RAW DIET

DEFRA APPROVED RAW FOOD

Benefits of Raw Feeding

 

As obvious as it may sound, many people forget that cats and dogs were in existence long before man created kibble!  Kibble was invented for the convenience of man, not for the benefit of pets.  If left to its own devices, a dog (or cat) will catch or scavenge its food from the prey of others, and will eat virtually everything - the flesh (a great source of essential protein), fat (a source of energy), bone (a source of calcium and other minerals), muscle, organ meats and stomach (an excellent source of enzymes, minerals and pre-digested plant material).

 

Canines and felines, both domesticated and wild, are members of the carnivore family, and are anatomically built for eating meat.  Their teeth are designed for tearing and chewing, their short intestines avoid the putrefaction of flesh foods, and the powerful digestive juices can even dissolve lumps of bone.  This means they can effectively eat food which would kill we humans without any harmful effects.  We have all experienced our dogs picking up something nasty or undesirable on a walk - a dead rabbit, an old kebab - but they have suffered no ill effects and positively seem to relish these disgusting meals!

 

BARF (Biologiocally Appropriate Raw Food or Bones And Raw Food) diets are based on fresh foods such as raw meats, raw bones, raw vegetables and minerals, and are designed to mimic what your cat or dog would eat in the wild.  Think about it - if your dog ran off today, you wouldn't find him grazing in the wheatfields, but chasing the rabbits!

 

Humans are the only animals that cook their foods - and we know cooking breaks down many of the proteins and amino acids in raw meat, destroying much of the nutritional goodness.  So why would you feed your animal a processed, cooked food?  Most people do not realize what they may actually be feeding to their beloved family pet. Some commercial foods contain a high percentage of fillers, such as cereals, grains, and soya which your pet simply isn't designed to eat - and which actually can lead to long term health problems such as yeast infections, itchy skin, ear and anal gland issues.  Furthermore, some foods contain meat meal, derivatives and other undesirable parts of an animal.