Raw feeding

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Raw feeding is the practice of feeding domestic dogs and cats a diet primarily of uncooked meat, skin, bones, and organs.

Supporters of raw feeding believe that the natural diet an animal in the wild has evolved to consume is what it is most adapted to.^[1] They try to mimic a similar diet for their domestic companion with the belief that a balanced raw diet has the benefits of giving the animal a healthier coat, cleaner teeth and breath, reduced stool volume and odor, and better overall health. They are commonly opposed to commercial pet foods, which they believe are detrimental to an animal's health. Opponents believe that the risk of nutritional imbalance, intestinal perforations and foodborne illnesses posed by the handling and feeding of raw meat and bones would outweigh the purported benefits. The assertion by raw feeders that what is natural is better has also been criticized.^[2]

While the scientific community contend that no studies have been done to support the numerous beneficial claims of a raw diet, raw feeders feel that the burden of proof to show that commercial diets are superior and safer than raw diets rest on pet food manufacturers and veterinarians.

Contents 1 Rationale 1.1 Natural diet 1.2 Objection to commercial pet food 2 Raw diet types 2.1 Barf 2.2 Prey model 3 Nutritional balance 4 Dental health 5 Bacteria, viruses and parasites 5.1 Zoonotic risk 6 Commercial preparation 7 Veterinary position 7.1 Controversy 8 Pottenger's cats 9 See also 10 References 11 Further reading 12 External links 12.1 Articles 12.2 Advocacy 12.3 Critical

[edit] Rationale

[edit] Natural diet

Please help improve this section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion. (May 2008)

[edit] Objection to commercial pet food

The intense heat used to process commercial pet food destroys and reduces nutrients like vitamins, minerals, and enzymes.^[3] Studies with rats showed that the digestibility of amino acids in cat food is changed significantly by heat processing.^[4] Pet food manufacturers must supplement the food after heat processing to replace those nutrients. Some raw feeders believe that supplements have reduced nutritional value compared to the same nutrients in raw food and that possible nutrients not yet recognized as essential by nutritional science cannot be replaced. The same rationale is used to reject supplemented home cooked pet food. Some raw diets, however, also include supplements such as fish oil, and various vitamins or multivitamins mix.

Commercial pet foods, dry foods in particular, often contain a large amount of grains, which proponents of grain-free food feel are inappropriate for dogs and cats. Because cats are obligate carnivores, it is believed that a switch to a predominantly meat based raw diet would be especially beneficial (as compared to a raw diet for dogs) due to cats relative inability to digest grains. Studies comparing the source of protein in dry cat food concluded that the digestibility of meat-based protein is superior to corn-based protein.^[5]

Another belief held by a good number of people^[who?] - whether they believe in a raw diet for pets or not - is that commertial pet foods contain a significant number of ingredients which have been declared "unsuitable for human consumption" (and hence are extremly cheap). These people then proceed to question the nutritional value and effects on a pets long term health if they are fed a diet which is based on such nutrients.

[edit] Raw diet types

Please help improve this section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion. (February 2008)

There are various differences in opinion within the raw feeding community. Issues includes the question of whether dogs are omnivores or carnivores and if they need plant material in their diet, and if so, the proportion of such material. The safety of whole bones is also a frequent topic of discussion

[edit] Barf

The "BARF" diet, an acronym for Biologically Appropriate Raw Food or Bones And Raw Food was created by Australian veterinary surgeon Dr Ian Billinghurst. A typical BARF diet is made up of 60-80% of raw meaty bones(RMB), that is bones with about 50% meat,^[6](e.g. chicken neck, back and wings) and 20-40% of fruits and vegetables, offal, meat, eggs, or dairy foods.

[edit] Prey model

The "Prey model" diet attempts to simulate the proportions of an actual prey animal in a pet's diet. This includes organ meat, heads, skin, muscle, bone, blood and even fur, feathers or scales when available. Supplements are generally not used in a prey model diet although some followers do add fish oil to the diet to compensate for the reduced amount of omega-3 fatty acid in commercially raised grain-fed livestock.^[7]

[edit] Nutritional balance

As raw diets can range from meticulously prepared and tested to diets composed of a variety of meats and butchers' scraps, the nutritional balance of a raw diet can vary greatly depending on the recipe.

