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I stumbled upon the following question at Yahoo Answers and left my own “answer”. You can see my reply and what others had to say by clicking here.
“So, can I go shopping in the grocery store for ingredients? If so, what do I need? She’s a 40lb dog, very active. How much will this cost monthly? What are the pros and cons?“
One particular reply by a “Top Contributor” (TC) really illustrates (a) the lack of knowledge about canine nutrition, (b) the purposeful spread of misinformation and disinformation with regards to feeding raw foods to our carnivorous canine companions. Either way I was compelled enough to spend 4 plus hours writing this blog post.
TC’s response to the Yahoo Questions asker.
TC: does it not concern you that when you google it, there is only controversy ??? the raw diet is a fad diet that is losing momentum as more studies are being done … i fed my dog who has major allergies the prey model diet and after about 8 months she had bloodwork for another reason and it was discovered she was malnourished !!!
i know that vets are not trained specifically in pet nutrition but clearly that diet was not healthy for my dog and my vet said get her off that diet … and when i did more research, i found out that many other dogs on the prey model diet had bloodwork out of whack too !!!
it is suggested to have bloodwork done before the raw diet is started and during just to make sure everything is okay … i do not need bloodwork to feed my dog a high quality kibble … and to do the raw diet right, you need to add other things … such as a prepared raw diet with supplements and vegetables … but that is super expensive to do … you would be spending more on food for your dog than food for you … dogs can not eat just meats, bones and organs and be healthy, that has been proven … dogs have been domesticated thousands of years and bred for ages and no longer have to eat like a wolf … in what way does a chihuahua resemble a wolf ??? it does not and should not be feed as one, which goes for all domesticated dogs … and unless you are feeding organic meat (super expensive) you are just pumping your dog full of hormones, steroids, and antibiotics that most commercial meat is full of … so unless you are rich or have an excessive time on your hands to research and to the diet properly, you should just stick to a high quality kibble … if you want to feed a raw treat, give them a bone …
“Blockages, intestinal perforations, cracked and broken teeth, parasites, and food contamination are all real life concerns that many Raw food advocates gloss over.”
“Few studies have been done to prove or disprove the numerous beneficial claims of a raw diet.”
“Myth 1: Dogs and cats are carnivores and evolved to eat uncooked whole prey.
Myth 2: Uncooked food is more nutritious than cooked commercial diets.
Myth 3: Raw diets are safer than commercial foods.
Myth 4: Raw diets are healthier than processed commercial diets.
As already pointed out, eating raw diets increases the risk of intestinal parasites and infections. Such diets are often not nutritionally adequate or balanced and this can lead to diseases of malnutrition. Despite the claims of many proponents, there is no reason to believe BARF diets are healthier, or even as healthy, as conventional cooked diets.”
you decide …
A Convenient Controversy
TC: “Does it not concern you that when you Google it (raw feeding for dogs), there is only controversy?“
Me: The only controversy surrounding the feeding of raw meaty bones and offal to our captive carnivores, stem from the following;
- commercial pet food companies bent on selling poisonous kibble to brainwashed pet owners
- veterinarians in bed with commercial junk pet food companies bent on selling poisonous kibble to brainwashed pet owners that then treating avoidable ailments in pets, caused by owners feeding them commercial junk pet food.
- pet owners who are malleable and often times uneducated about the nutritional requirements of the carnivorous canine and feline pets under their care
Raw Fed and Malnourished?
TC: “I fed my dog who has major allergies the prey model diet and after about 8 months she had blood work for another reason and it was discovered she was malnourished!!!“
Me: Now I have no idea what this person was feeding, the breed of their dog, or if the dog had pre-existing health problems prior to being fed according to the “prey model”. Nor am I a canid biologist, but I do have some questions about this statement.
We know that the dog had “major allergies” preceding the switch from kibble to the prey model diet. Could these allergies have perhaps been caused by grain containing, cooked, processed, dead kibble having been fed over several years? Could the damage caused by years of eating poisonous commercial junk pet food have had a negative impact on nutrient absorption that continued through the PM diet trial?
