Species Appropriate Diet for your dogs

Our human ancestors ate differently than we do today for many reasons, including seasonal availability, no refrigeration and no grocery stores. Today, we don’t just eat to survive, there are emotional and social influences.

Our domesticated fur babies have taken on some of our characteristics and may display hunger-related behaviors as a means of seeking attention, alleviating boredom, or expressing emotions such as anxiety or stress. Food can serve as a source of comfort or distraction for pets experiencing emotional turmoil, leading them to engage in food-seeking behaviors even when their nutritional needs have been met. Addressing underlying emotional and behavioural issues through enrichment, mental stimulation, and positive reinforcement can help reduce excessive food-seeking behaviors in pets.

Environmental Factors: 

Environmental cues, such as the sight or smell of food, can also trigger hunger signals in pets, regardless of their satiation level. The aroma of cooking food or the sound of a treat bag opening may prompt pets to seek out food, even if they have recently eaten a nutritious meal. Additionally, pets may associate certain activities or locations with feeding times, leading them to exhibit hunger cues out of habit rather than true physiological need.

Carnivores in the wild are driven by hunger to hunt at dawn and dusk.  They have to expend a tremendous amount of energy to chase, catch and kill their prey. The hunt creates a commotion that attracts other carnivores. When they are involved in eating their catch, they are vulnerable because they are less attentive to the dangers around them (i.e. other carnivores looking for an easy meal). 

As a survival mechanism, nature designed carnivores to eat voraciously, tearing, gulping and swallowing (they do little chewing) in order to stuff themselves quickly when meat is available (in the wild the next catch is not guaranteed). Then they go to their den to relax in safety and digest their meal. 

Unlike their wild counterparts, our pets do not expend much energy to eat, they only have to walk over to their bowl.  Many pet parents who are feeding “kibble”  fill the bowl so their pet can nibble all day.  Sadly, this feeding practice is causing harm to our fur babies. 

When pets are fed a species appropriate balanced raw food diet consisting of grass fed/grass finished meat, bones and organs, supplemented with the essential nutrients (those nutrients the body cannot produce in sufficient quantity on its own), they awaken their instinctual drive to stuff themselves to satiety.  

Because most pet parents feed their fur kids twice a day, every day, I do not recommend feeding to satiety (the point where the pet is so full they stop eating) because they would become obese.  Animals that have always been raw feeders will adapt to eating meals twice daily and not beg for food.  Animals that have been on commercially processed high carbohydrate diets that convert to raw and improve the gut health and gut microbiome sometimes show signs of always being hungry and may develop unwanted behaviors like garbage diving, begging and stealing food off counters.  

The Importance of Consistency and Routine: 

To help mitigate hunger-related behaviors in pets on a raw food diet, it’s essential to establish consistent feeding schedules and routines. By feeding pets at regular intervals and providing ample opportunities for exercise and mental stimulation, pet owners can help satisfy their pets’ instinctual needs while promoting overall well-being. Additionally, incorporating interactive feeding toys or puzzle feeders can engage pets’ natural hunting instincts and provide mental stimulation between meals.

In conclusion, while pets on a raw food diet may appear satiated after meals, it’s important to recognize that their instinctual behaviors related to food acquisition are deeply rooted in their evolutionary history. By understanding the complex interplay between satiation, instinctual eating behaviors, and environmental influences, pet owners can provide their furry companions with a balanced diet and supportive environment that meets their nutritional and behavioural needs.