Benefits of Natural Feeding Practices

Natural feeding practices include feeding the pets on grassland which include grass, herb strips for horses (Frape 2004, p.366), raw meaty bones for dogs (Lonsdale 2011, p.39) and natural foods for cats, while commercial feeding practices are those that have undergone further processing.

Advantages of Natural Feeding Methods

Horses

Grass is highly palatable to horses (Frape 2004, p.367). Pasture is used as an exercise area for animals, especially those that are used in military campaigns (Frape 2004, p.367). Most equines usually need rest and a light exercise in between work. Pasture has a high protein content which varies directly with rainfall and inversely with soil temperatures (Frape 2004, p.368). Grass further contains minerals such as magnesium and potassium which are helpful to the growth of horses. Green leafy materials are also a great source of folic acid and vitamins such as A, B, E, and K (Frape 2004, p.368). Moreover, pasture contains trace elements such as copper, zinc, calcium and magnesium which are helpful to the animal.

Cats

Raw meaty bones enhance growth (Lonsdale 2011, p.39). Natural foods also solve the problem of periodontal disease in cats (Lonsdale 1992, p.2).

Dogs

Raw meaty bones for dogs contain proteins, fats, minerals, vitamins, and trace elements (Lonsdale 2011, p.39).

Disadvantages of Natural Feeding Methods

Horses

Cutting of grasses in form of hay and silage makes the pasture unsuitable for horse grazing (Frape 2004, p.375). Grazing also reduces yield for horse (Frape 2004, p.375). Furthermore, t is expensive to buy herb seeds. They can depress total yield per hectare of major nutrients when they are present in abundance. The economic worth of herb mixtures is unproven for horses.

Cats

Cats have to be tricked to consume food through the use of powerful stimuli (Lonsdale 1992, p.4). A strict timetable also has to be followed such as introducing certain foods after a specific number of days. Thus, in a difficult case, switching of diet to fish and rabbit has to be done after ten days (Lonsdale 1992, p.4).

Dogs

Commercial foods lack the nutrients needed by the dogs.

Advantages of Commercial Feeding Practices

Horses

It is easy to determine the amount of nutritional value in commercial feeds compared to natural options (Lonsdale 1992, p.8). They are also free from herbs which are likely to cause the diseases.

Dogs

Dogs should not be given commercial food as it has no advantages to them.

Cats

Less commercial feeds on cats is useful in feeding the addiction. However, it should only be given to healthy pets (Lonsdale 2011, p.40).

Disadvantages of Commercial Feeding Practices

Horses

They do not offer as much nutrients as natural methods (Lonsdale 2011, p.41).

Dogs

Giving dogs junk foods make both their digestive and repair/maintenance systems to work throughout to compensate for it (Lonsdale 2011, p.41). Processed meals lead to dental diseases, and minerals and vitamin additives create imbalance (Lonsdale 2011, p.41).

Cats

Canned foods result in dental health problems. Cats also shrink with pain as they bite canned fish (Lonsdale 1992, p.5).

References

Frape, D., 2004. Grassland and pasture management. In Equine Nutrition and Feeding (pp. 366-422). Hoboken: Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Lonsdale, T., 1992. Pandemic periodontal disease: A malodorous condition. Sydney: Dental Health Foundation.

Lonsdale, T., 2011. Raw meaty bones: Essential food for working K-9s. K-9 Cop Magazine, pp. 39-43. [Online] Available at: <http://www.rawmeatybones.com/pdf/RawMeatyBones.pdf> [Accessed 30 May 2018]