Home » Archives for August 2010

5 Questions about Raw Pet Food Logistics

August 25th, 2010

We’ve spent the month of August 2010 talking about various aspects of the raw pet food debate. Today, I’d like to address some of the questions and logistics that most often crop up.

A few weeks ago, I even put the question out on Twitter and asked for followers outside the intense dog world what questions they have about feeding pets a raw diet.

Question #1: How do you maintain food safety?

Other than the BIG question — Why feed raw? — I suspect this is the second-most asked question. And, that’s no surprise since it is a major concern for those who aren’t keen on feeding pets raw food.

So, I called a dog agility friend of mine here in Colorado who is an independent distributor of a frozen raw food, and I asked her how to keep things safe.

Essentially, she told me … you just have to treat raw pet food with the same kitchen safety practices as you would raw food you take out of the fridge or freezer for yourself and your human family. In many cases, the raw food is indeed “human grade.”

“Raw food is raw food,” she told me, “It’s all the same.”

So, what do raw food safety practices look like?

• Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds with warm water and soap before and immediately after handling raw food.
• Immediately and thoroughly wash all plates, bowls, utensils used.
• Use an entirely separate set of kitchenware for your food and your pet’s food.

For tips on how long raw foods last in the fridge and other food safety matters, check out this food safety page from the USDA.

Question #2: Is it hard to switch a pet who has been fed raw food back to kibble or canned food, if that becomes necessarily for some reason?

The answer is that it really depends on the pet. Some make the shift no problem. Others become fussy about texture or develop some tummy troubles during the change-over.

Question #3: What about bones? Can pets really eat actual bones?

My pal explained that this is really a matter of personal preference. Her dogs (several Labs and an Australian Shepherd) do eat some non-weight-bearing bones — like necks, kneecaps, etc. But, she does not feed them things like thigh bones and other weight-bearing bones due to concerns over chipped teeth and intestinal blockages. (Her big male lab ended up with a blockage not long ago and needed emergency surgery.)

Other people, however, do feed their pets these bigger bones. (I’d love for some of our raw feeding readers to comment on this.)

Question #4: Can you feed both raw food and some sort of kibble?

Yes. And, many people do. The challenge is that dry pet foods and raw pet foods digest at different rates, so if you’re going to feed both, the recommendation is that you do NOT feed both at the same meal.

It’s common for people to feed kibble in the morning and raw in the evening.

Question $5: What else do pets on raw diets eat?

It is common for pets on raw diets to get a regular rotation of raw meats. We’re talking everything from chicken and beef to quail and rabbit. You can even find bison, llama, and ostrich meat, if you so choose.

In addition to the raw food, pets often get fruits and vegetables for variety. Just be sure to avoid things like avocado, grapes, and raisins … which are toxic to pets.

***

Feel free to add any questions or answers. We’d love your participation in this discussion.

Bookmark It

Tags: food safety, pet nutrition, raw cat food, raw dog food, raw food safety, raw pet food, refridgeration
Posted in Dog Food Debates, K9 Nutrition | 4 Comments »

Raw Pet Food: My Thoughts

August 18th, 2010

In the last couple of weeks, Dog Food Dish posted The Case for Feeding Raw and The Case Against Feeding Raw. I tried to give a fair overview of both sides of this debate. So, you might be wondering exactly where I stand on the issue.

I’m smack dab in the middle. I see valid elements on both sides of the debate. And, honestly, I just don’t think feeding RAW is nearly as controversial or “fringe” as it used to seem.

I’ve been writing about pet topics and veterinary medicine since 1995, when I was on staff at the American Animal Hospital Association. And, I when I first wrote about feeding raw diets for one of their veterinary trade magazines, it seemed pretty “out there.”

My Pet Parent Friends

Today, I have many, many friends — terrific, committed, well-educated people — who feed their pets raw. I’ve seen dogs come off the agility course and get raw chicken necks or whole feeder rabbits as their reward.

It makes me a tiny bit squeamish, but not bad.

I also have friends who feed frozen/thawed raw foods that are formulated and ground up with other ingredients. I know a few who feed the freeze dried variety.

