Rawgust is all about eating natural and unprocessed food in August, and this is a hot topic for our dogs too. Raw feeding is becoming increasingly popular, alongside natural treats with minimal ingredients.
We were recently joined by Veterinary Nurse Carola Leman to offer advice to our Canine Brain Box subscribers, and she talked us through the key things we need to think about when feeding our dogs. There are so many options on the market, and so much conflicting advice it can be hard to know what to do for the best, whether that’s feeding raw food, tinned food, kibble or any of the newer types of foods that are now available.
Carola’s advice is that the first person we should listen to when choosing a food is our dogs. Every dog is different, and different dogs will be best suited to different types of food. The important thing is that they’re enjoying their food, and it’s keeping them happy and healthy without any gastrointestinal upsets. If the type of diet you’re feeding just isn’t quite right for your dog, then it’s worth looking at something else they might be better suited to. Secondly, you need to think about your household and your lifestyle, and what type of food is the most practical. For example, if you feed raw you need to consider freezer space, or if you use a lot of food when you’re training your dog kibble may be more practical than tinned food.
Once you’ve decided on the type of food you want to feed, choosing a brand is the next step. Carola recommends choosing a brand that has a veterinary nutritionist on their team. The term ‘nutritionist’ isn’t protected in the UK, so anyone can use the title without needing to have any specific qualifications, so if you’re seeking advice it’s worth making sure that the person you’re talking to is suitably qualified and are either a vet, or have a Masters or Phd qualification.
If you need any advice or support regarding your dog's diet, many veterinary practices have clinics run by veterinary nurses to offer support with diet and managing your dog's weight.
We’d love to know the type of diet you feed your dog, and why you chose it - let us know in the comments!