How To Clean Raw Meat
You may wash or prepare meat using food-grade acidic solutions, which help eliminate bacteria, enhance taste, and tenderise the meat.
Here’s what you can do to clean the meat:
- Food grade sodium hydroxide : This food ingredient is used to remove the skins of fruits and vegetables such as tomatoes and potatoes to avoid mould and bacterial development. It also inhibits bacterial growth on meat surfaces.
- White vinegar: Vinegar is a commonly used acid for cleaning meat. It includes acetic acid, which has been found to decrease bacterial volume and growth on beef, chicken, and duck surfaces.
- Lime or lemon juice: These citrus juices have been proven to decrease germs on meat and maintain the taste of cooked meat, making them beneficial in everyday raw diet cooking.
The Ratio Of Meat Vegetables & Bones
The most well known of the Raw Diets is BARF . This is one of the Ancestral Templates out there, which promotes an;80:10:10;ratio of meat, bones and offal.;
Of the offal, many practitioners tout 5% liver and 5% other offal as an ideal mix. Whilst this is a great template and a sound guideline, it is my humble opinion that it is only that a guideline.
The reason for this is that wolves, as scavengers, will have enjoyed hugely varied diets. Feasting on a wild boar or chasing down a pack of hares, all of these foods are equally valid but enormously different. We also have a seasonal overlay to put on top of this.
For more about BARF and No Veg Raw, head here ;80-10-10 BARF Explained
There are 22 amino acids, of which a dog can make 12 itself . An essential amino acid is one of these which CANNOT be made in the body and needs to be sourced through the diet or supplementation. It is essential in the diet.
How To Choose The Best Raw Diet For Your Dog
With an almost overwhelming number of raw feeding choices, it can seem daunting to find the diet that is right for your dog. There are many styles, formats, and flavours of raw food, each with its own pros and cons.
Start by narrowing down your options. What are your pet’s specific needs? What are you looking for in dog food? After you determine how to support your dog’s health, consider things like price, quantity, and ease of preparation.
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What Foods Are Included In A Raw Diet For Dogs
According to the AVMA, raw food diets for dogs usually include some or all of these things: organ meats such as liver or kidney; muscle meat ; whole or ground bones; raw eggs; fresh fruits and/or vegetables; and some dairy products such as unpasteurized yogurt or milk. None of this food is cooked before you feed it to your dog.
Note that some fruits and vegetables like grapes and raisins are toxic to dogs, and should be avoided as part of any dietincluding a raw food diet. There is also a risk involved with feeding your dog any raw animal products, as they can present a risk for bacteria like Salmonella or E. coli.
There are a variety of raw food diets, each touting a slightly different combination of foods. Some of the types you may have heard of: the Biologically Appropriate Raw Food diet, the Prey Model Raw diet, and the Ketogenic Raw Food diet.;
How Much Raw Dog Food Should You Feed To Your Pet
No matter what you feed your dog, you need to consider a lot of factors to know how much raw food you can give him or her.
So theres no general number that can be provided or applied to all dogs.
But you have different options to figure out the quantity of raw dog food to feed your pet. Either or using the body weight percentage of your pooch.
Body Weight Percentage Method
This option is used, not only by those experienced raw feeders but also by new owners trying this diet. Its simple and also the most often way recommended for newbies, to begin with. But how does it work? Is there a formula?
Calculate the amount of raw food to give your dog by feeding him or her about 2 to 3 percent of your dogs ideal body weight every single day.
Lets say your dogs ideal weight is 20 lbs. He or she would then need about 0.6 to 0.9 lbs or raw dog food.
Never rely on the current weight of your dog as it can cause significant gain weight.
The goal here is to improve the overall health of your pet and reach a target weight. If you need help in determining all the exact numbers, bring your canine to the vet.
But remember, not one dog is conditioned like the dog thats in perfect health. Factors such as the dogs activity level, if he or she is too thin or overweight, or maybe obese, then adjustments have to be made.
The Caloric Approach
Although some experts would choose this method, it can be confusing.
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What Is Raw Dog Food
I think we all understand the core concept here – uncooked or raw food. However, its more than just raw ingredients. Its the idea of feeding your pet the way their ancestors ate. The way that they are anatomically designed to eat.
Domesticated or not, dogs are full of carnivore traits. From teeth to tail, they are built for digesting animal flesh and bone.
Its a common misunderstanding that raw food is just meat. Thats a large part of it, but a raw dog food diet must contain all of their essential nutrients, so muscle meat, organs, bones, and even a little vegetation may be required to help them thrive.