So maybe because feeding raw is common and widely accepted in my peer group, it seems less controversial to me. Is that peer pressure? I don’t think so.

My Veterinary Friends

At the same time, I spend a good chunk of my professional life talking to veterinarians and other animal professionals on a variety of topics. I admire these people. I like them. I count on their insights and expertise to do my job.

So, I understand that some of them are concerned about pets potentially ingesting contaminants or parasites … or bones. I know raw-fed dogs who have had emergency surgery to remove bone shards from their systems.

And, since I’m a bit of a microbe Sally, I can see their point.

Even though I’m essentially a professional cynic (aka journalist), I truly do NOT believe that veterinarians have sold their souls to pet food companies or whatever conspiracy message you want to insert.

Dishing on Evolution

My own sense of dogs and evolution diverges with those from raw-feeding circles. Personally, and this is the ONE area where I’m doggone passionate and opinionated, I do NOT believe that dogs are essentially wolves (especially when it comes to their behavior).

So, if you use any language in that same vein, you’re going to lose me. I’m going to think you are completely full of beans. Tell me about meat and bones. Talk to me about carbs. Mention moisture content. And, I’m hanging right there with you. Say wolf? And, you’ve lost me.

Dogs have evolved into the companions we know today. For me, that means they are different than wild ancestors or even wild canines today.

In my world, in my mind, in my heart (and as I see it … in behavior science), dogs are NOT wolves. So, for me … it’s hard to believe they might be wolves in a food context. A lot can change in the evolutionary cycle.

(Many thanks to Karen Workman, from the Oakland Press Dog Blog, who essentially posted this same counter-argument in our earlier discussion of Dog Food Rotation Schedules.)

My Backyard Observations

I’ve seen my dogs, who eat more like omnivores or scavengers, “hunt” in our pastures. I’ve watched coyotes actually hunt on the land behind us. The vastly different skills and outcomes are remarkable.

My dogs are like keystone cops of hunting. Pounce. Miss. Pounce. Miss. Scrabble about some more. Run to me smiling in failure.

The coyotes? Pounce. Catch. Pounce. Catch. Gulp, gulp, gulp.

I’m not saying that mine don’t occasionally get lucky. I’m not saying they don’t sometimes eat mice or voles whole, but the rampant tummy upset that follows … well, let’s just say … it ain’t pretty.

The Chemistry of It

To satisfy my curiosity, I asked my contacts at the Colorado State University’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital for details on the pH levels inside our pets’ stomachs … since that’s one way raw advocates explain why raw is OK. The argument goes that the pH in a dog’s stomach drops to 1, especially after eating meat, and that this pH level kills any bacteria and helps dogs process bones, etc.

Here is what my CSU expert told me:

“The pH of the stomach varies from 1 to 7,” says David Twedt, DVM, ACVIM. “With a meal, the pH will drop as low as 1. That is not specific to dogs, and in fact, we see that in dogs, cats and humans, so I’m not sure that dogs are adapted to be any better than any other species.”

Why I Personally Don’t Feed Raw

We’ve talked a bit lately about how my “old” dog food got an F from the K9Cuisine.com Dog Food Rating Tool.

So, indeed, I’m a kibble girl. (Our new food, by the same company, gets an A+.) I feed kibble for three reasons:

1. Convenience
2. Fears that I’d never get nutritional balance without it
3. Cost (I’d be curious to see some raw pet food budgets, if anyone is so inclined.)

As a treat, once in a while, my dogs do get big bones with raw meat on them. It’s usually organic bison raised locally. I buy it at a high-end dog store from the freezer case. They run about $15 per bone. (The dog in the photo from the post called The Case for Feeding Raw is my big boy, Ginko.)

But, as soon as the bones begin to show any wear, I take them away because I fear intestinal blockages and dental damage.

So, that’s my story. I’m neither a Raw-or-Bust kind of person nor an anti-raw crusader. I think all of us are just doing the best we can for our pets, and if raw or kibble works for you, then I say … keep it up.

Passions

And, yet, I understand how even that stance that says “To Each His Own” frustrates both sides. I feel the same way when people use outdated, inaccurate, debunked dog training methods and defend it with “It works for me.”

