"Why raw" is a very common and natural question asked by owners regarding converting their dogs or cats to a natural raw food biologically appropriate diet.

The first question one should ask is "is a natural, fresh, unprocessed raw food diet better than a factory processed one?". The same question can hold true whether it be for us humans, or our four legged friends.

In short, a growing percentage of dog and cat owners feel that a return to a biologically appropriate raw food diet benefits those that rely on us for their care and health. We feel that kibble or other such "un-natural" foods are not designed to be an appropriate means of nutrition for dogs or cats and aimed solely for "our" convenience versus proper nutrition. Fast food drive thru's are also geared for our convenience, but few would ever agree that they are appropriate diets.

Dogs are carnivores, and could also be considered "non-obligated" carnivores meaning in short that they can "get by" on whatever they can consume for the most part. But is "getting by" enough? Humans could "get by" from consuming a staple of solely fast food, but does that mean we should be? Does it mean we'll be healthy by doing so?

Unfortunately, not all support a natural raw food dog or cat diet. Mass producers of pet foods certainly do not as it represents a trend away from kibble (which has only been in existence for 60 some-odd years). Mass kibble producers have a multi-billion dollar empire to protect, and will do so thru whatever means possible. Furthermore, those that care for our pets the most - our vets - do not for the most part undergo in depth canine or feline nutrition in university and therefore some can be uncertain or misinformed about raw food diets for dogs and cats - although there are a growing number of vets that now fully support the diet (see our Raw Vets Page - and email us any raw friendly vets to help the list grow).

Pet food manufacturers reaped global sales in excess of $52 BILLION DOLLARS in 2009¹and had a 29.5 percent growth in sales between 2004-2009². They are the leading sponsors of Veterinary associations globally. Just visit the Canadian Veterinary Medical Associations web site and see who is the "platinum sponsor". That's not to say vets are being brainwashed, but simply that these food manufactures have huge stakes in ensuring their market share is not eroded by a movement to a more natural and wholesome diet.

The Pet food manufacturers have a sole focus on market share and revenues. And after booming growth between 2004-2009, industry forecasts are indicating a slowing in growth to 13% between 2009-2014³. How much of this forecast growth loss is due to a return by consumers to more natural foods is hard to say. But there is an undeniable trend towards a raw food diet, and the pet food manufactures are not about to let their billions slip away without a fight.

Reading thru pet food industry magazines, you'll see article after article regarding "palatability". Meaning, what they try to do to make the food actually appealing to dogs and cats.

A biologically appropriate natural raw food diet provides all the necessary components to help our canine and feline friends to return to a healthier lifestyle. And thanks to a wide range of raw food options available, and suppliers such as Bold Raw, a natural diet is readily accessible and presented in a convenient fashion suitable to today's past paced lifestyles.

With the help of Bold Raw, we can aide you at making the transition to a natural raw food diet for your dog or cat. From in house, custom ground blends for those wishing a prepared raw, Bold Raw offers a full spectrum of ingredient choices designed specifically to your requests. We also provide a wide array of whole raw food products from more common items such as chicken, thru to the more exotic such a ostrich - all vacuum sealed and flash frozen for maximum freshness.

Please read some of the articles and links available for additional information on the growing global trend to feed our cats and dogs only the best!

Or, feel free to drop Dave an email at info@boldraw.com with any questions, comments, or concerns.

^{1 & 2} Data source PetFoodIndustry & Euromonitor
³ Data source Euromonitor