This RAWgust week we're talking about how pets THRIVE on raw! Join us while we dig deeper into raw feeding.     

Supporting the Endocrine System
People who feed their pets cooked or processed foods are typically unaware of how these foods impact the endocrine system or more so, how they don't support it! The endocrine system is responsible for producing hormones - it's vital to the proper functioning of circulatory systems and in turn, all organs.  Raw diets help support the endocrine system, leading to healthier gut microflora and regular levels of blood sugar. When you switch your pet over to a raw diet or add some raw foods into their mealtime routine, their stools may also improve because the raw diet helps with the digestive process.                

The Best Skin + Coat Support You Can Give Your Pet!
One of the greatest benefits of adding raw foods into your pet's diet is that it helps promote healthier skin and coats. If you make this dietary change, you may notice that your pet's fur is shinier or softer, or that your pet is less itchy than normal.                        

In addition, puppies that have a raw food diet experience fewer environmental allergies as an adult compared to adult dogs that were not given a raw food diet as a puppy. Raw-fed pets are also less likely to develop inflammatory bowel disease as they grow older, showing that raw foods help support long-term health and wellness.

Types and Formulations of Raw Diets
There are many types of raw diet formulations. When talking about diet formulations we most typically see these three popular ratios in commercial foods:     

  • 80/20: 80% muscle meat, bone, and organ meat and 20% vegetables and fruits. (With or without added vitamins to balance the diet)
  • 90/10: 90% muscle meat, bone, and organ meat and 10% vegetables and fruits. (With or without added vitamins to balance the diet)
  • 95/5: 95% meat and 5% vegetables (With or without added vitamins to balance the diet)

Dogs and cats individually may do best on one or more of these diet ratios over others. Dogs can do well on all three ratios. While cats can do well on an 80/20 ratio diet, a 90/10 or 95/5 diet ratio is much more species appropriate for a cat. This is because cats are obligate carnivores - in other words they are built to eat a diet high in meat and do not require plants in their diet. If you choose to make a homemade diet (raw or otherwise), we highly recommend that you work with a nutrition specialist or a PhD canine or feline nutritionist.     

Better Digestion
Enzymes are king with digestion. Enzymes are catalysts for many biochemical processes in the body from digesting food to replicating DNA. These vitally important molecules are highly specialized and considerably fragile; temperatures as low as 118 degrees Fahrenheit can destroy nearly all enzymes in food. So why do we care so much about these little guys? Because the more enzymes we can obtain from whole raw food sources, the less our bodies have to work to digest the food we eat. This goes for our pets too! Enzymes = better, more efficient digestion.

Moisture is key to digestion too, specifically Intracellular moisture. Intracellular moisture is the fancy name for moisture that is 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.      

Gut Health & The Immune System
Raw food is chock full of probiotics and prebiotics. Both pro and pre biotics help with digestion and gut health. Better gut health = a healthier immune system! Probiotics are live microorganisms (good bacteria and yeasts) that help to fight off harmful bacteria to keep your pet's gut microbiome balanced. Prebiotics are the plant fibers that probiotics use as a food source. Good gut health helps build a strong immune system. A strong immune system supports your entire pet's body, helps with fighting illnesses, and battling allergies.
     

Visit us here at the shop to find raw diet options for your loyal companions and support their health and happiness.  
Nutrition consultations are available.  Sign up to reserve your one-on-one time with one of our nutrition pros.