I think the best summary on the role nutrition plays in health and well being of both humans and their animal companions can be found in this proverb:
"If diet is wrong, medicine is of no use. If diet is correct, medicine is of no need."
Unfortunately the topic of proper nutrition is often neglected or not highlighted enough in most of the Veterinary schools curriculums.
These days most of the conventionall nutritional advice is based on the “research” supplied and funded by commercial pet food producers. The pet food industry generates multimillion-dollar revenues each year and it is indeed very unrealistic to expect such research to be unbiased and objective.
This has gone so far that the industry is now trying to convince us that dogs and cats are not carnivores but omnivores contrary to all anatomical and physiological evidence.
Many dog owners are intimidated by the idea of preparing home-made meals for their best friends. This is hardly rocket science and making your own dog food is easier than you think, and can be quite inexpensive!
In a nutshell
Domestic dogs’ diet should approximate the normal, natural diet that dogs would eat if they lived in the wild.
This diet is designed to approximate the normal, natural diet that cats would eat if they lived in the wild. It is based on 'live prey' diet as the only species apropriate diet for our feline friends.
There is no other diet or shortcut that can secure longevity and vibrant health for domestic cats. If you are not ready to invest some time for study and preparation of this diet then this page is not for you, but be prepared to invest considerable amount of money for veterinary bills at any time in the future.
Sourcing raw food
You do need to know that the raw food you choose is good enough for your dog. In the UK, vets and owners can easily source complete and balanced ready-prepared frozen raw food meals, formulated to the same European standards as the other pet foods we find in our supermarkets and veterinary surgeries.
High-quality prepared raw foods should come from Defra-registered producers. These foods are governed by more stringent bacteriological rules than even human-grade raw meat products, and are supplied in clean, easily understandable packaging.[1]
One of the most common arguments that opponents of raw diets use to discourage owners from feeding raw is that there isn’t enough research to prove raw diets are safe or effective. While we can all agree there are not nearly enough clinical studies comparing raw diets and kibble, I disagree that there is no evidence to support the idea that raw diets can be more beneficial and safe for dogs, cats, ferrets, and other meat-eating pets in comparison to a commercial dry food diet. [1]
