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The Easiest Way to Feed Raw

Angela Vuckovic
by Angela Vuckovic
Published:  April 20th, 2023

One of the most common misconceptions people have when they hear about feeding your dog a raw diet is that it must be difficult and time-consuming. And it’s no wonder – from figuring out the nutritional value of raw food and how it corresponds to your pet’s needs to sourcing, storing, and preparing, there are plenty of factors to consider before making the switch to feeding raw. But does it really have to be like that?

Let’s delve deeper into raw nutrition for pets and how feeding raw can be even easier than going for commercial pet foods thanks to brands like Instinct.


Is Feeding Your Dog Raw Food Difficult?


When you are the one preparing raw food meals for your dog from scratch, then yes, feeding raw can be a hassle. But you don’t have to bother with all of the steps of the process to make sure your pet reaps the benefits of raw nutrition. Instead of sourcing fresh raw ingredients on your own, worrying about cross-contamination and handling, trying to perfectly balance all the important nutrients on your own, and spending time on preparation, you can opt for premade raw food for dogs from Instinct. In doing so, you eliminate all of the taxing steps of the process and simply pour the good stuff directly into your dog’s bowl – easy peasy.


Health Benefits of Raw Food Diet


The main reason why pet owners consider switching their dog’s diet to raw food in the first place is for the health benefits. Some commercial pet foods are laden with ingredients that can cause a range of health issues for dogs, from digestion troubles to allergies to severe illness. To prevent or help existing health problems, some dog owners opt for a diet closer to that of their dog’s ancestors, based on quality protein, healthy fats, veggies, fruits, seeds, and nuts. Here are some of the main health benefits they report after feeding raw:


●      Healthier skin and coat

●      Improved gut health

●      More energy and better performance

●      Odor-free breath and cleaner teeth

●      Muscle mass improvement and weight management

●      Reduced or completely eliminated allergy symptoms

●      Increased mobility and decreased inflammation in seniors


Why Instinct Freeze Dried Meals and Raw Boost Mixers Are the Easiest Way to Feed Raw

When you want your dog to experience the health benefits above but are not sure how to feed raw or don’t have time to prepare their meals from scratch, premade raw food is the most convenient option you could choose. Made from wholesome, natural ingredients that have been carefully selected and then freeze-dried to preserve all of the nutrients in their original form, Instinct’s line of raw dog food offers a tailored, healthy diet for all life stages.


Instinct offers various recipes to choose from that will satisfy even the pickiest dogs, but if you have a pet that’s allergic to beef or chicken and want an alternative protein source, or have a pooch that simply prefers fishier flavors, you’ll love Instinct’s new freeze-dried Alaskan Pollock recipe. A whopping 85% percent of this freeze-dried meal is made from wild-caught, MSC-certified Alaskan Pollock, for a lean, low-fat protein source that is also rich in essential fatty acids that support your dog’s skin and coat health. The best part, though? The fact that your dog is getting only the best natural, nutrient-dense ingredients and all you have to do is pour the freeze-dried nuggets into their bowl, the same as you would with kibble. And if you really want to get fancy, you can rehydrate the food with a bit of warm water to change the texture to your pet’s preference.


Of course, as is usually the case with any changes in your pet’s diet, always consult with your vet before making the switch. A drastic change in diet can irritate your pet’s stomach, which is never pleasant, so make sure to introduce new foods gradually. Instinct’s Raw Boost Mixers are an excellent way to ease your dog into a raw diet. Their tummy will be thankful for it!

WOW
Angela Vuckovic
Angela Vuckovic

A proud mama to seven dogs and ten cats, Angela spends her days writing for her fellow pet parents and pampering her furballs, all of whom are rescues. When she's not gushing over her adorable cats or playing with her dogs, she can be found curled up with a good fantasy book.

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Study Finds That Cats Have Hundreds of Facial Expressions

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With an estimated 3.1 million dogs entering U.S. animal shelters every year, the need for funding and support is evident. For many, this is a call to action to find ways to make a difference – including for Guardians of the Galaxy actor Dave Bautista. Starting today, November 28th, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) is launching a new fundraising and awareness campaign with 54 Bautista and his four rescue pit bulls in the spotlight. The campaign was created as part of Giving Tuesday, a global response to the corporate focus of Black Friday (as well as Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday). Rather than highlighting sales and taking advantage of deals through your favorite stores and brands, Giving Tuesday encourages Americans to take a moment and consider how they can make a difference in the lives of others – including, of course, animals in shelters and rescue organizations. Bautista’s involvement in the campaign is motivated by his experiences with animal rescue and its impact on his life. “My home is where my dogs are because there is just such a sense of love,” Bautista stated. “I feel like wherever they are, there’s this sense of normalcy, which is hard for me to attain these days.” He went on to explain, “My first rescue dogs were Ollie and Maggie, and I’ve had them for about five years. I adopted them, and after becoming so connected with them, I started to be more aware of how many dogs are just waiting for someone to give them good, loving homes. You get so much in return when you adopt a pet, and I’m going to preach adoption for the rest of my life.”

