A raw food lifestyle isn’t exclusively for humans alone—it is also something to consider applying to your pet!

Intuitively speaking, it makes complete sense. It’s not like animals would be lighting fires to cook their most recently captured prey without human intervention, so why do it for them? Today, shelves are filled with animal food that is fueled by inedible junk. Even the most expensive, top-of-the-line brands are laden with chemicals. Why not give your pet the better alternative?

Raw Research
In 1932 Dr. Francis Marion Pottenger, Jr. decided to test the raw food diet on cats. Over the duration of ten years her experiment documented 900 cats, spanning four generations. Some of the cats were fed processed foods such as pasteurized, evaporated and condensed milk—and the rest were fed whole foods such as raw milk and meat. Pottenger observed that all four generations of the cats fed raw milk and meat had a healthy and normal lifespan. The cats fed pasteurized, evaporated and condensed milk, however, did not fare as well. With each coming generation, these cats were developing diseases earlier and their lives were curtailed significantly until they became sterile or simply died before birth.

Paw Pleasers
A raw food diet can indeed benefit your pet! Expect the following:

– reduced digestive disorders
– increased energy and vitality
– healthy, normal lifespan
– reduced skin disorders
– increased overall health

And according to Pottenger’s research, feeding your pet well now will set up following generations with better health and a lower predilection for certain diseases and ailments.

What about bacteria in raw food?
This is probably the biggest concern that most people have. They think that feeding their pets raw food will make their pets sick. Dogs and cats, however, have evolved to live on food that may have bacteria in it. Wild dogs will eat the guts of their prey and the feces of many different animals, let alone their regular consumption of soil, buried bones, and whatever else their curious noses lead them to. Dogs and cats are not human and cannot be treated as such—they are less sensitive to the microbes and toxins that would normally afflict humans. Dogs and cats also have a higher stomach pH and a shorter digestive track, both of which defend them against getting sick from the harmful bacteria that may be present in raw food.

With that being said, the key is to make sure that your raw food source is legitimate. Check out the resources below and continue to consider your own options. Developing a relationship with your raw pet food supplier will allay your fears and also educate you regarding that which you are putting in your beloved friend’s body. Just don’t test taste!

Resources

Paw Naturaw
BARF Diet
Naya and Milas
Grass-Fed Traditions
Max and Ruffy
Health Force Nutritionals

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