Celebrating Rawgust – The Many Benefits of Raw Dog Food

Can you believe it’s already mid-July?! I am always amazed by how fast the year goes by. As August quickly approaches it’s a great time to talk about Rawgust and why raw feeding is so important to me!

What is Rawgust?

Rawgust is a growing online movement where we (as humans) make an effort to go “raw” and consume less processed food for the month of August. But many in the pet community take it a step further and promote a raw diet for our pets as well!

I am a raw feeder all year but I know that isn’t doable for everyone. My experience in canine nutrition makes me comfortable with DIY raw which makes it significantly more affordable for me. But again, that isn’t an option for everyone. Thankfully there are now so many options to make raw feeding easy and accessible!

Why Feed Raw Dog Food

For me the choice to feed raw was simple. This is what dogs would eat if we weren’t here to make them kibble. I relate it to our human diet as well. Of course, we have a ton of prepackaged, highly processed options for food. And some of them are delicious! But there is no denying that fresh, minimally processed food is the healthiest option for us.

Why would it be different for dogs? I cannot be convinced that a kibble is healthier than a fresh food diet.

Now let me say, I do NOT believe raw is the right choice for everyone. Finances, immunocompromised family members, severely ill dogs, and various other reasons are perfectly valid reasons to not feed raw. But for me, it works and I believe it to be the best choice for my dog.

Besides it being a more biologically appropriate food, it does come with a lot of other benefits!

• A Healthier Mouth – Raw feeding includes a lot of raw meaty bones and fresh chews like bully sticks, These help keep Sheila’s teeth and gums clean and healthy. At 3 years old she has zero tartar buildup or signs of gum disease. You can read more about why I don’t brush my dog’s teeth here! And a bonus, chewing is a natural stress reliever for dogs! It helps provide mental stimulation and prevent boredom as well! Perfect for my high energy, anxious girl!
• Healthier Skin & Coat – I love the shine on a raw fed dog! Sheila has never had a skin issue in her life! Her coat is beautiful and shiny, her skin is never dry or flakey, and she’s only dull looking after she rolls in dirt. My old dog had chronically yeasty ears and paws. Removing kibble from his diet and switching to raw prevented flare ups and allowed him to finally have some relief from the itchiness. Some people even report less shedding when raw fed!
• Healthier Digestion – I remember the first thing I noticed after switching my old dog to raw was the change in his poop. As an 18lb dog I thought his poops were normal. They were solid and brown, what else did I want? But after switching to raw his poops got SO much smaller, firmer, and less smelly! Sheila has been raw fed since I got her at 8 weeks with the occassional switch to dehydrated or freeze dried (camping, roadtrips, etc.). And her digestive system is amazing! So many dog owners beleive their dog has a “sensitive” stomach. But feeding kibble and no variety is usually the cause of that. Raw food requires a more acidic environment and stronger digestive enzymes to digest than kibble. This is why adding raw food to a kibble diet can turn into diarrhea if you feed too much. Sheila’s stomach is strong and I can literally feed her anything new without issue. Her poops are small and firm. Rarely does that change.
• Healthier Body Composition – Something I absolutely can’t stand is the amount of obese dogs we have in the world. It makes me so sad! Of course, there are some medical conditions that lead to weight gain, those are not the dogs I’m talking about. I’m referring to the dogs that are overfed, under exercised, and are just genereally unhealthy. On top of that, most people don’t realize what the proper weight for a dog actually looks like! And it’s so easy to overfeed a kibble dog. Serving sizes and calories vary so much by brand, you could switch and feed the same amount of cups and not realize you have doubled their calories! Raw food has no filler ingredients, highly bioavailable macronutrients (protein, fat, carbs), and calories generally do not fluctuate that much brand to brand. Sheila is lean and very muscular. Her raw meals provide her with the energy and nutrients she needs to fuel her body and stay in shape.

Easy Ways to Feed Raw

Feeding raw dog food doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing type of thing. Adding some raw food to your dog’s diet is a great way to give them a boost!

Think of it like you grabbing something from the drive-thru for breakfast and takeout for lunch. While you can certainly survive on this diet you likely won’t feel your best and you may be missing out on important nutrients. So you have a nice big salad for dinner with lots of fresh veggies, lean protein, maybe some nuts and seeds. In a very simple way, you’ve added lots of nutrient-dense, unprocessed food to your diet.

It’s the same for our dogs. Adding raw or fresh toppers and treats makes a difference! If you can replace one meal a day or even a week with fresh food your dog will thank you. And it doesn’t have to be complicated. TruDog makes so many great options to make raw feeding so simple! They are all made and sourced in the USA, contain no added fillers or unnecessary ingredients, and are highly palatable.

Don’t forget to stock up for Rawgust and use code JULMAS10AP before July 31st to get 10% off!

Here are some easy ways to add raw food to your dog’s diet.

Meal Replacements

Raw dog food has come a long way in the last 7 years since I started feeding it. There are so many awesome premade options available to make it so easy for you to give your dog fresh food!

Frozen and freeze-dried raw foods are not only convenient but are also highly palatable! Especially the freeze-dried! Years ago when I worked in a pet food store I discovered that if someone had a picky dog adding some freeze-dried food to their kibble almost always got them to eat!

You can of course feed these as their entire diet, but if that isn’t an option at this time try it as a meal replacement! One meal a day or a week replaced with raw food is a gift to your dog’s health!

Toppers

Toppers are a fun way to enhance your dogs bowl! They are perfect for picky eaters if you need to make their kibble more enticing and a great way to make adding raw food more accessible. A little goes a long way so you can save money while giving your dog a healthy treat!

TruDog offers a 5 protein pack to make it easy to provide variety and delicious meal toppers!

Treats & Chews

This is probably the easiest option for adding raw food to your dog’s diet! You’re probably already giving them treats and chews anyway, right? So let’s try to ditch the highly processed, grain-heavy treats and offer something fresh without the mess!

Dehydrated jerky type treats, freeze-dried, and air dried treats are excellent for training and your dog will love them!

Chews like bully sticks work for most dogs and are a great way to keep their teeth clean and healthy!

Why I Will Never Go Back to Kibble

For me, the benefits that I have seen firsthand of feeding raw are enough to have me convinced. Sheila is healthy and strong and our vet is always impressed by her (and her beautiful teeth!)

I know that if I found myself in a position where I couldn’t feed 100% raw, I would still always find a way to add some fresh food to her diet.

I truly believe that raw food is what is most appropriate for our dogs. If you haven’t yet, I highly recommend trying to introduce some raw food into your dog’s diet in whatever way works for you!