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The pros and cons of a raw food diet for dogs

The pros and cons of a raw food diet for dogs

The latest issue of Petplan’s PetPeople magazine featured an article by animal nutritionist Marge Chandler on the risks of raw food diets for dogs (scroll down to read it).

This article caused plenty of debate on our Facebook and Twitter feeds, with people in favour of the diet keen to point out its potential benefits.

To provide the other side of the story, we spoke to Liesbet Lester, a vet and advocate of the diet...

Liesbet Lester says:

An eminent zoo vet recently opened a raw feeding conference with these words: ‘Given the large body of evidence in the zoo world on feeding carnivores raw food, I’m very surprised we need to persuade the veterinary profession in the first place.’

The veterinary profession remains suspicious because there is, as yet, little direct research on the safety and benefits of this diet. However, last year, the 79 vets from around the world who took part in a snapshot survey on raw feeding all commented favourably on its safety and benefits.

It’s important to remain open-minded, but personally, I am absolutely an advocate. My Chihuahua, Tosca, was seven years old when we got him, and overweight. A raw food diet removes a lot of unnecessary carbohydrates, so it can be a great way of helping a dog to lose weight or maintain their condition. Tosca is now a thriving, healthy 11-year-old – we haven’t had one problem in all that time.

Sourcing raw food

You do need to know that the raw food you choose is good enough for your dog. In the UK, vets and owners can easily source complete and balanced ready-prepared frozen raw food meals, formulated to the same European standards as the other pet foods we find in our supermarkets and veterinary surgeries.

High-quality prepared raw foods should come from Defra-registered producers. These foods are governed by more stringent bacteriological rules than even human-grade raw meat products, and are supplied in clean, easily understandable packaging.

The issue of bones

Bones are very contentious in the raw food debate because of the possibility of them damaging the mouth and digestive system. However, there is no data to show that they’re dangerous, and vets’ bad experiences are usually to do with cooked bones. Raw bones help clean teeth, and provide fibre, nutrients and entertainment. If for some reason a dog cannot cope with whole bones, most prepared raw foods contain 2 to 4 per cent ground bone.

I believe that correctly prepared raw food is complete and balanced, strictly controlled, safe to feed and convenient, with zero ‘gore-factor’. But quality of diet is the most important thing. If you decide that raw feeding isn’t for you, then the commercial dog food you buy needs to be the best you can get. It’s the quality of diet, whether commercial or raw, that’s the most important thing.

Marge Chandler says:

Feeding your dog a ‘Barf’ diet (which stands for ‘bones and raw food’ or ‘biologically appropriate raw food’) has become popular in the US in recent years, and now many UK pet owners are considering it too. Dog owners who support a raw diet claim that it promotes shinier coats and healthier skin, improved energy levels and fewer digestive problems.

Some working dogs and racing Greyhounds are traditionally fed a raw food diet, which typically consists of muscle meat (often on the bone), offal, whole or ground bones and sometimes raw eggs, fruits and vegetables.

However, no studies have been done to prove its health benefits, and I have seen too many injuries from dogs eating bones to recommend their use. It’s not a diet many animal nutritionists support because of the various risks involved.

The right balance

A raw food diet is unlikely to be complete and balanced. Unless the dog owner is an expert in animal nutrition, a homemade diet can be difficult to get right – a dog needs 37 essential nutrients to stay in good shape, and balancing the correct amounts of zinc and iron, for example, is very tricky.

Purchasing pre-prepared raw foods is no guarantee of nutritional balance, either. Natures Menu is the only UK raw food supplier currently registered with the Pet Food Manufacturers Association, and thus required to comply with EU nutrient profiles.

Bacterial infections present another risk. Bacteria exist in raw human food too, but the difference is that we cook it. Although some dogs can ingest a small amount of salmonella safely, pets that eat raw food are likely to shed more pathogenic (‘bad’) bacteria in their faeces. And although responsible owners will pick up their dog’s poo, you cannot remove every trace.

The harmful bacteria that remain could affect those vulnerable to infection, including young children, the elderly and those with a weak immune system.

Some pathogens in raw food can also cause vomiting and serious illnesses in dogs themselves. It’s possible that some benefits of a raw food diet will be proven in the future, but for now it’s not a feeding routine that I would recommend.

What do you think of raw food feeding for dogs? Do you have experience of it? Let us know below…

 

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delia elliot
I would ask Marge Chandler how have domesticated dogs survived for thousands of years if raw feeding is'not recommended'? Ancient Egyptians, Romans, Chinese all had trained domesticated dogs as pets. Didthey feed kibble? Tinned dog food?So it's "possible some benefits of a raw food diet will be proven in the future" then? Good to know that it mayhave taken 10,000 years to prove!As for 'harmful bacteria' dogs have extremely strong stomach acids (to break down raw bones, tendons and muscles) and short digestive tracts - this means they can cope with much higher levels of bacteria than humans
Carol Burton
I have fed my dogs raw for a year and my cats about 6 months and so far they are all in excellent health. I previously fed what I had thought to be a high quality kibble plus some wet food.One of the things I have found most interesting in this argument between pro and anti raw vets is that they seem to totally believe that pet food manufacturers have a) got the balance correct and b) that there is no bacterial issues with their food. For our human diet, Doctors don't recommend we eat a prepared product that has had all the goodness blasted out of it and then some re-added, but one prepared from fresh ingredients. Isn't that what we do with a raw diet? We obtain the fresh ingredients (albeit by mixing up different species and bits from them) and feeding them in a natural condition.What vets can't be seen to be doing is recommending something that not everyone can do. Not everyone has the freezer space generally needed. Not everyone has the time and knowledge to research to get the right balance. But a doctor would not say don't make your own food just because some idiot will feed their baby a diet of chips so why do some vets treat us all as idiots because a few will feed their cats/dogs a diet of chicken breast to their pets' detriment? In lots of ways a diet of WAGG or Bakers is akin to a diet of McDonalds, but vets are effectively endorsing the former whilst doctors disapprove of the latter!
Edward Pettmsn
RAW or BARF diets take about as much training as kibble/dry good diets.There are many companies now supplying RAW diet foods. Many offer free advice on thier websites. Suck as Wolf Tucker or NatureDiet. The biggest advice is about ONLY raw bones. Nothing coocked.This year alone at Crufts there were 5-6 suppliers.The queues were huge !Surely the concern here is will vets recommend what is best for the ANIMAL rather than what bestthe vets TURNOVER ?Three dogs on RAW and absolutely no issues. The only issue is when they get something none RAW !Its like saying HerbaLife is better than a smootie made from real vegetables and foods.
Dylan Watkins
marge seems a bit loopy looPossibly eaten too much dog poop?? Raw of course as kibble poo is safe ;)
Nina
Delia, I don't think the aouthor of the first article is suggesting that the dogs can't cope with the bacteria, but that when they pass their faeces larger levels of the bacteria remain, which can be harmful to children, the elderly etc, especially if not picked up by responsible dog owners. I raw feed and this is not something which has ever occured to me, I pick up my poo but it is always good to be aware.
Petplan
Many thanks everyone for sharing your comments! This has sparked many passionate responses! Check back weekly for new blog content and debate. Carla - Petplan Team.
Jon
Hi, we've been a leading stocking in the Raw formulas for several years now and we hear on a daily basis from people who state how great the Raw diet is. We are always happy to offer advice on switching and in our own dogs we have seen much improvement. www.petfoods4u.co.ukWe deliver but also have a small shop in Hellingl, East Sussex
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