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.
Related Posts
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 »
20 Responses to “The Case for Feeding Raw”
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 don’t feed raw, but I have certainly heard it credited for achieving many miracles. I think I even saw someone post about how feeding their dog raw lead to a 2% drop in their adjustable rate mortgage.
Oh, dear … Eric nearly made me spit lemonade on my screen. Mortgage benefits! Ha!
But, yes, you are right … there are all kinds of stories about the benefits.
I feed mostly raw to Sadie. As I shared in a previous blog post, we just could not find a processed high quality food or a frozen raw food that worked for her. The diarrhea and vomiting. Awful. But, I have to say she’s been doing great on her current diet of raw red meat (I lightly cook turkey) and raw veggie mix (no starches like potatoes and no grains) and a See Spot Live Longer which is a mix that makes the meat and veggies balanced. If I could get fresh liver and heart and other organs from grass-fed beef I’d maybe make the leap not use the mix. And, raw green beef tripe is super.
Unfortunately, despite my best efforts, I have not experienced a drop in credit or health insurance rates.
We’re on the road in our RV with a small refrigerator. Yet, we are finding the time and inclination to buy, store, and feed our dogs RMBs every other day. Both dogs love it! We saw almost an immediate improvement in the whitening of their teeth.
I also believe a raw diet will lead to less vet visits and lower vet bills. So while you may not get a reduction in your adjustable rate mortgage, you may be able to pay the mortgage you have with some of the savings.
That’s because you are only feeding “mostly raw,” Deborah. You’re not committed enough.
When it comes to raw, half-baked doesn’t cut it.
Seeking alternative ways to feed our four legged family members is very tempting with every pet food recall.
What is critical in any RAW diet is the Raw Meaty Bones. If you don’t feed the bones with the flesh (i.e. tearing and crunching…..) then you are not going to realize the full benefit of stopping periodontal disease in its track. We used NV to transition to raw and are using it now for our cats to transition. However, for our dogs we use it now for just snack treats. Our dogs are on Raw Meaty Bones with Offal (organs and green tripe) added a few days a week. Feeding raw is much less costly than feeding kibble, especially when you factor in teeth cleanings, toothpaste/toothbrush, chew flips approved to remove tartar and kibble that supports clean teeth. For 3 dogs our bill for all of that per month exceeded $255. To feed Raw Meaty Bones (as nature intended for our little carnivores) Less than $100 per month…. And we don’t need to subject them to being put under for teeth cleanings! You eyes will be opened when you read this: http://doggybytes.ca/oxidental-truth/5558/
I guess where I really have worries about Raw is that, as Eric said, raw is so oversold. Apparently Raw cures all the world’s ills (even when not dog-related ills!). Anything that needs so much hype to persuade people is something I immediately distrust.
I see some good theory (processed worse than unprocessed) and then the Raw team is very light on facts indeed.
The kibble team can be fairly nebulous on factual arguments, too. But at least they don’t say their feeding plan will solve every problem known to man or dog.
Robert,
My dog has great teeth at 9. She’s always been fed kibble. However, she has had her teeth brushed daily since she was about 2 yrs old, too. (I didn’t realize I ought to be doing that before she was 2, which is why we began so late).
She’s never needed a professional veterinary cleaning. And yes, we do ask the vet about her teeth every time we go in.
I hear this argument frequently from raw feeders-that if you feed raw, you will never have a moment’s worry or maintenance for your dog’s teeth. I tend not to believe that.
Does raw food increase friction against the dog’s teeth? Sure! Do bones occasionally get up under the gumline? I’m sure they do!
But does raw feeding cleanse under the gumline of every tooth, every day? I doubt this very, very much. Every dog I’ve ever seen prefers to chew food and toys in a few basic positions. That’s going to limit the amount of physical tooth cleaning provided by raw feeding.
It’s exactly this sort of overblown argument-that raw means no dental issues, ever (and conveniently omits the problem of broken teeth and severely worn teeth) that makes me tune out the average raw advocate.
I know you didn’t mean to give me an example of where I just don’t trust the Raw crowd, but you did.
It’s not you-it’s the whole movement. Lots of fabulous claims, very little to support them.
Keeping_Awake,
It’s great that you have the time and patience to brush your dog’s teeth daily, most people don’t. And I also agree that raw feeding is not the best for everyone, but it is best for the dog.
Over time I’ve seen “raw” diets explained as: Just meat, ground foods, mashes, inclusion of vegetable/fruits/grains or any combination of the above. I happen to look at raw feeding as a species-appropriate diet, where a combination/ratio of meat, bone and offal are provided, and it is far from a fad or a movement.
Dogs have been domesticated for roughly 16,000 years. Kibble has been around for a mere 60 years. Kibble is the fad. Better yet, instead of a fad it’s a way for corporations to sell customers food remnants, waste products and other items that cannot be consumed by humans.
