Time to Change Your Dog's Diet

Dog nutrition is always a current topic. You probably already know how important quality food is for the health and behavior of dogs, and we're sure you care about it. But how do you recognize when it's the right time to change your dog's diet?

What are the 10 signs that tell us it's time to change your dog's diet?

1. Frequent and copious stools

Dog stools should be small and compact in volume. Because such a stool is a reflection of quality nutrition - that is, the dog has used almost everything from the food and only a small amount of undigested substances leaves the body with the stool. This is exactly the stool of dogs that eat raw food. Often, after switching to BARF, worried owners call us, asking if the dog is "clogged" because it defecates only once a day, and that's a little. When you feed your dog low-quality food, the stool is soft, abundant and frequent. So, more than two stools a day is a sign that the dog is digesting very little food. You may even have the feeling that more has come out of the body with the stool than the dog has eaten.

2. Drinking large amounts of water

When dogs eat dehydrated food, they are constantly thirsty and drink large amounts of water. In addition to the fact that the dog is continuously dehydrated, which is not at all good for the body, dehydrated food, watered down with large amounts of water in the stomach, swells and multiplies its volume and irritates the stomach wall and mucous membrane. Such a swollen stomach is more prone to torsion and it is especially important that the owners of large dog breeds are aware of this. Dogs that eat BARF drink noticeably less water. Read what we wrote about gastritis in dogs

3. Unpleasant hair smell< div>The microflora lives on the surface of the skin and has a protective role. But if you feed your dog with food rich in carbohydrates (which is just about any type of dehydrate), fungi grow on the surface of the skin, which then creates that unpleasant smell. '

Dog smell' is not something you should take for granted! Dogs fed raw food have a beautiful, lush, shiny coat and are a real pleasure to pet because there is no unpleasant smell on your hands.

4. Tartar

Carbohydrate-rich food creates a favorable medium for the development of bacteria, dental plaque and calculus in the oral cavity. Claiming that there is a dehydrated food that cleans your teeth is equivalent to claiming that you can clean your teeth by eating rusks. The best teeth cleaner is raw bone. And in addition to the health of the teeth and gums, chewing a bone is a great mental stimulation for the dog. One of the main characteristics of a dog fed with BARF is white, shiny and healthy teeth.

5. Bad breath

Bad breath is most often the result of tartar and/or gastritis. And it's also not a condition that owners should get used to and accept as normal. Therefore, it is important to look for the cause of bad breath and solve it. Tartar and gastritis can be equally successfully prevented with raw food.

6. Flatulence, frequent diarrhea and flatulence

As a result of poor nutrition, not adapted to the carnivorous digestive system, unfavorable microflora develops in the intestines. Industrial foods rich in carbohydrates feed the bad microflora in the intestines, which as a byproduct of their metabolism create gases that cause flatulence and wind. In such conditions, good microflora has no chance to develop, because for good microflora it is necessary to provide optimal food. The optimal food for carnivores is raw meat, offal, ground bones and cartilage, and a small amount of fruits and vegetables. More on the topic of probiotics for dogs.

7.Obesity

It is not difficult to conclude that obese dogs should change their diet. Obesity is definitely a consequence of excessive food intake. But in addition to the quantity and quality of food, it plays a big role here. Obese dogs often lack essential nutrients in their bodies. They gain weight because the food is rich in carbohydrates, which the body stores in the form of fat, but they are actually starving because they are not getting the optimal amount of quality fats and proteins. In a properly composed raw meal, there are optimal amounts of high-quality proteins and fats, and only small amounts of carbohydrates, originating from vegetables and fruits, are present. More about dog obesity. 

8. Scratching, nibbling, licking

Changes in the skin are often the result of poor nutrition. Irritation of the immune system, which is in a constant battle with unfavorable microflora in the intestines, will manifest itself very often on the skin. Read all about the causes of itching in dogs.

9. Frequent ear infections

Chronic ear infections are a common reason for visiting veterinarians. When it comes to chronic ear inflammation, the real cause of the problem is usually not in the ear itself, but in the intestines. The inflammatory process that takes place in the intestines constantly burdens the immune system and inflammatory reactions begin to appear in other parts of the body as well. More on the subject of ear infections in dogs.

10. Inflammation of the anal glands

The consistency of the stool of dogs that eat industrial food is usually relatively soft and as such cannot push the contents out of the anal sacs. In addition to these mechanical deficiencies, inflammation of the anal sacs is also a consequence of excessive secretion of the anal glands caused by inflammatory processes in the intestines. The advantage of a raw diet is the natural daily emptying of the anal sacs.