For a variety of reasons, including the recent pet food recalls in the last year, many animal owners are now seeking healthy alternatives to commercial dog food. One of the alternatives is raw food diet for dogs.

The raw food diet for dogs essentially consists of what your dog would eat in the wild: raw meat, bones and vegetables. Cohorts of this natural diet for dogs report a wide variety of improvements in their pets such as better smelling breath, cleaner teeth, skin and coat improvements and reduced trips to the vet.

After some thorough research into dog diets, I decided to give this diet a try with my own dog. I personally considered it to be much more of a natural diet for dogs, with more possible health benefits than commercially produced pet food could offer. And I'm glad I did. My dog experienced many of the benefits outlined above and she is a much happier and healthy dog today as a result.

If you're weighing trying it with your pet, here are 5 feeding clues that are sure to help your dog benefit the most:

#1: It's a good idea to start off with just meat for the first few days. Then you can inaugurate adding some of the more bland vegetables, such as carrots, along with the raw bones.

#2: Handle raw food safely. Defrost it properly and keep it refrigerated. Wash your hands and any tools thoroughly. This will keep the bacteria down not only on your dog's food, but also will keep your family secure as well.

#3: Remember that all the food is RAW, not cooked at all. This is especially important for the bones. Raw bones are soft and malleable and are good for your pet's teeth and jaw muscles. Cooked bones are dry and can splinter easily. These splinters can cause choking, vomiting and internal harm to your dog.

#4: Use a processor for the vegetables. There are several advantages to this. One is that you will find it much easier to get your dog to consume vegetables if they are mixed with the meat. Also, pureeing the vegetables will break down the cell walls that your dog cannot digest. This ensures that your pet will get all the vital nutrients and enzymes.

#5: Know your vegetables. The kinds of vegetables you give your dog should be based both on their nutritional value and their potential unwanted side effects. For example, vegetables such as cabbage and broccoli should be avoided because they can boost the amount of your pet's gas.

A natural diet for dogs consisting of raw meat, bones and vegetables substantiated to work for my dog, but it may not be for every dog. The best thing you can do for your pet is to become familiar with dog diets and then make your decision based on your best friend's current nutritional needs and individual tastes.

We all love our pets dearly and want them to live a long, joyful and healthy life. Take action right now with a good assessment at your pet's diet. You'll be surprised at what a few small variations can do for the happiness of your dog.