Many who oppose raw diets believe that the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) standards that commercial pet food has to meet gives an assurance of quality that homemade food cannot give. One study that analyzed the nutritional content of three homemade diets (included the BARF diet) and two commercial raw food diets and compared it to the AAFCO standards, showed that nutritional imbalances occurred in multiple areas.^[8] Three of the diets had abnormal calcium-to-phosphorus ratios which can lead to hyperparathyroidism and fibrous osteodystrophy in puppies.^[9]

A 12-month study undertaken for the Winn Feline Foundation by researchers from the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine sought to compare the effects of a whole ground rabbit diet with a high quality commercial diet on 22 kittens and adolescent cats. The ground whole rabbit diet(including fur and organs) was frozen in small batches and thawed prior to feeding. The researchers noted the superior palatability of the raw rabbit diet. Significant stool quality improvements were seen in the raw rabbit diet group after one week. After one month, the raw diet group had firm, non-odorous and well formed stools while the commercial diet group had soft formed to liquid stools. The raw diet group also appear to have better coat quality. There were no differences between the groups in terms of growth rate, degree of inflammation in the intestinal tract and the numbers of bacteria in the upper small intestine, although a slightly higher number of cats in the raw diet group were shedding pathogenic organisms (Giardia and Cryptosporidia) in their stools. Ten months into the study, one cat in the raw diet group died suddenly from dilated cardiomyopathy due to a severe taurine deficiency. 70% of the group had heart muscle change compatible with taurine deficiency. The researcher ascertained that the raw rabbit diet contained the minimal requirement of taurine but speculated that bacteria in the rabbit carcasses might have broken down some of the taurine. The processing and grinding of the rabbit might have also caused some of the taurine to be destroyed due to the low level of vitamin E in the diet. The authors conclude that "a natural diet may not always be as healthy as imagined, and that even measuring nutrient values may not predict how a diet will perform after being fed for many months."^[10]

When feeding a raw diet, even some proponents of raw diets recommend frequent analysis by a veterinarian or animal nutritionist to verify that proper nutrients are being ingested.^{[citation needed]} Other proponents sometimes dismiss the importance of AAFCO standards, claiming that AAFCO certification is not indicative of the quality of a diet. An AAFCO panel expert has stated that "although the AAFCO profiles are better than nothing, they provide false securities."^[11] Many^[who?] cite that the oldest dog ever recorded, a 29-year-old Australian cattle dog named Bluey, died in 1939, several years before commercial pet food was invented, and that, of the two oldest dogs in recent years, one was fed primarily on kangaroo and emu meat.^[12]

Further information: Pet_food#Labeling_and_regulation

[edit] Dental health

Some proponents of raw diet claim noticeable benefit to the dental hygiene of pets who eat raw bones, while others believe that ground bone should be used instead, to prevent the possibility for intestinal puncturing and dental fractures. The abrasion between bone and teeth when chewing is believed to scrape off dental plaque. Cartilage, ligaments, and tendons are thought to act as a natural dental floss.^[13] The chewing and tearing action is also believed to strengthen the jaw, neck and shoulder muscles. Proponents of ground bones believe that the chewing of muscle meat may also assist in keeping teeth clean.

The use of whole bone creates a risk of dental fractures,^[14] intestinal obstruction, gastroenteritis, and intestinal perforations.^[8][15] Wolf care managers questioned on the topic of feeding bones identified the presence of animal hide with hair as offering some protection from intestinal perforation in the wild.^[16] An analysis of the skulls of African wild dogs showed that the natural diet of wild carnivores does not prevent them from suffering the same oral disease as their domestic counterpart, although other studies have had results that claim otherwise.^[17] Raw diet proponents note that the same risks of obstruction, puncturing, and dental fractures are present in dog chews, with little evidence indicating that this is a serious problem particular to raw diets with bones.^{[citation needed]} Most veterinarians state that chewing raw bone is an inadequate substitute for regular dental cleaning and tooth brushing.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Bacteria, viruses and parasites

