Ordering takeout is easy and satiates your hunger, but nothing touches our hearts like a fresh homemade meal. It is pretty much the same for your dog. While packaged dog food has many advantages, the love fresh handmade meals can express are incomparable. Not to mention all the healthy nutrients your doggo will get.
Read on for four reasons why opting for fresh dog food might make a difference to your dog.
Helps keep your dog healthy
Eating a balanced diet of fresh food every day can help prevent diseases and keep your dog healthy for a long time. Research has shown that dogs raised on a vegetable diet are at a lower risk for bladder cancer. Fresh food is also easily digestible and doesn’t require your dog to exert all their energy on digestion, making them more energetic. You also get to choose high-quality ingredients and know exactly what your dog is eating.
Making fresh food every day might not be possible. But feeding your dog packaged food daily is also not enough to keep them healthy and energetic. A well-balanced diet combining both fresh food and packaged food, on the other hand, can do wonders for their health.
Manages their weight
Let’s face it. Your dog’s weight depends on you. What you feed your dog, the number of treats they get, and the exercise; all play a significant role in deciding their weight. A 2010 research found that 97% of dog obesity cases result from improper diet and exercise.
A well-balanced, fresh food diet contains all the nutrients along with the appropriate amounts of calories, vitamins, and minerals your pet will need to maintain their health and weight. The quantity varies as per the dog’s weight, physical activity, breed, and need. This might seem complicated to determine at first, but don’t worry; a pet nutritionist can help you out.
Increases lifespan
What you feed your dog significantly impacts their lifespan. Curious how fresh dog food can help? A study found that feeding fresh food to your dog can increase their lifespan by at least 2.5 years. Some studies have also found that restricting food intake actually increases a dog’s lifespan. Fresh food and a well-balanced diet can ensure your dog lives healthy, decreasing the chances of obesity, thus eliminating the risk of multiple health-related issues.
Makes digestion better
A fresh food diet rich in fiber promotes good digestion and also helps deal with issues such as constipation.
However, you might want to take it slowly if you plan on transitioning your dog's diet from packaged food to fresh food. A sudden change in diet might cause diarrhea or other issues. For dogs who cannot get their nutrition from fresh food alone, a healthy combination of packaged food and fresh food will do the trick. The best part, however, is that you get to surprise your little one with a variety of food options daily.
Fresh dog food has a lot more benefits than the ones listed above. It also promotes a shinier coat, better breath, and improves your doggo’s joints. What’s more, fresh food ingredients are already in your kitchen most of the time. Switching to a fresh food diet might sound perfect but make sure to plan a diet fit for your little companion with the help of a vet before you do so.