Success stories get bloated and become what folks hype as a cure-all. Yes – my dog’s teeth have whitened. Yes – my dogs are healthier than they were on kibble. Yes – I spend less now feeding a species-appropriate diet. Yes – they’ve had less visits to the vet. No – I don’t brush their teeth. Yes – they shed less. Yes – their coats are healthier. Yes – the digest more of their food. Yes – my dog’s allergies have been bettered by a healthier diet.
With all that I’ve listed, it’s not a cure-all. And I believe there are many other ways that people and vets are poisoning dogs, but that’s not at topic here.
Dogs have the physiology to eat meat, bone and offal. They were not meant to eat ground, mashed, baked, shaped nuggets of food, which also happen to be filled with grains, vegetables and fruits. Just as people weren’t meant to eat deep fried nuggets of processed chicken out of a box.
You ask if bones get under the gum line as a means of cleaning. No, bones do not, but large pieces of meat, with tendons and other fibers, do act as a dental floss. Dogs work hard to eat such a meal and it’s exactly that type of meal that is beneficial to them, not only to their dental health, but their overall health.
Lastly, foods for my dogs come from grocery stores, butcher shops, restaurant supply vendors, hunters, etc. They get full pieces of meat, along with whole bones and organs. I do not buy a processed “raw” food – why pay someone else to create food for my dogs?
Keeping_Awake,
Have you read most kibble websites lately? They make a lot of claims. But what they don’t do is explain why we should go against nature in feeding our house wolves. Of course I can explain that one – because they wouldn’t be in business otherwise.
I think it is great that you are taking good care of your dogs teeth by brushing them. Personally, I like to let them do that themselves. I know I wouldn’t want someone brushing my teeth everyday…its called personal hygiene….same reason I don’t lick them to clean them. Nature made them self sufficient to be able to handle cleaning. We as humans have taken nature out of the picture to make feeding them more convenient to our lifestyles. Which is sad. And in turn, we have created a host of health problems that have a simple answer – feed them as natured intended.
But if you must feed kibble and brush their teeth, don’t forget to floss!
Robert
[...] I received a ‘web alert’ leading me to a post titled The Case for Feeding Raw written by Roxanne Hawn, the author of the K9 Chronicles [...]
Keeping_Awake,
“My dog has great teeth at 9. She’s always been fed kibble. However, she has had her teeth brushed daily since she was about 2 yrs old, too.”
You’re lucky on at least two counts. First that your dog will let you brush her teeth, and second that brushing has appeared to have saved the day. There are always two things that human dentists tell us to do, brush AND floss. Most humans that do one and not the other, end up with tooth decay and ultimately tooth loss. The ones that don’t are lucky. It’s no different with dogs
“does raw feeding cleanse under the gumline of every tooth, every day?”
I’m not sure who would make the claim that feeding raw (assume you mean raw meaty bones) cleans “under the gumline of every tooth, every day”? But you may me interested in reading a study on periodontal health in Beagles published by Laboratory Animal Care and cited by JAVMA.
‘The test confirmed the feasibility of preventing the accumulation of dental calculus in experimental beagle dogs by regular weekly feedings of oxtails.’ And ‘No harmful effects of feeding oxtails have been observed in the colony of 200 dogs after more than 6 years’. If you’re interested you can read the entire paper here – http://scr.bi/bc29kB
“Every dog I’ve ever seen prefers to chew food and toys in a few basic positions. That’s going to limit the amount of physical tooth cleaning provided by raw feeding.”
How many dogs have you observed eating different sized and shaped raw meaty bones? If the answer is none, there are a ton of Youtube videos showing dogs of all breeds and sizes eating all kinds of raw meaty bones, from chicken wings to sheep heads. It’s quite obvious that different sized and shaped pieces of meat and bone will require many different “angles of attack”, which sort of contradicts your “few basic positions” position.
“It’s exactly this sort of overblown argument-that raw means no dental issues, ever (and conveniently omits the problem of broken teeth and severely worn teeth) that makes me tune out the average raw advocate.”
Sigh, again, I’m not sure who you’ve been talking to but those that feed their dogs soft, completely edible raw meaty bones (chicken, fish, rabbit) will rarely if ever see a broken tooth. Dogs given hard wreckreational bones, i.e. weight bearing bones (femur, knuckle) are just taunting the broken tooth ferry. Those in the know, don’t give recreational bones to their dogs.
“I know you didn’t mean to give me an example of where I just don’t trust the Raw crowd, but you did. It’s not you-it’s the whole movement. Lots of fabulous claims, very little to support them.”
