Raw feeding is the practice of feeding domestic dogs and cats a diet largely consisting of uncooked meat. Some supporters cite evidence that domesticated dogs are a subspecies of wolves and therefore have very similar gastrointestinal systems. There is a clearer argument in favour of raw feeding for cats, which are obligate carnivores.
Food for pets is based on a long association of humans with various domestic companions. There are as many varieties of diet as there are households, and it is traditional for cats and dogs to have been fed mainly raw diets.
Benefits of raw feeding
Raw feeders are commonly opposed to commercial pet foods, which they consider to be poor substitutes for raw feed. The intense heat used to process commercial pet food eliminates valuable nutrients. Some lower-quality dry foods contain harmful carcinogenic preservatives (BHA/BHT and ethoxyquin). They also contain a large amount of grains which are completely unnecessary for dogs, cats and other carnivores. Corn is a popular ingredient as well–it is a cheap filler and goes through the dog very quickly, hence the big smelly stool. Kibble also often contains meat by-products, which are heads, beaks, feet, feathers, fur, and other meat not normally consumed by humans. “Animal Fat” is usually restaurant grease–the oil left over from cooking. High-quality dry food contains minimal grain, 100% human-grade ingredients (food fit for human consumption), has specific meat in the first ingredients and as the first ingredient, and vitamins and minerals are chelated for better absorption.
Feeding a raw diet with bones eliminates the need for dental cleanings, helps strengthen the animal’s immune system and gives them a more natural diet. Two very common problems that we have seen increase with the advent of processed pet food are allergies and digestive problems. These are two areas in which we have seen a raw diet make a huge difference.
We have all seen the cases of a pet with terrible allergies that constantly scratches itself raw and creates hot spots, no matter what kibble or canned food the owner used. The typical treatment is cortisone or steroids. Long term, these can damage a pet’s liver and kidneys.
By feeding a raw diet, it is believed to improve the nutritional value. Some believe that supplements have reduced nutritional value compared to the same nutrients in raw food. Some raw diets, however, include supplements such as fish oil, Vitamin C, apple cider vinegar, among others.
Cats are thought to more clearly benefit from a raw diet. The degree of assumed benefit varies based on the form of commercial cat food. Most commercial cat foods contain a disproportionate amount of carbohydrates. Because cats are obligate carnivores, little grain is generally found in their natural diet. In addition to grains, cat foods often contain a large amount of vegetables, often included to achieve proper nutritional balance. Taurine, an essential amino acid for cats, is reduced or eliminated in heat processing. Pet food manufacturers must add taurine supplements to cat food, which is generally unnecessary in a raw diet. Proponents of raw diets believe that a raw diet more closely matching the diet of cats in the wild will yield many improved health benefits, including a noticeable reduction in the incidence of many late-life feline health issues.
Diet types
One popular raw diet is the BARF model, an acronym for Biologically Appropriate Raw Food or Bones And Raw Food. The BARF diet includes non meats and numerous supplements was designed for pets and wild animals by Dr. Ian Billinghurst. Billinghurst claimed that commercial kibble does not allow domestic animals to thrive, as their ancestors did on a wild, raw diet. In some ways, BARF is analogous to the human Paleolithic diet.
Another model is a Whole Prey diet, which simulates the proportions of an actual prey animal in a pet’s diet. This includes organ meat, heads, fur (and feathers and scales), skin, muscle, and bone, without supplements.
Others feed a diet largely composed of as wide a variety of meats and butcher’s scraps as possible, and table scraps as supplements.
Comparison to commercial food
Most commercial manufacturers quickly alter formulations when deficiencies become evident, however, there is no baseline study of raw-fed pets on which to base any of the processed feed manufacturers’ claims that their products are superior to raw feeding at its most basic, where the majority of intake is raw meaty bones and offal taken from butchers.
Some commercial pet food manufacturers offer a “raw diet” product. This is typically sold in large bags that are kept frozen. The food is thawed days in advance and fed in small portions. The quality of ingredients in these products are often far closer to a standard raw diet than typical commercial pet foods. Some raw feeders use these products, while others believe that many of the same problems of more popular commercial pet foods exist with these packaged raw diets.
Opposition to raw feeding
Opponents of raw feeding generally believe the potential risks of a raw diet outweigh any potential benefits of a raw diet.
