Can Dogs Eat Raw Meat Dog Food?

Raw meat dog food Can dogs eat raw meat dog food?

Answer: Yes, but is it good for them?

That cute little dog asleep on your lap as you watch TV, that big-ol Great Dane lumbering across your back yard, are both related to and evolved from the same ancestral descendants, 40 million years ago.

Through selective breeding, man achieved a multi colored, multi sized cornucopia of modern dogs. And every one of the crazy mix of modern dog breeds has one common relative – the wolf.

And because a modern dog’s biology is 40 million years in the making through natural selection, their biology has remained constant. And this means that a dog’s natural species appropriate diet is based on meat, bone, offal (the internal organs) and small amounts of vegetable matter.

Dogs are essentially, domesticated carnivores. The design of their teeth, their hinging jaw, their short digestive tract and their low stomach acid PH all point to one thing: dogs chase down, rip flesh from the bone, swallow in chunks, digest rapidly using powerful digestive acids. They quickly distribute the digested food throughout the body via a short digestive tract and finally defecate the hardened pellet like waste – containing mostly inedible outer bone – via a scent gland adjacent to the anus opening – their calling card.

At least dogs used to eat this way until we domesticated them. And  today – their close cousins – the Fox, Dingo, Coyote and the Painted dogs of Africa still live this way.

If Dogs Are Meat Eaters – Why Feed Kibble and Canned Food?

 

The first thing to take into account is the ability of food to either be good for a dog or bad for them.

Food cannot be neutral.

dog looking at bowl of kibble with sad face as what he really wants is raw meat on the boneOne of the most unnatural aspects of the way we feed our dogs today is that we cook the dog food raw meat they consume. This is true of canned and bagged products, in addition to other processes, not the least of which is the use of preservatives. The result of all this cooking is a gradual breakdown of a dog’s natural immune system, which is vital to their longevity and quality of life.

Man has domesticated dogs for only the past fourteen thousand years or so, a mere fraction of the backlog of canine DNA, and therefore a virtual spit in the ocean when it comes to any attempt to alter the natural order of things. And of that, only in the last 70 years or so have humans taken to actually cooking the meat we feed our dogs, which is the case with commercial dog food products.

On the other hand, nature has a way of providing its creatures with what they need. With animals that are notSpaniel eats his raw food diet living in a world of veterinarians and vitamins and disinfectants, protection comes in the form of natural food. A raw dog food diet of meat on the bone is the foundation of a strong immune system, which becomes a natural barrier to disease.

Are Dogs Better Off Eating a Raw Meat Dog Food Diet?

Dogs haven’t survived in the wild for millions of years by luck or by accident, and they’ve done it without a bag of dog food in sight. It makes sense, then, by returning to a natural diet we are providing our dogs with nature’s blueprint for their immune system and the fulfillment of their genetic potential.

It’s all about the food you feed them, and if you love your dog as much as I love mine, you’ll take a good hard look at their diet and, perhaps, see the truth for the first time.

The science of human nutrition is all about the immune system, and your dog’s need for a strong immune system is no less critical to their health and survival. The cellular chemistry is really very similar – a natural mechanism allows the body to respond to the presence of toxins, bacteria and infection. When we interfere with that immune system, which is precisely what messing around with a natural diet does, we compromise it.

In humans, a diet rich in so-called junk foods is the enemy of a strong immune system, since it creates an imbalance of sugars and introduces preservatives into the system. In commercial dog food, manufacturers claim to enrich their products with antioxidants, the implication of which it helps the animal fight off disease, especially problems with gums and digestion.

dog operation at the vetAnd yet, these two specific areas are the cause of perhaps millions of domestic canine deaths. This is heartbreaking, because something as simple and easy as putting the dog back onto a raw meat dog food diet, which has millions of years of successful testing behind it, might be all that it takes to reverse these problems.

It is interesting to observe that the people who know, the professionals who care for wolves in captivity in our zoos, don’t feed these animals anything other than raw meat still on the bone from raw meat dog food suppliers. While they certainly rely on veterinary science and the occasional supplement to ensure optimal health, the foundation of the dietary regimen remains, as it has for forty million years, the flesh of other animals.

If a Natural Diet is so Important, Why Aren’t We Told About it?

Because the giant food corporations run the food industry, controlling food production and distribution.Dog kibble They also control food waste collection which is an immense industry by itself. And instead of throwing the waste away, they re-purpose it for pet food; remember there’s no law against this. And to make the food palatable, they use a laundry list of synthetic additives to preserve, color, create taste and so on.

So this waste food is only edible by chemical deception. The trick for dog food company chemistry labs, is to fool dogs into eating chemically enhanced waste they would never eat had it not been tampered with.

With so much profit from selling cheap waste in cans and packets, the pet food giants set about controlling the target demographic; you and your dog. They do this with convincing advertising, sponsorship of veterinary universities and close links to the veterinary medical board.

Because no one told us the facts as they really stand from an independent objective driven perspective. What we were told by adverts, experts or government regulation is only a small part of the story. Remember that unlike the food you eat, there’s very little government regulation of pet food quality. The USDA doesn’t control it, nor does the FDA or the AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials).

Not one of these agencies watches over what private pet food manufacturers put in their products. Therefore they can put what they like in pet food… as long as it’s dirt cheap!

