Why do vets say not to feed raw

What Do Vets Say About Raw Dog Food? Let's Ask a Vet!

Its one thing to take our word for it about the benefits of raw feeding, but its quite another to hear about it from a vet. We had the opportunity to talk to Dr. Alexandra Macaulay, a vet at All Bay Animal Hospital in Concord, CA who happens to be a We Feed Raw customer.

Read on to find out what she learned about raw feeding in vet school, why she switched her own dogs to We Feed Raw, what changes she noticed in her dogs after making the switch, and which dogs should or should not eat a raw diet.

Q. Thanks for agreeing to talk to us. Before we get started, can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your background?

A. Hello! My name is Alexandra Macaulay, and Im a small animal general practitioner in East Bay, California. I ended up here after completing my veterinary degree at the University of Scotland.

Q. Theres this idea in the raw feeding community that vets are only taught about kibble (and other commercial diets) in vet school and are discouraged from exploring other food options for the animals in their care. Was that your experience? What, if anything, did you learn about raw feeding in vet school?

A. I was not taught anything about raw feeding while in vet school. From what I gathered, it was very much considered taboo to raw feed your pets.

Q. If you didnt learn about raw diets in vet school, where did you get your information about the benefits of raw? Did you have to dig deep to find good evidence of the benefits of a raw diet? Are there resources you can point pet parents to discussing raw dog food?

A. I first got interested in raw feeding when I started doing agility training with my two dogs. Almost every single owner in my group was raw feeding. And these are extremely athletic and high-energy dogs were talking aboutthey all looked so healthy and in such great condition. It really made me start to think and question the type of nutrition I was giving to my dogs.

Q. Are there any potential risks or downsides to raw feeding you want people to be aware of?

A. Potential risks include pets or humans contracting food-borne pathogens and raw diets not being nutritionally balanced. Not all raw foods are created equal, and it's best to find a raw option like We Feed Raw that uses a kill step (called HPP, high-pressure processing) to neutralize food-borne pathogens, that meets AAFCO nutrition standards, and that is adequate for the current stage of life.

Q. What did you feed your dogs before We Feed Raw? Have you tried other raw diets?

A. Both my dogs were previously fed a prescription kibble with hydrolyzed proteins. They both suffer from inflammatory bowel disease, so they were required to be on a hydrolyzed protein diet. For a short time, I tried making my own raw diet at home using a formulation provided by another raw dog food company, but I was finding it extremely time-consuming.

Q. How did you hear about We Feed Raw? What made you decide to give our food a try? How long have you been feeding your dogs We Feed Raw?

A. I heard about We Feed Raw through a simple Google search. I contrasted and compared several different raw food companies but ended up going with We Feed Raw based on their excellent nutrition standards and great reviews.

Q. Did you notice any changes in your dogs after switching them to We Feed Raw? Do you remember how long it took to start seeing those changes?

A. One of my dogs is extremely picky when it comes to food. It would take up to 24-36 hours for him to eat a kibble meal. The instant I started feeding him We Feed Raw, he hasnt missed a meal! He is so excited about mealtime now and licks his bowl clean every single time.

Stools for both of my dogs have also become a lot more solid since starting on the raw diet. They would both have intermittent soft stools, but about a month after switching, they have been having consistently normal stools.

Lastly, one of my dogs also required monthly B12 injections due to his inflammatory bowel disease. About 3 months after starting the raw diet, I re-checked his B12 levels and they have completely normalized without having to administer his B12 injections!

Q. Over the years, we've noticed the tide changing when it comes to vets and raw feeding. While this used to be the kind of diet they'd never recommend, we now have many clients whose vets fully support their choice to feed raw. What do you think has caused this shift?

A. I think in this field we have been very limited in natural interventions that we can implement. Its not always ideal to just put pets on another medication to help alleviate symptoms. I think vets are now seeing the great advantages that raw feeding can provide. Whether it be for intestinal diseases, skin allergies, joint issues, etc, I think raw feeding offers a plethora of health benefits.

Q. Is a raw diet something you recommend for all of your dog and cat patients, or do you only talk about it if the pet parent asks? Are there some dogs or cats who should NOT eat a raw diet?

A. If pets are doing well and there are no health issues, I typically do not recommend switching diets. I definitely like to bring it to the table for pets with skin allergies or intestinal issues as these are the ones I see benefiting most from a raw diet. I think pets from households with any immunocompromised individuals should avoid feeding raw diets.

Q. What are the most important things you want pet parents to know about feeding their pets a raw diet? Do you have tips as a pet parent who feeds raw? Important information from a vets perspective about feeding raw?

A. The most important thing about feeding a raw diet is to ensure it is a complete and balanced diet and that it meets the requirements for the current stage of life, ie: growth, maintenance, etc. And always check to ensure the diet meets AAFCO standards.

