Fall is rolling into Omaha - ready or not, Aksarben dog and cat owners! We're celebrating National Raw Feeding Month, a pet holiday encouraging pet parents to incorporate raw foods into their furry friend's diets. Feeding a raw diet to your pet boosts their health, offering many long-term benefits. The Green Spot Omaha team knows how feeding your pet a raw diet can feel overwhelming or "just too much work"! But it's easy and can be done on a budget; we'll break it down for you within this blog or you can chat with a certified pet nutritionist in-store. Our woman-owned, family-owned shop it located at 72nd & Dodge in Omaha, NE. We're the inclusive pet parent community you've been looking for!     

"Dig In!"      

Raw Feeding, Where to Start:                

  • Whole foods are good for every living, breathing being! Nothing to lose, right?!
  • Raw feeding doesn't have to be expensive or complex: YES! You can feed raw on a budget. Check out our blog about Feeding Raw on a Budget
  • Convenience: Freeze-dried-raw is a great option if freezer space is limited (in an apartment, for example), or when traveling, and it will retain most of the benefits of raw feeding!
  • You don't have to feed your pet a 100% raw diet: a little can go a long way!

We know you're a dedicated, conscious pet owner if you opened this blog! So let's "dig in" to some of the finer details of raw pet food nutrition and how to incorporate it into your pets' diet this RAWgust!               

Key Benefits of Raw Feeding
The benefits of raw feeding include:          

  • Raw foods are nutrient rich.
  • Intracellular moisture from raw food means your pet receives moisture through their FOOD! This is the most useable type of moisture for their bodies. Intracellular moisture is especially important for cats, who are very inefficient drinkers.
  • Because raw food contains more protein, your pet eats less! Your pet's body uses more of the raw food (vs kibble) and wastes less, which means...
  • Reduced stool size.
  • Cleaner teeth! 
  • The healthy bacteria in raw food helps build a strong and diverse gut microbiome. This helps to build your pet a healthy, strong immune system.

Processed Food Loses Nutrients
The processed food that many pet parents give their pets loses important nutrients during the process used to cook it (such as kibble). While many believe that cooking helps to get rid of harmful bacteria, it also eliminates the healthy bacteria that benefit your pet. Adding raw foods into your pet's diet is a great nutritional supplement — as mentioned above, pet parents aren't required to feed an exclusively raw diet. For example, some owners like to keep kibble in their pets' diet by feeding half kibble and half raw. Remember that any raw or fresh you add to their bowl is a "win"!     

Until domestication, all animals survived and thrived off an all-raw diet—nothing processed or cooked. Adding some of these foods back into the fold can boost your pet's health by giving them nutrients that are hard to come by within an all-kibble or all-wet-food diet. By adding fresh/raw ingredients, you're boosting their bowl!                  

Moisture is Key
Intracellular moisture is the fancy name for moisture that's found in plant and animal cells. In addition to providing the most natural, effective way for dogs and cats to absorb moisture, intracellular moisture helps keep the whole digestive process a well-lubricated machine. Moisture for food is especially important for cats, as they are inefficient water drinkers. Most cats and many dogs on solely kibble diets are chronically dehydrated.                  

Healthier Teeth & Gums
We're all about it: Cleaner teeth! Raw food contains very few starchy carbs. The starchy carbs in kibble stick to your pet's teeth and cause plaque buildup. In addition, the enzymes in raw food help clean teeth as your pet eats. Raw foods and raw bones actively help clean tartar from teeth!

Raw Diets Can Be More Feasible With Freeze Drying
Raw diets can be easier to sustain with freezing or freeze-drying. When raw pet food is preserved through freeze-drying, your dog or cat can receive beneficial nutrition and vitamins without you having to thaw out food every other day. The shelf life for freeze-dried products is longer because of the low moisture content, but not to fear—freeze-dried pet foods are still full of healthy bacteria that can help your pet thrive. Freeze-dried diets are also great for traveling with pets that normally eat frozen raw!      

Forms of Raw Food
Raw food comes in many shapes and sizes to fit every pet's preferences and owner's budget. Raw foods come in pellet shapes, nuggets of many sizes, and large patties. Some pets may have a preference of a certain sized of piece of food or food shape. Smaller pieces of food are usually found in smaller bags, and patties can be found in boxes up to 20lbs in size! Bulk boxes can be an affordable way to feed a fully raw diet, while smaller size pieces may be easier to feed as a partially raw diet with kibble or other food types.      

Take it Slow
If you decide to switch your pet over to a raw diet, it's important that you don't do so all at once. Changing your pet's diet in such a drastic way will likely lead to an upset stomach and loose stools. While this may naturally happen regardless of how gradually you introduce raw to your pet, introducing it slowly will make it easier on their stomach. You can even extend the number of days shown on the chart below, as needed.                              

Transitioning to a raw diet should be done over several days by incorporating raw foods into your pet's normal diet. Primal Pet Foods has some great suggestions for this gradual transition, including adding frozen and freeze-dried tidbits into your pet's daily diet and keeping them hydrated. Slowly replacing your pet's kibble or canned food in stages will help your pet adapt to the change and lower the chances of diarrhea and other stomach problems.                     

Interested In Feeding Raw?
If you're interested in feeding raw but concerned about feeding 100% raw due to cost, don't be discouraged! Incorporating even a few raw foods into your pet's diet will go a long way. Your pet does not need to be fed a completely raw diet for their body to appreciate the benefits. Small changes can have lasting, positive impacts on your pet's health! Nutrition consultations are available: Sign up to reserve your one-on-one time with a certified pet nutritionist in your backyard, right here in cozy Aksarben!     

See you at our Spot!
-The Team at Green Spot Omaha     

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The Green Spot is a family-owned, independent pet supply shop. We've been helping pet parents like you aid their pets to a better life via nutrition since 2012. We're glad you found us and hope you'll come into our store for a visit! Our inclusive events, supportive pet-parent community, and certified pet nutrition pros are what set us apart - thanks for supporting local!