I’m not sure what there is to not trust. It’s pretty simple, buy raw meaty bones and offal (human grade) from the same grocery store that you shop at, or from a butcher. Don’t expect miracles but expect the majority of dogs to be in better health for a longer period of time than their kibble fed counterparts. If there’s any placement of distrust, shouldn’t it be towards the pet food companies? Remember 2007? Heard about Natural Balance, P&G and Merrick lately?
Oh, and one more thing. I’ve heard that feeding your dog “raw” (whatever that means) will lead to a 2% drop in their adjustable rate mortgage, but if I were you I wouldn’t believe it.
Jim,
Thanks for having a sense of humor about this issue that so often becomes extremely emotionally charged.
I think most owners are terribly confused about how best to feed their beloved pets. It’s very difficult to find reliable information about whatever feeding plan one ultimately chooses.
And I guess that was my point: when advocates of raw or kibble promote their school of thought anecdotally and emotionally, how does that help anyone to make a fact-based decision?
Like most owners, I worry. Me just being me, I worry a great deal!
But it is harder than it should be for owners to find reliable, fact-based information on how best to feed. I read a lot about what constitutes an optimal feeding plan, but I find very little in the way of fact on either side of the argument.
I just wish that it were easier to find factual information about the benefits and drawbacks of the major feeding plans. I can’t be alone in that!
And, as this is a personal peeve of mine, it is NOT that hard to teach a dog to accept brushing.
It took us about a week. Granted, my dog is a sucker for any sort of human attention, and we quickly found a paste she liked.
But as a petsitter and daughter of a breeder/exhibitor, I frequently have to brush the teeth of relatively unknown dogs. I don’t tend to have a problem with it.
I’ve brushed a lot of dogs’ teeth, and the overwhelming majority of dogs have accepted it. Some even enjoy it, like mine.
I don’t mean to derail the food talk, but brushing is not unlike other training. All dogs should accept human handling to any part of their body. It’s something you work on regularly, from puppyhood if possible.
In the dogs who will accept muzzle handling but are not keen on brushing, IME changing the paste helps.
To be fair, I grew up showing dogs, so they are used to stangers lifting their flews and at least looking at their teeth. But we get there the same way that any dog owner would- rewarding for accepting touching until you can touch anywhere with no distress to the dog. You can start this at any age, although its obviously easier if you start when the dog is still a pup.
My dog (shelter mutt) did get used to human handling of all parts as a pup, but we began toothbrushing around two. Most of my pet sitting clients begin toothbrushing when they meet ME, regardless of age. It can be done if you go slowly and carefully enough. Toothbrushing is not a ‘Holy Grail’.
I don’t understand why people think this is an unusual occurrence, except that vets are woefully remiss in advising clients to perform it.
Keeping_Awake,
I actually think it is cool you are able to brush their teeth. For me it is just easier to let them do it themselves by giving them a raw meaty bone. Like Jim said above – that tearing and ripping is what is going to get under the gumline where disease is going to start.
You are right – emotions get high on both sides of the aisle. I like how Jim brings it down to “the facts” and from that we can make informed decisions. There is a lot of mass confusion out there! And thankfully, Jim’s blog has helped me go the distance this 2nd go around with trying the raw feeding. I didn’t trust myself the first go around and was even “confused” by reading too much misinformation….but then again, why should I trust an industry that had the worst recall in US history in 2007 (let us not forget it really started in Asia in 2004)? And we still see recalls today.
I trust my own hands to do the work now instead of outsourcing it to the pet food makers (which in turn, usually outsources to co-packers and other manufacturers).
Have a great weekend!
Robert
[...] posts drew some good discussion. I’d recommend reading The Case for Feeding Raw first, and then come back here and read my post. Feel free to leave a comment on either, or both [...]
I fed my two goldens a raw diet for over a dozen years and can attest that it really does improve health. My girl, Ruby, who had a congenital, bilateral heart murmur, lived to be almost 14. And when she died, it wasn’t heart related.
When Ruby was three or four, we dog-sat a kibble-fed littermate of hers and were astounded at the differences. Her coat was shiny and soft, his was rough and dry. Her breath didn’t smell, his was really terrible. Her teeth were still white as piano keys, his were coated with tartar and already discolored at the gumline.
Raw is not a magic bullet, of course; my boy, Kody, still got cancer in his later years, but he did get it later than his relatives — by almost three years in one case, which is 21 dog years.
He also outlived all the relatives we know of, plus he lived very well with cancer for two years, where others only lasted 5-6 months.
Our vet attributed his longevity and ability to live well despite his illness to his raw diet and the fact that we use alternative medicine for health care.
I’m new and uneducated on the raw diet stuff. But I have one burning question: What are the nutritional benefits of a raw diet vs. taking those same raw foods and cooking them?
I have a created my own website on raw feeding, please take a look: www.dogscamefromwolves.com
It explains how to feed, what to feed, the benefits, and other supplements and veggies/fruits you can add.
Monty