While the intense heat used in manufacturing pet food destroys any potential bacteria, raw meats may contain bacteria that are unsafe for both dogs and cats.^[18] The US Government reported that in 2006, 16.3% of all chickens were contaminated with salmonella.^[19] A study on 25 commercial raw diets for dogs and cats detected Salmonella in 20% and Escherichia coli in 64% of the diets. However, the E. coli strain that can cause severe illness H157:O7 was not tested for.^[20] An example of the severity of E. coli H157:O7 infections can be seen in affected greyhound racing dogs fed raw meat as part of their diet. Known in greyhounds as "Alabama rot", the disease causes severe vasculitis, cutaneous necrosis, renal failure and death. It should be noted that racing greyhounds are typically fed raw meat classified as "not for human consumption", which may contain higher than normal levels of bacteria.^[21]

Raw feeders consider the risk overblown and claim that the stomach enzymes and short intestinal tracts of dogs and cats allow them to handle harmful bacteria.^[22][23] For example, an outbreak of Salmonella caused by tainted commercial dry dog food led to 62 cases of human infection but no reports of the disease affecting animals fed the tainted food.^[24] Also, the purchase of good quality meat from reputable sources and proper food safety practices such as defrosting meat in the refrigerator and not leaving food out for too long can reduce the proliferation of bacteria present in the meat. A veterinarian from the National Animal Poison Control Center suggests that the diarrhea in animals that raw feeders attribute to detoxing could be caused by pathogens such as salmonella, E. coli, clostridium and campylobacter.^[2]

Raw meats may also contain harmful parasites. As with bacteria, these parasites are destroyed during the heat processing of manufactured pet foods. Some raw diet recipes call for freezing of the final product, which greatly reduces (but does not necessarily eliminate) the potential for parasites. According to European Union regulations,^[25] freezing fish at -20°C (-4°F) for 24 hours kills parasites. The FDA recommends freezing at -35°C (-31°F) for 15 hours, or at -20°C (-4°F) for 7 days.^[26] The most common parasites in fish are roundworms from the family Anisakidae and fish tapeworm.^[27] While freezing pork at -15°C (5°F) for 20 days will kill any trichinella spiralis worm,^[28] trichinosis is rare in countries with well established meat inspection programs,^[29] with cases of trichinosis in humans in the United States mostly coming from consumption of raw or undercooked wild game. Trichinella species in wildlife are resistant to freezing. In dogs and cats symptoms of trichinellosis would include mild gastrointestinal upset (vomiting and diarrhea) and in rare cases, muscle pain and muscle stiffness.^[30]

An additional risk in some parts of the world is Pseudorabies (also known as Aujeszky's disease).^{[citation needed]} The Pseudorabies virus is found in raw pork meat and raw wild boar. Only certain areas in the world are affected but it should be taken into account by those interested in feeding their pets such meat. To this day no cure is known for this disease in dogs and it will kill a dog in a very short time.

[edit] Zoonotic risk

See also: Zoonosis

A possible risk of raw feeding is that of human infection caused by direct or indirect exposure to bacterial pathogens in raw meat and animal stools. For example the British Veterinary Association warns that humans "risk exposing themselves to bacteria like salmonella".^[31] A small study on the levels of salmonella in the stool of 10 dogs that ate a raw diet found that 80% of the raw diet tested positive for Salmonella spp. and while 30 percent of the stool samples from dogs fed a raw food diet contained salmonella, none of the control dogs (commercial fed) contained salmonella. The authors of the study concluded that dogs on a raw food diet may therefore be a source of environmental contamination, although they caution about the statistical significance of their results due to the small number of dogs studied.^[32]

Because of the potential animal and human health risks, veterinarian organizations and public health agencies believe that the risks inherent in raw feeding outweigh the purported benefits.^[33] Despite such concerns, there is no known incidence of humans being infected with salmonella by cats and dogs fed a raw diet.^[34] Again, proper food safety precautions such as wiping down preparation surfaces and careful disposal of stools can reduce the risk of infection.