You cant feed your dog a raw steak and call it a day; you have to ensure that the diet is nutritionally balanced. Incomplete or unbalanced diets can cause lifelong problems from deficiencies or malnutrition.
In this guide, well cover everything you need to know about feeding your dog raw food. You can select any of the following to jump to a specific section:
What Are Raw Diets For Dogs
A raw diet usually consists of muscle meats, organ meats, vegetables, raw eggs and dairy products like fresh yoghurt.;
It is critical to provide our dogs with a complete and balanced diet to help their immune systems develop. In addition, the nutrition found in raw diets has the extra advantage of being readily digestible for your dog.
For example, your pet will have better stools and will defecate less frequently once it has entirely switched to a raw diet. This might happen as seldom as every two days.;;
This particular diet is most appropriate for dogs as it resembles what their ancestors ate in the wild. However, in the wilderness, the meat is immediately eaten as soon as the prey is caught.
In this day and age, our dogs get their meat from stores or supermarkets. Hence, there is a higher probability of being exposed to bacteria that can be harmful to both your pet and you.
Due to this, cleaning the raw meat before feeding is essential when starting a raw diet.
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What Are The Potential Risks Of A Raw Dog Food Diet
Those who prefer manufactured dog food claim that the benefits listed above do not outweigh the following risks of raw food diets, such as:
- An unbalanced diet may damage the health of dogs if given for an extended period.
- The threat of pooches not receiving enough calcium and phosphorus, essential for bone health.
- Receiving too much Vitamin A by eating too much liver that can lead to Vitamin A toxicity.
- Potential for whole bones to choke the dog, break teeth, or cause an internal puncture.
- Threats to human and dog health from bacteria in raw meat.
Researchers in favor of raw food diets argue that while bacteria exposure is a risk, E. coli is also found in commercially processed foods. This leaves it up to pet parents and their judgment on what is best for their dog.
Pros And Cons Of A Raw Food Diet For Dogs
Discover the pros and cons of a raw food diet for dogs. Eating raw foods mimics a dogs natural diet in the wild. Many believe a raw diet is a natural way to ensure a dog’s optimal health. While there are clear advantages, there are also disadvantages that you must understand before making the switch.
Dogs have a stronger stomach than humans.Bacterial infections from raw meat are extremely uncommon. The raw fooddiet is safe for animals because of their powerful stomach acids.
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Dogs Are Scavenging Carnivores
Even though dogs are technically classified as omnivores, meaning they can survive on both meat and/or plants, their history and bodies tell us a different story. We argue that dogs are scavenging carnivores.
Unlike an obligate carnivore that must eat meat to survive, like cats, scavenging carnivores can adapt to the nutrients around them. They roam for food and eat what is available. Dogs can survive on plant materials and minimal animal protein if they have to, but they will thrive on a meat-rich diet.
Sticking closer to their carnivorous roots can prevent common problems like diabetes, obesity, and other life-threatening diseases linked to inappropriate diets and poor quality ingredients.
Knowing Exactly What Your Dog Is Consuming
Perhaps one of the most obvious advantages of providing your dog with a raw food diet is that you know exactly what your dogs are ingesting. There are no hidden chemicals, such as additives or preservatives, that may be doing your dog more harm than good. Feeding your dog raw food is probably the quickest and easiest way to ensure you know about every ingredient that is passing through your dogs stomach and with this comes peace of mind. You can ensure your dog has only the best!
If your dog ever becomes unwell on a raw-fed diet you will not have to agonize over a long list of ingredients trying to work out what they are and whether they may be the cause. When you are trying to find the right food for your dog, you will also spend less time using trial and error to find products that agree with your dog. With a raw food diet, what you see is what you get and as long as the food is safely stored and prepared it is unlikely that your dog will experience any health-related issues as a consequence of diet once the transition period has passed.
You can also adjust your dogs raw food diet accordingly, for example, giving your dog a raw egg or two to boost their protein levels. However, eggs are rich so you should only feed them to your dog occasionally, perhaps after a particularly long day of walking.
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A Healthy Skin And Coat
About 40% of the protein a pet ingests goes into their coat and skin. A grain-based diet means that they do not have the necessary amount of proteins to grow a healthy and shiny coat. Better nutrition from raw foods implies that there is a minimum to no shedding of your pets hair which results in a shiny and healthy coat.
What Health Risks Are Attributed To A Raw Food Diet
Pointing to a number of studies, the AVMA discourages raw or undercooked meat for dogs because it may contain potentially deadly pathogens that can sicken your pet and may even be transmitted to you and your family. The AVMA also says raw food diets may not be nutritionally balanced ; the diets’ high protein levels may lead to liver or kidney disease. And giving whole bones to dogs comes with a risk of choking, broken teeth, or internal punctures.