Q. Although the tides are starting to turn, some vets still recommend against raw feeding. What should people do or say if their vet is pushing hard against their decision to feed a raw diet?

A. I recommend doing some research on your own and finding what fits best for you and your pets needs. You can always try and get a second opinion from another vet that you trust.

Why Few Vets Say Raw Dog Food is a Good Idea

As more people embrace clean-eating diets and cut out processed foods in an effort to be healthier, theyre also putting their dogs on raw food diets to help their four-legged family members achieve similar benefits.

Social media influencers and online resources, like Rodney Habib and Perfectly Rawsome, suggest raw food diets replicate how pets ate in the wild before they were domesticated and offer benefits like shinier coats, dental hygiene, improved digestion and smaller stools.

But most vets disagree, saying these claims are not backed by science.

The Raw Truth

The American Kennel Club (AKC), American Veterinary Medical Association and other groups discourage pet owners from feeding dogs raw or unprocessed meat, eggs and milk. Raw meat and dairy can carry pathogens, like E. coli, listeria and salmonella, which can make pets and people sick or even cause death.

A 2011 study published in the Canadian Veterinary Journal suggested that any evidence for thebenefits of raw food diets for pets is anecdotal. Additionally, the researchers point out that vets should be informing pet owners of the disease risks associated with raw food.

Jennifer Larsen, a professor of clinical nutrition in the Department of Veterinary Medicine at the University of California, Davis, doesnt recommend raw food diets for pets. She links the trend to pet food marketings emphasis on ingredients over nutrients and the general romanticizing of nature that compares dogs to wolves.

Larsen says many pet owners she meets choose raw food diets because they distrust commercial dog food, want to avoid specific ingredients or believe alternative pet foods are healthier.

If somebody that you consider to be reliable like a celebrity veterinarian on the internet, for example is telling you that raw food is the way to go, and it's the way dogs evolved and the way they should all be eating, and it's much healthier and kibble is dangerous, then it's really difficult to [convince] those people that traditional pet foods are perfectly safe, and they're adequate choices for the vast majority of pets, Larsen says.

Most vets say traditional pet food provides enough nutrition for pets. (Credit: Ekaterina Markelova/Shutterstock)

But conventional dog food is safe and nutritionally balanced, Larsen says. The FDA regulates all pet food products, including kibble, canned and commercially available raw foods.

Additionally, pet food marketing often depicts raw, human-grade meats in ads, which could mislead pet owners into thinking raw meats are safe for dogs to eat. Pet food ingredients, though named similarly, do not necessarily correlate to ingredients in human food, Larsen says. For example, pet food chicken includes flesh, skin and sometimes bones, not the boneless, skinless chicken breasts people purchase at the grocery store.

Pet Food Worries

But some vets nevertheless do advocate for more natural pet food options. Karen Becker, who describes herself as an integrative wellness veterinarian, advocates for minimally processed, nutritionally balanced and gently cooked or raw diets for dogs. This feeding method is more biologically appropriate, she says, referring to how dogs ate in the wild before domestication.

Too many pets are fed fast food, or feed-grade kibble and canned pet food, says Becker, who is affiliated with alternative medicine brand Mercola and has a pet health YouTube channel.

I believe the less processed foods are for humans and pets, the healthier they are, she says.

Some advocates hold that raw food is better for pets, though little evidence supports that. (Credit: Monika Wisniewska/Shutterstock)

But, dogs are not wolves and shouldnt eat raw meat and bone like them, says Jerry Klein, AKCs chief veterinary officer.

Through the thousands of years and generations of becoming domesticated, dogs became omnivores who evolved to eat what we people eat, Klein says.

Wolves are carnivores, he says. Their gastrointestinal systems can process raw meat, and they absorb nutrients differently than dogs do. In addition, their ability to fight potential pathogens is limited compared with wolves as well.

Dogs are better than wolves at digesting starches, key nutrients in grains like wheat and rice, according to a study published in Nature. Researchers suggest dogs and humans adapted similarly to the development of agriculture.

All reported benefits of feeding raw diets in dogs are anecdotal, not based on scientific study results, Klein says, urging caution in feeding dogs raw diets. In fact, most research on the subject has focused on the dangers of pathogens in raw diets and how they could impact animals and their owners.

More research is needed on the true benefits and safety of all dog foods, comparing kibble, canned food and raw diets, Becker says.

Across the board, the pet food industry is lacking unbiased, objective, lifetime studies about one feeding technique over another, Becker says.

The healthiest diets should be vet-recommended, based on an animals age, breed and any health conditions. Larsen urges pet owners to choose foods based on World Small Animal Veterinary Association nutrition recommendations, which list whether the food was formulated by a full-time nutritionist and provides a nutrition analysis.

