A dog should always be fed cooked meat ahead of raw meat. Raw meat is generally unsuitable for domestic dogs or pets. Only on occasion should a dog be allowed raw meat, however this should be the exception not the rule.
A domesticated dog requires some variety in their diet and there are plenty of quality foods available in most food stores to ensure that your dog enjoys a healthy, varied diet. There are a number of other foods, such as boneless fish and lamb, that a dog can have but the best and most natural food types are those that have been specially prepared for the dog market.
An adult dog should be fed twice a day and exercised regularly. Take care not to overfeed your dog as this can potentially create serious problems and health issues which can be detrimental to your pet.
Bones are always popular with dogs but you must ensure that the bone is solid and too large to swallow. Raw meaty bones are the most popular with dogs - cooked bones must never be fed to a dog as they may disintegrate. If a bone breaks or is too small your dog may end up swallowing it which again will cause a lot of trouble.
By providing your dog with a varied diet and enough exercise it will remain healthy and happy. Ensuring that these two elements are a daily feature of your dog's routine should avoid many of the common problems suffered by dogs and owners.
By checking your dog's weight regularly you can monitor its size to ensure that no problems are developing. Regular access to grass is also recommended with most dogs likely to enjoy eating a little grass, providing it with some nutrients.
Dogs are carnivores. Take a close look in their mouth and observe their teeth. These are designed for cutting and puncturing flesh. Their stomach is well equipped with an overabundance of hydrochloric acid specifically utilized for the rapid digestion and assimilation of "raw flesh meat". That is correct, "raw flesh meat". Carnivores have much, much shorter intestines than herbivores or various ruminants. This affords them quick passage of flesh due to the rapid assimilation. They are absolutely not designed by nature to consume cooked meat, or any cooked food for that matter. Humans fall in this same category. Although each can make due and deal with the plethora of side-effects that accompanies this way of attempting to eat and nourish the body; no animal upon this planet is geared up for the consumption of cooked food, and for good reason.We may feel that dogs (or cats) have evolved through their short time in domestication to handle cooked foods. This is a misperception and faulty assumption. Evolution is a long process. The improper digestion of cooked foods contributes heavily to their manifestation of disease. Many years of a carnivore's life reared upon cooked meat or processed dog kibble, amounts to an overproduction of hormones to compensate for and mask the ill-effects and troubles that cooked food places upon their bodies. Couple this with a gradual enlargement of the pancreas to afford proper production of various enzyme mutations to aid in the inefficient breakdown of improper material (primarily cooked and processed foods). Improper breakdown and assimilation creates various toxic by-products that must be dealt with. The energy used to deal with these various by-products places an unnecessary strain upon the whole body of the carnivore. It usurps energy that may be used for enjoyment of life. This becomes more rapidly apparent as these carnivores age, and the process of elimination begins to atrophy as accumulations of these by-products begin to manifest as burdensome tumors, and a surplus of unnamed ailments or diseases.See clearly the business that veterinarians generate every year throughout the entire world. It is a booming business. I assure you that very few of these practitioners are interested in maintaining permanent and long lasting health among our domesticated carnivorous friends.On the other hand, true health for our friends costs no more than a shift in perception and investment in different materials of nourishment. There is nothing like raw meats and organs (primarily from healthy animals, i.e. Local grass-fed, organic ruminants, or wild animals) for the building, maintenance and reproduction on a cellular level of carnivorous animals. Raw meat affords carnivores the most rapid capacity to upkeep their overall cellular integrity and fully balanced, well-designed body. If carnivores such as dog or cat were fed a diet primarily consisting of raw flesh we could perhaps see an unprecedented increase in overall longevity of all domesticated animals. The comfort of domestication affords these animals ample opportunity to be shielded from harsh environmental factors and whims of hardship that accompany old age or wounds in the wild. We should not equate increased longevity to dietary contributions, for this is certainly not the case.Parasites, interestingly enough, feed on a toxic environment of dead cells, accumulated wastes and inefficient assimilation of cooked, processed, and canned foods. In other words they are akin to garbage collectors. They shall leave of their own accord when the job is through. Let’s stop contributing to an internal waste dump that needs cleansing, shall we?Carbohydrates can create serious turmoil within the digestive terrain of an animal. This can cause degradation of hydrochloric acid production and overall acidity. Feeding raw meat consistently will keep the digestive environment acidic for overall efficiency and will also maintain proper bowel flora. In the event of transitioning to raw meat, a dog or cat may experience drastic bowel movements, vomiting, or other such eliminatory responses. This is natural. See it through. Their terrain will go through a transition, and this is fine. Don’t panic and medicate with synthetic compounds, de-wormers, antibiotics, etc. Etc.They will love you for it, and you will love them more deeply as well. When they are truly nourished, they will come to respect and love you more for granting them the fuel and material that makes them feel good and balanced. You will love them more, because they will be less burdensome and shall save you much of your wealth that may have been drained into unnecessary veterinarian bills and medications. The world will also love you more, because you will be voting for a better way of life with sustainable food choices and not contributing to the mass-produced factory feedlots and heavy production of unsustainable processed foods.A decision between raw meat and cooked meat for your carnivore friend is actually a seemingly small choice with the potentiality to change the world on a grand scale. May you choose well :)
Yes dogs are carnivores but in today's world I would never feed my dog raw meat. With all the preservatives, additives, chemicals, hormones, etc... (and those are just the things the consumers are aware of) I just would not advise it. If you don't know what to do with it - just boil it in some water and give the "natural" juice and meat to your dog as well :) - I have 9 healthy dogs :) :) :)
I have read that raw meat is the best; ground up and mixed with a little potato, carrots and cooked broccoli. If your dog has not been eating raw meat you should give it small amounts until its system gets used to it or you may have a bowel problem.
Cooked meat is just as good, mixed with the same veggies and a little potato or rice. You can learn more about this kind of dog diet on Oprah.com. You may want to use ground turkey or beef or lamb.
Dogs can subsist on many diets, but a high-quality dry dog chow is the best source of balanced nutrition and is much better for the dog's teeth. Raw meat killed in nature by the dog itself is fresh, but raw meat obtained from a supermarket can contain microorganisms that can be dangerous to a dog.
There are some people who feed their dog a raw diet or "BARF" diet. I do not think this is an appropriate diet for dogs. It is very hard to formulate a well balanced diet. It also leads to diarrhea and bacterial overgrowth. Also these meats tend to be high in fat--high fat meals can lead to pancreatitis. There is also a human health concern when handling raw meat especially if there are children in the house. There is a reason after people handle raw meat they wash the bacteria off their hands. Dogs after eating raw food may go up and lick their owners leading to spread of bacteria. If you do not want to feed your dog commercial dog food ask your veterinarian for a pet food store that creates all natural diets--that are cooked meats and a balance source of vitamins and minerals. Talk to your veterinarian about an appropriate dietary plan for your dog.
