Dogs First – Raw Power Paste 400g

There is a reason studies show carnivores such as dogs and cats go for meat organs first. Organ meat is to them what colourful veg is to humans. Their are essential carnivore nutrition. Not only are they an excellent source of protein, good quality fats and a natural vitamin and mineral sink, but they also contain all the bits and pieces that help them to function which carnivores like dogs and cats plunder to boost their own organ health (e.g. taurine and co enzyme q 10 in heart meat, lutein and zeaxanthin in eye balls, omega DHA in brains, etc) but many possess endocrine / exocrine functions (such as digestive enzymes in pancreas and growth factors in spleen) which also supercharge your pets health in ways we still poorly understand.

Sardines are the best source of omega 3. That’s first and foremost. But they’re a rare source of brains and eyes for your pet! They also provide dry fed dogs with their only bit of glucosamine and chondroitin for those starved joints. Is it enough glucosamine/chondroitin for them?! No, they need more. It comes from feeding them raw meaty bones.

Blood contains a cacophony of nutrients in readily available form. It is the very best source of iron on the planet, called heme iron, which is far better absorbed than iron from plants or the horrible iron oxide (a.k.a. rust) in kibble. Studies show blood has opiate-like effects in meat eaters. How much does your dog need? No idea but some of the healthiest people on the planet (the Masai Mara) drink a LOT of it! We include it dehydrated so as not to liquify the mix even more than it is.

Type 1 collagen is not only deeply nutritious but as harder to digest is thought to be “carnivore fibre” (like plant fibre to humans). Dogs and cats need lots of it in their diet. Luckily it is found all over the body – meat, joints, bones. In fact, gut health aside, studies show it’s pivotal in stronger joints and bones, better skin, nails and hair as well eye and brain health. Again, poor dry fed dogs are afforded  none in their daily fare.

Again, studies show the indigestible parts of prey, including hair, hide and feather, play a crucial role in carnivore digestion. Collagen and the parts above are normal carnivore fibre. Studies of zoo carnivores show they benefit immedately when fed it compared to hair-less meals. All raw dog food companies leave out this ingredient as they are afraid their clients will think they are being cheap…but you guys are smarter than that.

Kale and broccoli are a great source of fibre and nutrients like B-complex and folate, vital to energy production and brain health. Carrots contain anti-oxidative compounds such as carotene and luteolin. Studies show the additions of dark greens and orange vegetables reduces cancer in dogs, as it does us. Dogs would naturally get some plant material in their diet, often from eating the gut contents of their smaller prey where it has been pre-digested for them (hence we cook it – they can’t digest it) but also some amounts that we know they can and do forage themselves for various reasons.

Multiple studies show blueberries and very good for you and your dog. We use handpicked wild blueberries from Scandinavian forests (called bilberries when wild) as studies show they are far higher in the good stuff such as reservatrol and anthocyanin. These are a deeply medicinal item. We use 1.5g of dehydrated bilberry powder per 1kg of Power Paste, which is about 10g of fresh blueberries. This may not sound like a hell of a lot but a) they’re incredibly expensive and b) I’m not sure they need lots.

If you want to add more, please, have at it!

Normally sourced from bird and rodent stomachs, we use a mix of pre-soaked and ground organic flax seed for vitamin E, selenium and various PUFA’s and organic Styrian pumpkin seeds from the EU (the very best and with no shell) as they are not only high in vitamin E and zinc but highest in cucurbitacin, a potential worm preventative. We use 10g of flaxseed and 5g of pre-soaked seed meals in each kilo of mix, again should be enough.

Rosehips and cleavers are favourite of dogs when browsing for plant forage. Studies show rosehips have a range of benefits to humans including reducing arthritis pain and boosting heart health. They’re also very high in vitamin C (which dry-fed dogs get none of their kibble unless otherwise stated).

Like rosehips, studies abound that cleavers  boost not just liver and kidney function in many animals studies, but also lymphatic drainage, crucial in detox.

We use 2g of each per kilo of Power Paste. While not a whole lot, it should be enough for the average dog to keep things in check.

It’s important to note here that these bits, like medicinal mushrooms, we view as medicines, so we purposefully keep them low and in the background.

If my dog was suffering something where one of the above may be beneficial, I would certainly increase these for my dog. However, I would do so by leaving it to the side of the bowl, allowing the dog to choose if they want / need more, in line with the best principles of canine self-selection.

In terms of a green superfood there is simply nothing better than locally sourced, Atlantic seaweeds sourced from the cool, clean waters off the West Coast of Ireland.

As well as a whole host of harder to source vitamin and minerals including of course iodine, seaweeds are notoriously full of anti-inflammatory compounds, such as fucoidans and fucoxanthin, proven effective in the fight against cancer among a number of maladies.

We have selected two dried seaweeds for Power Paste that will help remove the tartar from your dogs teeth and we have included it at the dose needed – 20g per kilo of Power Paste.

To give you an idea of dosage there – the average 14kg Cocker eats 350g of raw dog food per day. 20% of his diet is 70g. 70g of Power Paste contains around 1.5g of seaweed, enough to clean his teeth over time (to compare to Canident, we recommend 1-2g per 10kg of dog per day).

Organic reishi mushrooms are wonderful. They offer an impressive immune boost and will help with energy production and fatigue as well as the fight against cancer.

Since switching on to Zoo Pharmacognosy (if you aren’t familiar, check it out online, it’s fascinating, all about animals self-selecting what they need), we view medicinal mushrooms as….well….medicine! As such, we take it each with including them in food. Each kilo of Power Paste contains 1.5g of dried, organic reishi mushroom, around 10g of fresh stuff. Again, not an enormous amount but should absolutely be enough in the background to have some highly positive effects on your dog.