What Is Paleo Dog Food?
Paleo dog food is based on the concept that modern dogs have evolved to eat food that their ancestors ate during their wild days in the Paleolithic era.
Over the last decade, paleo eating has become a massive trend. The Paleo diet in humans consists of good quality meats, fats, vegetables, seeds, and nuts while eliminating grains, legumes, and processed foods.
With regards to dogs, it closely mimics the raw diet in the pet food world, otherwise more commonly referred to as the BARF diet. The main principle behind it is to avoid feeding your dog processed foods and instead focus on feeding natural, unprocessed foods which include raw meat, supported by vegetables, and fruit in moderation.
Should My Dog Eat a Paleo Diet?
The short answer is yes – however, it's essential when feeding a paleo diet, aka raw/BARF diet that it is balanced! A diet consisting of solely meat is not a healthy diet and your pet will become very ill over time. The key to a healthy diet is balanced quality foods which consist of meats – offal, fat, fruits, and vegetables.
If we look back through time, we know that our domesticated dogs are related to wolves and that their DNA only differs by 0.2%. A wolf's diet consists of eating other animals as their main source of food. A wolf will typically consume the prey's organs, then their muscles, bones and hide. Wolves will also typically eat a small amount of vegetation in their diet which consists of grasses and berries.
The benefits of the raw diet itself are immense! To name a few benefits:
- Healthy skin
- Shiny coat
- Reduces thirst by obtaining moisture through their food (Hydration)
- Reduction in passing faeces
- Healthier gums and teeth
- Reduced bad breath
- Weight loss and increased muscle tone
- Improved mood
- Balanced energy levels
There's a lot of misinformation and myths about what a raw dog food diet looks like, so be sure to read our blog post about raw feeding risks and myths.
If you have thought about giving a raw diet a give go please speak to our team who will be more than happy to answer any questions you may have.