Raw diet for dogs not recommended

Q: I am considering feeding my dogs a raw diet. What are your thoughts?

A: The popularity of Internet chat rooms, blogs, and personal web pages has brought increased interest in raw pet foods. There are several types of raw diets, all made using uncooked meat, bones, and other ingredients. The diets began as homemade recipes, but their popularity has lead to the availability of commercial raw diets.

Proponents of raw pet food focus on the high quality, fresh ingredients used in the food. They also generally reflect on the “natural” diet of wolves and other wild animals which do not cook their meals.

Sometimes mention is made of enzymes in raw food that are lost through the cooking process. There is little doubt that most of these diets are nutritionally sound. However, there is considerable doubt about whether these diets represent optimum nutrition. In addition, there is serious concern about the safety of these diets.

Veterinary nutritionists have published libraries of research on the digestive system of dogs and the way they utilize specific nutrients. The profession has also determined optimum requirements for many nutrients in specific breeds, sizes, life stages, and performance levels. For instance, we know precisely the optimum ratio of calcium to phosphorous for joint health in growing large breed dogs. We also know some sources of calcium can be efficiently absorbed by dogs and others cannot.

When you feed your dog a reputable premium food labeled for giant breed growth, your pet will benefit from a century of nutritional advances. If you grind beef bones and mix into a recipe from the Internet, you may not be providing optimal nutrition. Dogs fed raw diet frequently have small pieces of bone visible in their stool. How much calcium was absorbed? How much phosphorous? Will this batch be the same as the last?

The life expectancy of dogs has doubled in the past 50 years in large part due to improved nutrition. Being fed like a wolf may not be an optimal way to eat. Wolves live very different lives and generally die considerably earlier than our pets. The enzymes required for digestion are all produced by the body and do not need to be provided in a raw source. In fact, since enzymes are proteins, most will be simply broken down by the saliva, stomach acid, and other secretions of the digestive tract.

There is also considerable concern for the safety of raw diets. Several recent studies from different sources have cultured potentially pathologic bacteria from 30 to 90 percent of raw dog foods. While most dogs do not get sick from these germs, some do. The bacteria are particularly dangerous for puppies, old dogs, sick pets, or those on certain medications.

Another recent study found 30 percent of dogs fed raw diets have positive fecal cultures for these same dangerous organisms. This study dispels the myth that a dog’s stomach acid kills all the bacteria in the food. It also raises concern for children, elderly people, or immune-compromised individuals who come into contact with dogs that shed these bacteria in their feces.

At a recent conference I attended, a veterinarian from the University of Minnesota presented a sad case of a litter of puppies that died of bacterial meningitis. The bacteria cultured from their brain tissue matched the bacteria cultured from their mother’s raw diet. Although well-meaning, this pet owner’s choice of pet food directly led to the death of the puppies. This was certainly not an example of optimum nutrition. However, it probably does accurately reflect what happens in wild wolves from time to time.

Like most veterinarians, I never recommend raw pet food. I advise my clients on ways to provide optimum nutrition. For those who choose to disregard the advice of the overwhelming majority of veterinarians, the FDA has issued guidelines for feeding raw pet foods. The guidelines can be found at fda.gov/cvm/CVM_Updates/rawdiet.htm.

Dr. Watts is a companion animal general practitioner and owner of Clevengers Corner Veterinary Care. He can be reached through ClevengersCorner.com or by calling 428-1000.