What a tenacious fellow, working for five days to bury this carcass. This 11 kilogram badger buried 23 kilogram calf carcass to protect it from predators. Like our pet dogs with their bones, the badger used his underground “refrigerator” to store this meat so he could consume it over a period of time.

While the “refrigerator” will protect his food from other predators and airborne bacteria. It won’t protect this meat from other bacteria that will start to breakdown tissue to aid the animal’s digestion. This is the typical decomposition process and the digestive system of flesh eating animals including dogs are capable, indeed rely upon, recruiting these bacteria to maintain a healthy gut.

Here are three takeaway messages for dog owners.

1. Species appropriate – Dogs, badgers and many other flesh eating animals bury their food and then dig it up later for consumption.
2. Meat is eaten raw including bacteria, good and potentially harmful.
3. Whole beast is eaten including meat, bone, organs, skin and stomach contents.

Full Stride provides nutritional advice and tailored species appropriate diet plans for dogs. Please contact me to chat about a diet that will help your dogs live a long and healthy life.

Until next time, enjoy your dogs.