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:
- Convenience
- Fears that I’d never get nutritional balance without it
- 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.
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10 Responses to “Raw Pet Food: My Thoughts”
A professional writer based in Colorado, Roxanne Hawn doesn't just love dogs. She deep-down requires them in life. Something inside her genes, perhaps? That's why it's such a joy to write about all things canine. Roxanne began writing about pets in 1995, when she worked for the American Animal Hospital Association and later for the American Humane Association. During this period in her career, Roxanne served on the board of directors for the National Council on Pet Population Study and Policy (a coalition of animal welfare groups). Roxanne also volunteered for many years at an animal shelter, where she witnessed firsthand what happens when the human-animal bond breaks or never forms.
I can’t really talk about the raw diet controversy for dogs. But here’s the thing for cats — kibble is not a nutritionally sound diet for felines. Period. Sure, they might get all the vitamins and minerals they need, but they also get an overdose of carbs in the form of grains, potatoes, and all the other dreck that’s used as filler in dry cat food.
Cats are obligate carnivores, meaning they lack the physiology needed to digest plant matter. There is not enough meat in kibble to make it a healthy diet, and the carb overload causes cats to gain weight and become diabetic.
Another difference between cats and dogs lies in thirst drive. Cats have a very low thirst drive in general, and their bodies must receive large amounts of moisture from their food. The chronic dehydration that results from a kibble diet is believed to contribute to the large number of cats that suffer kidney failure.
It’s a myth that cat food is inferior if it contains by-products. When a cat is eating a “natural” diet of birds and small mammals, it consumes most of the carcass, including internal organs, feet, brains, and other parts that are considered “by-products.” These meaty by-products are far healthier for cats (remember, they are obligate carnivores) than the fillers used by so-called premium cat foods, which contain rice, corn, and potatoes.
Any kind of canned cat food is preferable to kibble. When kibble is fed exclusively, it’s the most unhealthy, unnatural diet you could possibly feed a cat.
I’m with you in being in the middle on raw diets. At one point a few years ago, I decided to supplement my dogs’ diets with some raw treats. I kid you not – the very first treat led to intestinal obstruction in one of my dogs. It turned out to be a blessing in disguise because the vets found tumors when they removed the blockage. Removing the tumors gave my dog another few years of life.
My personal preference is a very high end kibble or a homemade cooked diet. One of my dogs has been on a homemade cooked diet for almost her entire life and has flourished.
Thanks for such informative articles!
Heck, I feed my dogs a raw diet and I’m still not 100 percent sure about it. I started it partly because our holistic vet was so adamant about it. But both dogs’ health and weight have improved since being on the raw diet for the past two years. Maddie always had a weight issue on kibble, even with rationed portions, and she’s a good weight now. And Gobo used to have horrible skin problems right around this time of year that we sometimes got desperate and had the vet give steroid injections for. (We also tried oatmeal baths and a bunch of other things.) The problem was less severe last year after a year of raw feeding and almost non-existent this year after two years.
If you’re going to go with kibble for dogs, it seems like a good idea to supplement with some meat and veggies now and then. One of the rescues I volunteer for sometimes recommends mixing fresh cooked meat, pureed veggies and yogurt with live cultures in with the kibble. To me, that just makes sense. It’s like we could probably live on Wheaties, but would be healthier and happier if we added some fresh blueberries and yogurt.
Oh, and wolves. Just kidding.
Oh, and one more thing… I don’t think there’s some big conspiracy re: veterinarians and nutrition, but I do see a lot of parallels between veterinarians and physicians.
Recommending a serious diet change – and not just to take the skin off your chicken – might be one of the most important things a doctor could do to help, say, heart disease patients fully recover (look at Dr. Dean Ornish’s work), but many (most?) would rather say, “Take the skin off your chicken,” and schedule that heart bypass surgery. I’m not sure why that is, and I don’t think it’s a conspiracy per se, but it is interesting. Is it lack of interest in diet, is it the assumption the patient won’t stick to the diet, is it the enormous amount of money in heart bypass surgery?
By the way, I’m not suggesting that vets should recommend raw food, just that I’ve never had any conventional vet say much at all about diet, and if they do it’s to recommend a type of Science Diet kibble. (Why is it always Science Diet, anyway?)
I’m a homemade dog food kind of person. I cook meat and use the Honest Kitchen’s veggie mix for carbs & fiber.
I did experiment a little with the raw food thing for a few months & gave Jersey raw turkey necks with her dinner. It seemed to go okay, but when I went to a bigger bone (ox tails) she would throw up undigested bone remnants in the morning.
After awhile, I decided to quit feeding raw food. Not because of the dog vomiting but because of the risk salmonella contamination.
I have Lupus, which means that I an immuno-compromised. After every feeding, the first thing that Jersey does is play fetch with me. So if there is salmonella on the turkey, is it transferring to the toy via the dog’s mouth? It’s a risk that I’ve decided not to take.
I have fed Tashi some of the freeze dried teats and burgers from Stella & Chewy’s, but as occasional supplements to my home-cooked meals. I also use dehydrated vegetables and another product with oats and vegetables from Dr Harvey’s to add to whatever protein I’m serving that week.
I’m too nervous to serve raw to my dog, who really doesn’t have the teeth needed for the exercise. But I don’t believe it’s the only way to go. I don’t believe all kibble is crappy, either. Orijen and others do a great job.
For me it comes down to doing the best for my dog with what suits his physical limitations.
I’m really glad you’re addressing this topic! We should be winding down on food trials near the end of this year (marking a whole year devoted to dog food allergies) and I’ll be looking to get Sensi on a regular, less expensive, healthier diet than he is currently receiving with the prescription food.
It appears he’s allergic to both beef and plastic, posing a huge question for me — what can I give him to chew? No real bones, no plastic bones … poor dog.
I wonder about the raw diets and if something like that could meet his needs, but I just don’t love the idea of raw (bit of a germophob myself). But I’ll do my research and make a decision when the time comes, but meanwhile, I’m glad these posts have piqued my interest and laid out the arguments from both sides.
Thanks, Karen. That is a REAL conundrum you have there in terms of chew toys or bones. Yikes!
I sure hope you figure out exactly what’s causing Sensi’s allergies and that there is an affordable, good quality food you can feed him.
Karen, I feed raw and have several friends that feed raw also. Several of them have dogs that had allergies and other medical issues prior to raw and after they switched, the issues have been reduced drastically. Almost all have no allergy problems anymore. I also have some that do a combination and others just do kibble. One that most go with is Natural Balance L.I.D. Fish and Sweet Potato – great for dogs with allergies. Good luck!
[...] about feeding dogs a raw diet, over on my Dog Food Dish blog, I included a mini-rant about how when raw proponents start talking about wolves, I stop listening. It teeters too close for my tastes into the outdated, debunked idea of dogs as [...]