Raw Food Diet for Rottweilers: Risks vs Benefits

Raw food diet for Rottweilers. Raw food, especially raw meat, is misunderstood when it comes to Rottweilers. I say misunderstood because of concerns surrounding food poisoning and sanitation. Though these are 100% valid concerns, raw food diet, if done correctly, can benefit Rotties. Is a raw diet the best dog food for Rottweilers?

What are the benefits of a raw food diet for Rottweilers? A properly prepared and scheduled raw diet leads to a leaner, fitter, and more active Rottweiler as a result when owners follow a strict cleanliness guideline. Adult Rottweilers should be eating around 2400 calories per day (though it does vary depending on how active your dog is, and how big it grew). We know that following a strict raw food diet narrows down the number of options you and your dog can pick during meal/snack time.

So what kind of food or ingredients should you look out for to make sure your Rottweiler receives all the nutrients necessary while maintaining a raw food diet? I’ll get to that (complete with ways for you to keep a raw food diet that is as balanced as it can get: dishes that include protein, vegetables, and oil), but first…Should you even keep a raw food diet for your dog? What are the benefits and risks of moving away from the standard diet that relies on commercialized dog snacks?

Raw Food for Rottweilers: Benefits and Risks

1. Benefit: Avoiding Processed Food 

The first benefit is that your dog will never have to consume processed dog food. As of now, we do not have enough data compiled on how safe these dog products are in the long-term, especially because most of them are chemically synthesized.

Moreover, to help fill up the volume of food stored in each bag of dog food that is sold, some dog foods include way too much wheat, rice, or other types of grains. Though grains are great for dogs to a certain extent, they do not need them as much as humans do. In fact, excessive doses of grain tend to be toxic for your companion, so be careful!

Processed dog food, recently, has been gaining a reputation among rather lazy owners. It’s easy: you have to pour some food into the bowl for your dog. If your dog begs for more and won’t stop bugging you, reach into the cupboard and pull some more of the dog food out.

However, it is this seemingly positive impact of convenience that also makes processed dog food the key to canine obesity. Because the food is very easy to prepare, owners are likely to take the easier route and pour some more to keep their companion from begging for more.

However, such habits may lead to dogs overeating.

Dogs that overeat tend to turn very, very lazy because they use all of the energy on digesting the food that they consumed. This is especially detrimental for Rottweilers because it is a breed that must stay active and exercise (it’s biologically structured to behave in such a way).

By preparing raw food, the owners would have to cut up fruits, vegetables, or meat to appropriate sizes and place them on a plate. Before all that, they must go out to the grocery store to buy these products, since, unlike processed food, raw food diet is impossible while storing ingredients for a very long time.

Owners will physically not be able to feed their dogs once they run out of supply, making sure that the dog doesn’t overeat!

2. Benefit: Healthy!

It’s quite obvious that raw diet meal plans seem very, very healthy for dogs. After all, it helps you avoid all of the risky, unknown substances that come with processed dog food. However, there are specific health benefits (especially for Rottweilers!) that come with raw food like vegetables, fruits, and raw meat.

First, vegetables, if eaten raw, provide for snacks that are more digestible. Because there are no chemicals involved that might interfere with your companion’s digestive system, as long as it is cleaned properly, raw vegetables should be a very safe option for a quick snack. Some vegetables that are especially healthy when eaten raw are carrots, broccoli, green peas, and kale. These all help with your dog’s immune system and are very easy to digest!

Second, fruits provide more than enough vitamins for dogs. Moreover, most fruits that humans can eat can be shared with dogs, allowing you to share your favorite fruit with your best friend! Bananas are great because they give your dog energy from potassium, apples are great for vitamin C and A which are essential for your dog’s immune system, and cantaloupes benefit your dog’s ocular functions. 

Third, raw meat is excellent because it provides your dog with more protein that is not denatured. Proteins tend to lose their functionalities or become less valuable when they are processed because they become denatured. Natural animal proteins are especially important for Rottweiler puppies because they help them develop muscles and stronger bodies when they become adults. Moreover, raw meat provides high levels of iron, which is important for your dog’s overall welfare. 

As such, various raw foods (vegetables, fruits, and meat) tend to give your dog benefits that many other supplements or processed dog foods can’t. However, where there are benefits, there always are risks. So what are the risks of feeding raw food to your Rottweiler?

3. Risk: Food Poisoning

Though we expect all owners to recognize this risk, we nevertheless must pay attention to this potential problem. Food poisoning that comes from eating raw food that is not sanitized is undeniably one of the scariest illnesses that we as dog owners would like to avoid. 

Unfortunately, while processed foods may contain harmful chemicals, raw foods may contain different types of pathogens because there never was a sterilization process. Therefore, it’s essential that owners, before preparing raw treats for their sweet companions, must wash the food clean. 

We also encourage dog owners to avoid purchasing raw meat products from places that may not seem too credible in terms of cleanliness. In fact, if there is a butcher shop that you usually go to, you would be able to lower the risk of your Rottweiler contracting digestive illnesses. Usually, these shops sell scraps and parts that they wouldn’t normally sell to dog owners (heart, liver, other meat organs, and small pieces of meat). 

Raw Recipes for Rottweilers

After understanding the benefits and risks of a raw food diet for your Rottweiler, if you have made the decision to feed your dog raw food, here are a few menus that are recommended:

1. Chicken And Carrots

This requires very little preparation: simply cut up chicken thighs and bones (it should be about 50 percent of your dish), chicken organs, eggs, organic carrots, and green beans.

This makes for a great meal for your dog, especially because it is very high in protein. It should be great for puppies!

2. Beef And Greens

Again, make sure your dish has beef as around 50 percent of its content. Include cow tail bones for additional calcium, which will help your dog’s bones become sturdier.

Mix apples and kale for extra vitamins for your Rottweilers immune system!

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