Manufacturing and feeding raw diets for over four decades has enabled me to see pets of all sizes and shapes in both excellent and declining health. I have seen animals in radiant health that have been raised and maintained for a lifetime on raw food, compared to the poor health of those fed a dry, heat processed food diet.
The majority of our new customers contact us because their dogs are suffering from some sort of medical condition. We hear about the physical problems such as, organ function, heart malfunction, liver and kidney disease… the list goes on. By far, the two biggest problems that these dogs suffer from are digestive issues and allergies.
Pet owners normally see immediate improvement in the skin condition and reduced digestive problems after converting to raw. It’s generally easy to get them onto a raw feeding program because they’re at the end of their rope, trying to find a solution to the dog’s problem. They realize that they need to address the core issue and make a drastic change to their pet’s diet in order to get their pets health back on track.
It is rare, but has been known to happen, where a dog can live a long life on processed food and never exhibit any health problems. However there are millions of dogs that eat dry kibble or canned food every day and although they may look and feel healthy, it is only a matter of time before their bodies begin to exhibit the effects of a diet devoid of proper nutrition. It is not much different than a human eating fast food every day for most of their meals. Other than potential weight gain, they may function fine on processed, unhealthy meals for a while but eventually the health clock stops short of time, and they develop the various side effects of eating poorly. It’s just a fact. Junk food isn’t healthy for our pets or us.
The majority of raw feeders are willing to invest in their pet’s health. They know that a healthy diet will offer their pet the advantage of a generation of good health. The secret is supplying the body with the most appropriate diet for the species.
Another group that understands the benefits of raw feeding are people that buy and serve organic and healthy food choices to their own family. They already know the advantages of the nutritious food that they eat and want to do the same for their pets. Again, this is an easy conversion to the switch to raw.
Here are a few suggestions that may help to determine whether you should convert to raw:
1. Check to see if tartar is building up on your dog’s teeth. This is a sign that future health problems are inevitable.
2. Is your dog itching and scratching more than usual?
3. Check your dogs stool for volume, odor, and consistency. The stool is the barometer for determining future health.
4. Your dog’s skin and hair condition reveal whether or not they are receiving proper nourishment. A dull and coarse coat can be corrected easily.
5. Look into your dog’s eyes. A dull and cloudy eye condition should give warning to a problem.
6. Be aware of a reduction in your dog’s activity level. This can be a sign of a nutritional imbalance.
The clock is ticking and you are the guardian for your pet’s well being. Pay attention to these warning signs. You can reverse or prevent problems in the future with a diet change to a health generating raw food diet.
Source
Robert Mueller, BSc, Pharm. is a registered pharmacist, author of Living Enzymes: The World’s Best Kept Pet Food Secret”.
