One of the most debated topics in the RAW FEEDING world is mixing RAW with Kibble. We hear "A little Raw goes along way" or "Some Raw is better than none".
There are two main reasons why RAW FEEDER are discouraged against adding raw foods into the diet while still feeding kibble: digestion rates and gastric pH.
Gastric pH refers to the scale of acidity in the stomach. The pH scale ranges from 0 to 14, with the lowest numbers being the most acidic, the highest numbers being the most basic or alkaline, and 7 being neutral.
Gastric pH is a very important component of digestion. The environment in the stomach has to be welcoming to beneficial bacteria that help the body break down food, but also prevent pathogenic bacteria from surviving and causing infections.
The stomach also has to be an enzyme-friendly environment. There are a handful of different enzymes and hormones that assist in digestion, and many of them are either produced in the stomach, or their production is influenced by the environment of the stomach.
The pH is a major factor affecting the production and activity of these hormones and enzymes
In summary: A healthy digestive system is capable of handling foods that require different rates of digestion – otherwise, our dogs wouldn’t be able to eat raw meaty bones, since meat and bone also digest at different rates.
A raw, species appropriate diet , including raw meaty bones are great digestive aids because of their amino acid profile and their ability to trigger gastrin. Carnivore's have a naturally high gastric acidity of 1 - 2 PH. Carbohydrates such as kibble and even fruits and veggies immediately increase the PH of the stomach above PH 4 the moment the food is swallowed.
After food has been swallowed and made its way to the stomach, the presence of food particles stimulates the secretion of a hormone called gastrin.
Gastrin is a hormone that stimulate of gastric juice and is secreted into the bloodstreem by the stomach wall in response to the presence of food and has many functions.
Gastrin’s job is to trigger the production of even more gastric acid, further acidifying the stomach.
In controls the muscular actions of the stomach, reduces stomach motility , which slow gastric emptying .
This then helps the stomach hold and process a large meal.
The importance of high level of gastric acidity is for:
Proper digestion
Absorption of nutrients
Protection against pathogenic organisms
Animal based proteins are highly digestible and provide optimal amounts of a wide variety of amino acids, which are then used for almost every metabolic function in the body. Raw diets have been shown to promote healthier gut flora than dry food, improving digestion and overall health.
However, based on current research, dogs that are fed commercial and RAW feed have also been successful for many decades. Considering all of this, if you ask me, it can be said that we should encourage owners to switch to the RAW pet diet or add RAW food to the pet’s current diet with as much they can.
Sometimes, seeing the great benefits from a RAW diet proportional to the degradation of the commercialization of industrial food, the owner's passion for optimal RAW nutrition can promote pushing the "all or nothing" thinking more extreme, that they may forget how many owners simply do not have the ability to feed a completely RAW diet even though they tried to do their best. The RAW diet can be more expensive, more laborious, time consuming, and requires more ingredients (such as preparation space and freezer / refrigerator, access to slaughterhouse or butcher, etc.) rather than industrial feed.
This can be harmful to dogs whose owners do not have the ability to feed RAW completely: instead of being encouraged to improve the dog's diet to whatever capacity they can but they are warned about the dangers of incorporating RAW feed into the pet's industrial diet.
That’s is a shame !
SO, HOW TO COMBINE SAFETY AND STILL GET ADVANTAGES?
Do Alternate feeding.
That's right, don't mix commercial and raw foods in one serving per meal. Have 2 different meals at intervals of 4-6 hours (if possible)
For example: The meal will be followed by the usual food, for dinner, use RAW.
Or you can still feed the main meals of the present meal, a snack or treat to RAW.
That is, if your pet is completely unacceptable to RAW, gradually increase the amount of RAW in the diet gradually, gradually decreasing the amount of current food until it becomes 100% RAW for all meals.
If you can't go on a RAW diet entirely for pets, stick to this alternate feeding method.
Remember “A Bit Of RAW Is Better Than Absolutely Nothing” / “Some Raw Is Better Than None”
Your best friend deserves the correct diet. Get your free sample! Click Here
Natural is always better.
For thousands of years nature has chosen Raw Food as the diet for ancestors of dogs and cats. But this does not mean that you have to hunt prey for your best buddies.
Buddy Raw Pet Food for dogs and cats is a mix of meat, bones and organs designed to simulate what they eat in the wild. Know more
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