Finally, when choosing any cat or dog food, please be discerning and select products from reputable companies. It is highly recommended to have a Biophilia Guardian monitor at home to track your cat's and dog's health!
A common way cats get parasites if they live indoors is by eating raw meat.
Furthermore, gray wolves have an average lifespan of only 5-6 years in the wild, but can live 15-20 years in captivity with a good diet and care. Wild cats (Felis silvestris) have an average lifespan of only 8 years in the wild, while long-lived domestic cats can live up to 20 years.
Therefore, natural ≠ better. To ensure cats and dogs live healthier, longer, and happier lives, it's best not to feed them raw meat.
Feeding only raw meat and bones has many problems.
Balanced and comprehensive nutrition is key to maintaining the health of any animal. However, many raw meat diets, as well as some other homemade food, suffer from serious nutritional imbalances and deficiencies.
Feeding animals liver as their primary food source can easily lead to excessive vitamin A intake; excessive phosphorus in their diet can cause hyperparathyroidism; and insufficient levels of essential nutrients such as calcium, phosphorus, and vitamin D can result in inadequate bone formation, which has a particularly severe negative impact on cats and dogs during their developmental stages. Unlike dogs, cats cannot synthesize enough taurine, arginine, and niacin themselves, and therefore need to obtain these important nutrients from their food.
This dog suffered from severe osteoopenia due to eating nutritionally incomplete homemade food, experiencing pain and being unable to walk.
After diagnosis, switching to a nutritionally complete and balanced dog food improved its bone formation.
Many people associate pets with eating bones; however, veterinarians do not recommend feeding bones to cats and dogs. Feeding bones carries significant risks. For example, hard bones can easily break teeth, and bone fragments can easily injure the esophagus, causing intestinal perforation, or even become lodged in the gastrointestinal tract, requiring surgical removal. Feeding your cat or dog bones can lead to expensive veterinary bills and even endanger their life, making it extremely unwise.
If your goal in feeding raw meat and bones is to promote healthy teeth, consider safer methods,
such as brushing their teeth, giving them dental chews, or having their teeth professionally cleaned at a veterinary clinic (under anesthesia).
If you insist on feeding your cat or dog raw meat or homemade food,
what precautions should you take?
While proponents of raw meat and bones believe it offers numerous benefits, such as healthier teeth and skin, healthier fur, a stronger immune system, and even better-smelling feces… these "advantages" are mostly hearsay and lack sufficient research evidence to support them.
After learning about the associated risks, if you still insist on feeding your pet raw meat or homemade food, it is recommended that pet owners pay close attention and consider the following measures to minimize potential risks and harms.
Regarding hygiene:
1. To reduce the growth of harmful bacteria, raw meat must be kept frozen throughout storage. When thawing, the meat should be placed in the refrigerator, never left at room temperature. 1. If there are leftovers after eating, discard them as soon as possible.
2. Wash your hands after handling raw meat and thoroughly clean kitchen utensils such as stovetops and cutting boards.
3. Regularly disinfect the food and water bowls for your cats and dogs.
4. Do not kiss your cats and dogs, especially after they have eaten raw meat; also, do not allow them to lick you.
It is important to emphasize that freezing does not kill bacteria, and cats and dogs will still defecate and groom themselves with their tongues. Therefore, even with all these precautions, it is impossible to completely prevent harmful bacteria from spreading to the surrounding environment.
Regarding nutrition:
1. Feeding only raw meat and bones makes it difficult to ensure a comprehensive and balanced diet.
2. As for homemade pet food, although high-temperature heating can kill bacteria and improve food safety, many online pet recipes are of varying quality. If you insist on feeding homemade food, please consult with a licensed veterinarian and nutritionist to develop a suitable diet based on your cat's or dog's age and health condition.
3. Furthermore, cats and dogs cannot obtain the necessary vitamins and minerals from a sufficient amount of fruits and vegetables. Therefore, providing additional vitamin and mineral supplements is essential in homemade food. When preparing their food, it is crucial to strictly adhere to the veterinarian's prescribed diet, as even slight deviations can result in nutritionally incomplete meals.
Finally, when choosing any cat or dog food, please be discerning and select products from reputable companies. It is highly recommended to have a
Biophilia Guardian monitor at home to track your cat's and dog's health!
Wishing your cats and dogs healthy, happy meals and great appetites every day!
