Discover the simple reasons why dogs can eat raw dog food

Simple reasons why dogs can eat raw dog food!

Even if you’re not feeding raw dog food yet, chances are you’ve probably seen it at a pet retail store. So obviously it’s a thing, and I personally have successfully been feeding raw dog food since 2015, but do you know the reasons why dogs can eat raw dog food without getting sick from it?

K9sOverCoffee | Golden Retriever Lucy shopping for her first premade raw meals
Golden Retriever Lucy shopping for raw dog food at a pet retail store

There’s a very easy answer to this question – it’s because they’re designed for it.

Dog and wolf DNA only differs by 0.2%. So genetically, the dog is still a wolf.

Wolves hunt anything they can catch from deer to rabbits and eat their prey raw. Since dogs and wolves share essentially the same anatomy and physiology, dogs can eat raw meat just like wolves.

And it doesn’t matter if they’re wolf look-alikes such as Shepherds and Huskies, or Beagles and Poodles! Even tiny pups like Chihuahuas and Yorkies can eat raw dog food.

K9sOverCoffee | One of my dog walking clients, GSD Stanley
German Shepherd Stanley is raw-fed
These Yorkies are also raw-fed

Reasons Why Dogs Can Eat Raw Dog Food: Looking at Teeth, Skull, and Stomach

Teeth

Teeth are an important clue as far as figuring out what a certain type of species eats. That said, have you ever looked into your dog’s mouth? Once you’ll take a closer look, you’ll see that dogs don’t have many flat surfaces in their mouths.

As a matter of fact, they only have a few molars in the back for grinding. The rest of their teeth are sharp premolars and long canine teeth that enable them to rip, hold, shred, and tear off flesh, as well as crush raw bone.

Wally eating a raw turkey neck
Wally eating a raw turkey neck

And unlike herbivores, dogs don’t have large front teeth that cut vegetation, and they also can’t move their jaws sideways. Herbivores like cows, horses or rabbits do this to predigest plant matter. So do omnivores like pigs, squirrels and mice.

Skull

Dogs and wolves have a wide skull that gives them better bite strength and pressure.

Unlike herbivores, dogs’ eyes are set forward in the skull. The eyes in herbivores are set on either side of their head so they can see predators (for example wolves!) coming.

K9sOverCoffee | Missy And Buzz On A Playdate With Their Aussie Friend Shade
Boxer mixes Missy and Buzz with Australian Shepherd Shade

Stomach

The digestive tracts of dogs and wolves are virtually identical. Their small and large intestines are considerable shorter compared to those of omnivores like pigs and herbivores like cows.

Omnivores and herbivores need long digestive systems to break down and ferment plant matter.

Dogs don’t need their GI tract to be long because they don’t eat the type of food that would require it! They need the opposite in order to be able to digest raw meat.

Dogs and wolves also have an acidic gut. Both mean that dogs can properly digest raw meat and bones.

Low pH level

In case you’re wondering just how acidic a dog’s stomach is: Raw-fed dogs have a pH level of 2. That’s acidic enough to kill parasites present on raw meat.

Kibble-fed dogs have a pH level around 4, so it’s a bit more alkaline. However, once they start eating raw meat, their pH level gets lower. The more acidic their gut, the better they’re able to absorb calcium.

K9sOverCoffee.com | Why can dogs eat raw dog food?

Why dogs can eat raw dog food: Are dogs carnivores or omnivores?

Dogs are primarily carnivores and only “omnivorous to a certain degree“. That’s how holistic veterinarian Dr. Dee Blanco, DVM, puts it in her course How to Feed Your Pet Real Food, and her colleague Dr. Chris Bessent, DVM, considers dogs to be “scavenger carnivores“.

That’s because unlike herbivores, they don’t produce enough of the enzyme amylase that breaks down starches during the digestion process.

For example, they can’t digest grains like rice, barley, millet or corn in their raw and unprocessed form. Dogs can only digest these types of grains if they’ve been heated, which is a form of predigestion.

Not only C A N dogs eat raw dog food, they also T H R I V E on it!

So obviously, dogs can eat raw meat! It also comes with many benefits such as less allergies, clean teeth and ears, shiny coats, lots of energy, a healthy appetite, smaller poops, general lack of smell, fresh breath, etc.

There’s literally a plethora of benefits, but in general, dogs THRIVE on a fresh, raw meat diet. That’s because it’s the type of food that nature designed dogs to eat. If you’d like and think it’s more appropriate to replace nature with God or the Universe, please feel free to do so. That part depends on your personal belief system.

I purposely use the word thrive, because dogs can survive on highly processed, starchy dog food. But that doesn’t mean that it’s good for them, especially not in the long run.

As a matter of fact, highly processed dog food has as many side effects as raw dog food has benefits!

Those side effects are overall poor health that shows in itchy skin, dirty teeth, yeasty ears, a dull and dandruffy coat, poor appetite, lower energy levels, large and stinky poops, smelly breath…the list goes on and on and is essentially the opposite of what the benefits of raw dog food are.

K9sOverCoffee | THK's base mix with raw chicken breast, green lipped mussels, and a chicken neck
Raw dog food

Please leave your comments or questions in the comment section below!

Related Reading:

Raw Dog Food Game Changers

BEST BANG FOR YOUR BUCK RAW DOG FOOD

Save 15% on anything at Raw Paws Pet Food with code K9Savings. They’re located in Indiana and ship nationwide within the US.

BEST VARIETY FOR INDIVIDUAL CUTS OF RAW MEAT

Save 10% on your first order of anything at Raw Feeding Miami with this referral link.

BEST SLOW FEEDER FOR RAW FED DOGS

Mighty Paw’s Slow Feed Insert combined with Yeti’s Boomer 4 Dog Bowl. Both are top rack dishwasher safe.

BEST FOUNDATION FOR BALANCED DIY RAW MEALS

Dr. Harvey’s Paradigm Base Mix. It’s low-carb which is particularly great for dogs on a keto diet and those with health issues like diabetes and cancer.

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Barbara launched her blog K9sOverCoffee in 2014 and has been feeding her dogs raw dog food since 2015. As a former professional dog walker, she’s passionate about balancing species-appropriate exercise with healthy dog nutrition. Barbara is raw dog food nutrition certified from “Dogs Naturally Magazine” and the author of several e-books about minimally processed, balanced raw dog food.


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