{"id":36561,"date":"2021-08-18T07:37:15","date_gmt":"2021-08-18T07:37:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/afihstaging.wpengine.com\/?p=36561"},"modified":"2021-11-08T07:51:31","modified_gmt":"2021-11-08T07:51:31","slug":"why%e2%80%afits-time-to-switch-to-a-raw%e2%80%afalternative%e2%80%afdog-food","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/addictionpet.com\/en-nz\/blog\/why%e2%80%afits-time-to-switch-to-a-raw%e2%80%afalternative%e2%80%afdog-food\/","title":{"rendered":"Why\u202fit\u2019s time to switch to a raw\u202falternative\u202fdog food"},"content":{"rendered":"

Raw feeding for dogs has become quite the trend online. In 2018, ASMR videos on YouTube and all-raw\u00a0<\/span>diet videos on TikTok<\/span><\/a>\u00a0feature owners feeding their pets uncooked food. One user even amassed 50 million likes alone, with commenters asking help with transitioning pets to the same kind of feeding pattern.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

While this trend has gained quite some traction online, giving this kind of diet to dogs may not be as beneficial as what online influencers may claim. Here’s a short history of how this practice came to be, and why it’s important to consider\u00a0safer\u00a0alternatives\u00a0to raw food for dogs.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What is\u00a0raw\u00a0feeding<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

\"Raw<\/p>\n

The\u00a0trend of\u00a0raw feeding\u00a0dates\u00a0before\u00a0these\u00a0TikTok\u00a0and YouTube\u00a0videos became popular,\u00a0with instances recorded\u00a0<\/span>as early as 2002<\/span><\/a>\u00a0with raw chicken diets fed to dogs, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Raw-feeding,\u00a0as the name implies, involves feeding uncooked food for pets\u00a0with\u00a0the belief that\u00a0raw food\u00a0is\u00a0more\u00a0natural and\u00a0is\u00a0free of preservatives and harmful chemicals. Ingredients in such a diet can include meat or\u00a0organs from pigs, chickens, and\u00a0cattle.\u00a0Uncooked fruits and vegetables are popular choices as well.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Owners believe that eating raw\u00a0meats\u00a0allow dogs to absorb more protein to help muscle growth.\u00a0Sweet potatoes, peas, rice, and broccoli are\u00a0common\u00a0additions\u00a0too.\u00a0The<\/span>y<\/span>\u00a0believe that these contain the needed carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals to aid proper digestion and energy that dogs need for a healthy life.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

While there is no factual evidence that can be cited about the benefits of such a diet, these videos remain\u00a0trendy\u00a0anyway. However,\u00a0veterinarians\u00a0like\u00a0<\/span>Dr. Gary Richter<\/span><\/a>, Chief Veterinary Officer of the American Kennel Club, strongly warn against this practice, especially if there are immunocompromised people who live with these pets. After all, there\u2019s always a risk of parasites or bacteria in raw food being transmitted from pets to humans. People who have less than adequate immunity have a bigger risk of contracting diseases like Salmonella this way.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The risks of raw food<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

\"Feeding<\/p>\n

Feeding your dog raw\u00a0meat\u00a0can be dangerous.<\/span>\u00a0\u00a0Because of the rising trend of\u00a0giving pets raw\u00a0foods for\u00a0their perceived \u201cfreshness\u201d,\u00a0the U.S. National Library of Medicine conducted\u00a0<\/span>a\u00a0study in 2006<\/span><\/a>\u00a0analyzing\u00a0240 samples from commercially prepared raw meat dog diets, dry, and canned foods. Out of these, 6% of the raw food diets\u00a0<\/span>tested positive for Salmonella<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span>E. Coli was also isolated<\/span><\/a>\u00a0and found in almost 50% of the raw food diets.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

While infections and symptoms from these\u00a0bacteria\u00a0may be uncommon in pets, they can still be carriers,\u00a0<\/span>according to the FDA<\/span><\/a>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This can present a possible risk of transmission given that dog owners need to clean up after their pets.\u00a0There may be no direct contact when owners clean up the mess their dogs leave behind, but the fact that pet-to-human transmission can happen still makes the prospect of raw feeding a risk in itself.\u00a0In fact, the National Library of Medicine\u00a0<\/span>in a 2005 report<\/span><\/a>\u00a0recorded cases of such a transmission.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In that incident,\u00a0a Salmonella outbreak happened in an animal shelter and 3 animal companion facilities.\u00a018 people and 36 animals tested positive\u00a0for\u00a0the disease, with some animals reportedly\u00a0dying\u00a0as well. While the\u00a0specific diets were not mentioned in the report, this incident was proof that animal-to-human transmission of the disease was possible.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Even if pets might show no symptoms from eating raw food, it’s highly likely that their owners may have them instead. Parasites are also a major risk, given that uncooked meats may contain them and they can end up in your pet’s digestive tract.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What dogs really need<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

\"Dog<\/p>\n

VCA Animal Hospitals<\/span><\/a>\u00a0lists 6 basic nutrients that dogs need\u00a0in their food: water, proteins, fats, carbohydrates, minerals, and vitamins. Given that dogs are omnivorous, they require a balanced diet of meats and vegetables\u00a0<\/span>as well<\/span>\u00a0to get the maximum recommended nutrition.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For growing dogs, the AAFCO’s <\/span>recommended nutritional intake<\/span><\/a> for <\/span>Crude Protein is 22%.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Other nutrients include:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n