What do vets say about the raw dog food diet?
Kibble has been a highly popular convenience food for dogs all over the world since the 1980’s. It is often seen as the perfect option for pet owners with busy lives.
Over recent years, the availability of complete, natural, and convenient raw dog food, raw puppy food and senior raw dog food has grown rapidly. We believe this reflects a desire by pet parents to include fewer processed foods in their diet, with a focus on health and longevity dietary options.
This healthy approach to human food can now be seen in food for our dogs. Raw dog food includes everything that your dog needs to stay fit and active, using only natural and healthy ingredients which can be easily digested.
This differs from kibble which often includes non-beneficial ingredients, such as carbohydrates (read on for more about this) and artificial preservatives. To make kibble (dry dog food), ingredients are cooked and processed in high-heat, high-pressure environments, which depletes the nutritional value of the ingredients used.
As raw dog food becomes more mainstream, many pet parents are beginning to notice their dogs prefer raw over kibble from a taste perspective too. The wide variety of protein options offered with raw dog food is also an important factor in deciding between raw dog food vs kibble.
“I have noticed more pet parents moving away from equating the value of their pet’s food to how cheap it is. We are getting back to thinking about the value of our pet’s health and happiness, and the environmental impact of highly processed food. This is why I believe raw foods are so important in the pet wellness industry.” Dr Brendan Clarke, BVetMed VetMFHom MRCVS
Why should you choose raw feeding?
Explore The Benefits Of Raw Dog FoodRaw dog food vs kibble: how do they compare?
The raw dog food vs kibble debate has led many to ask the question “is raw dog food better than kibble?” The best way to answer this question is to break it down into 3 key areas; nutritional content, the presence of carbohydrates and quality of the ingredients used.
Nutritional content of raw food v kibble
While raw food is full of easily digestible nutrients, kibble has many vital nutrients destroyed in its processing, removing some of the goodness that dogs are able to absorb.
In terms of canine nutrition, raw dog food contains natural vitamins, minerals and amino acids. Kibble is processed at high temperatures, which results in the loss of these vital nutrients. The only option is to then add them back in, in synthetic form.
The enzymes that aid digestion in raw food are destroyed by the processing of kibble and cannot be replaced, as well as the natural proteins being denatured.
The bioavailability of raw dog food (1) makes it more nutritionally dense than kibble, allowing dogs to absorb everything that they need in the ways that they would naturally eat if left to choose.
Carbohydrates
As with human foods, carbohydrates are often an inexpensive way to chemically add calories to a diet without accounting for how the body deals with these materials it is not naturally designed to digest.
Dogs have no biological or nutritional need for carbohydrates (2), as they are designed to utilise proteins and fats. As facultative carnivores, they also have limited ability to digest carbohydrates in comparison to humans, meaning they process these into sugar that they simply don’t need, which is then linked to issues such as obesity, pancreatitis and diabetes (3) as well as inflammatory (4) conditions such as arthritis, immune mediated disease (5) and some even report cancer.
Instead, a raw dog food diet is able to provide dogs with everything that they need, while being 100% free from fillers, gluten and grains. Diets high in ingredients dogs struggle to digest can contribute to constipation in dogs, and diarrhoea in dogs. Excessive use of carbs and fillers in processed kibble can result in obesity in dogs.
Ingredients
We promote the use of only natural and healthy ingredients, allowing customers to see everything that goes into their dog’s food. Feeding fresh, natural and easily identifiable ingredients gives peace of mind that you’re feeding your dog the foods that bring the most nutritional and health benefits.
Our focus is on the quality of every ingredient, whereas some kibble uses low-quality ingredients and includes additives such as starch and chemical mineral additives.
What are the benefits of raw dog food over kibble?
A raw food that is complete and nutritionally balanced will give your dog all they need to thrive and live a full and active life. This is because the ingredients are easily used by the body as they are more bioavailable with less fillers to break down to get to the nutrients the dog needs. A good quality raw food like Bella+Duke is known to improve bone and joint health, support oral health, create a healthy microbiome which will help their immune system as well creating a more effective digestive system too.
To get a better understanding of the benefits of raw feeding, you can read more about it in our raw feeding guide for beginners.
Learn more about the best dog food!
Discover Our Raw Dog FoodAre there any risks to dogs eating raw meat?
There are risks with all foods and the best advice is to take a sensible approach when feeding a raw food. Follow safe hygienic practices and check with your vet if you’re in any doubt about your pets health.
What is the cost of raw dog food vs kibble?
