Kick-Off 2024 With Fresh Raw Pet Food

Posted on 31 December 2023
By Dr. Jill Tack, Board Certified Naturopathic Doctor
Posted in cats, Dog & Cat Nutrition Tips, Dog & Cat Wellness, dogs, healthy pet food, Made In the USA Pet Food & Supplies, Natural & Safe Pet Food Options, Raw Dog & Cat Food Diet Tips
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Happy New Year to you and your furry family members! Kick-Off 2024 and consider adding fresh food to your cat or dog's bowl! Feed your pet how nature intended with high-quality, all-natural ingredients that will turn mealtime into your cat or dog's favorite part of the day.

Happy New Year to you and your furry family members! Kick-off 2024 with a fresh start, and consider adding something fresh to your cat or dog's bowl! Feed your pet how nature intended with high-quality, all-natural ingredients that will turn mealtime into your cat or dog's favorite part of the day.

Pets Love Fresh Food

Our Warren store manager, Maddie, says, "I love Oma’s for my cats and dog! My cat Norman has severe anxiety, which causes a variety of different issues, from weight loss to poor skin and coat. Oma’s pride has made his life a lot easier. I usually use the Purr Complete poultry blend alongside the beef organ mix (because it’s high in vitamins and taurine) and the ground duck and bone, which is fattier than other things we’ve tried. This combination works really well for him. My dog Lance recently started eating the Woof Complete Beef. It usually doesn’t take longer than 5 seconds in his bowl before he eats it all up! Lance is 15 years old, so having him excited about food is great!"

Fresh, High-quality, and all-natural Pet Food Ingredients

Our staff has been learning all about Oma’s Pride and how adding a few fresh ingredients to her furry best friend's bowl can improve her pet's health and longevity. They are excited to share their experience and how their pets are now excited about mealtime!

Your experience with adding fresh pet food might be like Maddie's, or maybe you are just now learning about the benefits of adding raw pet food to your pet's diet. Both cats and dogs can show significant health improvements and see benefits in just a short time. We carry several fresh raw pet food brands that vary from complete and balanced to supplemental feeding, single protein to blended proteins, poultry to red meat varieties, HPP to fermented, and cat to dog to fill all of their needs or diet restrictions. Feeding pet-safe raw food eliminates the need for grains, carbohydrates, fillers, synthetic vitamins, or nasty chemical preservatives.

8 Common Misconceptions About Raw Pet Food

Outlined below are common misconceptions or myths about feeding a raw pet food diet. After reading this, we hope you will seriously consider adding fresh pet food to improve your cat or dog's health, nutrition, and overall quality of life. A healthy pet is a happy pet!

Raw Pet Food Myth Number One:

This smaller portion doesn't seem like enough food for my cat or dog.

Of course, young animals need to eat more, more often, and double or triple the calories of an adult cat or dog. How much raw do I need to feed my cat or cat? There are a few ways to answer this. An adult animal will eat approximately two percent of its body weight when eating a raw meal. You can also determine the calories needed based on your pet's weight. We have heard from many customers that their dog gobbled down their raw meals and are still hungry—a positive response to the enjoyment of their new meal. When we like something, we always want more! Raw portions seem smaller than what you might scoop from a kibble bag. Raw pet food is more bioavailable, meaning the body utilizes more nutrients. Raw pet food also offers a higher digestibility rate, which is digested and available as energy. Both processes leave smaller, less smelly stools since there are no fillers. If you are on poop scoop duty, this most likely sounds appealing!

Raw Pet Food Myth Number Two:

Feeding only soft food is bad for my dog or cat's teeth.

We often hear from pet parents that the belief is that crunchy dry food will scrape your cat or dog's teeth, in turn keeping them clean. False information unless the food contains rare proprietary ingredients within the formula, supports tooth and gum health, and removes plaque. Most often, the carbohydrates from dry food stick to your pet's teeth, causing plaque and other dental diseases. You can have less chance of that happening from a raw food diet. Including raw meaty bones in your pet's natural diet is one of the best ways to improve tooth and gum health.

Raw Pet Food Myth Number Three:

It seems crazy expensive.

There are many easy ways to incorporate fresh food into all budgets. You can start with a small amount or make it the entire diet. Again, being realistic, veterinarian bills for ear infections, skin infections, chronic gastrointestinal issues, pharmaceuticals, etc., are not inexpensive either. If putting the right fuel in the body keeps those chronic issues at bay, then I would say you are investing your money wisely regarding nutrition. Your and your pet's health is worth the cost of having grass-fed, organic veggies and pasture-raised meat. We offer a bulk buying program if you have multiple pets when purchasing by the case. Just email us at [email protected] to sign up. We also encourage adding raw meaty bones to help offset the cost with large breed dogs. Adding just 20 - 30% fresh food can help reduce chronic diseases that ail our pets while improving their health and longevity. We think your pet is worth it!

