It seems like the new craze out there is the raw diet. As a pet owner myself, I have done extensive research to determine if this is the diet I want to start with my pup. A lot of people have attributed the raw diet to significant health benefits and positive changes in their dog’slives. I, for one, wanted to delve into this topic and present both the positives and negatives of this route and help you determine if this is the best choice for your pup.

SO… WHAT IS THE RAW DIET? 

For those who don’t know, the raw diet is a diet that consists of feeding raw foods like raw meat and poultry. It primarily consists of muscle meat, often off the bone, whole or ground bones, and raw eggs, fruits, and vegetables.

In comparison to popular dog food brands, the raw diet provides the pet parent with more clarity on what they are feeding their pet. If you take the time to look at the ingredient list on the back of the bag of well-known dog food, you will see a list of most likely over twenty ingredients with names that you don’t recognize. It is important to read and understand these ingredients because you need to know what you are feeding your pets. Most famous brands of dog food contain fillers and unnecessary carbohydrates like meat by-products and corn fillers. These extra ingredients are of course not showcased on the front of the bag and are most often in fine print in the ingredient list on the back.

Most of these same dog food brands claim to include important nutrients that supplement the diet. Most of these extra added fillers may (or may not) contain those added vitamins. With the raw diet, everything you give is curated selectively to give your pet everything he or she needs. Of course there is speculation and concern that raw diet doesn’t provide holistic nutrition that atypical dog food brand provides so it’s important to do your research and speak with your veterinarian to see if they can assist you with creating a meal plan for your pet.

So why the raw diet? The truth is, there is no significant research that determines that the raw diet is better for your dog than traditional dog food. In most cases, the raw diet ends up being a bit pricier for people being that you have to buy fresh or frozen meats in large quantities and have the assistance of your veterinarian to determine the quantity.

Why is it different for every pet? The raw diet is different for every pet because depending on the size and determined growth, your dog may require certain supplemental nutrients in a larger or smaller quantity. For example, a German Shepherd puppy may be small at five months but his intended growth is approximately four times his current weight and size. In that case, he has a lot of growing to do within a short period of time. Because of this, the nutrition his body requires needs to be tailored to his raw diet. As aforementioned, the use of supplements such as multivitamins and probiotic supplements is critical to this diet because in most cases you can not get everything your puppy needs with a meal of rudimentary raw protein, fat, and carbohydrates.

If you are considering going raw, this is something we would recommend deciding after extensive research and seeing if this is something you can continue long term, as it is not recommended to wean your pup off dog food to the raw diet only to flip-flop back and forth. Having a professional’s opinion is also helpful because you can determine and anticipate total costs of providing this diet for your furry friend.

In any case, PAWWZ 9-1 Multivitamin with Hemp is a great supplement, whether your pup is on the raw diet or not, and provides holistic nutrition including dietary support with probiotics as well as cognitive and cardiovascular support.

Let us know what you think and if the raw diet worked (or didn’t) for your pup! We would love to hear all about it!

WRITTEN BY PAWWZ™ PET SUPPLEMENTS