Raw Dog Food vs Canned and Dry Food

Raw dog food brands have often been described as the best form of food over canned and/or dry food to your dog on a regular basis. But why is that? It is often recommended that raw dog food be given at least as part of your dog’s diet, simply because raw products are packed full of the essential vitamins and minerals to give dogs the bouncing energy, healthy teeth, and shiny coat that they really deserve.

On the other hand, if only feeding via commercial canned and dry food, there is a good chance your dog is missing out on the right number of vitamins and minerals required to keep them healthy.

But how does raw dog food bridge the gap here? Let us compare the differences in these three foods below.

The Levels of Processing

Dry food, or ‘kibble’, is the most budget friendly and widely accessible dog food product readily available.

However, that does not mean it is the best, and considering how dried out and baked kibble is, the quality of production can vary. Indeed, during the extrusion process after mixing and baking, nutrients are often sprayed back on to replace those lost during manufacturing.

Similarly, many wet, canned foods are ground down to create the initial product, and then taken through a cooking and sterilisation process to make them safe for commercial consumption.

However, whilst this ensures the food retains its natural moisture, it can mean that the many essential nutrients are broken down and/or baked out.

When it comes to processing natural raw dog food, no part of the ingredients is wasted, meaning all-natural nutrients are retained during the mincing stage. The food itself is also much easier to store and separate afterwards, such as in our Freeflow range. You can very easily portion out food for your dog without needing to use the whole bag or waste food thanks to the packaging type.

The Effect on Doggy Gums and Teeth

Your dog’s teeth and gums can be areas of concern. Unless the mouth is kept clean, and plaque is kept from building up, dogs will suffer in much the same way a human would! And seeing as a dog uses their snout and mouth to explore the world around them, the trouble dogs can commonly have with toothache or receding/bleeding gums is much more serious.

Many toys or bones/treats to chew on are made to treat doggy dental issues. However, you can also target this part of their health with their diet as well. Dry food used to be recommended as the best way to help your dog clean their teeth, thanks to the dryness of the kibble ‘scraping’ at the teeth and gums. However, it has recently been found that this claim is false, and the action of rolling dry food round the mouth can add more dangerous, sweet carbs to a tooth’s surface.

That is where a complete raw dog food diet could help. Such food looks after doggy teeth and gums far more effectively than either wet or dry food, thanks to the slight abrasive nature of the raw texture. It can clean your dog’s teeth as it is being eaten, a product from our Working dog Complete Adult range, such as Complete Adult Chicken, can partly keep your dog’s teeth and gums safe from plaque in a non-intrusive manner.

However, even with this bonus, special dental attention will still be required in most cases.

The Amount of Nutrients

As mentioned above, your dog’s diet needs to contain the right nutrient amounts, and many varying products can contain these. Overall, depending on the quality of any of these three food types, the nutrient amount is going to vary. However, both homemade and shop bought frozen raw dog food is going to have the most complete nutrient profile for your dog to feed off, thanks to its raw nature.

Most of the natural ingredients, whether meat, offal or vegetables, have only been minced for easier feeding and have not been cooked or processed at any point. This stops vital vitamins and minerals from breaking down and being less effective at packing a healthy punch, and dogs will not need as much either.

The Overall Benefits of Raw Dog Food

But what does all this mean, overall? Well, it makes it clear that raw dog food has the most benefits, compared to its commercial competitors of canned and dry food. It is far less processed in its initial manufacturing, it does not need to be baked and retains all nutrients as a result, and it has a far healthier impact on a dog’s teeth and gums, as well as their coat.

And as a raw dog food UK store, here at Albion  we have a lot to offer working dogs and other carnivores when it comes to their diet. Seeing as raw foods are free from artificial colourings, fillers, preservatives, additives, and grains or cereals, they are a natural and healthy food to give to your dog. In fact, raw food products are the closest way to give your dog the same diet they would be used to in a wild/natural environment, and the kind of diet they have evolved to thrive from.

So, maybe it is time to think about raw food for your dog? It is easy to introduce as part of their diet, and then soon become the basis of their diet overall, and your canine will experience all the above benefits (and more!) once they are regularly consuming raw food products.

We offer a wide choice of meat and fish varieties in our meals, along with fruit and vegetables. Find out more information about the health benefits of these raw ingredients.