Our dog’s food is a huge part of their wellbeing, so it is vital that you choose the best option for your canine. Fresh food is a newer option in the pet food market and has quickly gained popularity over the last few years.
Fresh food isn’t kibble or canned food. Instead, it is real, unprocessed food made from quality ingredients. Often it comes freeze-dried or frozen, as those forms tend to last the longest on the shelf. You can also check out the best organic dog food fit for your dog.
There are many benefits of switching to fresh food you should consider when choosing a diet for your dog. Here are some of our favorite reasons for switching to fresh dog food, and thankfully there are a lot of great brands to choose from.
Fewer Preservatives
Fresh dog food often has fewer preservatives than kibble and canned dog food. This is because it is often freeze-dried or frozen, which means it doesn’t have much need for extra preservatives. The safety aspect of some food preservatives is questionable.
Not all food preservatives are bad by any means. Some are actually good for us and our dogs. They add protection against certain reactive oxygen species, which are associated with cancer, cardiovascular disease, and aging.
With that said, some preservatives have questionable effects. Benzoic acid and sulfites can cause allergies in some cases. Nitrates can create carcinogenic chemicals to be formed. BHA and BHT has caused cancer in rats, though we don’t know if this carries over to canines.
When you get fresh dog food though, you don’t have to worry about preservatives in most cases.
Higher Nutrient Intake
Fresh foods often include whole foods. For example, most fresh foods will contain whole, real carrots instead of just carrot protein or another extract. This can increase the number of nutrients your canine is consuming since they’re eating the whole food and not just a part of it.
While many processed foods contain supplements to bring their vitamin content up to an appropriate level, it is uncertain whether or not they can digest these supplements at the same level as whole foods. Very few supplements have actually been tested in a scientific study, so we just don’t know if they can digest and absorb these nutrients at the same level as whole foods.
If your dog has certain skin conditions, switching to fresh food can increase the amount of zinc and B vitamins they consume, which can lead to healthier skin.
Taste
If your dog is picky, they might prefer fresh food to a more precessed diet. This is because fresh food contains unprocessed meat, which smells better than your typical dried kibble. Picky canines often prefer this food just because of its scent, though it likely tastes better as well.
This dog food can be particularly useful for sick or older canines that have stopped eating as much as they once did. If you’re having trouble getting your dog to eat, picking up a fresh dog food is an easy fix that is also much healthier than some other options.
One warning though: some dogs will pick out the meat from the veggies and things they don’t want to eat. If this happens to you, just squish everything together a little bit better with a fork before you feed your dog. That way, the carrots and everything gets mixed in better and your canine won’t just leave them in his bowl.
Free of Dyes
Processed food does not look very yummy. To get around this problem, many pet food manufacturers add in dyes. While your dog obviously doesn’t care what their food looks like, companies often assume you do. Because you’re the one buying the food, they’ll add dyes if they think it’s going to make you more likely to purchase their food in the future.
Fresh pet food is made with whole ingredients and, therefore, does not need dyes to make it look appetizing. Carrots, peas, and other ingredients are already colorful and do not need extra color added for marketing purposes when in their natural state.
There is very little research done on the safety of dyes in dog food. We do know that some dyes can have a negative impact on people, especially children due to their smaller size. Our canines are often small as well and can consume quite a bit of this dye per meal when eating your average dog food.
Because fresh dog food doesn’t include any of these dyes, it could very well be better for your pup.
