“Oh, it’s closest to nature!” “My dogs have never been so healthy!” “You never see wolves with hip dysplasia!” Those were some of the things I heard when I first investigated feeding a “raw diet.” I even tried it myself for awhile, and of course, what you feed your dog is a hotly discussed and debated topic among “dog people.”
On researching raw myself, I was attracted to feeding my dogs as Mother Nature would. However, the more I looked into it, the more ridiculous the raw diet seemed to me. Firstly, wild dogs are LUCKY if they eat a few times a week, whereas we humans like to feed our pets on a more regular basis. The other thing is WHAT wild dogs eat – namely the ENTIRE animal – feathers/fur, nails, bones, EVERYTHING. They also love to eat poo, rotten carcasses – you name it, they will eat it. Food in nature is scarce, so dogs have evolved to be opportunistic feeders and will eat anything they can at any time.
Another thing - our domestic dog evolved from the pariah-type wolf descendants that basically followed us around to live off our garbage. Yes, garbage. Really, if one wants to feed their dog a more “natural” diet, they would do best taking them to forage at the local dump! Hey, most pet dogs already know to go to the garbage can for goodies… But seriously, we discourage them from eating garbage, poo and rotting things and the raw diet folks feed only parts of the animal, so, in fact, that does not mimic a natural diet at all. Not to mention the fact that most raw folks claim they “save money” buy buying cheap meat in bulk. Has anyone mentioned the steroids most feed animals are raised on? In processing, these steroids are broken down, but feed raw, they are not – and that to me, is a big risk. Cancer, aggression issues – not things I am interested in encouraging.
And back to the “wolf” argument… there have been no long-term study or research on the physical condition of wolves. Of course they don’t develop a lot of the issues we see in our pet dogs – they don’t live long enough to do so! Their life expectancy in the wild is pathetically short and the ones in captivity can, arguably, not be depended on for scientific information as they are not in true wild situations and are fed on a regular basis with
Speaking of science, one of the biggest issues for me regarding raw is that there is NO SCIENTIFIC STUDIES on the diet. Every commercially available pet food has to fulfill certain nutritional requirements – there are long-term studies done through federal regulations to ensure all commercially available dog food is suitable for ALL stages of life in the dog. Random testing is done to ensure accuracy of nutritional values, as well as continual testing of the test subject dogs to see what effects the different recipes may or may not have. We have learned certain things about dog development – that growing puppies’ intestines absorb any and all calcium they ingest (thought to be an evolutionary adaptation in the canid as in the wild, very little calcium-bearing food is regurgitated to the pups) which poses problems for certain breeds in reference to both raw and commercial diets. The raw folks admit balancing a raw diet is difficult and only really occurs “over time” by including various types of raw foods. As certain breeds develop very rapidly, unbalanced diets can have a marked effect on growth.
Bone development issues such as panosteitis (there is thought to be a genetic tendency, but most large and giant breeds are prone to “pano”) can be caused by feeding a “puppy” formula food – generally excessive in calcium and an unbalanced phosphorous ratio, which is thought to cause the bones to outgrow the surrounding soft tissue causing “growing pains” often called “travelling lameness.” A raw diet is often too “bone-heavy” for a puppy – in the wild, adult dogs regurgitate calorie-dense food for the pups – internal organs, muscle tissue – “bones” are not calorically dense and thus not preferred to feed the pups. Remember these wild parents have to travel far, they never know when their next meal is coming, so they do not waste resources on food items that are not optimal. And ingested bones typically end up wrapped in hair and pooped out quickly – bones are sort of like fiber for us humans.
Anecdotally, an overwhelming number of my large- and giant-breed exhibitor/breeder friends who have tried a raw diet report that, for the first time, their OFA orthopedic ratings have been a grade, or grades, worse than previous kibble-fed generations. This includes friends who breed Golden and Labrador Retrievers, Rottweilers, Dobermanns, German Shepherds, Akitas, Great Danes and Newfoundlands among other breeds. It seems the small and medium breeds are not as affected, but that holds true with puppy versus adult kibble and pano – pano seems to be a rarer problem in the smaller breeds in general.
Another thing that worries me is the raw diet friend who claims raw is CHEAPER than kibble. What in the hell kind of fresh raw meat is CHEAP? The kind that is pumped up with steroids and antibiotics (that would normally be denatured by cooking, but not in a raw scenario) or is less than Grade A. And they think kibble is bad? What do you think those steroids are doing as the dogs digest it in it’s nearly pure form? Or the antibiotics that also remain in the tissue? And less than Grade A meat – what does that mean, exactly? Personally, I am much more comfortable feeding a high-grade kibble that uses meat sources that I would eat.
Now, I am not against feeding dogs human food or raw things from time to time. I have found that occasional raw chicken backs/necks or beef “soup bones” (usually cut-up cow femurs) really help keep my dogs’ teeth clean. This is done as a treat, though. I also have no issue allowing my dogs to eat other human foods – (just nothing fatty/spicy as it seems not to agree with their digestive system) some favorites are watermelon, sweet potatoes – heck, a couple of my dogs go nuts over pomegranates! And I also “fast” my dogs from time to time. Skipping a meal in a youngster or a day of food in an adult seems to help keep the gut tight and stool firmer – the canine digestive system is really not designed to eat daily (they are lucky to eat a couple of times a week in the wild) and often soft stool will occur just due to the amount of food regularly consumed and pushed through their system. Oh, and another tidbit – having personally studied both wolf and coyote “scat” (poo) in the wild – wild dog poo is, basically, diarrhea. I never saw “formed” stool in wild dog scat. Ever. That being said, I must say, living in an urban environment, firm stool is MUCH easier to pick up! So certain things like “beet pulp” do not necessarily turn me off in a kibble, if it makes my life a little easier.
