A dog will end up being a member of your family, for sure, and, as it is normal and natural, you want to make sure that it receives the best food available. You know that your puppy needs high-quality food to develop well and, later on, to lead a healthy life.
In case you did some research about dog food and nutrition, you probably came across the idea that raw dog food is much better than processed dog food. But, in the case of small puppies, is raw food a really good idea?
The truth is that dogs are carnivorous creatures that need a lot of good quality proteins in their diet. Thus, it is up to you to make sure that they get enough proteins to grow up well and turn into balanced and healthy dogs. If you are wondering whether raw dog food is the answer, keep on reading and find out more about it.
Raw dog food does not contain any preservatives, flavors, and other additives
The best part about opting for raw dog food is that you will give your puppy a natural diet that is free of chemicals. While dry kibbles may be a bit more comfortable, this type of food is processed and, no matter how great it is, it will never be as natural as raw food.
Of course, because raw dog food means to feed your dog raw, uncooked meat, you will have to make sure you get the meat from trusty sources. If the animal from which the meat is coming is contaminated with a virus or parasite, it could easily pass on to your dog as well.
But, if you get the food from reliable sources, the followers of this diet say that it is much better for their dogs than any other kind of dog food out there. It provides precisely the kind of nutrients dogs need to enjoy a great state of health, nutrients that are hard to find in kibbles.
How will raw dog food help the health of your puppy?
The dog food you will offer to your puppy will be reflected in its health. So, just how good is raw food for the health of your puppy? Will it solve any current health problems? In order to make the answer a positive one, you will have to slowly make the transition from its previous diet to the raw dog food diet.
What does this mean? It will mean to start with something easy to digest, like turkey meat. Also, resist the temptation to mix meat with kibbles, to persuade the dog to eat. This mix can upset the puppy’s stomach due to the fact that kibbles require a different pH than meat to be digested.
Because a good part of the proteins in a dog’s diet will go in its coat, raw food will make a dog enjoy a shiny and soft coat at all times. A healthy coat means less dog hair and dander falling off and healthier skin as well.
A raw dog diet should not contain just boneless meat. Ideally, you should offer your dog meat on a bone. This will give the dog precious minerals and will maintain a great dental hygiene. Chewing on raw bones will keep the teeth healthy and will prevent bad breath.
The dog’s muscle tone will also be much improved with the help of a raw diet. Meat contains the biggest amount of proteins, so, as you can tell, it will be easier for a dog to develop healthy muscles on such a diet. With a raw dog food diet, you will never have to worry about your dog gaining unwanted body weight.
Why is the raw dog food diet better than dry food?
Most dry dog food contains a lot of carbohydrates that are easy to digest. This means that the levels of sugar in a dog’s blood will be rather high. In case you were wondering why your puppy is hyperactive, hard to handle, and mischievous, now you have the answer.
Also, dry food does not provide sufficient vitamin B to your puppy. Why is vitamin B so important? This vitamin soothes the brain and gives the dog a calm and balanced state of mind. Thus, in its absence, the dog may feel restless and irritated.
Believe it or not, raw dog food produces less waste. This means that your puppy will be easier to potty train, as it won’t have to do its duty so often. This is also due to the fact that raw dog food does not contain as much salt as dry food does, which makes dogs drink a large quantity of water after each meal.
So, if you are currently looking for small puppies for sale and wondering about the food you’ll feed your future dog, now you have precious information on the matter. As long as the source of the food is safe, raw dog food will bring a lot of benefits to your puppy in a long term.
Feeding your dog raw vegetables
It is not necessarily recommended to feed your dog raw vegetables, but there are some you can feed it without getting in trouble.
Green leafy vegetables such as broccoli, kale, mustard greens, endive, bok choy or raw spinach are safe to feed your dog as treats. Also, fruit-type and root vegetables can be valuable sources of nutrients for dogs – and not only; some of these vegetables would be brussels sprouts, sugar beets, carrots, zucchini, green beans, turnips.
However, you should always crush them completely or puree them, so it’s easier for your pup to digest them. Or why not use a mixer; or a juicer to extract the pulp?
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