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Raw food diets are gaining popularity due to their various health benefits. Since dogs are naturally carnivorous, it makes sense to mimic their natural and ancestral menu. On top of that, there are a lot of ingredients in processed dog foods that aren’t beneficial for canines. Raw foods can improve digestion, make the coat and skin healthier, reduce allergy symptoms, and makes it easier to manage weight. If you want your canine to reap all these benefits, here are five types of raw food you can include in the diet.
- Bones: As dogs love chewing on bones, it is an easy way to add calcium to their diet. Canines should get about 10% of their diet from bones. Also, give your canines raw meaty bones such as lamb necks, pork necks, chicken wings, beef ribs, oxtails, or other similar animal bones. Feeding your dog the Milk-Bone dog treats can also help.
- Eggs: Raw eggs with shells are a great way to give your canine a balanced ratio of phosphorous and calcium. To ensure your canine doesn’t suffer from deficiencies you should ensure it eats the yolk. Egg yolks are excellent sources of calcium, folate, iron, magnesium, and vitamins A, B6, and E. Canned dog food like the Merrick Dog Food is also rich in calcium and other necessary nutrients.
- Fruits and vegetables: Fruits and vegetables have a lot of nutrients that are beneficial to your canine. Use a food processor if you want your canine to get the total nutrition value of fruits and vegetables. You can give your canine broccoli, celery spinach, apples, and bananas as a part of your diet.
- Green tripe: You should give your canine raw green tripe for at least two or more meals weekly. Although it smells a lot, it is extremely nutritious as it has a perfect balance of phosphorous, calcium, vitamin B, and fatty acids. It is rich in Lactobacillus Acidophilus and digestive enzymes. It also has the proper ratio of linoleic and linolenic, which is beneficial to your canine. Try getting tripe of animals that mainly eat grass, such as cows, buffalos, goats, and sheep. The Hill’s Science Diet dog food is another option with the right balance of vital nutrients for dogs.
- Organ meat: Organ meat such as liver, kidneys, and gizzards contain essential nutrients required by your canine’s body. However, not all canines will be able to tolerate organ meat so make sure you divide the portions and feed small amounts every day. Also, organ meat should make up only 10 – 15 % of your canine’s diet.
When feeding your canine raw food or raw dog food, you should ensure that it is clean and free of chemicals. Once your canine eats raw food regularly, you will notice significant improvements in its overall health. If you have any queries regarding raw food, please leave a comment below.
While knowing the above can help you keep your dog in the best of health conditions possible, your knowledge about a few contaminants can be great for your pet care journey too.
How To Check Your Pet’s Food For Listeria Contamination
Your pet food could be contaminated without your knowledge. This happens on a fairly regular basis. Many pet foods are recalled throughout the year also due to listeria contamination. This is a kind of bacteria that causes infection. It is potent and could be lethal. There was a significant outbreak in 2011. Pregnant women could be put at risk of miscarriage. The infection could also be transferred to the fetus. When it comes to humans, individuals with a suppressed human system the elderly are at maximum risk. The veterinarian could do a superficial examination and ask questions about your pet's diet, and behavioral changes. The veterinarian may do multiple tests. A simple blood test could confirm listeria. In pets, an examination of cerebrospinal liquid could confirm the presence of listeria infection.
At-risk
Dogs who frequently consume a raw diet are more at risk of listeria infection. All canines are vulnerable to listeria bacteria. Senior dogs and young puppies are more at risk from Listeria infection as their immune systems are already weak. The Listeria bacterium is found in soil and water. It is also discovered in several animals like guinea pigs, goats, cattle, sheep, and poultry. The bacteria could be passed through contaminated food, meats, and dairy products. Many low-quality dog foods were found to contain Listeria. It is to be remembered that not all listeria-affected dogs will exhibit symptoms. Those will show will exhibit it in varying degrees. If you believe your pet has listeria, take it to the veterinarian as soon as possible. If not treated quickly, this bacterial disease could prove fatal to the pet. The list of symptoms is diarrhea, vomiting, fever, lethargy, lack of coordination, nausea, weakness, muscle soreness, stiff neck, and skin infections.
Ingestion and treatment
The Listeria bacterium is found everywhere. It is seen in water and soil. The bacteria could easily pass to your pet and infect it. It is found in products made from raw milk and also in raw milk. Most pets get contaminated from eating dairy products and meats. This bacteria can be killed by pasteurization and cooking. It is thus vital to offer your pet a cooked diet, and not a raw one. You should never give your pet scraps from the table. Do be aware of the latest status of the dog food you normally buy. Be active and monitor any kind of raw foods which the dog could eat. Treatment depends on the severity of the symptoms. Mild symptoms could be countered with pain and gastrointestinal medications. Severe cases may require the pet to be hospitalized. IV fluids could be needed. The list of common anti-listeria antibiotics includes amoxicillin and penicillin.
Get in touch with an online vet immediately if the contamination keeps getting worse.