Raw Pet Food Myth Number Four:

My pet will get worms.

Meat can be a source of parasites, but it is uncommon when purchasing from a well-known pet food manufacturer. They use clean and healthy meat from established farmers and have good working & transparent relationships with each farm's operations. And we only offer natural, safe, high-quality products in our store that meet The Pet Beastro Promise. In reality, an animal can pick up parasites from just about anywhere - tap water, mud puddles, dirt, the park, your daily walk, doggie daycare, gut disorders, excessive stress, fleas, human family members, and so on. Parasites are much more complicated than simply consuming a raw diet. However, feeding one of our pet-safe raw diets is rarely going to be the culprit to your pet's parasite problems.

Raw Pet Food Myth Number Five:

My vet disagrees with raw feeding.

Conventional veterinarians practicing Western medicine commonly disagree with raw feeding. Veterinarians are often not updated on nutrition and don't explicitly keep up with newer pet food trends and companies at no fault to the practicing veterinarian. They have enough to keep up with, from new pharmaceuticals to new equipment to continuing education yearly, plus acting as entrepreneurs to keep their practice running. It's no fault of their own that nutrition slips to the wayside unless they want to learn about wellness from their passion for understanding how food heals the body, not just pharmaceuticals. Now, I would back every veterinarian disapproving of raw feeding when they see a dog or cat eating an unbalanced raw diet, which could lead to health issues.

Raw Pet Food Myth Number Six:

I am feeding my pets nothing but protein.

Meat consists of protein but contains many other essential nutrients that make up the complete diet. We often see up to 20% of the produce added for dogs. Dogs are considered omnivores where fruits and veggies would be in the diet if left to their own. Many of our raw food companies use whole food ingredients for trace minerals and vitamins while avoiding synthetic additives to complete the diet. Cats, however, do better with a much smaller percentage of veggies than omitted veggies as they are obligate carnivores, meaning they thrive on a high-meat diet. Organ meats are full of amino acids needed to work mechanically at the cellular level. Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins and assist in many critical functions of the body. Each balanced diet includes a calcium source such as raw ground bone, fat, omegas, moisture, and trace minerals. In short, the balance of a raw diet is more than just protein.

Raw Pet Food Myth Number Seven:

I'm worried about bacteria or contamination.

The raw pet food world has been under a microscope and scrutiny for several years now. As new raw food companies flood the industry, there is no doubt that the fresh food movement is gaining traction, and pet parents like you want to do better for their pets. Statistically, more dry pet food products have been recalled than raw pet food products for salmonella. However, we often associate bacteria and pathogens with raw meat, not the dry kibble cooked and then put into bags for scooping. Raw pet food companies are routinely testing their products for pathogens. They have a zero-tolerance policy that states that if there is a trace of a bacteria cell, it will be recalled at any stage of the manufacturing process and after the processing. This super strict policy doesn't apply to manufacturers who process kibble pet food. Excellent pet food manufacturers will conduct independent testing of products at all stages, regardless of their production. These are the folks that we support and carry in our store.

Raw Pet Food Myth Number Eight:

My dog or cat is domesticated and not a wild animal.

Most domesticated animals still have high DNA content from their ancestors even though breeding has changed. However, many would argue that our domesticated animals have changed as much as pet food has over the years. Anyone who grew up before the late 1950s would tell you that their dog ate scraps from the home or farm. We know kibble pet food didn't exist until after World War II when pet food manufacturing became a convenient way to use human food by-products. Cats would hunt for field mice or rodents for meals and still do when living outdoors. They tend to prefer a high moisture, high meat diet. We have seen over the years that cats and dogs still thrive when fed a diet and can still fully digest what would be as close to what they would eat in the wild.

Some Raw Is Better Than No Raw

We advocate that some raw food is better than no raw food! Even adding 10% raw pet food or some fresh toppers can significantly improve your dog or cat's health. Anyone of our team members would be happy to help show you fresh and raw options that fit your budget and what works best for you and your four-legged friends. Stop by our retail locations in Madison Heights, Michigan, just north of Detroit, or in Warren, Southeast Corner of East 14 Mile Road and Schoenherr, which are open Monday through Saturday, 10:00 am - 8:00 pm, and Sundays from 10:00 am - 6:00 pm. Also, visit our 24/7 natural pet food treats, toys, and supplies store online. Please message us on Instagram, Facebook, or TikTok! Our knowledgeable team is here to guide you. Your pet's well-being is our priority!