The Skinny
For a growing number of dog owners, raw is better when it comes to the food they feed their furry companions. The Nielsen Company, in fact, reports that frozen and refrigerated pets foods (think raw) saw a 55 percent increase in sales last year compared to only a 39 percent increase in freeze-dried and dehydrated pet foods.
The reasons are pretty clear. Almost 60 percent of our dogs and cats are obese, according to the Association For Pet Obesity Prevention. Owners aren’t only looking to trim the size of their pets but also feed them less processed foods that are viewed as more natural and healthier, effectively in line with a dog’s ancestral links. These motivations are why the raw pet food industry went from a sliver of the market to a major segment in just over the last 10 to 15 years.
The intention of pet food owners may be beyond questions, but there are plenty of warnings that come with feeding your dog raw food. The main concern is the danger of spreading bacteria to dogs, their owners and anyone who comes in contact with the animal. Your homebound pet, after all, isn’t exactly running down their bacteria-free prey in the wild like their ancient ancestors or even today’s wolves.
WellWell isn’t discouraging anyone from going the raw dog food route. It’s popular and growing. We’re just laying out the pros and cons. But if you’re interested in offering your pooch some raw food from more reputable brands, here’s are a few to consider. This is just a starting point. There are, of course, other brands as well.
The Slate
BJ’s Raw Pet Food hails out of a family farm in Lancaster County, PA. The company claims none of its raw meat products come from factory farms or mass production facilities.
Nature’s Variety Instinct Frozen Raw Food
This company’s mission is to transform pets by making raw nutrition accessible and simple.
This company focuses on offering high-quality, grain-free, raw ingredients, minimally processed and freeze-dried in small batches.
Uncooked and unheated, this brand’s recipes retain 100 percent of the meat’s natural nutrients, which is designed to enhance your dog’s health, stamina and longevity.
A small family owned company based in the California Bay Area, Small Batch specializes in using select ingredients such as organic herbs and vegetables and hormone and antibiotic free meats.
Stella and Chewy’s Freeze Dried Raw Dog Food
This brand offers a wide line-up of unique products built with pristine ingredients that are “thoughtfully and responsibly sourced.”
Sojos believes it has a unique approach to this market—”the unsurpassed nutrition and taste of fresh, raw food with the convenience of kibble.”
Darwin’s Natural Selection Foods
This brand produces foods that are made of 75% real meat and 25% fresh vegetables with a small amount of nutrient mix containing important trace minerals from natural sources. Grain free, its moderate fat and low carbohydrate formula is designed to have a careful balance of Omega 6 and 3 fatty acids.
The ultra-natural pet food provider, Dr. Harvey’s offers foundations and dehydrated raw diet pre-mixes, such as Raw Vibrance and Oracle Free Grain than often include grain-free beef and chicken without any artificial fillers, chemicals, dyes or preservatives. For more information, check out WellWell’s recent discussion with Wendy Shankin-Cohen, Dr. Harvey’s President and CEO.
Eyes Up
Contact us at info@wellwellusa.com to let us know what you think of raw dog food or if there are other brands you’d recommend.
