It’s Rawgust! Yes indeed, every year the pet food industry celebrates raw diets for our pets by declaring the month of August as National Raw Feeding Month or Rawgust. This rather cute marketing term can’t begin to convey the great truth that feeding your pets a raw diet will literally change their lives.

This month I want to tell you a story about my friend Ron and his dog Buddy. Ron was not a dog parent until he inherited Buddy from his sister.  No longer able to care for her beloved Bullmastiff, she asked Ron to take Buddy and give him the more active life the big dog deserved.  Ron had met Buddy occasionally, so they weren’t strangers which was a plus, however he had no idea how to care for the 5 year old Bullmastiff who was beginning to show signs of aging.

Wanting advice, Ron took Buddy to a conventional vet who simply recommended a few prescription drugs and reminded Ron that most giant breed dogs only live 6 to 8 years of age. This approach didn’t impress Ron who is interested in health and fitness and had quickly grown attached to Buddy, wanting him around for a long time.  Ron had been feeding Buddy the same kibble his sister had fed, but with his knowledge of a healthy diet for himself he wanted to find a healthier diet for Buddy, too.

After doing some research, Ron decided to eliminate dog kibble and transition Buddy onto a complete and balanced raw food diet which he could purchase from a local pet supply store. It was an easy switch since Buddy refused to eat kibble once he had tasted a raw diet. Within three months Ron reported Buddy was moving more freely, had lost excess weight, had fresher breath, was less gassy, had smaller less stinky stools, and was more mentally alert and happier.  Ron was ecstatic with the positive changes in his big boy.

This all happened 4 years ago, and Ron and Buddy are still the best of friends, enjoying their days together. Buddy has outlived the life expectancy for the Bullmastiff breed and is not ready to retire any time soon. Ron credits these beneficial changes in Buddy’s life to putting him on a biologically correct raw food diet, and so do I!

Of course, every pet is unique.  Buddy responded quickly to his new healthier diet.  Other dogs may take longer to adjust or have underlying medical issues that make the positive effects of a raw diet more subtle or slower to manifest.  But the benefits are real; your dogs will feel them and you will see them. So make August/Rawgust the month you do something significant for the life of your pet, dog or cat, by getting them started on a complete and balanced raw food diet for many more healthy years together.