Golden Retriever Nurses African Painted Dog Pups Rejected by Their Mom

The Potawatomi Zoo in South Bend, Indiana, recently welcomed a litter of eight endangered African painted dog puppies. After a rough start, only three puppies survived thanks to an unlikely surrogate mother - a golden retriever named Kassy.The Potawatomi Zoo announced that the pair of their African painted dogs, Bleu and Maurice, had a litter of eight puppies born in late September. However, it was soon clear to the care team at the zoo that the pack would not be able to raise the puppies successfully.“Bleu, an inexperienced mother, was not caring for her pups the way she should have, and Maurice was following her lead,” said the zoo. In their natural habitat, African painted dogs live in large packs with unique vocalizations and social dynamics. All adult dogs in the pack work together to help feed and raise the pups. The success of the birth and raising of the pups can be endangered if the pack doesn’t work together as they should. “We knew within 24 hours that we had to separate them,” the zoo’s executive director, Josh Sisk, told the South Bend Tribune. The zoo’s animal care staff consulted with the African Painted Dog Species Survival Plan (SSP), a group of zoo professionals who form the breeding plans for this endangered species in accredited zoos across the United States. The staff at zoos usually try to remain uninvolved, letting the packs raise the puppies as they would in the wild. This approach is often successful and helps the pups learn the complex social structure of their species. However, in this case, the decision was made to intervene and hand-raise the litter. Instead of bottle-feeding the puppies, the SSP recommended finding a surrogate dog to nurse the puppies. Within a few hours, the Indiana Council for Animal Welfare connected the zoo with a golden retriever named Kassy, who recently had a litter of puppies and had milk to spare. Kassy and her litter arrived at the zoo a day after the painted dog pups were born and immediately accepted them. The zoo’s staff watched as Kessy nursed and cared for the pups as if they were her own.“It was a crazy first month,” Sisk said. “Our team was there for four weeks, 24/7. We had a mattress next to the dogs.”The zoo’s veterinarian and care team worked around the clock to ensure that all of the puppies, including Kassy’s litter, were getting enough food and time with Kassy. However, despite everyone’s efforts, not all of the African painted dog pups survived. Four weeks after the litter was born, only three puppies remained. The surviving pups were named Blue, Red, and Orange for the colors staff used to track them since they were born. Originally, the zoo planned to reintegrate the pups with Bleu, Maurice, and Colby. However, the adult dogs didn’t show a positive interest in the pups, so the plan was changed. The zoo decided to build a home for the pups next to adult dogs, so they could still learn how to behave like painted dogs. Once the puppies get older they can either be integrated with Bleu, Maurice, and Colby or moved to another zoo.“Blue, Red, and Orange have had an unusual and challenging start to life, but the zoo hopes they will have a bright and successful future,” the zoo shared in a release. “These three healthy, active pups are just the start of this story and the zoo hopes to share more positive updates of their milestones in the future.”Join the PetGuide community. Get the latest pet news and product recommendations by subscribing to our newsletter here.

This Revolutionary Drug Could Help Extend the Lifespan of Dogs

In a groundbreaking trial that is set to launch in the United States, around 1,000 elderly dogs will be given a pill – in the form of a sweet treat – in the hope that their lives will be extended because of it. Behind this innovative work stands Loyal, a startup company based in Silicon Valley. They are currently gathering a number of senior dogs through a well-developed network of veterinary practices in all US states. The tests are set to launch before the end of 2023, after four years of complex studies.In this case, all dogs must be over 10 years old in order to be included in the study. The study itself is set to be a “randomized double-blind placebo trial”. The director of veterinary medicine at Loyal, the company behind this trial, Dr. Brennen McKenzie, said for  Telegraph that this will “probably be the largest clinical trial in veterinary medical history”.“We’re hoping to show that we can both increase the length of life and, more importantly, the length of time these dogs live healthy and happy and functional lives,” McKenzie states. “We’re looking at the length of time that dogs live on the drug and the placebo, hoping to show that we can extend their lifespan and also hoping to show that they develop less disease.”What the study will potentially show is that dogs who receive the drug will live one year longer - on average compared to those who are taking the “placebo” drug. Still, the length of life gained is only one aspect, Dr McKenzie said at the North American Veterinary Community’s Veterinary Innovation Summit in Kansas City. McKenzie also added that increasing health was their number one priority.“We think of lifespan as the amount of time that you live but healthspan is the amount of time that you have good health, good function, good quality of life,” Dr McKenzie said. “That’s clearly the most important thing”.All of this sounds quite “larger than life”, no pun intended. And, of course, with such advanced propositions, the trial drug and its contents are a closely guarded secret, especially due to commercial reasons. This will be the situation until the trial of the drug is finished. And if the drug happens to be as efficient as hoped, Loyal plans to place it on the market immediately, offering an affordable daily supplement that can extend the lives of dogs. “If we get through this four-year trial and we achieve our endpoints, the FDA will license us to sell this as a prescription medication and it will be the first medication ever to extend lifespan in any species,” Dr McKenzie said. “We are absolutely interested in a product that is accessible to the majority of pet owners.”It is worth noting that the drug in question was already proven to be safe for consumption, and there is a low risk of this potential supplement causing any unwanted side effects. Loyal is a company that has two other products in the works, and they are also scheduled to undergo extensive tests. However, work is not yet finished, and one of the two is expected to go on trial around 2026. 

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