Raw food diets are healthier for dogs | Opinion | dailytitan.com – The Daily Titan

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Updated: February 26, 2022 @ 12:12 am
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Raw food diets for animals have become a new trend on popular social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram. It also happens to be the biologically appropriate diet for a canine.
A raw food diet consists of feeding your pet raw meats, bones, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and nutritional supplements instead of solely feeding them kibble. 
This feeding technique comes with undeniable benefits that every pet owner needs to consider. Avoiding a raw food diet for your dog will only shorten their life span and limit their ability to live healthy and comfortable lives.
Kayla Kowalski, a certified dog nutritionist and a healthcare administration student at Grand Canyon University, said the top benefits of a raw food diet include: a longer life span for the dog, lowered risk of cancer and obesity, stronger digestion and immune system, improved dental health, healthier skin and coat and smaller, less frequent feces. 
Choosing to be a dog owner requires extensive dedication and energy to provide them an appropriate diet. They are responsible for keeping their pets safe, healthy and well-fed. A raw food diet is going to maximize a dog’s happiness, health and energy. 
More than 50% of dogs in the United States are overweight or obese and 50% of dogs will get cancer in their lifetime. Domesticated dogs are reliant on their owners to feed them quality and healthy foods. A diet exclusive to kibble may seem convenient, but it fails to meet the nutritional needs a dog requires to maximize its health and life span.
Raw feeding greatly lowers the risk of these health issues, Kowalski said. 
“It’s far healthier and it increases their life span, so I mean who doesn’t want their dog to live longer?” Kowalski said. “The average dog lives only 10 years, so it could increase their life span up to three years. Which is 30% longer life for them and 30% longer we have with them which I think is huge.” 
Many people would use the excuse that they are unaware of the raw food diet or do not know how to utilize it, however, the internet offers so much information about this topic. Dog owners that are aware of the raw food diet benefits and still fail to incorporate it are passively choosing to cut their pet’s life short.
Some people are hesitant to feed their dogs bone because they perceive them as unhealthy since they are bad for humans. However bones are great for dogs. Cooked bones can be harmful and dangerous due to splintering during the cooking process, Kowalski said. 
“Within raw feeding, there’s different specific diets you can follow. The one I specifically follow is called the BARF diet,” Kowalski said. “The ratios on how you can follow it for adult dogs, it’s 70% muscle meat, 10% bone, 10% organs, 7% vegetables, 2% seeds or nuts and 1% fruit.”
A raw food diet leads to many health benefits that are not attainable with kibble only. In fact, kibble can cause short-term and long-term health consequences. 
Dogs that eat kibble for their entire lives have a higher risk of obesity. This is due to the fact that store-bought kibbles include many processed ingredients, as well as a large amount of starchy carbohydrates. 
Kibble also lacks moisture and hydration, which can cause uncomfortable and detrimental symptoms. These symptoms include low energy and appetite, dry nose, gums,skin and sunken eyes. 
Considering the symptoms and health concerns of an only kibble diet, dog owners should be prioritizing their pets’ lives.
It is never too late for dog owners to switch to a healthier alternative. Raw feeding can begin reversing health damage from consuming kibble, as well as providing a comfortable and joyful life for their dogs. 
Kowalski said a normal dog without a sensitive stomach can transition to a raw diet in as little as a week and a half by using added supplements to make it easier for them to digest the new foods.
There are quality additives that dog owners can incorporate into their pets’ kibble if they cannot switch to a 100% raw diet, such as BARF, also known as biologically appropriate raw food. 
“Eggs are great for dogs,” Kowalski said. “I would recommend vegetables. It’s recommended to lightly steam or puree them so dogs could best absorb the nutrients.” 
She said it is recommended to add fruit, as well as a probiotic and prebiotic, such as kefir and Greek yogurt. 
Considering all the benefits that come from raw feeding, dog owners need to begin making this the new way of feeding domesticated dogs. The excuses dog owners invent for feeding their dogs a kibble diet should be replaced with raw feeding. 
Dogs deserve to live the healthiest and most comfortable life, with the heaviest responsibility lying in the hands of their owners.
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