I wanted to kick off our blog with a topic that helps explain who we are a little more and the term “Biologically Appropriate” almost sums us up. For those not familiar with the term, a biologically appropriate diet is a diet based on what our pets would have been eating in nature; raw, dehydrated, or responsibly cooked meals that are high in protein and contain a variety of organ meats.

Our pets have come a long way from their ancestors, evolving both in looks and behavior. However, even though they have evolved greatly on the outside on the inside they’re practically the same! Their digestive system is built for a meat-based diet and while dogs are a little more capable of digesting plant-based foods, cats are not.

How do we feed a biologically appropriate diet? The idea is simple, replicate the variety and freshness of nature and your pets will receive the nutrients they need to be healthy. However, there are certain factors that can interfere with a healthy diet. Meat is full of nutrients that nourish our pet’s health like vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and amino acids. Amino Acids and especially enzymes are very sensitive to heat, and exposing them to high temperatures will destroy or break them down making them harder to digest. That’s why cooked and processed meat don’t provide the same nutritional benefit as raw, dehydrated, or responsibly cooked meat. This is especially important for cats, which unlike dogs, are unable to produce their own taurine and require it from their diet. Another dietary concern is starch (such as: potatoes, rice, wheat, oats, grains, etc.). Large amounts of starch disrupt our pet’s microbiome and can result in something called dysbiosis. When this happens, the gut tissue becomes inflamed causing the intestinal walls to separate and allow pathogens and bacteria to enter the bloodstream. This, in turn, triggers an immune response and can lead to autoimmune diseases.

What are the benefits of a biologically appropriate diet? Well since your pet is receiving more nutrients, that will result in healthier skin, a shinier coat, better energy levels, and most importantly better immunity and overall health. Furthermore, since biologically appropriate food is easier to digest and the nutrients are more easily absorbed by the body it results in less stool that’s also less smelly. In fact, stool quantity is a great indicator of your pet’s diet; a large amount of stool means that the food your pet is eating is not being used up by their body since there is no nutritional benefit therefore the body gets rid of it as waste.

Is there a downside to feeding a biologically appropriate diet? It definitely requires more effort and is costlier for us to provide our pets with healthier diets however with the increase in awareness we are beginning to have more options and its definitely worth it!

So here are some easy things to keep in mind for the next time you’re trying to decide on what food to buy for your pet; First off, our pets are carnivores which means protein should always be the most abundant ingredient. Secondly, variety is key! I know we live in a country where things aren’t as easily accessible, especially during these times but try to find different meat sources (beef, poultry, pork, fish, goat, sheep, etc.). Each meat has different nutrients and you want to make sure your pet gets all the nutrients they require. Thirdly, try to stay away from starches as they can cause inflammation. And lastly, make sure their diet is well balanced with high quality and fresh ingredients.