All About Raw Dog Food

Archive for the ‘Supplements’ Category

Have you heard the word probiotics but are unsure what probiotics are? Probiotics are live “good” bacteria that live in the digestive system and aid in the digestive process. They keep harmful bacteria like e-coli and salmonella in check by overwhelming them in numbers and by decreasing pH. Acidophilus and bifidus are non dairy probiotics that occur naturally in raw foods such as tripe (stomach) and yogurt, but they can also be given as a supplement.

Puppies and older dogs, dogs under stress, nursing bitches, and animals undergoing a diet change are good candidates to have probiotics for dogs added to their diets. Dogs receiving antibiotics need to be supplemented with probiotics to replace the healthy bacteria that are destroyed, along with the disease causing bacteria.

For diarrhea and stomach upset, increase the probiotics for dogs using a simple fermented salad, found in this dog food recipe. Place green leafy vegetables, such as lettuce and dandelion leaves, in your food processor along with some probiotics and a sprinkle of digestive enzymes. Process until the mixture is very fine. Let it sit and ferment for 15 minutes, and then feed the “salad” to your dog. This combination will settle diarrhea and improve digestion in no time.

Digestive enzymes are produced by the pancreas in our dog’s bodies naturally to assist in the digestion of food.  It is thought that the pancreas can only produce a finite amount of enzymes in its lifetime, and therefore including raw food that is enzyme rich in the diet is necessary for long term good health.  Are you wondering if your dog consumes enough enzymes for optimal health?

Dogs and cats eating raw pet food consume lots of digestive enzymes found in abundance in both raw meat and in raw fruits and vegetables.  Dogs that are fed raw, green, unbleached tripe benefit from the rich digestive enzymes contained in the stomach of beef, buffalo, lamb, goat, and venison.

Are you feeding your dog commercially prepared cooked pet foods that contain no enzymes?  Improve the number of enzymes your dog gets by the addition of fresh, ripe fruits and vegetables.  Your dog won’t eat fruits and vegetables?  Digestive enzyme supplements can and should be add to the dog’s diet when it contains no fresh food.

The value of having probiotics like acidophilus and other healthy bacteria in your dog’s system is to prevent illness and aid digestion. Probiotics for dogs may be found naturally occurring in raw dog food.

Some dogs may need digestive enzymes added to their diet when switched to raw food if they have previously been fed commercially prepared dog food products. Enzymes may be helpful for dogs with poor coats, joint problems, weak immune systems, digestive disorders, and a lack of vitality.  They are also helpful for dogs having trouble putting on weight and for those dogs suffering from coprophagia (stool eating).

Many probiotics and digestive enzymes supplements products to supplement raw dog food or commercial dog food are available online and can be ordered from this website.