Raw Pet Food Diets

Some pet owners choose to feed their cats and dogs raw meats instead of dry or canned commercial food. Although chicken is the most popular raw food given to pets, beef, fish, pork, venison and other types of meat are other options. Proponents of raw food diets claim they offer several significant benefits.

  1. It's a Natural Diet

    • Pet owners in favor of feeding raw pet food point out that raw meat is closer to the animal's natural diet. Commercial cat and dog food contains grains, which a dog's or cat's stomach is not designed to digest. As a result, some animals experience allergies from dry food. Some owners find that switching to raw meat alleviates some of their pets' allergies.

    Better Growth Development

    • Advocates of raw pet food suggest that commercial dog and cat foods force an animal to grow too quickly, resulting in developmental problems. Because raw meat is what animals' digestive systems were intended to handle, they experience a leveler, more consistent growing period. The tearing and chewing motions from eating meat and bones help develop their mouth, neck, shoulder and jaw muscles as well. Dry pet foods do not engage the same muscles as fully.

    Less Costly

    • Owners who can find an inexpensive source of meat may be able to save money compared to purchasing commercial food for their pets. Inexpensive cuts can be obtained from butchers or meat processors, and some owners may have access to venison and other wild game. Commercial pet foods use preservatives and flavorings to make the product appealing to pets, and as a result, the animal could eat excessively. Meat also has more energy per unit than the carbohydrates in dry dog and cat food, requiring less of it to be fed to the animal.

    Better Eating Habits

    • Pets that grow up eating dry commercial food, especially dogs, tend to eat too fast. Because they have to work less to eat a bowl of dry dog food, they can consume it too fast for their stomachs to keep up. This can lead to weight problems. Eating raw meat, however, takes more time because the animal has to tear it off the bone or from larger pieces of meat. This allows more time for the stomach juices to digest it properly.