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Biologically-appropriate raw feeding
Up until a few years ago, the raw-feeding method of nutrition was a mystery to most dog owners – however, nowadays raw feeding plays a key part in canine nutrition.
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Up until a few years ago, the raw-feeding method of nutrition was a mystery to most dog owners – however, nowadays raw feeding plays a key part in canine nutrition.
Raw feeding involves, as the name suggests, feeding your dog on raw food based on the diet of its ancestors as wild carnivores. It includes fresh meat, offal, vegetables and vitamin and mineral supplements, designed to imitate as best as possible the natural prey of dogs in the wild.
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As with any feeding method, raw feeding has both supporters and opponents. Dog lovers who have converted to raw feeding report healthy teeth, helped by the intense chewing on fresh meat, shiny coats, improvement in those suffering with chronic conditions such as osteoarthritis or growth problems, and stronger tendons and ligaments. Raw food is tailored to each individual dog and contains no fillers or preservatives – no wonder there are so many advantages for unwell dogs and those with special nutritional requirements!
If you are looking to feed your dog on homemade raw meals, you must ensure that you are not only feeding muscle meat, as your dog will suffer with various deficiencies. In order for your dog to get everything it needs, offal, herbs, vitamins and minerals need to be accurately calculated and added to the diet. This means that homemade raw feeding can be a complex and demanding option, which is why so many dog food manufacturers and butchers are now rising to the challenge to meet the demand and creating the raw food diets themselves. So-called “convenience raw food” products are collected directly from the manufacturer and frozen, only to be thawed by the dog owner and then fed fresh. Take a look in our zooplus Magazine for things to look out for when feeding puppies with a raw food diet!
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In our zooplus Dog Shop you will find a great variety of raw food diets in a range of tasty varieties. Raw dog food supplements can also help you when putting together your dog’s daily raw food menu.