Dogs do not have the proper enzymes in their stomach to breakdown sugars, processed food, and grain. You will notice with dogs on a high sugar or processed feed diet that their teeth have plaque and tartar buildup. They will shed their coat a lot more, as there is much waste and filler not being absorbed by the body and is not nutrient dense so the body gets rid of it through shedding. They will have an oily coat, smelly poops and smelly breath.

Dogs on a raw meat diet do not drink nearly as much water as dogs on a processed diet. That is due to the naturally occurring moisture found in raw meat. Dogs on a processed diet are in a constant state of dehydration. When the processed food reaches their stomach it expands up to 5 times the size and absorbs the dogs moisture. When this expansion happens there is risk for bloat, which in serious cases results in an expensive surgery and sometimes death.

The best treats to give your dog are bully sticks and raw bones. Raw bones are going to keep your dogs teeth clean, while strengthening your dogs jaw, gums, and teeth and prevent plaque and tartar build up. Stick to bully sticks until they have their adult teeth (around 5 – 6 months of age) as bones have the ability to break fragile puppy teeth. Single ingredient treats are the best way to go! Some of my favourite single ingredient treats are made by Orijen or Puppy Love. Stay away from processed biscuits unless they are grain free. Stay away from rawhide! Rawhide expands up to 5 times the size once it reaches the dogs stomach and it’s also a risk for bloat. Rawhide is bleached and preserved with some very scary chemicals such as formaldehyde.