Now that we have all of this proof and the fact that there's no benefit, it makes it really difficult for somebody who is interested in animal health and has a public health responsibility to recommend raw diets, Larsen says.

Why Vets Dont Recommend Raw Diets

Why Vets Dont Recommend Raw Diets

Raw diets are currently increasing in popularity. There are many books available which describe how to prepare them, and pre-made commercial options are readily available for purchase. Even so, many veterinarians are not on board with the hype. Both the World Small Animal Veterinary Association and British Veterinary Association discourage raw feeding. So why not?

Here are some of the reasons many veterinarians will not recommend raw diets:

Raw food prep can introduce bacteria into the home

The surface of any raw meat can carry bacteria. Even commercially prepared pet foods have been shown to carry pathogens. They can also easily be spread around the home if we arent careful when preparing our pets raw food. Dishes used to serve raw foods have to be properly cleaned and disinfected after each use. Young children and immunocompromised individuals are at risk of falling ill even when very low numbers of infectious bacteria are present.

Bacteria found on the surface of raw meats can infect pets and people

Infections caused by bacteria found on raw meat can cause diarrhoea, hospitalisation, and death in both people and pets. Although it appears that cats and dogs are sometimes able to carry pathogenic bacteria without showing clinical signs, they are still able to pass them on to the people they live with. It has been documented that pathogenic and antibiotic-resistant bacteria are shed in the droppings of dogs and cats.

There are reported cases of raw diets causing illness in pets and people

One example was thoroughly documented and published in a scientific journal. In 2018, a raw cat food was linked with tuberculosis in the gut; a very rare form of the disease. One hundred and thirty cats throughout the UK were diagnosed with an infection. It was very likely that the cats picked up the infection from their commercial food as they lived indoors and were consuming the same batch of raw food. There were no other potential sources of infection identified. In the end, a total of five people in contact with the infected cats also contracted tuberculosis, with one requiring medical treatment.

Lack of evidence demonstrating the benefits of raw diets

Research investigating the true benefits of feeding dogs a raw diet is still in its infancy. Dog owners who feed raw diets often report a link between raw-feeding with improved health. This includes beliefs that a raw diet will make a dogs coat shiny, enhance muscle condition and improve teeth cleanliness. However, more scientifically rigorous methods would be required to draw definitive conclusions. Until then, it appears that the risks of feeding a raw diet are greater than the potential benefits they would provide.

Nutrient inadequacies in home-prepared raw diets

Many people have taken it upon themselves to formulate raw meals for their pets. Unfortunately, this can lead to many nutrient deficiencies and imbalances. Even the majority of published recipes have ambiguous instructions which make them inconsistent or are not formulated with a proper nutrient balance in the first place. When looking for recipes to cook at home, the best source is from a board-certified veterinary nutritionist. They will have the expertise to formulate a diet and can tailor the nutrient profile to closely match your dogs specific needs.

Conclusion

Every veterinary surgeon will adhere to the first rule of care: first do no harm. Many vets believe that recommending feeding a raw diet goes against this principle, especially because of the lack of research demonstrating the benefits.

At the end of the day, your vets recommendations will be made to safeguard the wellbeing of your pet while being mindful of any public health implications.

You might also be interested in:

References

• Dgi, J., Imre, K., Herman, V., Bucur, I., Radulov, I., Petrec, O. C., & Cristina, R. T. (2021). Antimicrobial Drug-Resistant Salmonella in Urban Cats: Is There an Actual Risk to Public Health?. Antibiotics, 10(11), 1404.
• Empert-Gallegos, A., Hill, S., & Yam, P. S. (2020). Insights into dog owner perspectives on risks, benefits, and nutritional value of raw diets compared to commercial cooked diets. PeerJ, 8, e10383.
• Morelli G, Bastianello S, Catellani P, Ricci R. (2019) Raw meat-based diets for dogs: survey of owners motivations, attitudes and practices. BMC veterinary research. 2019 Dec;15(1):1-0.
• OHalloran C, TrnqvistJohnsen C, Woods G, Mitchell J, Reed N, Burr P, GascoyneBinzi D, Wegg M, Beardall S, Hope J, GunnMoore D. (2021) Feline tuberculosis caused by Mycobacterium bovis infection of domestic UK cats associated with feeding a commercial raw food diet. Transboundary and Emerging Diseases. 2021 Jul;68(4):2308-20.
• Runesvrd, E., Wikstrm, C., Fernstrm, L. L., & Hansson, I. (2020). Presence of pathogenic bacteria in faeces from dogs fed raw meatbased diets or dry kibble. Veterinary Record, 187(9), e71-e71.
• Wilson SA, Villaverde C, Fascetti AJ, Larsen JA. (2019) Evaluation of the nutritional adequacy of recipes for home-prepared maintenance diets for cats. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association. 2019 May 15;254(10):1172-9.