Raw meats may contain bacteria that are unsafe for both dogs and cats [1]. Because of the high incidence of bacteria, some experts and enthusiasts believe that the risks inherent in raw feeding outweigh the benefits when compared to a manufactured pet food with high quality ingredients. Manufactured pet food generally is processed with intense heat, which destroys any potential bacteria. Opponents note that though the risk of bacterial infection can be greatly reduced with safe handling and trusted meat sources, there is always a potential for bacterial infection. However, dogs have very acidic saliva and stomach lining. Most of the bacteria will therefore be killed. Their digestive tract is very short, so any other harmful bacteria does not have time to colonize.
Landing Animal Clinic in Alberta performed a small study on the levels of salmonella in the stool of dogs who eat a raw diet. The study did not examine the health of dogs who ate a raw food diet. 30% of the stool samples from dogs fed a raw food diet contained salmonella. Dogs on a raw food diet may therefore be a source of environmental contamination. But salmonella is also found in kibble-fed dog stools. Some of the lower-quality dry foods use infected meat (this can include euthanized, diseased, or disabled animals) that can be dangerous.
[1]
Raw meats may contain harmful parasites. As with bacteria, these parasites are destroyed during the heat processing of raw diets. Some raw diet recipes call for freezing of the final product, which greatly reduces (but does not necessarily eliminate) the potential for parasites. Careful handling and dosing of raw meats further reduces this possibility.
The nutritional balance of a homemade raw diet is not generally verified by organizations such as the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO), and as such, many who oppose raw diets believe that a raw diet carries a risk of unbalanced nutrition. When feeding a raw diet, even proponents of raw diets recommend frequent analysis by a veterinarian to verify that proper nutrients are being ingested. Proponents of raw diet sometimes dismiss the importance of AAFCO standards, claiming that many inexpensive pet foods are far less nutritionally complete than most raw diets.
In some raw diet recipes, whole bone is used. Some experts believe that the use of whole bone creates a risk of dental fractures, intestinal obstruction, and intestinal perforations. [2]. Some proponents of raw diet believe that there is noticeable benefit to the dental hygiene of pets who eat raw bones, while others believe that ground bone should be used instead, which virtually eliminates the possibility for intestinal puncturing and dental fractures. Furthermore, many note that the same risks of obstruction, puncturing, and dental fractures are present in pet chews, with little evidence indicating that this is a serious problem particular to raw diets with bones. Most veterinarians state that chewing raw bone is an inadequate substitute for regular dental cleaning and tooth brushing. Raw bones are flexible and not prone to splintering. If the dog swallows them right away without chewing, the bone should be held to force the dog to chew. Cooked bones should NEVER be fed, as these can be very dangerous and can splinter.
Veterinary controversy
“Neither the American Veterinary Association nor the British Veterinary Association endorses the health benefits of raw food. Both organizations caution that animals fed raw meat run the risk of contracting food-borne illnesses. The British veterinary group declares that “there is no scientific evidence base to support the feeding of raw meat and bones,” and warns humans they risk exposing themselves to bacteria like salmonella.”[3]
It is believed by many raw feeders that veterinarians are influenced by academic departments and professional associations which rely upon funding from pet food companies. Some veterinary practices also act as major retailers of commercial pet foods. Others may receive funding directly from pet food manufacturers. For these reasons, raw feeders are often skeptical of the motives that some veterinarians have in recommending commercial foods. Some raw feeders believe that veterinarians may recommend certain commercial pet foods out of self-interest rather than for the benefit of the affected pet, or at the least may have divided loyalties.
Another common belief is that veterinarians lack adequate information on raw diets or diets in general. Frequently, veterinary schools receive nutrition training that is provided to students or sponsored by pet food manufacturers. It is sometimes no more detailed than that provided to human medical practitioners, who are themselves not entitled to prescribe or proscribe diets. In human medicine, this is the province of nutritionists, who are independent scientists obliged to declare any association with any human food manufacturer.
Unfortunately for the raw feeding controversy, pet feed manufacturers are the source and controllers of most major animal nutrition studies. It is therefore not yet possible to find credible large independent animal feeding studies on which to base diet advice and choice for pet owners. One of the few studies is Pottenger’s study of 900 cats over a period of 10 years from 1932 to 1942. It clearly demonstrated the effects of cooking food as compared to feeding a raw food diet. His results were astounding and back up the reasons so many people are feeding a raw diet today. In summary, those cats who were fed raw foods were healthy, reproductively sound cats free from degenerative diseases. Those cats who were fed a home cooked diet (same foods but cooked instead of raw) were riddled with degenerative diseases while losing their reproductive capabilities.
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