I have four dogs, Willy, Fanny, Batpup and Padfoot. Willy and Fanny are Batpup and Padfoot’s parents. We had a litter last year (never again as it was like parting with my own children when the puppies were ready to leave, hence keeping two), and we’ve cycled through many diets to find the right one for our pups.
It seemed natural, when weaning to choose Nature’s Menu raw food (this isn’t a promotional post). This brand promised nutrients, a high proportion of meat and also vegetables. The puppies also adored the puppy formula of fish and rice, although I did think they had worms when the poop came out the other end (due to the rice!)
This was ideal as it wasn’t too heavy and not so messy. It doesn’t have a lot of salt in it which is a problem with a lot of tinned foods and it wasn’t overloaded with grains and wheat that can cause constipation.
It may have been a coincidence, but all six puppies thrived on this, not one had a health complaint, their bowels were regular, they were never hungry and their coats shone. It helped that the food came frozen in individual nuggests which took just minutes to defrost also. Willy and Fanny also loved this food, and thrived on it too.
What are the benefits of raw feeding? Why would we choose to feed dogs raw food over any other?
The benefits include:
- Reduction of allergies and intolerances
- More stable energy; less hyperactivity
- Easier to digest, sensitive stomachs improve
- Fresher breath, cleaner, whiter teeth
- Increase in appetite
- Stools are harder, smell less and much easier to pick up
- Inflammatory issues such as skin conditions or joint inflammation reduce
- Improved energy levels in older dogs
- Improvement in conditions such as colitis with our low-fat options
- Conditions such as diabetes and epilepsy reportedly needing less medication
- Clears up anal gland issues, less flatulence
Today, the dogs are a little fussier, they still love raw food but they do like variety and will leave their bowls full if they’re not 100% enamoured with the food on offer. I buy the raw blocks now from Nature’s menu, as one between four is ideal, and these are a variety of meats. I will, once or twice a week also cook them a whole chicken as a treat.
After reading the ingredients on many biscuits and tins, I will never go back to feeding my dogs dry, unappealing food or food packed full of salt. Their behaviour is also optimum and I do believe a lot of this is down to their healthy, nutritious diet.