People are investing more into their health and it’s no surprise that it is becoming more common to do the same for our beloved pets, considering raw dog food vs kibble. But how do costs compare?
The dietary benefits of feeding raw dog food vs kibble outweigh the financial cost. Feeding a nutritious, bioavailable diet that allows dogs to thrive can reduce veterinary bills caused by poor nutrition.
The savings made through fewer vets visits compensates for any increase in cost for a raw diet, while most importantly, a balanced, species-specific diet can help dogs to live longer, happier, healthier lives.
Hybrid diets are another option for those looking to introduce some of the benefits of raw, without committing to a solely raw diet.
Can you mix raw dog food with kibble?
When considering raw dog food vs kibble, the hybrid diet is a combination of feeding both raw dog food and kibble, suitable for those that are unable to feed a solely raw diet, or for dogs that are reluctant to try new things.
It is important to make sure that you are feeding your dog a suitable amount of food to meet their nutritional needs, regardless of the ratio of raw to kibble.
Mixing raw and kibble is one way to introduce dogs to raw feeding, helping them to adjust to their new food and take the transition at a slower pace. This is particularly helpful for fussy dogs, as well as those with sensitive stomachs.
However, the long-term studies of mixing these diets have not been carried out yet and only the full transition to raw has been studied so far.
The enhanced nutrition that dogs can enjoy from raw food means that any raw is better than none. As such, feeding a combination, whether this is in separate meals, or mixed together, can still help to enhance dogs’ wellbeing.
How to switch from dry dog food to raw dog food
If a dog is used to kibble, there are two methods of switching to raw dog food; the straight swap, or a gradual transition. Each dog will differ in their willingness to try new foods, so it is worth experimenting with both.
The straight swap
This method is ideal for dogs that love their food and the great news is that the delicious scent of raw food is often all the encouragement dogs need to empty their plate within seconds.
Simply serve their next meal using raw dog food. It is recommended that everything else is kept the same as usual, such as feeding time and location.
The gradual transition
For dogs that are more apprehensive about their food, or if they are anxious in general, the gradual transition may be more suited to them. Begin by adding ¼ raw into their dry food, working your way up to an all-raw meal over four days. Bella+Duke’s meals are designed to remain frozen until they are needed, meaning they can be stored for significant periods of time and defrosted in portions for a gradual transition.
View the guide to switching to raw dog food here.
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- The effect of a raw vs dry diet on serum biochemical, hematologic, blood iron, B 12 , and folate levels in Staffordshire Bull Terriers https://www.researchgate.net/publication/340892712_The_effect_of_a_raw_vs_dry_diet_on_serum_biochemical_hematologic_blood_iron_B_12_and_folate_levels_in_Staffordshire_Bull_Terriers
- The significance of carbohydrates in canine nutrition https://nmbu.brage.unit.no/nmbu-xmlui/bitstream/handle/11250/3148388/no.nmbu%3awiseflow%3a7098065%3a59125631.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
- The role of inflammation in diabetes https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6523054/
- Targeted Metabolomics With Ultraperformance Liquid Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry (UPLC-MS) Highlights Metabolic Differences in Healthy and Atopic Staffordshire Bull Terriers Fed Two Different Diets, A Pilot Study https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7653775/
- Early Life Modifiable Exposures and Their Association With Owner Reported Inflammatory Bowel Disease Symptoms in Adult Dogs https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7882719/
FAQs
What is the 80-10-10 rule for raw dog food?
80-10-10 refers to the ratio of muscle meat, organs and bone that a dog would eat if it were to eat “whole prey”. 80% muscle meat (mince), 10% offal and 10% bone. This is a very approximate guide though.
What is the healthiest food to feed your dog?
We believe that species-specific, nutritionally complete raw pet food is the healthiest way to feed your dog.
Are dogs calmer on raw food?
There is lots of anecdotal feedback telling us that a raw diet does make some dogs feel calmer. We believe this is because a lower carbohydrate diet prevents sugar spikes throughout the day which can cause periods of hyperactivity (which can lead to stress)
Is basic kibble better than raw meat?
We don’t believe that a basic kibble diet can provide your dog with all the nutrients they need to thrive and live a long and healthy life.
Do dogs drink less on raw food?
Yes, dogs do tend to drink less when they move to a raw diet. A raw diet contains much more moisture than a kibble diet does which makes it a great option for those dogs that need a bit more hydration.
Is raw dog food too high in protein?
A commercially available raw dog food has all of the macro-nutrients carefully balanced to ensure it’s not too high or too low in anything. The quality of the protein is more important than the amount of protein in a diet.
