The canine ancestral diet
With an ever-increasing interest in companion animal nutrition and a growing skepticism of the “scientifically developed” kibble products thrust upon consumers in supermarkets, pet stores and veterinary clinics, let’s take a few minutes to question: How did our carnivorous companions survive and thrive before the advent of kibble extrusion technology?
The true science behind raw feeding
In this era of evidence-based medicine, a criticism that is often levelled at feeding a raw, species appropriate, prey-based diet to pets, is that there is a lack of scientific research to support the practice. The purpose of this document is to highlight the research that supports feeding pets their evolutionary diet. The research covers three important aspects of feeding a raw prey based diet:
• The nutrient content of raw food.
• The non-nutritive aspects of raw food (including dental health and behavioural enrichment).
• Food safety issues or raw-feeding (for human and pet health).
It is imperative that we define the nutrient profiles of cats and dogs based on current evidence, but we should look further than just nutrient profiles and include the non-nutritive aspects of food. Finally, the evidence available must support the safety of a raw food diet for pets and their owners.
