Dogs have been our best mates for thousands of years, and part of caring for them is providing them with the best nutrition for a happy life. As adaptive carnivores, dogs thrive on a meat based diet but are also able to digest fruits and vegetables, like carrot, pumpkin and apple.

Cats, on the other hand, are obligate carnivores therefore an all-meat menu better aligns with their natural wild diet.

Let's break down how you can keep your pooch happy and healthy by providing them with the top dogs of nutrition:

High protein, low carb diet

• Feeding a higher protein, lower carbohydrate diet gives your dog a much higher moisture content, meaning the meals they are eating are less energy dense than kibble on an "as fed" basis. 
• For example, if you were to feed 100g of My Raw Pet food and 100g of generic kibble, the kibble would be significantly higher in calorie content. This makes feeding a high protein, low carb diet a great option for managing your dog's weight.
• Don't worry! Your pup won't be going hungry. Protein is beneficial for animals to feel full and build lean muscle.

Structured mealtimes

• Avoiding ad libitum (always having food available to them) feeding can be beneficial to dogs who need to lose that little bit of weight.
• Ad libitum feeding is a huge contributors to pets being overweight or obese. 

Single source proteins for allergen avoidance

• Meal options with single source proteins are great for owners who are trying to limit or avoid dietary allergens as they contain fewer ingredients. The likelihood of bumping into unexpected allergens is much less.
• Kibble's lengthy list of ingredients can pose an issue if your dog has an allergy to one or more animal proteins, or other ingredients like soy.

Here's how My Raw Pet can help

• My Raw Pet raw diets can help you to offer your pets variety with our Build Your Own Box option, where your order is fully customisable to your individual needs and those of your pet.
• We offer lean proteins such as chicken which can help your pet to lose weight. We also offer proteins for those dogs who struggle to gain or maintain their weight. These include fish and lamb. 
• We also have meal packs available that have been pre-portioned to your dog's weight so all you need to do is thaw and serve. These are great for busy families who want the quality of a raw diet without the prep time.

Want to know some of the benefits of transitioning to a raw diet?

• Pet owners feeding raw diets often report that their pets have smaller, less smelly stools. This is generally a result of the raw diet being highly digestible, meaning less is undigested and needs to pass in stools.
• Chewing on raw meat and bones is excellent for dental hygiene and can help clean your dog's teeth and avoid plaque buildup. 
• Higher moisture content meals are beneficial for dogs that don't drink a lot of water voluntarily. This can be great for avoiding urinary tract issues by ensuring they are getting plenty of water throughout their diet.

Top tips for transitioning and food safety

As with any new diet, it is important to introduce the raw diet slowly to avoid any potential stomach upsets. We recommend 7-10 days for their transition phase. However, you know your pet the best and if they have proven to be particularly sensitive to new foods, take extra care and transition them over a 2-3 week period.

Food safety is vital when feeding your pets a raw diet, as it is when preparing food for humans. Always wash your hands before and after handling the raw food, sanitise any surfaces used frequently, thaw frozen diets in the fridge and separate raw meat diets from other foods in the fridge.