There’ve been a lot of things written on how risky raw feeding can be for dogs, as well as their people. I concur that if someone feeds their dog raw food and then doesn’t wash their hands, then there is going to be a big issue. But, the majority of data you read out there is fake! I am quick to explain that I am not a vet or a dog nutritionist, but you don’t really need to be either to know you should always wash your hands after you handle raw meats. I have fed my dog raw foods for a few years now and I have never gotten sick, so I believe I know what I am doing.
However, there are people who make mistakes when they raw feed their dogs, so here’s a list of five of the most common ones:
Five Mistakes Dog Owners Make With Raw Feeding
1 – Thinking a raw diet involves only ground beef
Eating only things like ground beef or chicken or even a whole chicken is not the foods most folks mean when they suggest changing your dog’s diet to raw foods. If their diet only has ground meats in it, it won’t contain the proper nutrients all dogs have to have to be healthy.
So I can ensure my dog eats a nutritious diet, I do these things:
- I begin with an eighty percent base with muscle meat, then add ten percent bones as well as ten percent organ meats.
- I ensure I add some variety by using a different base protein every week.
- I also make sure I consider nutrients not contained in the meats, i.e. Omega-3 fatty acids, iodine and zinc. You can provide those things via foods like sardines, kelp or oysters.
It may appear a bit complex, in the beginning, however, you will be astonished at the ease of doing this as soon as you get the proper sourcing as well as get better at knowing what a dog needs to eat every day.
2 – Mixing Kibble and Raw All Together
Firstly, a mixture of kibble and raw meats is not bad for the majority of dogs. A lot of folks have done it and nothing bad happened, but if your dog’s stomach is sensitive mixing them together might be a bit much. That is what happened to a friend of mine whose dog had a lot of digestive problems. He couldn’t handle it.
Here’s what folks have said about mixing these two things together:
Add Some Fresh Foods in Your Dog’s Dish
One great thing you can do is add a little raw food by switching about twenty percent of your dog’s normal dry food with raw meats and veggies. This can help reduce the rate your dog might develop cancer. Here’s two studies on that:
- Research Study: Evaluation of the effect of dietary vegetable consumption on reducing risk of transitional cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder in Scottish Terriers.
- Research Study: Purdue University Urinary Bladder Cancer Research
Mix Dry Food and Raw Food to Offset Fresh Food Advantages
While a few folks encourage pet owners to put in some fresh foods, such as raw dog foods, a few think that’s not a good idea. The notion of shifting to raw foods is meant to make your dog’s health better. If you still give them the dry kibble, you might be counteracting the advantages raw foods gives your dog. Dry kibble encourages inflammation, it is hard for dogs to digest, and the source of these ingredients can be questionable. A few think if you add around twenty percent fresh foods to their dish that it’s not enough for counteracting the disadvantages of them eating dry kibble.
Dry Kibble and Raw Foods Get Digested at Various Rates
I am aware of 2 ideas on the reason dry kibble and raw foods shouldn’t be together in the same dish. A few people think these foods get digested at varying rates, for instance, dogs digest the raw foods quicker. When you mix the two together it stays in the dog’s digestive system for longer and that can cause it to decompose in their bodies, and they can get sick. Another hypothesis is that dry kibble and raw foods need a different pH in their stomach, and that is why their digestive system gets upset.
3 – Trusting All Raw Bones are OK
After I tried various kinds of the raw bone when feeding my dog, as well as seeing tales of dogs getting their teeth broken or having to go to the vet due to raw bones, I opted to slow down what I was doing. I instead watched when I tried various bones when I fed my dog and paid attention to how they chewed them and figured out what bones were and were not safe. I realized I shouldn’t just ask people which bones to feed my dog as all dogs are not the same.
My dog mostly likes beef knuckle bones, as well as knucklebones from buffalo and duck necks and frames, as well as lamb’s necks.
4 – Putting too much Supplements into Raw Foods
My kitchen resembled a mad scientist’s lab when I first began to feed my dog raw meals. I added so much supplements to their food! Each time I heard about someone in a raw foods group giving their dog something, I bought it even if I didn’t know much about it or if it would be good for my dog. But these days, I’m able to explain why I do things. I give my dog things like sardines rather than relying on a supplement such as fish oil.
Obtaining guidance from some of the other people who raw feed their dogs is a great way to learn about it, but you additionally should do some research on your own as all dogs are not the same.
5 – Putting too much things into 1 meal
It does not have to be complex for you to raw feed your dog. But a lot of people have decided not to do it because they get overwhelmed. I did finally calm down within a few years, however, I really learned this lesson and took it to heart. If you mix too much together the result can be a meal that’s much too rich for a dog to eat! Particularly when you first start feeding raw foods. So you should start slow and build up to what your dog should be eating!
