Please talk with your own vet before trying to change your dog’s diet. That’s because sudden changes can upset a dog’s digestive system. Also, I’m not an animal healthcare expert.
So something as drastic as a dietary change requires a professional opinion.
This article is written for informational purposes only, as I share my experience feeding my dog.
When I’m cutting chicken, my dog is at my side. He’s crazy about the scraps of raw meat I toss in his direction. Although our dog is elderly, and presumably has a less robust immune system, compared to a puppy, he’s never suffered any ill effect from eating raw meat.
So, is it safe to give raw meat to your dog?
Please run this idea by your own vet before trying it.
Raw Feeding Your Dog
Some veterinarians warn owners not to feed raw food to their pets. However, you can get what appears to be a very fair perspective from Dr. Karen Becker, DVM. She contributes to a website run by human alternative health expert Dr. Joseph Mercola, DO.
Dr. Becker writes that diets consisting entirely of raw meat are nutritionally imbalanced. They may be lacking various elements, antioxidants and trace minerals, which dogs need for optimum health.
She also points out that suddenly switching to raw foods can result in digestive troubles. If your dog already has digestive issues, Dr. Becker strongly urges you to work with a vet (preferably an alternative one) before making any changes. In her article, she specifically notes that frail animals could end up needing hospital care, if the switch isn’t done right.
Is Raw Food Good for Dogs?
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Reading Dr. Becker’s analysis of the issue increases my confidence that I’m doing the right thing. I give my dog organic table scraps. This includes both meat and vegetables, such as broccoli, which he loves. Raw meat is what dogs and wolves eat in the wild. It’s the type of food their bodies are made for.
But a total diet of raw organic chicken breasts probably wouldn’t be nutritionally balanced. My dog eats a lot of other foods besides raw meat.
Although, in this article, Dr. Becker didn’t discuss the issue or organic versus conventionally raised meat, I’m not sure I’d want to feed my dog raw chicken raised with antibiotics. Maybe I worry too much, but I’d wonder if he could possibly pick up a superbug this way.
My husband and I are not raw food fanatics. But I have tried to feed my something close to what he’d eat in the wild, which includes some raw meat.
His regular diet consists primarily of grain-free kibble. You might call me a grain-free fanatic because I’m crazy about Taste of the Wild grain-free kibble. In addition to meat and vegetables, it contains herbs, antioxidants and probiotics.
Some holistic animal health experts may say do away with kibble altogether. This might be preferable, but, realistically, we haven’t been able to do it. So I feel as if we’ve found a reasonable compromise.