[edit] Commercial preparation

Further information: Pet food, Cat food, and Dog food

After the 2007 pet food recall, interest in raw and cooked homemade pet food grew tremendously.^[35] As a result of that, more pet food manufacturers now offer frozen raw diet products for pet owners. Some consumers believe that many of the same issues they find with commercial pet foods exist with packaged raw diets, others use it due to its convenience and for products with AAFCO certification, its assurance of a nutritionally balanced product.

[edit] Veterinary position

Veterinary associations such as the American Veterinary Medical Association, British Veterinary Association and Canadian Veterinary Medical Association have warned of the animal and public health risk that could arise from feeding raw meat to pets and have stated that there is no scientific evidence to support the claimed benefits of raw feeding.^[31][33]

[edit] Controversy

It is believed by many raw feeders that veterinarians are influenced by academic departments and professional associations that rely upon funding from pet food companies.^[36] For example, Hill's Pet Nutrition, makers of Science Diet and a range of prescription only food is a major sponsor of the American Veterinary Medical Association.^[37] Another common belief is that veterinarians lack adequate knowledge on raw diets or nutrition in general.^[31] Frequently, veterinary schools receive nutrition training that is provided to students or sponsored by pet food manufacturers.^[38] Raw feeders are often skeptical of the motives that some veterinarians have in recommending the commercial foods they sell, pointing out the conflict of interest in them doing so.

[edit] Pottenger's cats

For more details on this topic, see Francis M. Pottenger, Jr..

One study used by many people feeding pets a raw diet to back up their claims of raw food being superior to cooked food is Francis M. Pottenger, Jr.'s study of 900 cats over a period of 10 years from 1932 to 1942. Although his results showed that cats that were fed raw foods were disease free and healthy while those fed the same food cooked developed degenerative diseases and reproductive difficulties, with new generations plagued with health problems, the study was done before the importance of taurine in a cat's diet was known and it is likely that the group of Pottenger's cats on cooked food simply suffered from taurine deficiency as heating or cooking food causes a reduction in taurine content.^[39] In a study on feline maternal taurine deficiency, the group of taurine-deficient cats exhibited symptoms similar to the Pottenger's cats on a cooked diet.^[40]

[edit] See also

• Raw foodism
• Paleolithic diet - A human diet based on a similar evolutionary rationale.

[edit] References

[edit] Further reading

• Billinghurst, Ian (1993). Give Your Dog a Bone: The Practical Commonsense Way to Feed Dogs for a Healthy Life, 320. ISBN 978-0646160283. 
• Lonsdale, Tom (2001). Raw Meaty Bones Promote Health. Dogwise Publishing, 389. ISBN 978-0646396248. 
• Billinghurst, Ian (2001). The BARF Diet: Raw Feeding for Dogs and Cats Using Evolutionary Principles. ISBN 978-0958592512. 
• Lonsdale, Tom (2005). Work Wonders: Feed Your Dog Raw Meaty Bones. Dogwise Publishing, 118. ISBN 978-0975717400. 

[edit] External links

[edit] Articles

• The beef over pet food Salon.com, January 2006
• Bones of contention Dogs Today Magazine, September 2006
• BARF: Bones And Raw Food Overview of the BARF diet and issues.
• Should Your Dog Eat BARF? VetCentric.com
• Raw vs. BARF: Waging an Imaginary War On the perceived differences between BARF and raw feeding
• Her Great Danes Eat It Raw San Francisco Chronicle SFGate.com, September 2003
• Overview of Pottenger's Cat study Price-Pottenger Nutrition Foundation

[edit] Advocacy

• rawlearning.com Jane Anderson's website on raw feeding.
• rawfed.com The many myths of raw feeding
• CatInfo.org Veterinarian Dr. Lisa Pierson's site on feline nutrition, health, and care

[edit] Critical

• How safe is a raw diet? Not very A Better Nutrition Magazine article on raw feeding.
• "An ethicist's commentary on the “Raw Diet”" Canadian Veterinary Journal article