Feeding Raw
Designed to mimic a dog’s natural ancestral menu.
To the left you will see different sections and pages for you to look at. We are adding to these sections each week. I strongly suggest starting at the top and go through them all. Starting with Dogs are Carnivores.
The whole concept of raw feeding is based upon a dog’s instinctive carnivorous bias — a built-in desire to capture (or find) and eat another animal. As unsavory as it may seem, it is completely natural for a wolf to consume the entire animal. Meat, bones, organs and all. As direct descendants of wolves, dogs are simply not genetically optimized to consume the 50% carbohydrate content of today’s commercial kibbles.
So, how do these diets compare?
The Ancestral Diet
Compared to Dry Kibble
No one can argue the dry baked pellets we call dog food aren’t convenient. Yet the nutrient profile of a dry kibble is nowhere near the nutrient content of a dog’s ancestral diet.
Nutrient Content Compared
| Nutrient | Ancestral Diet | Dry Dog Food |
| Protein | 56% | 18-32% |
| Fat | 25-30% | 8-22% |
| Carbohydrates | 14% | 46-74% |
Notice the higher carbohydrate content of the kibble compared to the dog’s natural ancestral diet. Or how about the dramatically lower protein and fat levels?
10 Ingredients Your Pup Should Avoid
American pet food is a $24 billion industry feeding 70-80 million dogs and 96 million cats. However, many of the best known brands are filling their food products, even the ones which are supposed to be healthy or high quality, with chemicals, ingredients, and substances which are harmful to our dogs. If you have a new, German Shepherd puppy, or any German Shepherd for that matter, you should avoid these 10 ingredients at all costs:
- Carrageenan – 70% of pet foods contains this ingredient, but it can cause intestinal inflammation.
- Ethoxyquin – A preservative found in most dog foods but linked to kidney and liver damage.
- Propylene Glycol – Can cause intestinal blockages and cancerous lesions.
- BHT – Linked to cancer in dogs and also humans.
- BHA – A preservative linked to kidney damage.
- Food Dyes – Linked to allergic reactions, cancer, and organ damage.
- Corn Syrup/Corn – Causes weight gain, hyperactivity, and diabetes.
- By-Products – Tissue and organ disease, and tumors.
- Xylitol – Linked with vomiting and lethargy.
- Sorbitol – Linked with hyperactivity and exhaustion.
No matter how you feed your pup, keep an eye out for the classic signs of toxicity poisoning. If you act early and change their diet, you can help them recover. Check out this infographic from MySweetPuppy.net for more information on how to spot these signs, what each substance does, and how to get the right treats and food for your pup.
The Benefits of a Raw Diet
There have been many reports of improved health when chronically ill pets were switched from a commercial product to a raw dog food.
Feeding a raw dog food diet has many notable benefits…
Firmer stools
Improved digestion
Healthier skin and coat
Reduced allergy symptoms
Better weight management