Raw vs Kibble
Raw pet food can be purchased as a complete diet but many owners choose to feed homemade raw as they believe it is better for their pets. Studies show that 95% of homemade diets were deficient in at least one essential nutrient and 84% were lacking in multiple nutrients (PFMA, 2020). Dodd et al. (2019), carried out a nutrient analysis of a homemade diet and the impact that this diet had when fed to a puppy. The results of the study show that the diet was deficient in many nutrients as well as an incorrect balance of calcium and phosphorus which resulted in poor skeletal development. At Sugarfoot, our puppy recipes have been specifically formulated with the appropriate levels of protein, calcium & phosphorus to ensure healthy growth and development.
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Not only has it been identified that there is a risk to pet health from feeding homemade raw diets to pets if they are not nutritionally balanced for the specific species and lifestage it has also been identified that there is a risk to human health. When feeding a raw diet, the risk of infection from bacteria is increased as both the pet and their owner can be directly exposed to foodborne pathogens. A study looked at 35 commercial raw pet foods and examined the products for contaminants such as salmonella, listeria and E.coli. The study reported that over half of the raw food that was tested was positive for at least one contaminant (Bree et al., 2018). The study concludes by stating that dry pet food is a safer option for pets and owners alike.
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It is not always easy to make a direct comparison between raw and kibble because of the difference in the physical state therefore it is important to calculate any values on the same “Dry Matter Basis”. Dry Matter refers to material that remains after the removal of water. The below tables compare the nutritional content of various raw diets to our SugarFoot Superfood Duck Recipe on an “As fed basis” as well as on a “100% Dry Matter Basis”. By converting both products to the same dry matter the Analytical Constituents can be compared equally.
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There are many different formats of pet food on the market which can sometimes make it hard to decide what is best to feed to pets. The most important message is that the quality of pet food should be measured on the contents of the food rather than the format that it is fed in. Here at Sugarfoot all of our complete pet foods are formulated to meet the pet’s nutritional requirements in line with the FEDIAF Nutritional Guidelines. Our Freshtrusion technology is raw meat that is gently cooked to protect proteins which provide higher nutrient bio-availability and digestibility.