A "Pack Lunch" special presentation...

Feeding Basics The Dangers of a Raw Meat Diet

Myths about proper diets for our dogs and cats seem always to be with us. Some of these myths may have a grain of truth, but this truth is often greatly exaggerated or misapplied. Other myths are nurtured by misinformation and mistrust.

Off to a good start, there are lots of myths about how raw is SO BAD!

One myth that could be threatening to our pets' health involves raw meat diets for dogs. The proponents of this belief question the wholesomeness and nutritional value of commercial pet foods.

Yup, it's the whole "chicken nugget versus grilled chicken" situation.

But in fact there is no scientific substantiation for raw meat diets. Indeed, there are several known drawbacks:

People that believe in myths often call them "facts". So is this really a fact, or actually a myth?

Although meat is a source of protein, it has very low levels of calcium, a mineral our pets require for proper bone and tooth development. Calcium also plays an important role in blood clotting, muscle contraction and transmission of nerve impulses. But simply supplementing with calcium won't work. Mineral nutrients are interrelated. Calcium and phosphorus have a scientifically established relationship in the formation of bones and teeth, provided a proper balance is maintained. This balance is usually not present in meat. If large quantities of raw meat are fed over time, skeletal problems may develop.

Hence why approximately 10% of a well balanced raw diet should consist of edible bone.

Liver is often thought of as a "healthy" meat because it has a high level of Vitamin A, a fat-soluble vitamin that is stored by the body. And for humans who eat other things as well, it can be healthy. But when liver is fed to pets in excessive quantities over a period of time, Vitamin A toxicity can result. This can lead to improper bone development, lameness and bone decalcification.

Hence why levels of liver in a well balanced raw diet should not greatly exceed 5% of the overall diet.

Raw meat carries the threat of bacteria and parasites, including salmonella. The risk of salmonellosis is always present when pets are fed raw meat diets. Certain species of tapeworm can be found in raw meat and passed on to a pet who ingests the meat.

Salmonella is also present in your dog's water dish, on their toys, on the shoes they chewed up yesterday, on the doorknobs to your house, on the keyboard on which you are typing. Practice safe meat handling skills, like you would when preparing meat for your human family. Wash your hands, prep surface and serving surfaces after contact with raw meat. Thaw meat in the fridge, don't feed "old" meat or meat that "has gone bad"

Meat obtained though human grade avenues are safe from parasites. Government inspected operations ensure that the risk of parasites entering the human food chain (and as such, the raw dog food chain) is minimal. Your dog is at greater risk of getting parasites by eating dog poop at the dog park, scarfing down that dead bird in the back yard, or digging in the garbage bin out back.

Raw meat diets do not replicate the diets of dogs in the wild. While it's true that dogs consume muscle meat when they eat wild animals for survival, they also consume the bones, intestinal contents and internal organs, which come closer to providing a complete and balanced diet. Wild dogs are also known to eat grasses and other vegetable matter.

A well balanced raw diet includes all the aspects of a prey animal that a wild canid would be eating ... meat, bones and organs. Certain models of feeding raw also take into consideration the minimal amount of vegetable matter dogs may eat if given the chance.

The truth is that good quality pet foods are backed by years of canine nutrition studies. They are the result of scientific studies by researchers in veterinary colleges and animal nutritionists in Animal Science programs and at reputable pet food manufacturers. They are also carefully processed to protect against salmonella or internal parasite infection.

That should read "The partial truth is ...". Yes, commercial pet food manufacturers put great effort into developing standards and formulating foods to meet the minimal requirements within those standards. They also put great effort into using the most cost effective ingredients to meet those standards. It is cheaper to use by-products of the agriculture industry (grain or animal by-products) and add artificial supplements to meet the minimum requirements required to sustain life in a dog. Sounds good ... eh?

When people eat, they combine meat with vegetables, fruits, breads and other foods to give them the balanced nutrition they need.

People are omnivores, swaying significantly towards the herbivore line. Dogs are carnivores. While people need protein, fiber, and carbohydrates in their diets, dogs primarily need protein with a much lower level of fiber and a nearly insignificant level of carbohydrates. Their digestive tract is designed to handle meat proteins over vegetable proteins. They have very few mechanisms in place to deal with great deals of fiber and carbohydrates.

If we were to eat one particular food consistently, chances are we would become malnourished or develop health problems. No single food or food group can provide all the nutrients we need in proper proportions.

So then why are you condoning and encouraging that dogs be fed the same low quality kibble every day of their lives? Does that not fit into the "no single food or food group can provide all the nutrients we need in proper proportions."? And lucky for the raw fed dogs, they are NOT eating just one food day in and day out. They get a well balanced diet consisting of approximately 80% meat, 10% bone, and 10% organ, encompassing everything from chicken and turkey, to beef and pork, to fish of all sorts, to exotic game meats ... toss in some green tripe and the occasional fruit or veggie.

Manufacturers of good quality pet foods follow the same philosophy, incorporating all the nutrients a dog needs during a particular lifestage into nutritionally complete and balanced diets.

Kibble - Nutritionally compete and balanced

Raw - Nutritionally complete, balanced, natural, species appropriate and high quality

And just in case you weren't convinced ...

Purina One Natural Blends Lamb and Barley (probably their best option available) Questionable, non-species appropriate or unacceptable ingredients in bold:

Lamb (natural source of glucosamine), corn gluten meal, poultry by-product meal (natural source of glucosamine), pearled barley, brown rice, whole grain corn, whole grain wheat, animal fat preserved with mixed-tocopherols (form of Vitamin E), dried beet pulp, calcium phosphate, natural flavor, potassium chloride, calcium carbonate, salt, soybean oil, canola oil, malted barley flour, dried sweet potatoes, dried spinach, L-Lysine monohydrochloride, choline chloride, zinc sulfate, Vitamin E supplement, ferrous sulfate, manganese sulfate, niacin, Vitamin A supplement, calcium pantothenate, thiamine mononitrate (Vitamin B-1), copper sulfate, riboflavin supplement (Vitamin B-2), Vitamin B-12 supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride (Vitamin B-6), garlic oil, folic acid, Vitamin D-3 supplement, calcium iodate, biotin, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of Vitamin K activity), sodium selenite.

Prey Model Raw available on a grad student budget. Questionable, non-species appropriate or unacceptable ingredients in bold:

Meat (beef, chicken, turkey, bison, elk, venison, rabbit, duck, trout, salmon, sardine, pork), organ meat (liver, kidney, spleen, thymus), edible bone (appropriately sized bone suited for the individual dog), miscellaneous animal products (eggs, tripe, gizzard, trachea, chicken feet)

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