Dogs and cats eat raw food in the wild and most domesticated cats, given the opportunity will naturally hunt and eat raw meat. Their health depends upon natural enzymes produced in the gut and mouth with a diet of raw meat.
The old wives’ tale that a dog’s mouth is cleaner than a human’s is true when they are producing this enzyme that prevents any possibility of bacterial overgrowth. If a dog or cat were cut in the wild, they’d lick their wound to prevent bacteria from forming. But domestically they infect themselves and therefore need Elizabethan cone collars to prevent them from licking wounds because their mouth are full of bacteria.

According to human researchers at several universities in the US and UK, degenerative diseases and cancer in particular, have been consistently linked to enzyme deficiencies and the lack of antioxidants. This has resulted in the Canada food guide recommending more real food, and far less processed food, the same applies to animals. A cell is a cell!

Raw food contains enzymes and it doesn’t rob the enzyme-excreting organs in order to break down food reaching the stomach. Digestive enzymes are found in the cells and fluids of the body. They are specialized protein substances that speed up and create chemical reactions. These enzymes dont exist in commercial pet foods because the manufacturing process kills them.
Without these bacteria-fighting enzymes and antioxidants, our dogs and cats are left susceptible to disease and sickness as well as periodontal disease, which in turn requires dentistry, which in turn requires anesthetic which in turn strains their kidneys and other internal organs. If an animal’s mouth is full of bacteria, plaque, tartar, gingivitis, and inflammation, the bacteria goes to the organs upon swallowing. It’s like having a chronic infection, lowering the immune system and allowing a pre- disposition for secondary disease to occur.