You want to know what food is best for your priceless dogs, of course, as pet owners.
There are a plethora of dog food options available in your local grocery aisle, all claiming to be the best available.
How can someone know where to start when there are so many options available?
The fact is that there are instances when a prepackaged, vividly colored bag isn’t the solution to this problem.
Dogs eating raw food diets are becoming more and more popular for a variety of reasons.
Defining a Raw Food Diet
What precisely is a raw food diet for dogs? The not-so-lovely acronym BARF holds the secret.
“Bones and Raw Food” is what the acronym BARF, created by Australian veterinarian Ian Billinghurst, stands for.
This diet was designed to replicate the pre-domesticated canine diet.
Dogs eat a wide variety of strange parts in the wild, including bones, meat, skin, organs, and stomach contents.
In addition, they might eat berries, herbs, grasses, and fruits.
Basically, you can’t give your dog any cooked or processed food if you want to stick to the BARF diet.
This is what you feed your dog when following a raw dog food diet; it has been fed to racing greyhounds and sled dogs for many years:
- Whole or ground bones
- Muscle Meat, which can still be on the bone
- Raw eggs
- Livers, kidneys, or other organ meats
- Apples and other fruits
- Broccoli, spinach, celery, and other vegetables
- Yogurt and some other dairy
Defining Commercial Dog Food
Now that the precise definition of a raw dog food diet has been established, let’s define “commercial” dog food.
In essence, what you’ll find in the aisle at your neighborhood grocery store is commercial dog food.
Commercial dog food comes in kibble or cans.
It could arrive in a big kibble bag that is nearly impossible to lift into your cart or in a tiny can.
What components are present in store-bought dog food?
While specific ingredients do differ between brands, the overall situation is not favorable.
The majority of dry pet food is made up of artificial vitamins and minerals, low-quality meats, and byproducts.
Furthermore, high-glycemic ingredients like genetically modified rice, potatoes, corn, and wheat might be present.
We will talk about more particular ingredients that are used in commercial pet food later.
The Advantages of Commercial Dog Food
It makes sense that the convenience aspect of commercial dog food is its primary benefit.
There’s nothing simpler than stopping by your local grocery store to pick up a bag of kibble, or even better, ordering it online and having it delivered right to your door.
To avoid having to worry about regularly buying dog food, many people prefer to have a large bag of kibble.
All you need to do to feed your dog is scoop out a predetermined amount into their bowl when it’s time for chow.
Almost no kind of preparation is needed.
The price is another benefit of purchasing commercial dog food.
Purchasing commercial dog food will be substantially less expensive than feeding your dog only raw foods.
For instance, feeding kibble to a dog weighing thirty pounds or more should cost you roughly one dollar per day.
However, if your dog follows the raw food (BARF) diet, you may have to pay anywhere from $2.50 to $5.00 per day.
Many people can afford to feed their dogs a raw diet because of this substantial difference.
The majority of kibble is made to satisfy a dog’s minimal needs for protein, vitamins, and minerals.
Opponents of the BARF diet contend that it does not resemble a balanced diet, unlike what commercial pet foods purport to offer.
Like many other things in life, the answer is contingent upon the expert you consult.
Dogs that follow a raw food diet are said to benefit from it more than those that eat processed foods.
Disadvantages of Commercial Dog Food
There are numerous reasons, according to Dr. Karen Shaw Becker of Mercola, to steer clear of commercial pet food.
First of all, she cautions that essential dietary fats in the food start to go rancid the moment you open a bag of kibble.
She claims that practically all of the nutrition that was once in the food is gone because kibble is processed several times at very high temperatures.
This is why adding a vitamin spray to the food is the last step in making it more nutrient-dense.
Based solely on the product photos, a lot of dog food advertisements would lead you to believe that their high-protein dog food is made exclusively with the freshest steak cuts.
The truth is that “feed-grade” ingredients—those rejected by the human food industry—are used to make them.
The hide, udders, digestive tract, and bones are a few examples of these components.
According to Becker, in addition to other undisclosed repulsive ingredients, they might also utilize the carcasses of sick animals.
Advantages of the Raw Food Diet
After discussing all of the drawbacks and potential hazards, let’s discuss the advantages that a raw food or BARF diet can provide for your dog.
- Healthier Skin
- Shinier Coat
- Improved Digestion
- Cleaner Teeth
- Smaller, Firmer Stools
Conclusion
Which option wins out when weighing the benefits and drawbacks of raw versus commercial food?
In actuality, it is dependent upon the dog and the owner.
Just as there isn’t a diet that works for everyone, neither dogs nor humans are the same.
As always, talking to a reliable friend—your pet’s veterinarian—may be the best course of action.