Raw Food Diets May Be Dangerous for Pets

Thursday, October 18, 2012 - 11:45am





  • Practice regular hand washing before and after feeding pets.
  • Practice appropriate disposal methods when cleaning up pet feces.






A thoroughly ignorant article based upon superficial research, at the most.

Sheila Tatman

I have been feeding a home made raw diet to my newfoundlands for years. Any time we are at the vet for a wellness check, they (the vet staff) are amazed at the perfect bloodwork, perfect teeth, perfect coats of my dogs. And always advise against the raw diet that promotes the perfect check-ups. Go figure. We only go to the vet once per year.


Animals lick their own butts. Dogs try to eat random poop. Some raw, human grade meat isn't going to kill them. As a matter of fact, they are carnivores, and I truly believe a raw diet is better. Though I'm curious who's feeding milk?! That's certainly not species appropriate.

To those talking about how our pets aren't wild - they are. Stray or feral cats and dogs survive just fine without people. Any shortening of their lifespan is because they don't have vet care, and there are dangers in the wild that aren't related to food. To say they evolved to eat cooked food is like saying we evolved to eat junk food. Just because we CAN eat something and survive doesn't mean we should. Shouldn't we want more than for our pets to survive? We want them at their best, which a proper raw diet does.


I have done some exhaustive research into feeding RAW.. which my APBT LOVES btw. Several vets have sites dedicated to feeding a " Prey model raw" diet... 1 of these vets had 2 dogs that were raw fed their entire lives. They lived to be 19 and 22 years old. If you believe your dog needs to eat corn, soy and other fruits and vegetables.... then you have done no research into the facts. A dogs stomach is not like a humans. It does not have a bend in it.. it runs straight through to the intestines. Because of this, a dog is not equipped to digest plant matter. A humans stomach on the other hand has a 90 degree bend in the bottom which allows us to digest plant matter. Also, a dogs stomach acid is between a 1-2ph, highly acidic.. this is for digesting raw bone. Kibble has been around for only 50 years or so... so, please explain to me why I must feed a plant based kibble that offers little nutritional value for my furry friend... over a rich and fulfilling raw diet.


How misguided a post and I am sad to see this from the ASPCA. Dogs are NOT omnivores. Corn is NOT digestible. Grain in general is nearly indigestible for carnivores. Dogs and cats are built to eat and digest prey, not processed balls of dried slurry. On kibble my dog was low energy with high seasonal allergies, high food allergies, medical conditions, incessant paw biting, patchy hair and flaky skin. On raw food ALL of her conditions have disappeared and she has become a healthy, happy, wonderful 3 year old. My puppy has been fed raw since the day he came home and he would not have gone from 11lbs to 50lbs in 3 months if the diet was not nutritionally sound. I have no doubt he would not be as healthy and growing as well as he is if he was on kibble! Please do not cook your dog's food and DEFINITELY do not give cooked bones. Raw chicken (including bones) is perfectly fine though. More than 1/3 of dogs naturally carry Salmonella in their gut flora. It makes people sick, not dogs.


The Raw food diet is NOT a fad diet - this diet has saved the life of two dogs that I know of personally and is in fact endorsed by some of the more knowledgeable vets You do however need to check the ingredient list for veggies added etc. Know Your Supplier! Same as any other product you are purchasing - know your supplier and check the ingredient list.


Here, let me clear up this entire debate: Raw people admit that there are pathogens and parasites. Non raw people accurately say this is a risk. The level of risk is clearly up for opinion. Solution? Cook the "whole foods". Simple. No more pathogens. Still get raw food. If anything, this is the "luxury" version of ripping apart a carcass in the forest. You get all the nutrients and none of the pathogens. I have yet to hear *ONE* raw enthusiast tell me why the food needs to be "Raw". The comparison is only between whole foods versus kibble. Since THAT is the correct comparison, if you are feeding whole foods raw, you are being lazy and putting your dog at risk. So cook your whole foods, and get the praise and admiration of every veterinarian on earth, while simultaneously silencing the kibble enthusiasts. You're welcome, everyone.

Lucy Fred

I feed my 3 shetland sheepdogs RAW and my VET agrees with my decision as he feeds his cats RAW. My once extremely ill kibble eating female is now a raw fed thriving A+ healthy dog. Blood tests confirm my decision was the correct one. In the wild they would eat their catch raw.



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