Basic general concepts as to why I personally recommend a natural diet based in whole raw fresh foods for our dogs.-

As a veterinarian, I feel that a good diet is essential to a healthy dog. But, what and how is a good diet for dogs? The best road towards good health is to feed the most natural possible diet rich in raw fresh foods and meats for carnivores.

From some years back all veterinarians have believed that the ideal o perfect choice was to feed our patients with commercial dog food (kibble), as the different manufacturers have introduced them to us as the "ideal food as it it's perfectly balanced" for a dog's needs.

I am by no means saying that they aren't better than feeding dogs solely table scraps or an only meat diet, as they do provide a broader variety of nutrients than these, but it is also true that those of us who practice alternative therapies see that they aren't the ideal food that our patients should be eating.

From preservatives that are carcinogens, to the protein source that usually includes from whatever is discarded in slaterhouses (organs with tuberculosis, tumors, etc.) as not fit for human consumption to euthanized dogs and cats in veterinary clinics (anti-flea/tick collars, plastic bags and obviously the injected euthanasia solution incluided), and the so antinatural for a carnivore's digestive system processing of foods, most commercial dog foods have become one of the causes in the increase of diseases such as allergies or cancer in our companions in the last decades, in addition to, in many cases, become a true obstacle to cure. Moreover, we find that in many instances the simple fact of changing the patient to a more natural one cures him/her, even without the need of any medication, just by simple detoxication. Same as we look for more natural and less toxic medicines, it makes sense that we want to avoid such toxic substances in our patients' food.

There is more that solid evidence of the benefits that a healthy diet based on fresh whole and minimally processed foods (raw fresh fruits, and vegetables are the key to a long healthy life) provides to human people from all the studies that have been done on this topic. Why must this be different in other animals? Unfortunatelly, most of the studies on canine nitrition nowadays are either carried or promoted by dog food manufacturers, who would not be able to qualify their products as "complete and balanced" if fresh foods were included in the nutrition study. Luckily, this is starting to change.

Some Northamerican and Australian veterinarians, among which we can name Pitcairn and Billinghurst as pioneers, have studied this topic and have developed different natural home-made diets based on fresh raw foods. Also in the United States new companies have emerged to manufacture and commercialize natural diets for dogs, without artificial preservatives nor other additives and made with quality nutrients fit for human consumption, but I personally don't find these as good as fresh foods. From my point of view, none of the home-prepared diets is better nor worse than the others. Each individual has different needs and the ideal is to find and give each dog the healthiest diet for his/her system. Same as in human animals, one may tolerate something and another one not, so the diet should be adequate to each individual and his/her health state. As a general rule, my advice is to feed our dogs the best raw, whole, fresh foods providing them a diet as close to the wild canid's natural diet as possible.

For further knowledge regarding this topic, please proceed to the books section, where you will find my suggested readings or to the links page, where you will find some links to other sites with more information on this subject.