TC: “I know that vets are not trained specifically in pet nutrition but clearly that diet was not healthy for my dog and my vet said get her off that diet.“
Me: To me, the above statement reads as rather contradictory. One the one hand, our YA “Top Contributor” establishes that most veterinarians are not well educated when it comes to pet nutrition but then presumably follows her vet’s advice, to remove his or her pet from the “raw diet”?
TC: “It is suggested to have blood work done before the raw diet is started and during just to make sure everything is okay“
Me: I’ve never come across this “suggestion” in any of my reading, blogging, talking with other RMB feeders, or veterinarians during the 6 years of feeding RMBs to my dogs.
I’m sure anti-raw feeders and veterinarian scaremongers have indeed suggested to pet owners (considering taking their pets off commercial junk pet food) that they have blood work done on their pet before doing so. However illogical sounding this may be to a thinking person, I can understand how in using such a tactic, anti-raw feeders might see success in scaring the pants off of those gullible pet owners, and thereby keep them towing the kibble line.
To be honest, the more I think about it, the more I like the idea of having blood work done on kibble fed dogs, before switching them to an appropriate RMB diet. In many cases the blood test results would reveal health problems caused by years of being force fed commercial junk pet food. Hmm?
TC: “I do not need blood work to feed my dog a high quality kibble“
Me: I did not need blood work to feed any of my four dogs raw meaty bones and offal.
TC: “I did more research, I found out that many other dogs on the prey model diet had blood work out of whack too!!!“
Me: I’d be interested in seeing this “research” and even more interested in who paid for it.
TC: “to do the raw diet right, you need to add other things … such as a prepared raw diet with supplements and vegetables … but that is super expensive to do“
Me: In actuality, when feeding a healthy dog a varied diet of raw meaty bones and offal, no supplementation or vegetable matter is needed.
Providing a varied diet of a variety of nutrients in a variety of levels is the best way to ensure deficiencies or excesses don’t occur. Mother Nature hard programmed the ability of carnivores to adjust their prey targets to match availability thus ensuring the likelihood of survival. Had MN programmed animals to eat only one prey item (or one brand of kibble), I’d hazard a guess to say that life on earth would be much less diverse.
As for a diet of RMB and offal being “super expensive”. It can be as expensive as you like it to be, but for somebody who takes the tie to do a little bit of research, it quickly becomes clear that feeding RMB can be cheaper than even a “premium kibble”.
Just for Kicks
The other day I asked someone how much in the way of carbohydrate a dog needs to be healthy. Her answer was that 40% of the diet should come from carbohydrate (i.e. vegetables). When I told her the answer was actually 0% of carbohydrates are required in a canine’s diet, she looked at me like I had nine heads, but I explained that dogs and cats derive their energy from protein and fat, not carbohydrate, and that if that were not the case, my dogs would have been dead or diseased long ago.
The fact is that I have a still healthy and active 15 year old Border Collie and a super amped Pit Bull. Neither one eats carbohydrates ever, save for whatever they consume along with their green tripe that they get once a week.
TC: “dogs can not eat just meats, bones and organs and be healthy, that has been proven“
Me: Of course they can, and there are thousands, if not millions of domesticated dogs in North America (including my own) doing just that. Proof to the contrary? Squashed!
TC: “in what way does a chihuahua resemble a wolf???“
Me: In the way of it’s digestive anatomy. Sharp teeth, a dog’s tools of trade, are designed for ripping, tearing and cutting raw flesh (not for eating corn chips and cupcakes). A stomach pH of between 1 and 2 which is extremely acidic, designed to digest raw meat and bone. A short GI tract for maximizing the speed of transit of food through the gut, minimizes the risk of infection from bacteria and other pathogens.
Aesthetically? Correct, a Chihuahua hardly resembles a wolf, but from a digestive standpoint, they are virtually identical.
TC: “unless you are feeding organic meat (super expensive) you are just pumping your dog full of hormones, steroids, and antibiotics that most commercial meat is full of“
Me: This one REALLY gets me, almost puts me in fits of laughter. What an idiotic, yet common statement made often by anti-raw feeders and the uninformed.
