For years, there has been much debate over whether dogs should have more meat proteins in their diet or not.

But for many pet owners, the decision of what food to give our pets is usually influenced by our own beliefs and preferences. Sadly, we often overlook one important factor to consider when choosing the right kind of food for them: their health.

So, are fully meat-based diets good for your dogs? Let’s find out.

Of dogs and wolves

Let’s face it: our dog’s closest cousins – the wolves – are carnivores, and thus pet owners immediately identify dogs as meat-eating animals.

Although from a scientific point of view dogs – along with wolves and cats – are classified under the taxonomic order of Carnivora, which may support this statement, this classification doesn’t exactly mean that these animals must thrive on a purely meat protein-based diet.

While all species under Carnivora can hunt and eat meat, their feeding behavior can widely vary depending on their lifestyle.

Take our pets for example. For one, today’s dogs have long been domesticated and no longer live the rugged, extremely primal lifestyle of their wolf-cousins.

In the wild, after eating meat, wolves can opt to stop consuming anything for a couple of days before hunting for food again, and this illustrates the basic difference between their eating patterns and those of dogs who live with humans.

The risk of high proteins

It should be highlighted that pet dogs do not have to forage for food – in fact, most pet owners feed their dogs at least twice a day, not including the treats.

Imagine putting your pets in high protein meat-based diets and following such a frequent feeding routine. That can potentially put your pets at risk of acquiring health problems like obesity or arthritis in the long run, given their bodies and lifestyles do not call for heightened amounts of meat protein.

Modern dogs have also adapted to digesting and making use of a wider variety of food types made available for them.

Given their digestive system’s ability to adapt, dogs have become omnivores over the years and can now fully benefit from a well-balanced diet of proteins, fruits, vegetables, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and fats.

A well-balanced diet for dogs

Your dog’s diet should depend on what his body needs to be active and become healthy overall.

A mix of nutrients derived from both animal and plant sources can be beneficial for our dogs, especially since dogs may develop food-related allergies after being exposed to a certain animal protein source for long periods of time.

You can avoid food-related allergies in your dog by changing his main protein source every few months.

But before going out to buy your dog’s food, read the labels first. Make sure your chosen dog food is made using high-quality animal meat, fruits, and vegetables, and does not contain animal .

Nowadays, dog food manufacturers who use certain meat proteins might also contain synthetic chemicals like growth hormones and antibiotics that can be potentially damaging to your dog’s health. That said, dogs can have prolonged exposure to such chemicals if they are given the same food each day.

Choose a brand of dog food that goes further for your dog’s nutrition. Go for brands that use fresh fruits and vegetables, and real, premium quality animal meat, preferably those that are raised in stress-free environments like Addiction Pet Foods Raw Dehydrated Food (RDF).

Formulated using premium quality, novel proteins sourced in one of the cleanest places on Earth – New Zealand – Addiction Pet Food’s RDF is a hypoallergenic, fully-balanced meal for dogs that bursts with both nutrients and robust flavors.

RDF is made through pasteurization, a process that applies low heat to raw food – about 70ºC (158ºF) – just enough to eliminate pathogens and harmful bacteria, while keeping all the flavors and beneficial nutrients from the fresh ingredients intact.

Read more about the science behind RDF formulation here.

Discover Addiction Pet Food’s line of RDF products and help your dog fight food-related allergies and achieve better health through food rotation.

Like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram for more pet health and nutrition updates.