Dogs need the right diet to stay strong and healthy; also, it helps to know that dogs’ ancestors primarily survived on raw food. However, in the current times, especially in urban areas, most puppy parents prefer offering their pups cooked meals.
Cooked food is free from microorganisms, stimulates appetite, and is easy to digest. Yet, the high temperature can destroy the vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants in the ingredients, which is why cooked food is less nutritious than raw food.
Poor nutrition can lead to severe health disorders like allergies, obesity, fur loss, and rickets in dogs. The amount and quality of food offered can significantly impact dogs’ health. The easiest way to tell if your puppy is nutrition deficient is by looking at its coat.
Dry, flaky, dull, or brittle coats can point to a lack of nutrition. If you suspect a health issue, take your dog to the vet immediately. Pet insurance NZ covers your dog’s testing and treatment costs during non-routine vet visits and health emergencies.
So, with the best pup insurance, you have one less worry during your dog’s distressing health situation. Also, if you haven’t considered feeding your dog raw bone treats, then learn some benefits of giving them to your pet pooch here.
Benefits of raw bone treats
Raw bone treats are necessary to ensure your puppy’s health and happiness. They contain minerals like calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus. Plus, the meat scraps on the bone and marrow are rich in nutrition. So, why not consider adding them to your puppy’s treat list?
1. Dental hygiene
Raw bones are a brilliant dental hygiene solution for puppies. Puppies can develop oral and dental conditions like plaque and tartar formation on teeth, foul odor, cavities, and gingivitis that can lead to teeth loss, eating difficulty, and other severe health conditions.
Gnawing on a raw bone stimulates enzymes in the saliva that help clean plaque and tartar. So, offer your puppy a bone after a meal to help remove trapped food particles between its teeth.
2. High nutrition
The main constituent of raw bones is calcium phosphate. This mineral plays a vital role in your puppy’s growth in the sense that it helps with the regeneration and strengthening of the puppy’s skeletal system. It is worth noting that the puppy’s body can absorb calcium from bones about 4X faster than from supplements.
You can feed raw bones to large breed pups, growing puppies, and adult dogs. However, talk to your vet to know the right age to offer a raw bone to your puppy.
3. Check negative behaviors
If your puppy is a habitual chewer, consider offering a raw bone so it can engage in its favorite activity. Chewing allows your puppy to burn pent-up energy and is often considered a splendid stress buster. To check your puppy’s destructive chewing habits around the house, like scratching, biting, gnawing, and excessive licking, offer it a raw bone. Chewing a raw bone can help curb unfavorable conduct and exercise your puppy’s jaws and facial muscles.
4. Discourage food begging
Mealtime no longer has to be – who wins the food game? Offer your puppy a raw bone as a distraction while you enjoy the dinner at the table.
5. Adds fiber
A raw bone can promote your puppy’s gastrointestinal functioning. It helps cleanse and scour the GI system from the inside. Plus, additional roughage enables easy passage of stools during potty time.
Consider incorporating raw bones into your puppy’s diet, but not cooked bones. Bones become hard when cooked and splinter when chewed, which is why they can become excellent choking or laceration hazards for your canine fur baby.
So, beware when feeding raw meat and bones. Pet insurance in NZ helps tackle puppy emergencies like choking, poisoning, and many more, efficiently. However, having the best pup insurance should be no reason to neglect your puppy’s health and happiness. Be alert when you have delicious food and four paws in the same room.
