Why You Should Feed Your Pet a Raw Diet (Part 1 / 3)
Hi, Pet Parents!
Thank you and welcome for joining us on PureForm Pack Talk, where I, Lindsay, one of the owners of PureForm Health supplements, will be answering your questions and guiding you through.
It feels like a battle is going on between kibble and raw food right now. We have a bunch of vets saying that raw food is dangerous and contaminated and things like that, which it can be, but there are safe ways to apply it.
And on the other hand, they're promoting kibble, which is dehydrating, doesn't contain the proper amount of amino acids because when kibble is cooked, those things are lost.
The more processed a food is—this goes for humans as well—the more processed the food is, the less nutrients we're actually able to absorb.
So the idea behind a raw diet, or biologically appropriate diet, is that our cats and dogs that are now our pets have evolved from the wild dogs, or the wolves, and the wild cats. So they obviously scavenged a lot, they fed on raw meat and bones, they had nobody cooking their food for them ... and they lived for thousands of years like this.
So why all of a sudden are we changing to something because it seems more accessible to us?
Raw Food Can Change Your Dog’s Life
I want to tell you how raw food can change your dog's life.
And this is if it's convenient for you to do, please try it.
Not only is kibble boring, but I would call that astronaut food as opposed to what we get to feast on down here on earth!
You can go to your local butcher or find somewhere that has a raw meat base. Then you want to do two thirds of the protein and then have added [one third] carrots and yam, spinach, apple ... that's just some stuff that's in here (this is where we get it).
It's premade in a frozen block. All you have to do is put it in a container in the fridge to let it thaw out—or on your counter to thaw out and then keep it in the fridge. Then cut it into pieces as you need it.
This is what we like to do because keeping the meal simple without all the additives and stuff in the food gives you a chance to figure out what you actually need to add.
Okay, so this is what we like to do because it gives space for the Essentials to go on top, which is the MSM, glucosamine, full vitamin mineral, digestive enzymes and those kinds of things that will lose potency if they're mixed into a (pre-made kibble) food.
What benefits can you see from changing to raw?
Well you'll have a shinier coat, healthier skin, cleaner teeth, smaller stools, higher, energy levels, happier pets.
If you have a large pet, there are ways to bring raw feeding in at a more cost effective way, like going to your butcher and asking if they have any additional items that they can't sell, like organs, bones, things like that, that you can bring into the pet's diet that makes it healthy and fun for them to eat.
Safety Tips!
We have a couple do not do's if you're feeding raw:
- Please get your meat from a trusted supplier to make sure that there's no contamination or diseases.
- Most of [the bacteria that cause] these diseases are contained in the dog's mouth when they're eating the raw meat so making sure that they're drinking water after or, you know, not licking your face after.
- Right after they've eaten, give them a chance to break down that bacteria that's found in the raw meat.
- Another thing is please don't take your bowl away from your dog while they're eating. I'm sure you've already learned that one!
- Try and vary the foods. If you've found a meat base that works really well, you can switch up the veggies. So switch up sweet potato or carrots, or adding kale or blueberries or apples ... there's a lot of different [fruits and] vegetables that are really great for your dogs that you can add in to shake things up a little bit.
- And please do not switch your pet from kibble to raw overnight. Try and do it gradually. They do tend to make a slew in their stomach of all the food before they're digesting it, so introduce it raw with the kibble that you're feeding and that will help them balance their bodies through the change.
I hope you like these couple tips and tricks that we use to make sure that our pets live a happier and healthier life.
If you still have questions about raw feeding, reach out to us. I know this was a really short video so we couldn't answer everything, but we would love to hear your questions and be happy to help.
I am a nutritional coach, so any questions that you have please please ask. I'd be happy to help you.
Thank you again for joining the PureForm Pack. Please visit our website, follow us on social media, and don't forget to like us and subscribe to our channel to be notified for any future videos.
This is your pack leader, Lindsay, signing off until next time.