Raw Food Diets - Are They Healthy?

Proponents of the raw food diet basically say that dogs should be fed raw meat, vegetables and bones...basically what they would eat in the wild. In addition, they say that your dogs should never eat grains, rice or other carbohydrates. Why? Apparently, grains are one of the biggest sources of allergies in dogs and, because grains make up the majority of commercial dog food, our pets will be free of allergy-related symptoms once they start the raw food diet (and they won't have flatulence).

When can your dog eat chicken bones? Apparently on the raw food diet. I was taught to never give a dog chicken bones, but it seems you can if they're raw because raw bones are not dangerous - they are soft enough to bend easily and break well for the dog to digest.

Those in favor of the diet claim dogs are healthier, have more energy, require fewer trips to the vet, have fewer weight problems, produce much less stool and stool is firm and disintegrates easily. Apparently raw food also cleans the dogs teeth and reduces body odor.

And now, the other side of the coin. From what I've read, those not in favor of the raw food diet claim that there is not enough evidence to support the health claims and there are nutritional imbalances, meaning your dog is not getting enough of the vitamins and minerals they need.

If you decide to start your dog on a raw food diet, there will be a period of detoxing where your pet will be vomiting, have diarrhea, bad breath and itchy skin. Also, I've read that their fur can fall out but it's to make way for the new growth.

There does not appear to be a lot of vet support for raw feeding, however, many vets are like doctors - they benefit from commercial dog food manufacturers much in the same way medical doctors get kickbacks from pharmaceutical companies.

From what I've read, the raw food diet is more expensive and time consuming than buying a big bag of commercial dog food at the grocery store, but the choice is yours. Read...read...and read some more!