We Feed Raw Dog Food

Every species has a diet specifically tailored to optimize their health and increase the length of their life. For example, an elephant and an octopus do not share the same diet (I would assume, but I am no octopus nutritionist). 

All jokes aside, it is quite obvious that these two species need different amounts/types of nutrition. They may share some of the same vitamins and minerals that they need, but different species most definitely differ in the amount of protein, carbohydrates, and fat that they need to remain healthy.

This is no different for dogs (something we, at Cali Raw, know a little more about than octopi).

Dogs have a unique diet!

Scientists have discovered the species-appropriate diet for dogs by studying their ancestral diet, the diet of wolves.

We Feed Raw Because It’s Biologically Appropriate

Scientific research has shown that a dog’s DNA only differs from a wolf’s DNA by .04%

The DNA of a dog is almost the same as that of a wolf and shows that dogs aredirect descendants of their ancestor wolves.

What better way is there to find the species-appropriate diet for dogs than studying thediet of an ancestor who shares 99.9% of the same DNA?

Let’s take a look at what nutritionists have learned about the diet of wolves.

For a long time, nutritional studies of wolves showed that wolves were strictly eating high protein diets, classifying them as carnivores. This shaped the idea of the biologically-appropriate diet for dogs as “meat-only”. However, recent information came forward and had us rethink how we define the dog’s species-appropriate diet.

A high protein diet is good for dogs, but scientists have only been analyzing their scat in the wintertime (when it is easiest to track them).

Scientists started taking scat, also known as poop, samples from wolves in the summer and we learned that the diet of a wolf is a bit broader than what we originally thought. The summer scat analysis showed that their diets contained 8% of grass and berries and up to 20% of plant matter.

Winter studies didn’t show this side of their diet because berries don’t grow in extremely cold weather when the grass is covered by a thick layer of snow and ice. This information led the raw food pet industry to include fruit and vegetables in our dog’s meals.

Dog food should still be very protein-dense, but we add ingredients such as carrots, broccoli, kale, and apples to make sure the dogs are eating a biologically appropriate diet!

Our raw food formulas were formulated to provide the proper nutrients a dog needs with human-grade USDA approved.Check out our ingredients.

Types of Dog Food 

There are many options when it comes to choosing a dog food. 

Although none are as good as feeding raw, and here’s why

Kibble/Dry: 

This type of dry dog food is certainly the most economical choice because it’s convenient to serve and has a shelf life of up to 50 years. Unfortunately, kibble has the least positive impact on your dog's health out of all types of dog food.

Kibble is filled with preservatives andcooked at extreme temperatures which destroy most of the nutrients from its ingredients. 

Dry dog food is harmful to your dog because of preservatives and lacks the nutrients that the companies advertised on their package. 

Read More:Why Kibble Is So Bad?

Canned: 

Wet dog food is a step up from kibble but still inhibits your dog from acquiring all of their much-needed nutrients. 

Wet dog food is that it is made up of about 75% water.On a wet food diet, your dog will have to eat way more food than they should be eating to get its essential nutrients. Overeating will lead to weight gain which can cause health problems such as diabetes.

Canned also has a lot of the preservatives to keep this type of dog food “okay” to feed after buying it and leaving it on the shelf for months. 

Cooked: 

Cooked dog food like dehydrated or homemade is a step in the right direction. This kind of dog food has more nutritional value than the types listed above. However, it’s not as good as raw because the heat used to cook the meat and vegetables destroys many of the great nutrients. 

Many of the homes cooked and homemade dog food usually isn’t complete and balanced for optimal health.

Dog food that is cooked may be safer for the owners preparing the meals but it doesn’t benefit the dogs.

Raw:

The best way to provide your dog with their species-specific diet is to feed them an all-natural raw dog food likethe BARF diet. 

Feeding raw is the best option to optimize the quality of life and happiness of your dog. Since this kind of diet is biologically appropriate, dogs are able to absorb the correct nutrition from raw dog food. A raw diet has amazingbenefits, such as reducing allergies, maintaining weight, and improving overall health.

Any type of raw dog food feeding isbetter thankibble, but the BARF diet has proven to have significant benefits over the prey model.

Interested In Starting Raw: Raw Dog Food Feeding Guide For Beginners

We Feed Raw Because They Have Sharp Teeth

We can tell a lot by the ancestral diet of animals by looking at their dental makeup. If you lift your dog’s lip, you can see how sharp their teeth are.

Those sharp teeth are present in carnivores because they are used to rip into flesh, suggesting that the dogs’ ancestors were eating raw meat. They were hunters. 

Dogs do have some molars, about 10 in the back, for grinding plant materials. These were used to eat some fruit and vegetables. However, their main diet centered around the prey they hunted. This is because certain amino acids are required for their survival that they cannot get through plant protein. 

The Human Diet VS. A Dog’s Diet 

We also have sharp teeth like dogs do and refer to them as our canines. So why can we survive without meat but dogs can’t? 

Unlike dogs, our body can get all the nutrients we need from a plant-based diet. We also organically produce different amino acids than dogs do. 

Our digestive system is designed to digest plant matter and protein more efficiently, so we can almost entirely convert Alpha-linolenic acid (an omega-3 fatty acid found in plants) into useful nutrients called EPA and DHA. In the meanwhile, dogs can convert only about anywhere from 5-15% of this acid.

Feeding Raw Dog Food 

 We feed raw because it’s species-appropriate. A Natural all raw dog food will give your dogs the best chance of living their healthiest and happiest life.

Ready to start feeding raw?

Cali Raw has great formulas for your dog whether they are a pup or an adult. Our formulas are also AAFCO approved and made with human-grade, USDA ingredients. 

We’ll help you calculate how much you raw food you need to feed. 

If you’re still weighing your options, just remember to check that they are complete and balanced. We recommend checking what they add in the food and how it’s processed. 

Check Out Our Blog:What To Look For When Choosing The Best Raw Food 

We can guarantee that our raw dog food formulas are whole and balanced, follow the Barf diet model, and include the right amount of protein, fruits, vegetables, and other natural supplements to satisfy your dog's needs.

Just remember….

Feed raw because it’s species-appropriate! 

Read more: Raw Feeding Guide For Pregnant Dogs