In the B. Sc. Thesis we compared home-prepared raw food meals with commercially available raw dog food. Professional guidance and careful preparation are essential to ensure a safe and balanced diet. Raw food is a natural diet for dogs and offers high digestibility and a lower risk of mutagenicity than heat-treated food. Feeding dogs with raw food improves their immune system, results in healthier skin and coat, and reduces both odor and volume of feces. Raw feeding can also be used to treat certain diseases (e.g. allergies, dental care). However, raw feeding also has some disadvantages, mainly bacterial, parasitic or viral contamination, nutritional imbalances and the risk of dental damage. Using proximate analysis, we determined the nutritional value, energy content and mineral composition. The results showed that homemade raw food contain higher amounts of proteins and fats than the recommended levels according to NRC guidelines, which may be suitable for active dogs. However, these meals often have low levels of certain minerals, indicating the need for mineral and vitamin supplements. In chemical analysis of some commercially available food, we found discrepancies between the declared and analysed nutrient levels, as well as significant differences in chemical composition between individual foods.
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