Benefits of a Raw Diet

April 1-7 is Raw Feeding Week! While we love celebrating the many Benefits of a Raw Diet every week, we wanted to highlight some of our pets (and pet parents) favorite benefits.

• Allergy Relief: The more your pet consumes processed food, the more likely allergies are to develop. These can show up as ear and eye infections, skin problems, and more. Raw food, like Vital Essentials, is grain free and gluten free, which reduces risks of allergies developing.

• Less Poop: Yes, you read that right. A raw diet is easier for your pet to digest, so your pet keeps more of the nutrients and creates less waste. Your pet will have fewer eliminations overall, and they will be firmer, near odorless, and smaller in size.

• Dental Health: The starch in kibble causes tartar build up, dental disease, and mouth infections. Poor dental hygiene effects energy levels, too. The crunching of a raw diet naturally helps remove tartar and plaque while strengthening teeth, and chewing stimulates healthy gums and circulation.

• Healthy Coat and Skin: Dry, itchy skin can negatively impact your pets life. A raw diet promotes a healthy immune system, which produces a smoother, shinier coat. The fatty acids found in raw food are wonderful for your pets skin...and no more stinky coats!

• Increased Energy: A raw diet is so powerful, that many owners (nearly instantly) see an energy jump after the switch to raw. With Vital Essentials, pets live at an ideal weight, grow strong bones, have firm muscle tone, and will enjoy life like never before!

• Less Odors: No more bad breath...a raw diet promotes internal health, too, which will result in stink free coat and breath. Oh, and less gas, too!

Interested in learning more about raw? Check out our Raw feeding Guide for a full "how to" on transitioning your pet to Vital Essentials.

Nothing talks about the success of raw feeding quite like our real customers that have shared their pet stories and transformations with us. Read some of our most recent real pet stories below:

Edgar

"I adopted Edgar about 6 months ago now. He is 14 years old, and only has two top teeth left. When I got him we were feeding high quality kibble and canned food. Shortly after switching my dog to raw, I decided to try it out with Edgar. He now devours the Vital Essential Freeze-Dried Mini Patties. I love giving them to him! Cats are obligate carnivores, so finding a freeze dried and frozen raw food without the extra potatoes, fruits, and veggies was important to me. Every morning when I wake up, Edgar runs to his food bowl and impatiently waits for more.

Once, I ran out of Vital Essentials and tried to give him a different brand of freeze dried raw (I actually tried two different brands because our regular pet store was closed) and he turned his nose up to both.

Edgar is doing great, especially for a senior kitty. He runs around, jumps from piece of furniture to piece of furniture, and plays with The dog. I have to attribute most of it to a Good quality Alpha-Prey model diet!

Thank you Vital Essentials!" –Jordyn

Remmington

"I adopted Remington from Friends of Homeless Animals. He was a picky eater, didn’t ever want to eat his food and even most treats. All of a sudden, he became super itchy and could not be left alone; as a result, he would scratch himself until he bled. I tried limited ingredient kibbles, special foods and treats, and nothing helped. The vet did not have answers for me and it was devastating that sweet puppy was so itchy. We heard about a pet store near us from family, and decided to check it out. The pet store owner was amazing and understanding, and educated me on Remington’s immune system. His food was full of fillers, and I had no clue. I just knew I had switched him from a kibble that wasn’t the best, to a food that I thought was better. With her help, we were guided towards a raw diet supplemented by Vital Essentials treats and the raw bar. Suddenly the itching decreased dramatically, and fur began growing back. Remington is almost 100% better thanks to his friends at Fetchri and the yummy Vital Essentials treats that they sell!"–Elania

Lincoln

"I just had to tell you thank you! We have a 4 year old Maine Coon cat who has major medical issues – a heart murmur and severe food allergies. He has never been able to eat much of anything, except for your food. Before we discovered Vital Essentials, he was very close to death. He had massive bleeding sores all over his body, he was completely lethargic, and we couldn’t get him to eat or drink anything. Once we started him on the Vital Essentials frozen patties, it was just a matter of a very short time that he made drastic improvements. Today, his fur is shiny and thick, he has tons of energy, and he does nothing but play all day long. He is my baby, and I’m so very, very grateful to you that he is thriving and has a full life ahead of him now thanks solely to your frozen patties." –Melissa

Tobi

"Tobi is an 18 month old great dane. He was diagnosed with wobblers disease in August and ever since then it has been nothing but health issues, food intolerances, and complete lack of appetite. He has been a fighter his whole life and nothing keeps him down he loves to go on adventures with me and he is my partner in crime! He has raw added daily to encourage him to eat." –Taylor

Check out our Real Pet Stories to read more amazing testimonials and transformations from raw feeding.