I was listening to the local radio as I drove from work a few days ago and they had our N.Ireland super Vet answering questions for people who were phoning in about their dogs It was a very interesting program and many of the questions were tones that I have heard from dog owners before. The one question that caught my attention was “Why do Dogs Eat grass”? I found this interesting because I was at the time writing this article on “The Pros and cons of natural feeding” and I had out of curiosity been looking into various theories about why dogs eat grass.

Many believe that it aids digestion and others that it is to supplement the dogs diet as the commercially produced dog food does not have all the nutritional requirements that the dog needs. Of course the other theory is that the dog likes the taste!..that’s my theory.There is now an abundance of information around about the benefits of feeding your dog a more natural diet than the commercially produced food that lines our supermarket shelves. Go onto the Internet and type into google “feeding your dog” you will find many articles and websites that will offer help and information on how to feed your dog. When you research a little deeper you will be shocked and horrified at an industry that is self-regulated and offers up disgusting ingredients to be used as a source of protein – Euthanized cats and dogs ,diseased cattle, road accident animals and other sources that are not fit for consumption. You might question this information but the research is well documented and also verified by scientific tests. See for yourself.

If you have however already looked into this area already and are convinced of the benefits of feeding your dog naturally then you will find the summary below useful

PROS of natural feeding.

1. Healthier dog, so fewer trips to the Vet

2. A much happier dog

3. A dog with good strong, clean teeth with no gum disease

4. A dog with pleasant smelling breath

5. A dog who behavior isn’t hyped up by artificial food.

6. a dog whose “waste product” is much less offensive and much easier to pick up.!

CONS of natural feeding

1. Possible risk of impaction-very rare but could happen.

2. Arguing the case for natural feeding with your Vet. try and convert him or her.

3. When you first start it takes a little more thought and time than feeding processed food…but it gets easier very quickly

4. You may occasionally notice a very slight smear of blood in the feces. this is usually caused by a small piece of undigested bone scratching as it is eliminated.

5. If you are changing over from feeding a processed artificial diet,it is not unusual for your dog to have an upset stomach for a couple of days. This is because the stomach of the dog has to unlearn how to make the best of a bad job,coping with cooked and processed foods. Once you start feeding the raw diet the stomach will quickly start working at full efficiency again.