Can dogs have a meat only diet? Essential Tips

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Is Raw Meat Good For Dogs?

Yes! Raw meat is what your dog’s body is built to eat. Raw meat is easy for him to digest … and a raw-meat based diet can provide him with all the nutrients he needs to thrive. It’s what he would eat if he was living in the wild, hunting for his own food. He might eat some berries and grasses as well, but raw meat would be his first choice if he could find it.

Talk science to me

How have dogs evolved? Here are just a few examples:

  • Dogs convert plant-based beta-carotene (provitamin A) to retinol, the purest form of vitamin A. True carnivores obtain retinol from animal sources or supplements.
  • Dogs have more copies of the AMY2B gene, which produces amylase, a starch-digesting enzyme, and amylase activity is 30x higher in dogs than in wolves.
  • Another starch-digesting enzyme, maltase, is also far more active in dogs than in wolves, and is primarily found in herbivores and omnivores.

    • Is It Expensive To Feed A Raw Meat Diet?

    It doesn’t have to be. Compared to most kibble, commercial raw-meat diets are usually more expensive. But feeding a raw diet may be less costly than you think, especially if you prepare his food yourself. Dogs can eat cheaper cuts of meat, plus bones and organs, that don’t have to cost a lot.

    You can save money by buying meat at a local abbatoir, butcher or farm, and look for cheaper cuts of meat that will provide just as much nutrition. Your dog doesn’t need filet mignon to have a healthy diet, and he’s not squeamish about icky-looking squishy organs like liver or brain! And he’ll love chewing on raw meaty bones that help provide the minerals and other nutrients necessary for strong bones and muscle development.

    One other factor to consider is that your dog will likely be much healthier on a raw meat diet … so you’ll save money on vet visits!

    Are Organic or Raw Food Diets Better for Your Pet? – Ask A Vet

    If you’ve turned on the TV or browsed the internet recently, you’ve likely seen an ad for dog food that compares your pet to wolves. The media is constantly inundating us with the idea that our dogs are descendants of the great, mighty wolf—prowling the forests hunting down their dinner of meat with a side of more meat.

    In reality, 15,000 years separate our pets from their ancestors. Even when wolves and dogs weren’t so biologically different, they were more likely to be hunting down a rabbit and eating it right after the kill, rather than dining on beef and pork.

    Ok, fine – but, scientifically speaking, do dogs need meat? The answer is yes…and no – what dogs need is protein.