Why Raw?

Why raw you ask, a good place to start is going back to the dog’s roots. Dogs descended from wolves who are carnivores. In the wild wolves/wild dogs had to hunt, scavenge to find food. Dogs do not have a lot of motion in their jaws. Dog’s jaws move only up and down a hinge because they are gulpers; they’re not chewers. All of their teeth have sharp edges for ripping and tearing they do not have any flat-surfaced teeth for breaking down foods like starches and carbohydrates which is what kibble is. The pet food industry promotes biologically inappropriate, “feed-grade” foods that are loaded with synthetic vitamins to meet minimum nutrition standards. They believe that the cheaper the ingredients, the bigger the profit margin. These industry players are more invested in how much money they’re going to make — they do not have your pet’s best interests in mind. 

The many benefits include…

1. Smaller and firmer stools: because the dog is absorbing more nutrients from the raw food source. A bonus to this is the poop turns into dust after a very short time and disappears quickly. So yes, less Poop duty!
2. Shinier, Healthier skin and coat: The coats become softer, cleaner with less dander. Reduces itching and allergies as there are far fewer ingredients in this natural diet.
3. Fresher breath & Sparkling white teeth: Raw food will naturally brush your dog’s teeth the bone that is in the diet works as a toothbrush. No more smelly dog breath kisses or crazy vet bills on dental work! 
4. Improved Digestion: dogs have a short, acidic digestive system that is designed to digest food quickly and effectively helping to eliminate the threat of bacteria. When you feed raw meat, bones and organs their digestive system works in sync with the food and does not get worn out over the years by overworking. When we feed cooked meats, grains, fillers commonly found in kibble we are forcing the digestive track to work overtime and take longer to digest food which is unnatural for the dog. This lowers the dog’s immune system allowing allergies, CANCERS, and other illnesses in.
5. Improved Liver and Kidney Function: a dog needs a diet of 70% to 80% water in their diet, a raw diet is 65%-75% water. A kibble diet is only 10% water therefore they need to drink a lot more water to reach the total daily intake. Water helps prevent urinary tract infections, bladder and kidney stones.
6. Fewer joint problems: it is easy to manage the dog’s weight, obesity does not become an issue. 
7. Less likely to have diabetes: there’s no sugar in the raw diet, overall a healthier dog. 

Why we don’t feed kibble!

In the last 100 years, since major pet food companies have been producing the majority of pet foods from the base of corn, wheat, rice, and potato, our carnivorous pets have not been able to adapt to properly digest these foods. The good news is, dogs are resilient, unlike other species. For example Horses; if we force horses to eat meats, bones, and organs, they would simply starve and die. Dogs are some of the most resilient animals on the planet. They can withstand nutritional abuse without dying, that being said degeneration does happen. Because our dogs have not died of starvation, we feel it’s fine that they are consuming inappropriate foods, which have kept them alive. Instead, we’ve created dozens of generations of nutritionally weakened animals that suffer from degenerative diseases linked to nutritional deficiencies that most veterinarians have not acknowledged. It’s very sad when a lot of health issues could be fixed by eating a species-appropriate diet.

Kibble is mainly SUGAR. (example Pedigree is 51% sugar, Kibbles & Bits 41% sugar, Beneful 43% sugar, Natural Balance 54% sugar, Hills Science Diet 56%, Medi Cal 53%) to make kibble stick together they need carbohydrates, carbs are starches which is sugar. GRAIN FREE IS NOT ANY BETTER, NOR ARE VET FOODS, they are WORSE. Many of the food brands are made by the same parent company. Medi Cal and Pedigree for example.

Kibble is the leading cause of cancer, obesity, allergies, diabetes, yeast, itis, joint and ear issues. All these illnesses feed off the sugar in some form. Vet bill central! Kibble is like eating soda crackers or candy before bed and letting it sit on your teeth overnight. This causes major cavities as I’m sure you already know. Toothaches suck and dentist bills suck even more!!!

Some Brands We Recommend

* We are not affiliated, associated, authorized, endorsed by, or in any way officially connected with the brands listed above, or any of their subsidiaries or their affiliates.

Raw Meaty Bones You Say?

Let’s debunk the myth that dogs can’t have bones! Dogs can safely eat bones BUT they need to be RAW not cooked or smoked. A great way to keep your dog from chewing things in your house or help with that pesky puppy teething is a frozen raw meaty bone. Raw meaty bones (RMB) act as a natural toothbrush and floss for dogs. They help with keeping the dog’s teeth clear of tartar build-up. You can find raw meaty bones at local butcher shops or your local raw dog food store.

Some great raw meaty bones we like to use are (but not limited to):

• Turkey necks
• Chicken necks
• Rib bones
• Beef/Lamb necks
• Kangaroo tails
• Pig tails
• Lamb Heads
• Pig Heads
• Pork/Lamb Bones
• Whole chicken carcus
• Beef knuckles

Resources

Here are some links to check out. We love Dr. Karen Becker; she has tons of videos and articles about holistic veterinary practices. She has a Youtube channel as well. 

Links

Dr. Karen Becker

Perfectly Rawsome 
(great for those who want to prepare their own raw dog food)

Raw Fed Dogs

Videos

Why Raw

Common Questions About Raw

Dr. Karen Becker Discusses Raw Food Part #1

Dr. Karen Becker Discusses Raw Food Part #2

Great Video for DIY Meal Prep

Great Video for DIY Meals

Local Raw Food Stores