Evidence-Based Research Proves Fresh Dog Food Boosts Your Pup's Health and Lifespan

Switching your dog's diet to freshly prepared food is a fantastic choice, according to veterinary research. Fresh dog food, when part of a balanced diet, can significantly improve your dog's health, wellness, and lifespan.

How Does Fresh Dog Food Benefit Your Dog's Health?

Many commercial dog foods boast labels like "nutritious" and "wholesome," but these terms can be misleading. Andi Brown, author of The Whole Pet Diet, points out, “Just because a dog food is labelled ‘holistic’ or ‘all-natural’ doesn’t mean it’s necessarily any better than other foods.”

Much like humans, dogs are what they eat. Many commercial dog foods are comparable to fast food—loaded with unhealthy ingredients. Brown explains, “If you eat fast food every day, your health will suffer. The same applies to dogs on a commercial diet.”

Unfortunately, this is also true for vet prescribed dog food. While they can be beneficial after surgery, a quick look at the ingredient list shows that they should not be fed in the long term. Expensive dog food doesn't always mean quality dog food!

Ultimately, it all comes down to what's in the food and learning to decode your dog's food labels.

Why Choose Fresh Food for Dogs?

University of California, Davis researchers found that 95% of homemade dog diets fail to meet canine nutritional needs. Dogs require a balanced diet of meat and vegetables, with a proper balance of micronutrients (vitamins & minerals), no by-products, fillers, preservatives, or artificial chemicals. 

This balance, while not impossible, is hard to achieve with home-cooked meals.

At Doggy Grub, we ensure that our fresh food mimics a home-cook diet but with the guarantee that our meals are balanced to keep your dog healthy and happy.

The Health Benefits of Fresh Dog Food

Fresh dog food offers numerous benefits backed by veterinary research and expertise. Here's how fresh food can positively impact your dog's health and wellbeing:

1. Prevents Canine Medical Conditions: Fresh food diets, rich in antioxidants and high-quality protein, help prevent various ailments. A study in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association found that Scottish terriers who ate vegetables at least three times a week had lower rates of urinary bladder carcinoma.

2. Maintains a Healthy Weight: A Preventive Veterinary Medicine survey showed that diet and exercise are crucial in controlling canine obesity. Fresh food, free from cheap fillers and starches, helps keep your dog at a healthy weight. “Many pet foods contain inexpensive fillers (e.g., corn, wheat, rice, potatoes) so that the manufacturers can make more money,” Andi Brown says. “Starch-heavy diets lead to weight gain.”

3. Increases Lifespan: Dogs fed a fresh diet can live up to 2.5 years longer than those on commercial diets, one study finds. The absence of harmful additives in fresh food means a healthier, longer life for your pet. Sure, we humans, can also survive on potatoe chips and beers, but we wouldn't be in great health! At Doggy Grub, we want your dogs to thrive, not just survive.

4. Improves Digestive Health: A balanced diet of meat and vegetables supports your dog's gut health, similar to their wild ancestors' diets, when they were eating the stomach content of herbivores. 

5. Better Poop: Pet parents who feed their dogs Doggy Grub report well-formed, less smelly stools, and less gas, thanks to whole ingredients and proper fibre balance. Dogs need fibre to keep things moving along nicely.

6. Promotes High-Quality Sleep: A healthy diet leads to better digestion and more restful sleep for your dog.

7. Enhances Cognitive Function: A Journal in Veterinary Medicine study has found that a diet rich in antioxidants can boost your dog's brain health, enhancing learning and alertness, 

8. Shiny Coat and Healthy Skin: Fresh food provides the essential fats and oils necessary for a lustrous coat and healthy skin, addressing common issues like itching and dryness. A few days after switching your dog to a fresh, natural, and balanced diet, “shedding, itching, scratching, dry skin, a rough coat, and other skin problems will start to correct themselves,” Brown says.

9. Fuels Exercise and Recovery: High-quality protein in fresh food gives your dog the energy for exercise and helps in muscle recovery.

10. Overcomes Picky Eating: Fresh food's appealing aroma and flavour can entice even the pickiest eaters, ensuring they get the nutrition they need.

Transitioning to Fresh Food

At Doggy Grub, we know you're excited to see the positive changes fresh food can bring to your dog. Transition slowly over seven to ten days, gradually mixing more fresh food with their old diet. If your dog experiences any tummy troubles, just slow down the transition.

We're here to support you every step of the way!

Ready to make the switch? You can start with a taste of our sample packs!

Want to be the first to get your paws onto the hottest topics? Subscribe to our newsletter!

--------------------------------------------------------------------

The Doggy Grub blog is dedicated to helping dogs and their owners achieve happier, healthier lives, changing the way we feed our dogs one bowl at a time! If you would like to know more about our fresh food head to Doggy Grub