Raw Dog Food Diet

There is so much conflicting information around about what you should feed your dog. Should you go raw? Find out more information including the advantages and disadvantages of feeding your dog this way.

Ever since he was a puppy, Luigi was a dog with allergies. He was very itchy and uncomfortable - and we found switching to a grain free food and wheat free dog treats made a big difference.

When we heard about the BARF or raw meaty bones diet we did a lot of research to see if it would be a good thing for him to try. Here is what we discovered:

Understand the Raw Dog Food Diet

There is a lot of argument about what is the best diets for dogs. Some people say that it is more natural to feed them raw meat as it would get in the wild. Cooking can destroy nutrients so raw meat has more proteins, minerals and vitamins.

Even people who agree that the BARF diet is good for dogs, still disagree about whether such a diet should be supplemented with vitamins, fruits or vegetables.

At the simplest end of the diet are people who feed their dogs on raw meat and bones (the Raw Meaty Bones Diet). Meat can easily be purchased from supermarkets or butchers - and this makes it very cheap and convenient.

It is important to understand that you must not give your dog cooked bones - they become brittle and can splinter.

Other people work very hard to give their dogs a more balanced diet - and add vitamins, vegetables and fruits in specific proportions. They either use raw dog food recipes to make up a nutritional mix - or purchase the food from a supplier. This normally arrives frozen in batches that you defrost before feeding your dog. You do need to check your supplier is adding only the best ingredients - for example the meat they use should be 'human grade'. This was the route we decided to take with Luigi. We found that this was more expensive than feeding bones - but a cheaper method than buying 'hypoallergenic' dog food.

If you feed 'soft' or pre-packaged raw meat, then it is important to still sometimes give your dog a bone. This will keep his teeth strong and healthy.

Whichever way you decide to go, a raw dog food diet is much healthier for a dog than feeding kibble or other cheap pet foods. Many manufactured foods contain preservatives, additives and other nasties that are bad for your dogs health. Most of them are filled with wheat and corn that cause dog food allergies.

Is it safe to feed a dog raw food?

Advantages of Raw Food Diets

We found that switching to this type of feeding made a big difference to Luigi. His coat is healthier and he has more energy. His allergies have now almost gone (with only occasional flare ups).

We are not 'die-hard' raw diet feeders - we still make our dogs lots of healthy dog treats. Also - because we buy a pre-packed form of ground raw meat we do sometimes cook this up for them. They like it if they are feeling a little off their food and I think it makes a nice change for them.

Dog Raw Food Diet Problems

Bottom Line

We have found this type of diet works well for our dogs. They enjoy it and are much healthier with it. But let your dog guide you. If he responds with a shiny coat, bright eyes and lots of energy, then it would seem to work well for you. If your dog gets vomiting or diarrhea, or has some type of meat allergy, then find an alternative diet that suits him.

Find out more about the Raw Dog Food Diet

Here are some sites we looked at when we were trying to decide if this diet was right for our dog.

I hope you find the raw dog food diet interesting - especially if your dog has allergies - and are inspired to find out more about it.

Does your dog have allergies? What treatments and diets have you tried? Have they been successful? Share your Dogs with Allergies story now!

Go to Wheat Free Dog Treats from Raw Dog Food Diet

Go to Crazycrumb Dog Treats Home from Raw Dog Food Diet