Let’s be real, 95% of all human food that we consume is not organic (expense dampens demand), and yet most of us eat those foods every day and we survive and thrive. Somehow feeding our pets the same foods (raw meats) that we eat ourselves, is baaaaaaad for our pets? C’mon!
What’s even more humorous is that nearly all pet food companies get the ingredients for their pet food products from the by-products of human food processing. The source starts out the same, 95% non-organic, hormone and antibiotic treated meats and vegetables.
. . . and what does organic mean anyway?
“Natural” is not the same as “organic.” The latter term refers to the conditions under which the plants were grown or animals were raised. There are no official rules governing the labeling of organic foods for pets at this time, but the United States Department of Agriculture is developing regulations dictating what types of synthetic additives, such as vitamins and purified amino acids, may be used in pet foods labeled as organic.” - FDA Website
TC: “so unless you are rich or have an excessive time on your hands to research and to the diet properly, you should just stick to a high quality kibble“
Me: I can’t speak for TC or other pet owners, but I can tell you one thing, I sure as hell did MY research (and continue to do so) with respect to feeding my dogs. Isn’t that just responsible guardianship?
TC: “if you want to feed a raw treat, give them a bone“
Me: Sage advice? Only if that bone is a completely edible raw MEATY bone.
TC: “Blockages, intestinal perforations, cracked and broken teeth, parasites, and food contamination are all real life concerns that many Raw food advocates gloss over.”
Me: For blockages, see Owners: Dog treats killed out pets.
Cracked and broken teeth can be avoided by feeding only completely edible raw bones, and not giving a dog meatless wreckreational bones like femur bones and smoked bones, you know, the ones that are sold in pet food stores.
Parasites – how many non-raw feeders do you know that buy de-worming, flea and tick medications? I’m just sayin’.
Food contamination – sigh, repeat after me. “After handling raw food, my own or my dog’s, I will wash my hands and food preparation area.” Let’s say it one more time folks, “After handling raw food, my own or my dog’s, I will wash my hands and food preparation area.” Oh, and a quick Google Search on “pet food recalls” might be interesting.
Busting Myths
TC: “Few studies have been done to prove or disprove the numerous beneficial claims of a raw diet.“
Me: I guess we’re at an impasse then.
TC: “Myth 1: Dogs and cats are carnivores and evolved to eat uncooked whole prey.
Me: This one makes me smile and feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Dogs and cats evolved to eat cooked whole prey?
TC: Myth 2: Uncooked food is more nutritious than cooked commercial diets.
Me: So, enzyme teeming whole raw foods are less nutritious than dead, fragmented, cooked commercial foods?
TC: Myth 3: Raw diets are safer than commercial foods.
Me: I’m guessing that the message here is that raw meat diets contain higher levels of bacteria than cooked, dead, commercial junk pet foods? If that is what is being said, then I would agree. However it’s sort of a moot point since above we agreed to wash our hands and clean food preparation areas after handling raw food.
TC: Myth 4: Raw diets are healthier than processed commercial diets.
Me: Are we talking about people or animals here? If we’re talking about animals, yes, species appropriate raw diets are ALWAYS healthier than processed commercial diets. Sort of a no brainer – no?
TC: “Despite the claims of many proponents, there is no reason to believe BARF diets are healthier, or even as healthy, as conventional cooked diets.”
Me: I’m in 95% agreement with this statement. While even BARF diets are healthier than conventional cooked diets, they do not provide a canine’s food in a form that requires tearing, ripping and crunching which is required for the maintenance of periodontal health and ultimately overall health. Providing a varied diet of raw meaty bones and offal to our captive canines IS however without question, healthier than ANY commercial cooked diet.
TC: “you decide“
Me: Yes, do that, but only if “you are rich or have an excessive time on your hands to research and to the diet properly“. Otherwise forget it, after all she’s just a dog, right?
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I'm a dog guardian to Sweety, my 15 year old Border Collie & Zeus a stray American Pit Bull Terrier that I rescued in October of 2009. I write about canine health and nutrition focusing mainly on topics relating to feeding a raw meaty bones diet.
