The popularity of raw meat-based diets (RMBDs) for dogs and cats has surged in recent years, with sales increasing by at least 15% annually. Approximately 15% to 25% of dogs and 10% of cats are now fed some form of raw meat. Many owners also supplement their pets’ meals with raw eggs or meat, or offer dehydrated RMBD treats, often without informing their veterinarian. This article delves into the various types of raw pet foods, exploring the advantages, disadvantages, safety concerns, and the challenges and opportunities these diets present to veterinary professionals.
When considering a pet’s diet, a veterinarian’s priorities are multifaceted, focusing on the well-being of both the pet and its human family. These priorities include ensuring the pet is fed a complete and balanced diet that suits its individual needs, thrives on, and is practical for the owner long-term. Recommendations can encompass high-quality commercial foods, home-prepared cooked diets, or various forms of commercial or home-prepared raw diets, sometimes with added human food components like vegetables. The ultimate decision rests with the pet owner, made after a thorough discussion that considers the owner’s preferences, family circumstances, the pet’s health history, and financial constraints.
Raw pet food options available include home-prepared RMBDs, which require careful supplementation with calcium, vitamins, minerals, and taurine. Commercial raw diets come in several forms: frozen, freeze-dried, dehydrated, and high-pressure pasteurized (HPP). While freezing kills some microorganisms, freeze-dried and dehydrated options also reduce bacterial counts, though pathogens can survive. HPP diets, treated with high pressure without heat, are effective at eliminating most bacteria while preserving nutritional quality. Generally, raw diets are more expensive than traditional kibble, with freeze-dried, dehydrated, and HPP varieties being the priciest due to processing. However, resolving dietary issues can be more cost-effective than managing chronic health problems with repeated vet visits and medications.
Potential Benefits of Raw Meat Diets
From a clinical perspective, raw meat diets can be a valuable tool for managing specific medical conditions in pets. For dogs and cats suffering from food allergies, particularly to common proteins like chicken and beef, limited-ingredient raw diets can be highly effective. These allergies often manifest as gastrointestinal issues like vomiting and diarrhea, recurrent ear infections, or excessive skin irritation. Raw diets, often made in dedicated facilities to prevent cross-contamination and typically grain-free, may offer a solution. The presence of bioactive peptides and antioxidants in RMBDs might also contribute to positive outcomes. Best canned cat food for anemia can be a consideration for cats with specific health issues, but for allergies, a change to a non-allergenic food is paramount, especially when pets are resistant to steroid treatments.
In cats, particularly those with diabetes, diets high in protein and very low in carbohydrates, like feline RMBDs, can be beneficial. The feline digestive system, adapted for a carnivorous diet, is not as efficient at digesting carbohydrates. Undigested sugars can lead to increased acidity in the colon due to microbial fermentation. Therefore, a high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet can help stabilize or even reverse diabetes in some cats. While peer-reviewed studies confirming significant medical benefits are limited, many anecdotal reports suggest positive impacts on pets with food allergies, atopy, gastrointestinal disorders, epilepsy, and cancer. Many owners also report that their pets simply “do better” on raw diets, exhibiting increased activity, weight loss, improved coat shine, and better breath.
Drawbacks and Safety Concerns of Raw Feeding
Despite potential benefits, several disadvantages are associated with feeding raw meat diets. A primary concern is ensuring the diet is complete and balanced according to AAFCO standards, especially for smaller manufacturers relying solely on whole food ingredients without synthetic supplements. Achieving the correct balance of vitamins, minerals, and an appropriate calcium-to-phosphorus ratio (around 1:1) from natural ingredients can be challenging. Not all raw pet food brands have conducted the necessary feeding trials for AAFCO certification.
The cost is another significant factor, as raw diets are generally more expensive than conventional kibble. Furthermore, time commitment is higher, as preparing or serving raw food typically requires more effort than simply dispensing dry food. Not all pets tolerate raw diets well, even with added vegetables.
