29/03/2024
Our specialized nutritionist settles some rumors regarding Fresh Food!
But before getting into it, lets agree that product qualities vary, regarding all kinds of food! (Fresh or Cooked Food, Canned or Wet Food, and Dry Food)
Claim #1 Cooking lowers protein amount and nutrients in meat.
Fact is, cooking meat produces no change in the availability of the amino acids nor protein content.
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Claim #2 Cooking lowers nutrients of vegetables.
Debatable, as it depends on the amount of time to heat exposure. "Real Food" is cooked differently, ingredients are separated and cooked gently to ensure minimal nutritional runoff. We use timed small batch separated cooking techniques.
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Claim #3 Fresh food does not have all the necessary vitamins and minerals such as Dry food.
Not necessarily; "Real Food" offers a complete nutritional balance varying from Amino acids, Omega Fatty Acids, Multi Vitamins, Multi Minerals. We do not use byproducts and all ingredients are human grade. We do not put any additives or preservatives.
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Claim #4 A high quality Dry food is better than local Fresh food.
First, you need to understand that the processing of dry food is harmful on its own, not to mention the amount of fillers and additives after processing. This method of making dry food is called "extrusion" which produces toxins which also effects the dogs "autonomic nervous system".
Second, you need to choose your fresh food brand wisely! Avoid brands which use animal byproducts rather than lean meat and less fiber content or high bone-meal content.
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Claim #5 Dogs should eat raw food instead of cooked as it is the closest to nature.
Okay, maybe wolves, in the wild.. but certainly not domesticated dogs, as they actually crave carbs and fibers as a part of their natural dietary adaptation. This goes back to the history of domesticating dogs and selective breeding away from the wilderness and their ancestors which are basically "Grey Wolves".
The second reason is that cooking eliminates the risk of Salmonella infection which could be found in raw meats.
In conclusion; it is only a matter of preference to dog owners when it comes to Raw vs Cooked feeding, however this belief is usually associated with the psychological aspect that it's closest to nature or minimal processing which still isn't a bad thing, but not a must.
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Claim #6 Dogs should eat dry or canned food as its more nutritious than fresh food. Considering ingredients come from good sources.
Canned food is full of preservatives for a fact and the ingredients are usually highly processed byproducts.
Dry food can contain the same exact ingredients as in fresh food, and perhaps more fillers as well, but it is purely processed then vitamins and minerals are added to restore the food's nutritional value and sometimes in excessive amounts which are harmful on a long term.
A Rule of thumb when it comes to dog nutrition; avoid any "PROCESSED" foods and if necessary choose minimal processed foods. Cooked food is not considered processed food, this term refers to exposing food to extremely high temperatures under high pressure and additives must be added afterwards as it loses nutrition being processed.
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Claim #7 Fresh food can make dogs diabetic.
Dogs can get diabetic from any form of diet as long as it contains too much carbs (more than 50%) such as wheat, rice, macaroni, bread, oats or too much potatoes. This is usually the issue with cheap dry food brands which tend to contain too much fillers.
In "Real Food" we carefully calculate our formula which gives us our unique recipe ensuring canine good health and long-term wellness.
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Claim #8 Fresh food cannot supply a complete or balanced nutrition.
As previously stated, one must choose wisely. With that being said, owners much know how to read food labels and understand what they actually mean!
Always check the ingredients, listed first is the greatest ingredient in the food by weight. And that should be stated as "LEAN PROTEIN" (ex. Chicken or Salmon) and not "MEAL" (ex. Chicken Meal or Salmon Meal). Meals can include animal byproducts, and these should come afterwards in the list, then the vegetables in the end along with any additives.
So in conclusion, a high quality fresh food brand with transparent ingredient labeling could indeed provide complete and balanced nutrition!
This is an example of a complete diet, give or take; a variety of muscle meat such as beef/chicken/fish, organ meat such as liver and kidneys, vegetables such as carrots/zucchini/cucumber/peas/green beans/beetroot/broccoli, fruits such as pumpkin/apples/oranges/bananas/tomatoes, carbs such as potatoes/sweet potatoes/rice/quinoa which are all naturally gluten free.
This doesn’t mean that the food must contain all of the above rather than including such variety in your dog's diet.
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Claim #9 Dry food contains Probitics, Omegas, Multi vitamins and minerals, fresh food doesn’t.
If the food contains salmon, it contains Omegas. We also add Chia and Flax seeds for more enrichment.
If the food contains beef, it contains amino acids.
If the food contains a variety of vegetables or fruits then it contains vitamins and minerals.
Probiotics can be supplied to any fresh food by simply adding a cup of yogurt to the meal.
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Claim #10 My dog is allergic to protein so I have to feed Hydrolyzed Protein Dry food.
It could be convenient and might solve the problem, but you don't have to! You can identify which protein your dog is allergic to and always find a substitute. Salmon, whitefish, herring, cod, are safe choices for dogs with allergies.
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Claim #11 Why bother with supplements and food additives when I can just buy dry food which has all of that!?
There's a reason such medication is sold separately and not even present in all dry food brands, each brand makes its own food and plays on a unique selling point!
Any enzymes, probiotics, amino acids, multivitamins or any kind of supplements are not necessary for your dog unless they are suffering a certain illness, however a maintenance dose can be given preferably under a veterinarian supervision while considering and monitoring the dog's specific diet and activity.
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Claim #12 Brands that follow "AAFCO feeding guidelines" must be worthy!
As it might show as a strong point to have, The "Association of American Feed Control Officials" does NOT directly test, regulate, approve, or certify pet foods to make sure that they meet the standard requirements.
Instead, they establish guidelines for ingredient definitions, product labels, feeding trials, and laboratory analyses of the nutrients that go into pet foods. So these are just general guidelines for any pets food manufacturer!
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Claim #13 Imported brands must be better than local brands!
It all depends on the quality of ingredients found in the food, however considering both come from clean sources and use an appropriate protein to fat and carbs ratio; the only difference between imported fresh food vs local is that they use additives and then play on certain selling points such as "free ranch grown cattle" or "cage-less ducks" or even "soy free".
To sum it up, there are high quality as well as low quality products in both local and imported brands. So it's most important to check and research for yourself before deciding.
**Please feel free to reach out to us for any questions regarding the previous statements or regarding canine nutrition in general!**