I think, “Well, it might … but it’s still built upon a foundation of (insert derogatory term here).”

I suppose that’s how raw advocates feel about people like me who feed kibble, and I’m fine with that.

Bookmark It

Tags: dog food, dog food rating tool, pet food, pet nutrition, raw cat food, raw dog food, raw pet food
Posted in Dog Food Debates, K9 Nutrition | 10 Comments »

The Case Against Feeding Raw

August 11th, 2010

The argument AGAINST feeding dogs and cats RAW pet foods boils down to a single message about safety, in two parts:

1. Concerns over nutritional completeness and balance

2. Concerns over parasites and contamination

Gains Have Been Made

Our pets live longer than they once did thanks to both consistent, convenient nutrition and advances in veterinary medicine. There are other things, of course, like protection from dangers of cars and predators.

Still … dogs and cats in the developed world enjoy tremendous lives, free from the stress and strain of finding food, water, and shelter on their own.

Raw Pet Food Concerns

After Keith Niessenbaum (a veterinarian with Crawford Dog & Cat Hospital in Garden City Park, NY) commented on an earlier post about Dog Food Rotation Schedules, I asked him for some insights into why he does NOT recommend feeding raw food diets, or BARF diets, or even bones, to his patients.

Before we get into his concerns, Niessenbaum says, “I would like to say that it is possible to formulate raw diets that are safe and nutritious.  There is nothing inherent in a raw diet that would render it automatically nutritionally inferior.  I am just concerned that the processing of these foods makes the risks of feeding greater than the benefit. If my clients wish to feed a more ‘basic’ diet, I work with them and a nutritionist to help them formulate a home-cooked diet that is balanced and safe.”

That said, here are his main concerns over feeding RAW pet food:

Lacking nutritional completeness and balance since these raw foods are “often made by small companies that have not done enough research to determine if the diets are nutritionally adequate” based on AAFCO standards, he says.

Food contamination  introduced into our family kitchens.

“Human beings have proven time and time again that we are unable to produce food on a consistent basis without the danger of contamination.  Our own food is contaminated with dangerous bacteria, and prudent handling is needed to prevent food born illness,”  Niessenbaum says.

“The same is true for our pets,” he adds. “It simply is not true that dogs and cats have some sort of immunity to food born salmonella and E. Coli infections.  I have seen them and treated them.”

“In addition,” Niessenbaum says, “pet food preparation is often done in the same area as human food preparation in the home.  This can potentially contaminate the kitchen with bacteria that are harmful to owners.”

Seriously icky parasites. Cooking and processing kills parasites found in pet food ingredients.  No cooking? Meats from organic sources that may not use deworming medications? Creepy things may come along for the ride. Some of them are “zoonotic,” meaning they can pass from pets to people. (Children and the elderly are particularly at risk.)

Lack of proof that these diets are nutritionally superior. Niessenbaum says, “I am not aware of good scientific study that shows that raw diets are nutritionally superior to premium processed diets.”

The Evolutionary Argument?

In response to the idea that today’s domestic dogs and cats are hardwired from an evolutionary perspective to eat raw, Niessenbaum says, “My shih tzu isn’t killing anything and is no closer to that theoretical wild beast than I am to early hominids.”

He adds that many “natural” things aren’t exactly good for us (or our pets) … like:

• Infectious disease
• Parasites
• Predators

Processed Foods & Nutrient Assimilation

I think it’s important to note that Niessenbaum is himself VERY health conscious. “Look” he says, “I cook for myself, minimize the amount of highly processed foods that I eat, and exercise regularly.  OK, more than regularly.  My credentials include a full Ironman Traithlon and a couple of 1/2 Ironman length races every year.”

“I understand the value of a quality diet and readily assimilated nutrients,” he continues. “However, I don’t think that the only way to get these nutrients is by a raw, unprocessed diet. In fact, a certain level of processing makes these nutrients more available to me.  The same is true for my dog.”

No Food is Perfect

Both processed foods and raw foods have experienced recalls. Niessenbaum treated several pets for melamine toxicity stemming from a processed pet foods.

