Myths About Warming Raw Dog Food
I used to think that if we warmed raw dog food, we should cook the food. I was wrong. I thought I would kill all the nutrients, make the ground bones a hazard, and waste money by warming their food. I was wrong.
First, Im only warming their food – not roasting, baking, or boiling it. My goal is to take the chill off the food. The same goes for the bones. Whether whole or ground, Im not heating/cooking the bones.
Warming raw dog food isnt dangerous or wrong, in my opinion. Heating to high temps will alter the food and may decrease some of the nutrients, which is why I dont cook my dogs raw meals. And, when I feed cooked meals, I alternate primarily between a couple of brands that Rodrigo enjoys.
3 – Warm Foods Smell Tastier
Warm foods appeal more to my dogs because of the yummy scents from their dishes. A dogs sense of smell is 10,000 to 100,000 times more acute than a humans. This is important since dogs have fewer taste buds than humans and count on their sense of smell when eating. Feeding room-temperature raw food on a plate or pasta bowl allows dogs to smell everything theyre eating without being overwhelmed and choose what theyll eat first.
2 – Warm Food is Easier to Digest
The digestive system works better with foods and liquids fed at warmer temperatures, allowing easier absorption of nutrients. The system doesnt have to work double time warming the food and breaking down nutrients. The digestive system requires heat to do its job properly.
Traditional Chinese Medicine goes one step further, explaining that cold foods cause stagnation in the system and slow down digestion, leading to several health issues, including bloating, constipation, diarrhea, weight gain, and poor absorption of nutrients.