Crucially, safety is a major consideration. While dogs and cats often tolerate bacteria in raw meat due to their acidic stomach fluid, immunocompromised animals with severe diseases like heart, kidney, or liver dysfunction, diabetes, or cancer should not be fed raw diets due to the risk of pathogenic bacteria. If a high-protein diet is needed for conditions like diabetes or cancer, cooked or HPP raw diets are safer alternatives.
Safety for Humans
Raw meat and eggs, intended for both animal and human consumption, can harbor microorganisms. Raw pet food carries similar risks of pathogenic bacteria to humans as raw meat does. Freezing, freeze-drying, or dehydration may reduce bacterial counts, but viable pathogens can persist. This poses a significant risk in households with pregnant individuals, young children (under 5 years), the elderly, or anyone with a compromised immune system. Safe meat handling practices are essential. For owners prioritizing RMBDs where safety is a concern for family members or the pet, HPP foods are a recommended option.
Most owners who feed raw diets are informed and safety-conscious, practicing safe food handling, careful disposal of feces, and frequent handwashing. These hygiene measures are critical given the numerous recalls of both human and pet foods due to bacterial contamination. Some healthy individuals, dogs, and cats can excrete pathogens like Salmonella in their feces. Therefore, diligent handwashing with soap and water is paramount. Veterinarians must discuss the potential benefits for the pet alongside the inherent risks to both humans and animals, documenting this advice in the pet’s medical record. Kirkland cat food nutritional analysis and calories in Fancy Feast kitten food are examples of information owners might research, highlighting a desire for detailed nutritional understanding.
Veterinary Perspectives on Raw Diets
Veterinarians face specific concerns and opportunities when clients opt for raw diets. Staff safety is paramount, as all pets are potential carriers of zoonotic microorganisms. Hygienic practices are essential for veterinary staff at all times. Veterinarians have a responsibility to advise clients on safety and potential patient problems, documenting this guidance in medical records. Many veterinary associations, including the CVMA, AVMA, WSAVA, and AAHA, have issued statements discouraging the use of RMBDs. They recommend that veterinarians advise owners to implement strict hygiene measures to minimize disease transmission.
Veterinarians often navigate client choices by recommending specific diets, medications (sometimes off-label), supporting owner decisions even if they are unenthusiastic about them, referring to specialists, or disagreeing with but supporting client choices, such as declining vaccinations. In all cases, advice and owner decisions are meticulously recorded.
Challenges and Opportunities in Veterinary Practice
A significant percentage of canine and feline patients are fed RMBDs, yet owners often do not disclose this to their veterinarians, partly because thorough dietary histories are not always taken. Clients who choose raw diets may have lower trust in general veterinary advice, including nutritional recommendations. This presents an opportunity for veterinarians who are knowledgeable and supportive of RMBDs to provide valuable services to these generally informed and conscientious pet owners.
Veterinarians who adopt a solely negative stance on RMBDs risk alienating clients. These clients may omit or obscure their pet’s diet, believe their vet is ill-informed or profit-driven, and share negative experiences online. This distrust can extend to other medical and nutritional advice, leading clients to seek care elsewhere. Such an approach is detrimental to both pet health and the veterinary practice. Conversely, veterinarians informed about RMBDs can build credibility and trust, providing balanced advice and support. Clients often research options like best food to feed my cat and veterinary food for cats, indicating a proactive approach to their pet’s health.
In conclusion, while raw pet foods are not suitable for every owner or pet, they can be effective in managing specific medical conditions, including gastrointestinal dysfunction, and may resolve issues like inappetence, obesity, and poor coat quality. Veterinarians must educate clients on the safety implications for both family members and the pet, emphasizing the need for complete and balanced nutrition. The additional cost and time involved in feeding raw diets also require careful consideration. Comprehensive cleaning and disinfection protocols are already standard in veterinary practices and are essential when handling pets on raw diets. Ultimately, optimizing a pet’s quality of life involves a holistic approach, considering nutrition, exercise, and open communication between owners and their veterinarians.
