New Study: Raw Meat Diets Best for Dogs + 2003 Study: Fresh Food Diets Increase Longevity in Dogs by (almost) Three Years!

NZ Dog Diet Study a Wake-up Call for Animal Nutrition: Raw Meat Best
"We already know dogs have no nutritional need for carbohydrates in their diet, so this study looked at the role different bacteria play in a dog's digestion system - to help us work toward a clearer picture of what the optimum diet is for dogs," says study co-lead Dr Emma Bermingham of AgResearch. More Here..."

"Dog owners can improve the well-being of their canine companions by serving up a high meat diet rather than the “human-like” fare favored by many, a new study shows.

The independent New Zealand study – only the second of its kind in the world – found the high meat diet is easier for dogs to digest, means more nutrients are able to be absorbed, and resulted in higher levels of bacteria associated with protein and fat digestion. Read More..."

Study Shows Raw Diet Promotes Healthier Digestive System in Dogs
"A study published online last month (in February 2017) investigated the differences in a dog’s fecal microbiome when fed a raw food diet in comparison with an extruded food. The abstract states, “Dietary intervention studies are required to deeper understand the variability of guy microbial ecosystem in healthy dogs under different feeding conditions. - Read More..."

The study found that:

• High meat diets are more digestible for dogs
• More nutrients from a high meat diet are able to be absorbed
• Dogs on a high meat diet had higher levels of the bacteria associated with protein and fat digestion
• Dogs on a high meat diet had smaller poo and better fecal health

Study co-lead Associate Professor David Thomas of Massey University said finding high levels of the bacteria associated with protein and fat digestion was particularly exciting as it demonstrated that a dog’s gut is biologically designed to digest high meat diets.