The AVMA suggests that you shouldn’t feed dogs raw foods that aren’t cooked, pasteurized, or irradiated to kill bacteria. Avoiding foods like that means your dog’s diet will be safer and minimize the public health risk.
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Raw Food Diets Can Make Your Dog Sick
A number of studies, conducted in a variety of locations, have highlighted the risks associated with feeding a raw food diet.;
Approximately ten years ago, the US Food and Drug Administration conducted a survey of foodborne illness in pet food. In this study, they found that commercially-available raw dog food diets are far more likely to be contaminated with foodborne pathogens than conventional commercial diets. In fact, nearly 10% of raw dog foods tested were positive for Salmonella and over 15% of tested samples were positive for Listeria monocytogenes. These foodborne bacteria are associated with significant gastrointestinal disease, cause vomiting, diarrhoea, and other signs of illness.
A 2018 study conducted in the Netherlands found that 23% of commercial raw diets contained E. coli 0157:H7, which is the strain that has been associated with serious, and even fatal, human illness. Additionally, 80% of raw diets contained antibiotic-resistant E. coli and 20% contained Salmonella.;
Studies have also demonstrated that raw food diets in the UK and European Union may contain Brucella suis. This foodborne illness can cause fever, pain, lethargy, and decreased appetite in infected dogs and can also cause abortion in pregnant females.
Quality Fuel = More Energy
Although many dog owners dont have issues with their pets energy levels, some beloved companions get tuckered out quite easily as they age or as other health concerns encroach. Switching to a raw diet may help increase and stabilize your pets energy level through superior assimilation of high quality nutrients. Primal Pet Foods makes it possible to fuel a happy, healthy, vibrant lifestyle for pets for years to come.
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The Practicalities Of Feeding Raw Dog Food
On the practical side when weighing up raw dog food pros and cons, Sue advises:
“Dog owners need to be sure that they have adequate storage in a suitable freezer and have a low shelf available in the fridge for the defrosted product.
“They need to consider the age of the dog and any illnesses that the dog might have that might mean that there are some varieties that would be more suitable than others and they need to be clear about how to transition across slowly from their old form of feeding to raw.
“The gut has to adapt to a new form of food and this takes a few weeks. Downloading a transition sheet well ahead of time can help owners understand how to do this safely.
And what about storage. How can dog owners prepare adequately?
“This will depend upon their proximity to one of our local stockists as for those who can buy it as they need it then they may not even need a freezer.
“I have a large male GSD who eats a Kilo pack a day, so I have always two defrosted and two in the freezer so I am never caught out by a weekend. For those who prefer to buy online and in bulk then a small freezer will be reasonable even for a very large dog.”
Benefits Of Commercial Raw Dog Food Diets
The raw diet is a very controversial topic in the pet industry right now. Some pet owners feel that our pets’ ancestors ate a raw diet and that it’s best to feed our domesticated animals the same type of food. On the other hand, there are people who believe that raw food can be a house for bacteria and some very dangerous parasites that could make our pets sick.
So which side of the fence should you be on? Is raw food safe? Is it harmful to our dogs? Is it healthy? Is it going to give your pet all the nutrition that they need?
Today, I was able to speak with Mark Sapir, and he is the Chief Marketing Officer at Stella & Chewy’s. Stella & Chewy’s is a company, if you’ve done any research on the topic of raw food, you certainly have heard this name before. They focus on making healthy and safe commercial raw food for our pets. Mark was able to tell me more about the diet, its pros and cons, the benefits of buying a commercial raw diet instead of making your own at home. And we also chatted a little bit about the company’s newest products which is really neat and innovative. It’s actually a kibble, but it’s been rolled in the company’s raw food mix. So it’s a kibble that still offers the benefits of raw, which is something that I think is going to pique the interest of a lot of pet owners.
So without further ado, this is what Mark had to say
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Raw Food For Your Dog
You love your dog from his cold, wet nose to his wagging tail. And feeding him a high-quality diet is arguably the most important step you can take to keep him healthy and ensure he lives life to the fullest. But with so many choices and so many differing opinions how can you decide on the best dog food?
In the past, feeding a dog generally meant lugging home bags of kibble or canned food from the pet store. But most pet owners today agree that dogs arent just pets theyre part of the family. And as they learned about the benefits of the raw diet, some owners began to offer homemade food. Others turned to freeze-dried or dehydrated raw food in hopes of providing the nutritional benefits while minimizing hassle. However, today, an increasing number of pet owners are choosing what is perhaps the most healthful and convenient option: carefully formulated raw food delivered to their homes.