The best dog food for your Akita is raw food. Not only will a natural, whole food diet help to keep your dog healthy and happy, but it can also prevent a range of common health conditions such as obesity, joint, dental and digestive issues, and common allergy symptoms such as excessive itching and skin complaints. [1]
When deciding the best food for a Akita, it’s essential to consider the canine anatomy and digestive system. Dogs’ digestive tracts have not significantly evolved from when they were undomesticated wolves and are best suited to fresh, high-protein-based diets consisting predominantly of meat, bones and offal. We call this ‘species-appropriate nutrition’, which a natural, raw diet seeks to replicate.
The best diet for a Akita is balanced and appropriate for their life stage and energy needs. This typically includes a combination of high-quality protein, healthy fats, vitamins, minerals, and fibre from vegetables and berries.
A dog’s stomach is not anatomically designed to digest and ferment carbohydrates (the main ingredient in kibble). Even grain-free kibble often contains high levels of starchy carbs, including rice, potato, legumes, & lentils. Feeding a dog kibble puts their digestive system under pressure, spikes insulin, glucagon and cortisol throughout the day, which taxes the pancreas.
These inappropriate ingredients, coupled with the intense heat processing used to manufacture kibble, denatures the nutrients leading to something called advanced glycation end-products. AGEs can cause inflammation and put strain on many vital organs, leading, in some cases, to a host of serious health conditions. [2]
There’s no doubt the canine species is resilient. Despite eating a diet which doesn’t provide the natural components they may need, as a scavenger, they will adapt and survive for some time. Still, there’s a world of difference between surviving and thriving.
Discover more about the benefits of raw dog food and explore our entire range of grain free dog food.
