FEATURESThe Benefits of Raw Pet Food

Many of us by now have heard of people feeding their pets raw pet food, and may even have a friend or acquaintance who raves about how good it is for their pet. There is no doubt that a raw diet is becoming more and more popular amongst pet owners.

You can find numerous articles on the internet discussing the benefits of raw food. Articles rave about how a raw diet reduces common pet maladies and that pets have more energy and achieve a healthier weight. It leads to better oral health, better breath, less waste, and reduces or eliminates allergic reactions. Other articles speak of the danger of salmonella or of people handling raw food.

Like many of you, I always fed my dogs kibble. I had friends tell me about how they fed their dogs and cats raw food, but I thought it to be expensive and inconvenient—and even unnecessary. About two years ago, after a conversation with Barry Piasta about his success with raw pet food (specifically how his dog no longer had allergic reactions), I decided to start feeding our Bull Mastiff and French Mastiff a raw diet. Immediately I saw both dogs become a lot more excited about eating. And they certainly produced a lot less waste. Later, they became leaner and more muscular, and had better breath and better oral hygiene.

They were just healthier overall, and did I mention less waste?

For anyone who’s wary of raw pet food but wants what’s best for their pet, I would recommend talking about the benefits with someone who feeds raw food to their pets. It’s a lot cheaper and more convenient than what is generally believed.

Certainly, raw food has to be handled correctly to protect you and your pet. Kibble and raw food alike have had recalls. Regardless of the type of pet food you decide to buy, it’s important to research the company you are buying it from. Check the recall history of the specific pet food. Recall histories are available on a number of websites.

A raw diet may not be for every owner, and there is even the odd pet that doesn’t take to a raw diet, but if you’re looking to feed your pet the best, you have to consider a raw diet.