Pets Page
RAW VS PROCESSED FOODS FOR PETS The big question today is, what should we feed our pets? Dry and canned food seem to be the common choices, however many pet owners are looking into healthier alternatives.
food. They are designed to eat contaminated foods, and thrive on the presence of microbes by eating soil, contaminated meat, buried bones, infected meat, etc.
Processed foods, such as dry and canned foods are popular for being both affordable and convenient. Product packaging is also attractive to shoppers, not only in appearance, but also with label descriptions such as ‘completely balanced’ or ‘nutritionally complete’. These statements can be deceiving, as this generally means that they meet the minimum nutritional requirements for pet food standards.
A raw food diet can have many benefits for our pets, including higher energy levels, cleaner teeth, healthier skin, shinier coats and stronger immune systems. Other advantages of raw food diets are that it allows you to meet your pet’s specific nutrient requirements, while also avoiding certain foods that your pet may be allergic or intolerant to.
Processed foods tend to contain more protein from grains or grain by-product sources, such as corn, brewer’s rice and wheat, than from healthier meat sources. Most canned and dry foods contain up to four times as much cereal content than meat. This can become an issue, as dogs and cats are not designed to eat such a high content of highly refined starches. Another factor to consider with processed foods is that they are cooked. Cooking reduces the nutritional content in the foods, reducing nutrients, enzymes and fatty acids from the diet. So, why aren’t more people feeding their pets raw food diets? Raw food diets can be costly, and time consuming due to preparation. There are also owners who are concerned that raw foods contain bacteria such as E. coli or Salmonella. Wild dogs and cats live only on raw foods, consisting of raw meat, bones, fruits and vegetables. Modern domesticated dogs and cats are no different to their wild cousins, in the way they process and utilise their 34
A typical raw food diet includes some dairy products, such as yoghurt, vegetables like spinach, broccoli and celery, apples or other fruits, raw eggs, organ meats such as kidney and liver, bones and muscle meat.
Processed foods may seem cheaper and more convenient, however there are many businesses out there which stock raw meat for pets, which if purchased in sufficient quantities, can make a raw food diet cost effective. The negative effects of processed foods on human health have been well documented and our pets can also suffer from eating foods too far removed from natural norms. A raw food diet not only mimics that of wild cats and dogs, but also increases health, happiness and longevity. Cindy Bremner Natural Pawfection- Animal Naturopath 0421-446-764