What is raw dog food

Pet owners want the best for their animals, which includes feeding them the best diet possible. In recent years, many pet parents have begun turning to a fresh diet consisting of home-cooked foods -- or, sometimes, food that's completely raw. Some claim a raw food diet leads to shinier coats, healthier teeth and better overall health for dogs.

Raw food is uncooked food, mostly meat, and can be homemade by pet owners or store bought frozen. A recent study from Portugal, however, found that while commercial dog food of all types can harbor some nasty bacteria, raw dog food poses a high risk of transmitting bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics, which can harm immunocompromised pets and people, while also adding to a larger public health problem of antibiotic resistance. Of the 14 commercial types of frozen raw dog food tested in the study, all 14 tested positive for strains of enterococcus that showed drug resistance.

While dogs probably enjoy eating raw meat (we wish we could ask them), many experts advise against it because of the bacteria found in raw food. The American Veterinary Medical Association "discourages" pet owners from feeding animals meat that hasn't been "subjected to a process to eliminate pathogens" such as cooking or pasteurization, citing a risk of food-borne illness that can spread and affect livestock and humans, especially children, the elderly and immunocompromised people. 

"This is a true public health concern," Dr. Camille Torres, veterinarian and head of the small animal nutrition service at Colorado State University, says. "It comes up every once in a while as though it's a new topic, but we've known about this for years."

To learn more about the potential risks and benefits to a raw food diet, we talked to Torres about feeding your pets raw food.

Why raw dog food?

The idea of a raw diet for dogs took off after Australian veterinarian Dr. Ian Billinghurst published a book about how dogs would thrive on an evolutionary diet that sustained them before they were domesticated, consisting primarily of raw meat, organs, bones and vegetables.

Torres is empathetic toward pet owners who are considering the raw food diet, because she sees their perspective as a want to do the best for their pet. 

"It's somewhat of a sensitive topic, because I think there's a lot of passion around nutrition in general from a pet owner's perspective, and really a strong desire to want to feed the best," Torres says. 

What are the risks and benefits? 

Supporters of raw food claim that it offers numerous benefits to dogs, including more energy as well as healthier teeth, skin and coats. Torres says there isn't much evidence proving the benefits of feeding pets raw food, but that there is evidence of the health risks, such as pathogenic bacterial exposure.

"It's not that it couldn't have benefits, it's just that those benefits have yet to be proven," Torres says. "Basically, we don't have a lot of evidence to support the pros, and there's evidence to support the risks not just to our pets, but also to the people and their environment." 

Does all raw meat have bacteria, and is it all bad?

All uncooked meat has bacteria, Torres says -- "it's just a matter of the type that's there." 

"When you take away one of the big ways we cut back on bacterial contamination by cooking, whether that's chicken or beef, it's in the food," Torres says. "So whether it's from the cleanest grocery store, or if it's organic and natural or labeled… the bacterial contamination is there." 

Torres also says that we might not be seeing a lot of sick dogs because their immune systems (usually) work well against harmful bacteria, but it's a big problem when they don't.

"That's the flip side -- yes, most dogs and cats might be OK," Torres says. "But if they're not okay, they get really, really sick." Salmonella is an example, Torres says, that can get into the intestinal lining and cause an inflammatory reaction. Immunocompromised dogs, puppies and older dogs are especially at risk, she says.

How can bacteria from raw food spread to humans?

Fecal contamination can transmit harmful bacteria from dogs to humans or other pets in the household, even if you can't see the feces, Torres says. 

"It can be on their paws, and they walk inside," Torres says. "They get on our couch, they get on our bed, those types of things. That's the challenge with it -- you can only clean what you know is there." 

As far as how serious the bacteria contamination can be, "it's just a matter of what we're exposed to and what our body is capable of fighting off," Torres says. Similar to pets, most people will be okay, she says, but the contamination can lead to serious effects like dehydration and hospitalization. 

What about prevention?

If you're dead set on feeding your pet raw food, "be very careful with cleaning the environment, and what the food has come in contact with," Torres says. Wash dishes and, ideally, don't have the raw food in your kitchen (or the place where you prep your own food) at all, she says. 

It's also important to practice good hygiene in general, such as washing your hands after playing with your pet, and having children be in the habit of washing their hands and faces if they've been licked. "Those types of things, just to try to stay as healthy as possible," Torres says.  

The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.

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Raw feeding involves, as the name suggests, feeding your dog on raw food based on the diet of its ancestors as wild carnivores. It includes fresh meat, offal, vegetables and vitamin and mineral supplements, designed to imitate as best as possible the natural prey of dogs in the wild.

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As with any feeding method, raw feeding has both supporters and opponents. Dog lovers who have converted to raw feeding report healthy teeth, helped by the intense chewing on fresh meat, shiny coats, improvement in those suffering with chronic conditions such as osteoarthritis or growth problems, and stronger tendons and ligaments. Raw food is tailored to each individual dog and contains no fillers or preservatives - no wonder there are so many advantages for unwell dogs and those with special nutritional requirements!

If you are looking to feed your dog on  homemade raw meals, you must ensure that you are not only feeding muscle meat, as your dog will suffer with various deficiencies. In order for your dog to get everything it needs, offal, herbs, vitamins and minerals need to be accurately calculated and added to the diet. This means that homemade raw feeding can be a complex and demanding option, which is why so many dog food manufacturers and butchers are now rising to the challenge to meet the demand and creating the raw food diets themselves. So-called "convenience raw food" products are collected directly from the manufacturer and frozen, only to be thawed by the dog owner and then fed fresh. Take a look in our zooplus Magazine for things to look out for when feeding puppies with a raw food diet!

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How do I start out feeding raw food?

• Assess the effort required and collect information:
  Raw food is a complex method of feeding. You must always plan in advance the purchase and storage of the raw meet, as well as ensuring food is calculated and measured accurately. It is best to check with your veterinarian first so that you can be certain of exactly the nutrients your dog requires. You should also check out the various different raw feeding options to find the best option to suit you and your dog.

• Pay attention to choice of meat:
  Make sure you research thoroughly which kind of meat to feed your dog. Not all offal is suitable for raw feeding as, for example, too much liver and kidney can be harmful to your dog so should be fed a maximum of once a week. Pork can also be dangerous for animals, as it can transit the fatal Aujeskzy virus.

• Beware when feeding bones!
  Always make sure that the bones you feed your dog cannot splinter, as this can be extremely harmful to your dog.  

• Varied diet:
  Muscle meat should not be the sole ingredient of a raw food diet. It must also include offal, bones, oils, fruit and vegetables (both pureed). Also be aware that some fruits and vegetables can be poisonous to dogs.

In our zooplus Dog Shop you will find a great variety of raw food diets in a range of tasty varieties. Raw dog food supplements can also help you when putting together your dog's daily raw food menu.

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