Switching To A Raw Pet Food Diet

Posted on 11 August 2022
By Dr. Jill Tack, Board Certified Naturopathic Doctor
Posted in Common Dog & Cat Health Issues, Dog & Cat In-Store Events, Dog & Cat Wellness, Natural & Safe Pet Food Options, Raw Dog & Cat Food Diet Tips
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Feeding a raw diet to your cat or dog might be a new concept for your household. That’s ok. We love helping pet parents learn all about raw cat and dog food. Read on to hear about Dr. Jill's personal experience with the benefits of switching her pets to an all-natural, raw-fed diet.

Feeding a raw diet to your cat or dog might be a new concept for your household. It's alright. We love helping pet parents learn all about raw cat and dog food. The benefits of making the natural diet upgrade are numerous, and in the long run, you will improve your pet’s overall health, wellness, and longevity.

Raw Pet Food Improves Your Dog & Cat’s Quality Of Life

Everyone's journey to proper pet nutrition and raw feeding is different. Mine started in the late 1990s when my first childhood dog became ill. At the time, and with the progression of his disease, our conventional veterinarian had exhausted her options to improve his quality of life. This is when my parents found out about feeding a raw diet and it has inspired me to do better with every animal that has graced my home and heart over the last two decades.

Seeking Better Nutrition For Cats & Dogs

Even before The Pet Beastro existed, I began my raw food adventures by purchasing from a distributor, and many of my 20-something friends didn’t understand why I was so adamant about my dog’s nutrition and food choices. With my first order with Oma’s Pride as a distributor, I already had customers! Even then, pet parents were looking for better pet food options. If we dig into the history of what we know as “pet food” today, dry and canned food hasn’t been around for very long. Before the convenience of bagged pet food, most of our animals ate fresh food from dinner scraps or leftovers from the farm.

Feeding Raw & Fresh Pet Food: A Way Of Life

Even though my dog Max was my first teacher; Sasha, my Alaskan Husky, was the one that solidified my beliefs in feeding raw fresh food. Sasha found me after college while living on my own. At six months old, she was dealing with intestinal and digestive upset. Three weeks into vomiting and liquid stool plus a myriad of pharmaceuticals that never touched her symptoms, I decided to fully transition to a raw diet as Max had taught me. Within 36 hours, her symptoms had disappeared and my happy puppy was back to her usual antics. Yes, the transformation was that fast! Looking back, I believe her symptoms were caused by either a bacterial infection or severe inflammation that prevented her body from absorbing nutrients. Choosing the appropriate foods, allowed her body to digest and absorb nutrients and improved her energy and vital force.

Proper Food & Nutrition Leads To A Healthy Pet

Along my journey, I have my own dogs and cats in addition to several dozen foster greyhounds who were all fed a raw diet. The changes in my animals and experiences have been profound, making me one of the biggest believers in seeing that food and nutrition critically support the health and wellness of the rest of the body.

Health Benefits For Cats & Dogs Who Are Fed Raw Pet Food

Below is the long list of benefits that I have seen with my own pets as well as employee and customer experiences:

Better weight management
Increased energy & vitality
Better breath
Healthier skin & coat
Reduced ear infections
Reduced yeast infections
Improvement in allergies - food or respiratory
Improved teeth & gum health, reduces tartar
Reduced inflammatory issues
Overall joint support & health
Small, less smelly stools
Decreased veterinary costs & visits
Reduced hairballs (cats)
Decreased anal gland issues
Great for picky eaters, they enjoy mealtime
Improved yearly blood panels
Improved mental health
Limited ingredient options
Protein varieties, including exotic protein options
More consistent growth in puppies, including bone growth
Natural hydration supporting the urinary system
Increased digestibility and palatability

Adding Just 10% Raw Pet Food Helps!

Any amount of fresh food is better than none. You could add a topper or mix-in to start if feeding a raw diet seems overwhelming, not in the budget, or isn’t possible for your current situation (freezer space can be an issue). Join us for RawGust, an in-store celebration for all pet parents that is great for beginners to raw feeding who want to learn more about building a better bowl and mealtime experience. However, if you are an expert raw feeder, you can also benefit from trying a new food or protein and the great in-store savings!