time, we can observe a multitude of health issues in our pets. In dogs and cats, skin issues, allergies, joint issues, digestive issues, and cancer are widespread.
Many will claim that these issues have a genetic origin, that they’re due to inbreeding and defects, but not everything can be linked to genetics.
In most health issues, there are genetic factors, but also environmental factors such as diet, which should not be underestimated.
Considering these facts, for the well-being of our faithful companions, it’s important to take a critical look at the food we give them.
Although dogs have evolved differently from their cousins, the wolves (in various characteristics such as appearance and behaviour), their digestive systems remain remarkably similar and exhibit all the hallmarks of a carnivore. For example, dogs have sharp back teeth, unlike the flat molars of omnivores, prominent canines, a chewing motion that remains vertical rather than lateral like omnivores, an absence or very low presence of amylase in their saliva (amylase is the enzyme that aids in the digestion of starch in grains in omnivores), a stomach with highly acidic contents (which provides excellent protection against bacteria), and a short intestine that doesn't allow for optimal digestion of plant matter. All these factors confirm that dogs are indeed carnivores. A digestive system doesn't lie!
By definition, a carnivore's diet must consist primarily of animal-based foods. Indeed, its digestive system is designed to optimize the use of nutrients such as protein and fat from these foods. A dog's digestive system is designed to efficiently transform these nutrients into energy, tissues, enzymes, antibodies, and so on. Unlike animal-based foods, plant-based foods contain a low proportion of protein and fat, in favour of a significant amount of carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are practically nonexistent in animal-based foods.
Considering these observations, we should take a critical look at the diet of our dogs and cats. What does their diet consist of? Meat, offal, and bones, or grains and cereals? Animal or plant-based?
Reading the list of ingredients on the container of food served to your pet is a key element of this process.
What are the first 5 ingredients in the food you give them? Animal or plant-based?
The science of nutrition is complex; now that you know that dogs and cats have a carnivorous digestive system and that their diet should consist mainly of animal-based foods, let's take a look at the quality of the animal proteins and fats we give them.
The task isn’t easy; the ingredient list is difficult to interpret meat, animal meal, meat by-products, the quality varies depending on the ingredients used. For example, a mixture of chicken feathers, beaks, and feet has a very high protein content, but its use by the animal will be very limited due to its low digestibility. Depending on the classification system used, animal-derived feed can contain meat from slaughterhouses, but also feed from rendering plants. In some cases, low-quality animal-derived feed may contain animals that were sick, injured during slaughter, euthanized, or died before slaughter.
A serious analysis of the origin and understanding of the ingredients you serve your dog is therefore also a key element in the process towards a healthier and more natural diet.
Finally, although it has advantages such as ease of storage, transport and handling, the manufacture of kibble requires a cooking process that destroys and denatures several nutrients, such as protein, fats and vitamins.
The digestive system of dogs and cats is designed to digest raw animal protein more efficiently than cooked protein, such as that found in kibble. This principle led to the development of raw food diets for dogs and cats, often called BARF (Biologically Appropriate Raw Food).
Aware of the health issues that have plagued dogs since the advent of kibble, veterinarians Ian Billinghurst and Tom Lonsdale are the principal founders of this feeding philosophy. At its core, this diet consists of fresh ingredients, in a specific proportion of meat, bones, offal, and vegetables, to provide a balanced and as natural a diet as possible for the dog. Meat provides protein and fat, bones supply minerals, collagen, and support healthy digestion, offal is an excellent source of vitamins and minerals, and vegetables, in small quantities, provide fibre, minerals, and vitamins. Bones also help maintain clean teeth free from tartar buildup. Furthermore, it goes without saying that the quality and proportions of the ingredients in this type of diet are also of great importance. Inedible meats, or ingredients in excessive or insufficient quantities, can also cause health issues and deficiencies in your pet. It’s important to carefully choose the food or mix you give your dog.
In conclusion, a healthy diet that closely resembles their carnivorous nature is essential for the health of your dog and cat. Good energy levels, a shiny coat, the absence of ear infections or itching, good muscle tone, a healthy weight, clean teeth, fresh breath, and a strong immune system are all benefits you'll observe in a well-fed dog. Finally, by providing your dog with a healthy and balanced diet, you'll also get the added bonus of firm stools in smaller quantities—what more could you ask for?!
❤️ Karine Simard, agronomist, M.Sc.
Expert consultant in canine nutrition
Parent-dog of 3 Portuguese water dogs
A raw food enthusiast for 25 years
P.S.: If you're interested in this topic and would like to learn more, I offer comprehensive canine nutrition training to help dog owners choose the best food for their dog.
