As yet another food recall is being listed, this time by Diamond, it’s time to address the health and safety of your dog’s diet. This particular recall is regarding salmonella concerns. For those of us that feed a raw diet, our dogs could possibly be exposed to salmonella, and are not falling ill from it. So, why is salmonella such a concern in dry kibble dog food?

In order for kibble to be processed into it’s dry form, it must include fillers of some kind. Corn, or other grain, are the main fillers (also often highly allergenic!) Our dogs are officially classified as omnivores, but their large canine teeth and short digestive tract suggest that their diet is to be comprised of primarily meat. It’s true that dogs on a raw diet are typically not susceptible to suffering from a salmonella infection because food does not stay in the system long enough for the bacteria to form into a harmful state. However, because grains in dry kibbles are not well digested by dogs, the food stays in the system much longer. The length of time that dry food stays in the digestive tract can make bacteria that would normally not be an issue, cause severe infection!

So, the solution? Of course, I recommend getting your dog onto a healthy raw diet. Thankfully, here in Maryland we not only have a great locally made raw food, but are home to the ONLY dog food that is USDA certified: K-9 Kraving. What does this mean? The plant is inspected by the USDA on a daily basis, food is cold processed to prevent harmful bacteria, and all food is human grade and processed on human grade equipment. To learn more about the diet and the process, you may watch this YouTube video: http://youtu.be/FWu1U0_k2Uk

Be an educated consumer! Feed your dog the natural way to keep him or her safe.

For information on K-9 Kraving, or to place an order, please contact Aja: aja@muttmagic.com, 410-889-9352, www.muttmagic.com