Dogs and cats eat very differently from us, and its essential to their health to have a balanced diet. This is a great way to provide them with disease prevention. In picking the proper foods, its important to remember that dogs and cats are carnivores. If you need proof, just look at those sharp teeth made for tearing meat. Dogs, for example, have intestines designed to process raw meat. Neither dogs nor cats were ever meant to eat grains and vegetables, much less processed grains. They are carnivores and so they lack the enzymes as well as the anatomy to handle an omnivorous diet. A dogs intestine is much shorter than ours and is highly acidic. Raw meat that would normally make a human sick goes in and out of a dog and provides the necessary protein and fat. Any bacteria or parasites dont have time to get into their system. Its also important to note that dogs dont have to eat every day. We humans do, but wild wolves eat just a few times a week. This is not to say that you should start starving your dog, but at least know you may be overfeeding him. Many vets have noted that in our efforts to humanize our pets, we have tried to humanize their diet. This has in fact caused them much more harm than good. The perfect diet for any carnivore is raw meat with some added enzymes to aid digestion. |