Prior to the early 1900s, our dogs were fed butcher’s scraps, leftovers, and if that wasn’t available, they hunted and scavenged for themselves. Cats were primarily kept for pest control, and survived on the mice they caught along with the occasional bowl of milk or meat handout from their owners. In the early part of the century, commercially prepared foods—biscuits, canned food and finally kibble—replaced our pets more natural diets.

Recent years, however, have seen a rise in the popularity of raw food diets.
Supplying your dog or cat with raw foods is a safe and healthy alternative to commercially produced foods. There are numerous raw food diets out there for pet owners to try.

Health benefits of raw food

There are many benefits that have been reported by pet owners after they have switched their pets to a raw food diet, and I have seen this in my practice. 

Here is a list of improvements that pet owners have experienced:

• shinier hair coat
• eliminated dog odor
• better body muscle to fat ratios
• cleaner teeth and breath
• decreased itching
• normalized energy levels
• improved urinary tract health
• better resistance to infections
• increased mobility with a decrease in arthritis pain
• decreased allergy symptoms
• little to no hair balls in cats
• lower stool volume

Not all pets will experience all of the health benefits listed above, but most pet owners report that their pet experiences one of more of these benefits after switching over to a raw food diet. 

Additional benefits may include not having to make as many trips to the veterinarian—a healthier pet, fewer vet bills. Another potential advantage is that, in general, raw diets are less expensive than (premium) commercial diets if you prepare the raw diet yourself, at home.

Raw food concerns

 

Salmonella and E. coli are not well-documented concerns for pets, and are rarely seen by pet owners who currently feed raw diets. The intestinal tracts of dogs and cats are designed for handling and digesting raw meats. 

When raw meat is ingested, the stomach  pH goes to a highly acidic pH of 1, making it very difficult for these organisms to survive. The short digestive tract  of a carnivore enables the food to be digested and ready to go (as feces) within six hours, before the bacteria can become a problem.

To prevent the spreading of any potentially harmful bacteria, take a few extra precautions. Bacteria are normally transmitted through what is known as fecal-oral contact—handling waste and then inadvertently touching the mouth. The best way to protect yourself is simple: use common sense and practice good hygiene. 

If you are ill, do not feed raw food to your pet (have someone else do it), and do not handle any waste. Anyone who is sick or has a poor immune system has a higher chance of passing something on to their pet or being susceptible to disease themselves.

An additional concern is choking on bones and intestinal obstruction/perforation. These events are rare, but they are still possible. 

Most dogs and cats chew the bones well, breaking them down into small pieces that pass through the intestinal tract quickly. 

Some dogs and cats still manage to eat bones and choke on them, usually by eating them too quickly. 

To prevent this, chop up the bones into small pieces prior to feeding. When cats are fed raw meat with bones, the food should always be chopped up into very small pieces, one-quarter inch or smaller. 

Never feed whole chicken necks to cats.

An easy way to avoid these issues is to buy one of the commercially prepared raw diets—they include everything needed, including chopped-up bones.

Incorporating raw food into your pet’s diet

A home raw diet is, and should be, simple. When preparing a raw diet, keep some  basic food “groups” in mind. Meat, chopped bones, and vegetables should be a large part of what you feed your pet, along with organ meats, once a week. If you keep these basic principles in mind, you should have no problem providing your pet with a much healthier lifestyle.