Over several generations – 30 to 40 years, we consumers have lost any idea of what constitutes high quality food for our dogs. We simply buy what we are told to buy.

Now I Know the Truth, What Do I do?

Remember how scientists, doctors, and nutritionists are always telling us to stay away from processed foods because they are unhealthy for us?

little girl and her Golden retrieverWe as adults are responsible for our kid’s diet and do our best to feed them a wholesome diet for good health. The same goes for your dog; he or she is a part of the family and needs the same attention to diet for good health.

The only available natural diet choice, the one dogs are biologically predisposed to eat and thrive on, is to switch your dogs diet to one based around raw food for best medicinal and immune system support. If you want a complete guide on how to begin, check out my book Real Food For Dogs.

My mission is to help you and your dog live happy, healthy and long lives.

Be kind to your dog, feed a simple balanced natural diet and you will get in return, a super healthy happy dog, peace of mind and save a fortune in vet costs.

About Dan

Dan is an experienced dog nutrition and home remedy specialist, helping pet parents heal chronic dog health problems with healthier kibble, home cooked and raw food diets and using effective, safer natural home remedies for a healthier, happier and longer lived dog.

Comments

  1. Jean Barnes says

    Where do I find raw meat for my dog that the animal was not fed genetically altered food?

  2. Hi Jean, Either local stores or online meat suppliers that use only organic-grass fed animals. If the meat is certified organic then you can be pretty sure it’s never been raised using genetically altered food.

  3. Hi Dan,

    Checking in from Melbourne, Australia. Chuffed I’ve found your website after doing much research on canine diets – particularly for arthritic dogs. Hallelujah!

    I have a 10.5yo german shepherd, weighing 54kgs (120 pounds). So we’re starting a little late here unfortunately – but he’s eaten plenty of raw in his time, but mixed along with canned food, those better quality meat rolls for dogs, and dry stuff.

    He’s slowing down with his arthritis now and I’m seeking some further diet advice to assist.

    Obviously you completely advocate raw food, but is this all he needs given his condition? Can he do away with kibble (including “senior” dry food) altogether? I also read that eggs, tinned salmon and fish oils for omega3, and other vegetables (even yoghurt and cottage cheese) are beneficial, but there’s so much information out there, hard to succinct down and map out a game plan!

    Can you advise on what foods the old boy should be eating over the course of a week to ease those sore joints? Is it just raw meat and bones, period?

    Many thanks in advance,
    David

  4. Hi Dave, sorry for coming back to so late on this question. Just arrived home from Melbourn yesterday by the way – lovely city.

    Simple answer is feed him 100% raw food be it meat, bone or veg (crush/mash the veg). You can jump around all over the net and get different answers but the bottom line is that raw food is benign, works in synergy with your dogs body and gets you the best results period. If the meat is not grass fed use some fish or krill oil. For probiotics, raw green tripe is wonder food thats perfectly balanced and will help out the arthritis. Raw eggs are fine too. Two thirds meat, quarter meats on the bone, tenth organs and twentieth veg.

    Drop any kibbles or other cooked food as it’s in conflict enzyme wise with the raw food and creates imbalance.

    Hope that helps, Dan.

  5. You mean that little terrier Silky that sleeps next to me has some wolf in him? Actually, that doesn’t surprise me because he is fearless. He will challenge dogs of any size. A lot of small toy dogs have that big heart / bark aspect to their personality. It is endearing.

  6. Hi Lacey, yes Silky is all wolf lol. Seriously though our pet dogs still retain their wild nature and especially their digestive needs for fresh raw food. Fast food in cans and bags can never replace great health.

  7. I have never thought that raw meat was good for any animal, human or otherwise. But people seem to eat it all the time any way. You have a great post here and I hope that the word spreads with people sharing this post. Keep up the good work you have a great post here and I hope that you will post more information like this in the future.

  8. This is an issue that has theological ramification. Yes, dogs are related to wolves and for centuries, wolves have been carnivorous predators. Those who believe in evolution will tell you that is the way it has been since life evolved into warm blooded animals. However, those who believe in creation also believe that animals were not intended to be carnivores. The Bible talks about how in the new world, under God’s reign, the lion will eat straw along side the bull.

  9. I buy that Purina One dog food that has actual piece of chicken or beef of lamb in it for my dogs, it still has some kibbles in it as well is that something I shouldn’t be feeding them or is that one that is fairly decent? I don’t think it has very many vegetables in it at all but if dogs are carnivores mainly then they really don’t need that do they?

  10. Honestly John, you must start thinking about getting some fresh food into your dog. Only fresh food boosts their immune system. Canned and kibble pet food is barely adequate nutrition and a drag on the immune system which evntually leads to it’s weakening and the influx of disease, vets, drugs, bills and heartache.

  11. Hi Marcus, I’ll stick with natural law, it’s immutable and unbreakable. If a dogs body is intended to be fed meat, bone, offal with perhaps a little vegetation then that is by obsevation what a dog eats. I won’t theorize, interlectualize or pontificate over it, i’ll feed what the dog – or lion – is best suited to and it aint straw… or kibble!

  12. Thanks Gerald, yes raw meat is the food canines evolved to eat over 40 million years.

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