So I urge you to do your own research and be a little skeptical about all of the fantastic claims raw folks make. A Newfie breeder I know who uses raw has had a plethora of problems in her dogs since she started the diet, but refuses to link the “coincidental” onset of serious problems to what she feeds. I jokingly suggested she do a “food trial” - raise one litter on raw and a repeat breeding litter on kibble and see what happens… I challenge raw folks to put their diet where their mouth is and get some scientific data on how amazing it is. Show me the money.
And beware of those breeders who insist you feed your new pup raw. I would be VERY hesitant about buying a pup out of a dam that has been fed raw during pregnancy and whelping and a pup that has been raised on raw – again, anecdotally, I know of many breeders who have had issues with this diet with bitches in whelp and the resultant pups. It seems that the deficiencies in a raw diet are most evident in those animals that are growing/developing or are supporting the growth and development of offspring. And you can never go back and re-lay a foundation, so you may be stuck with serious developmental problems. And in some cases, it is not evident until the pup is older.
I personally tried raw myself years ago with my ADULT (already fully developed) dogs. I was too afraid to risk my younger dogs, as in my research, there were literally hundreds of raw diet regimens. Some required me to use a blender/meat grinder. Others were “prey model” and I just handed the dog a lamb shank. Others incorporated grains, some were totally grain-free. Grains and “carbs” are another “touchstone” in canine nutrition – there are those who oppose the use of grains entirely, but again, our dogs descended from garbage (and carb!) eating “village dogs.” And there are even folks who promote the “national” diet for dogs – creating diets that dogs would’ve been likely to eat in their country of origin/development – mutton and oats for the collie breeds, beef and barley for the Germanic breeds – as that was what they likely would’ve been fed as they “evolved” in their homeland.
Of course, there are also some serious issues with raw diets and certain breeds. Dalmatians, for instance, need to eat a vegetarian or very low protein diet in order to reduce the incidence of sludge and stones in their bladder. A raw diet for them would almost guarantee uric acid crystals forming!
In my experience, trying a raw diet was a time-consuming, expensive and frustrating project. First, I looked for meat guaranteed free of steroids/antibiotics. Pricey. Then, do I grind it or leave it as is? And am I missing something as I am feeding only parts of the animal – shouldn’t I be including skin, hooves, etc? The fruits were easy – coyotes are well-known for raiding watermelon patches and apple groves, so I didn’t worry too much about that. Vegetable and grains, though, were a question in my mind. Likely a wild dog would get that, pre-digested, through the gut of the prey animal. I have no way to mimic that, and I am not happy with my dogs’ habit of eating sheep and goose poo, either. And worms – all wild dogs are loaded with worms. Perhaps they aid in digestion and absorption, but I give Heartgard Plus monthly to get rid of them – what effect does that have on nutrition?
So, after a fair trial of a little over 10 weeks, I saw none of the raw diet folks’ claims to have been substantiated. My collie still had chronic sebborhea (an itchy skin condition). Their coats were no shinier, muscle tone no different. Of course, my blender died from the strain, and I now have an industrial meat-grinder collecting dust in a cabinet, but nothing else to show for my foray into feeding raw. Except now I know how to order 40 pounds of chicken backs at a time and the difference between “cleaned” tripe and “green” tripe.
So, personally, I like a high-quality kibble. I find that I feed less, in volume, of a high-quality food than a cheap food, so really, cost, in the end, is about the same. Probably even less if you consider all of the health issues that can be traced to a cheap kibble – those who feed good food have lower vet bills, I’ve found. You need to find a food that works for you – a recipe you like that your dog does well on. Not every food is good for every dog – like humans, dogs have unique metabolisms so that a food that might be super for my shepherd might give your retriever constant diarrhea. My suggestion is to start ANY dog on an adult formula from infancy to avoid orthopedic issues like pano. I would also consider putting an older dog on a senior diet as their metabolic needs do change with age.
Keeping any dog lean is also a good rule of thumb. Most kibble packages have skewed guidelines for feeding – they suggest 2-3 times the usual needed caloric amount – this is due to the feeding studies – they have to suggest the caloric requirements for a highly active dog so that people do not accidentally “starve” their dogs by going according to the feeding guidelines solely. Your dog’s physical condition should be your guide. Nowadays most pet dogs do not have nearly the caloric requirement that the feeding guidelines are meant for. So make sure you can feel ribs halfway down a dog’s “barrel” and see a “waist.” A lean dog has less joint problems and pain as they age.
I like foods with high-quality ingredients, and though I do tend to stay away from certain grains (I am not a huge fan of corn being in the first 4 ingredients) I feel carbs are an important source of energy. I like a good amount of protein and a food that is calorically dense. There are some good resources both in book form and online where you can research different foods and compare their recipes and ingredients for yourself to help you get an idea of what foods you would like to try with your dog. I do not prefer to use one kibble for my dog forever. I tend to buy a couple of different foods and mix them together, and try different brands and formulas from time to time. I come back to a few main brands, it seems, but I do like to try the new things offered on the market if I like the recipe.
So good luck on your quest for the best nutrition for your dog, and if you have any questions – feel free to email me anytime.
