If you recently got your first family protection dog, have come across advertisements for personal protection dogs for sale that you might want to purchase, or are finding yourself curious about alternative options for your already existing furry family member, you may be wondering why you keep hearing about raw dog food diets and their benefits. While both homemade and store-bought raw dog food is generally touted as being better for your dog than your kibbles and bits, even those have their differences that you should be aware of before you dive in and take the raw-diet plunge.
So, what are the benefits of homemade dog food?
One of the biggest advantages to going the homemade route over store-bought is that you’ll be in complete control over every last ingredient that goes into your dog’s eager mouth. If your personal protection dogs have any known allergies, you can save yourself the hassle of finding a brand that fits your protection dogs, and craft a recipe from scratch that avoids it entirely. Generally speaking, it can also be significantly more affordable to make your own food than it is to buy it pre-packaged.
What Should Your Homemade Raw Dog Food Include?
You might think that moving your dog to a raw-food diet is as easy as getting your hands on some chicken cutlets and ground beef, putting it in their bowl, and going, but a raw-food diet is a little more complicated than that. See, your furry companion doesn’t just need meat to live a long, fulfilling, well-nourished life, they need other nutrients, too. Fruits and vegetables play just as integral part of your protection dog’s diet as it does for you, so incorporate those into your meal planning. Organ meat and fatty acids also go a long way in ensuring sustained optimal health as they assist with preventing deficiencies.
How Do I Know What To Feed My Dog?
Until you get the hang of the different options, it is highly recommended that you follow a basic formula when compiling the ingredients for your dog’s diet. This formula compiled by Julie Ann Lee will get you off on the right foot.
Your protection dog’s diet should include:
50% muscle meat
20% vegetables
15% uncooked bone
10% organ meat
5% fruit
An essential fatty acid such as coconut or hemp oil
And bones on occasion (Feet, Neck, Knuckles.)
While it’s always important to strive for a well-balanced diet, just like with humans, being balanced over time is more important than daily perfection.
Should You Stick To The Same Meat?
While old Baxter might love his chicken, it’s important to give your dog a wide variety of meats and nutrients in order to give him the best chance at getting all the health benefits his body craves. It’s also best to limit your choices to non-GMO, organic, and ethically sourced ingredients when possible as you then have the greatest chance of knowing that Baxter’s food doesn’t contain any harmful additives.
Allergies & Health Concerns
As we mentioned above, if you know your dog has an aversion to certain foods, making your own raw-dog food meals is a great way to ensure your protection dog doesn’t accidentally get anything that will upset his stomach or cause further health problems. Additionally, some foods have been known to be helpful when fighting certain health concerns. For example, if your dog has an upset stomach, bad joints, or weak connective tissue, bone broth can assist with the healing process. Cell metabolism and thyroid function can also be aided by incorporating things like dried seaweed. Whatever your protection dog’s health concern is, research the many benefits of raw food and how they can help keep him happy and healthy.
Flexibility & Preparedness
Another fantastic benefit to making your own dog food is that you can prepare them fresh as you create your family’s meals and serve them right then and there, or you can make big batches of it, freeze them, and pull them out as you need them. Whatever your schedule is like, it is easy to accommodate your protection dog’s dietary needs in your day-to-day.
And on the days that you find yourself extra short on time, you can always go to your local grocery store and take advantage of the raw food that is pre-made in the freezer section. The nice thing about this method is they’re usually fit with their macro and micronutrient balance and are often formed into easily handle patties, meaning all that left for you to do is thaw them and place them in your dog’s dish. Of course, make sure you carefully read that ingredient list if your dog does have allergies or food sensitivities before selecting your pre-made option. Most companies will include a shortlist that is easily legible and accommodates the most common restrictions, so you shouldn’t have much trouble finding one that suits your needs.
Be Aware of Synthetic Ingredients
You’ll get the most high-quality nutrition when your dog’s food is coming from whole ingredients, so be aware and understand the different types of synthetic ingredients that might be present in the food you’re looking at.
You want to be wary of any synthetic minerals because since they are chemically based they cannot be absorbed or digested very well, which means they’re simply not as efficient of a way to get quality vitamins. These are generally found towards the bottom of ingredient lists and might include words like sulfate or proteinate.
In addition to simply being sub-par nutrient-wise, many synthetic vitamins tend to come from China, a country that has significantly more lax rules about food and supplement regulations, so even if you think you know what you’re getting, you can’t be positive that they followed the rules you’re accustomed to and trust in the United States, for example.
Is It Expensive?
Many people find themselves avoiding store-bought raw options because they are higher priced than some of the non-raw-based diet options. Of course, there is a reason for that hefty price tag, as the companies that manufacture them have done all the hard work for you and placed them in a neatly packaged bag ready to pick off the shelf and take home. For that reason, many raw-food advocates recommend that taking the time to prepare your personal protection dog’s food yourself is well worth the added effort.
Conclusion
So, back to that personal protection dogs for sale sign. Given what you know now, which option for old Rex is going to be best for your new pet’s health?
The take-home is this: whether you choose store-bought raw food or decide to get down and dirty and prepare your own, your personal protection dogs, furry companions, and loveable pups, will see greater benefits with either method over choosing a generic dry kibble from the store. Above all else, as long as you are ensuring your dog is adequately nourished and not consuming anything that can cause damage or defects, it really comes down to personal preference.