“However,” he says, “there was just a recall last week of a raw diet that was found to be contaminated with enteric bacteria.  I feel that this is a risk that pet owners do not address.  The risk is to them and their pets.”

***

What about you? If you do not feed raw, why not?

P.S. If you’re just joining the discussion, we’ve now covered both sides of this debate. Last week, we posted The Case For Feeding Raw. Check it out.

Stay tuned … the discussion continues in the next couple of weeks.

Bookmark It

Tags: feeding raw, pet allergies, pet food allergies, raw cat food, raw dog food, raw meaty bones, raw pet food
Posted in Dog Food Debates, K9 Nutrition | 18 Comments »

The Case for Feeding Raw

August 4th, 2010

The argument FOR feeding dogs and cats RAW pet foods boils down to this: Some people think it’s healthier. When pressed for specifics, their reasons fall into two main categories:

1. Distrust of  the more manufactured / processed pet foods on the market.

2. Belief that raw provides a more natural / evolutionary diet for our canine and feline friends.

Hark, What Goes in There?

We’ve talked before about various dog food basics, including:

• Proteins
• Carbohydrates
• Fats
• Allergy implications of pet food ingredients
• Other nutrients

And, if you haven’t read it, I also suggest learning about dog food history because it reveals A LOT about how the mainstream dog foods we have today came into being.

Or, I can boil it all down … the industrial revolution and other changes in our society led to mostly inexpensive ingredients getting mixed together and cooked like crazy to produce affordable and convenient pet foods.

Pet Health

Pet food became easy and cheap, in other words. Healthy? Well, perhaps. Our pets do live longer than they once did thanks to both consistent, convenient nutrition and advances in veterinary medicine, but raw-feeding advocates question what they see as increases:

• Cancer
• Thyroid issues
• Kidney failure
• Dental problems

I asked Laura Duclos, PhD, director of research and development for Nature’s Variety (a brand available through this blog’s sponsor, K9Cuisine.com), to name the key benefits of feeding raw. Her list includes:

• Healthy teeth and fresh breath
• Skin and coat health
• Natural nutrients from whole foods (not synthetic ones added to make up for lacking ingredients)
• Urinary health thanks to a higher moisture content
• Less processing
• Grain-free and gluten-free

Raw Food Motivation

Among the Top 5 Reasons People Change Pet Food, you will find many of the same reasons people switch to feeding pets RAW food. Either their pet is sick, or they want to keep their pets healthy.

Essentially they worry about disease-causing “junk” in pet foods, including byproducts and preservatives.

Those who feed their pets RAW also malign grains and carbohydrates as not natural to a pet’s diet and hard for dogs and cats to digest. (Flatulence issues, anyone?)

Carnivores?

Technically speaking, dogs are carnivores with omnivore leanings, meaning they can and will eat all kinds of things. Cats, on the other hand, are obligate carnivores. They need meat. I mean REALLY need meat.

Simpler, More Pure … Raw

So, RAW advocates like raw pet food because it’s processed MUCH less than other kinds of pet food. For them, less processing = good. It’s more self-contained when it comes to essential nutrients, they say. It has everything wrapped up in a neat package, without too much monkeying around.

Many also believe that feeding RAW simply makes more sense from an evolutionary perspective. Our now-domesticated predator friends, they say, ate whole prey raw all the time … bones and all.

They talk about the pH levels in dog and cats stomachs as akin to super-strong acids, capable of killing any bacteria, etc. that they consume.

For them, feeding RAW is the healthiest choice.

The Poop Factor

Duclos added one last argument in her case for feeding raw: “Smaller, low-odor stools.”

***

What about you? Why do you feed RAW? Or, if you don’t, what questions do you have about raw pet foods?

P.S. Next week, we’ll post The Case Against Feeding Raw. If you want to get a head start, check out this post from Jim McBean from DoggyBytes, where he counters the various arguments against feeding raw.

Bookmark It

Tags: feeding raw, pet allergies, pet food allergies, raw cat food, raw dog food, raw meaty bones, raw pet food
Posted in Dog Food Debates, K9 Nutrition, Uncategorized | 20 Comments »