We love sharing everything with our dogs, sometimes even our diets! Those of us who’ve opted for a raw food lifestyle might want to pass on the benefits to our pets. But what are the pros and cons of raw food diets for dogs and puppies? Some people are totally for raw feeding while others are totally against.
Regardless of what route you choose, we think it’s best for it to be a well-informed one. That’s why in this article, PD Insurance looks at some pros and cons of raw food for puppies.
In this article
What exactly is a raw dog food diet?
When it comes to a raw dog food diet, feeding your pup the odd piece of raw meat here and there doesn’t cut it. It’s a complete lifestyle shift in the form of a new diet.
The raw food diet is also often referred to as BARF (yes, really) for either Bones and Raw Food or Biologically Appropriate Raw Food.
As the name suggests, the raw food diet mostly contains raw meat and in particular innards and muscle meat. It also comprises things like meaty bones (whole or ground) dog safe fruits and veg as well as eggs and yoghurt.
If you’re keen to explore which human foods are safe for dogs, here’s the PD Guide to Things That Can Poison Your Pet and Can Dogs Eat These Human Foods?
Pros and cons of raw food for puppies
As with most decisions, there are both pros and cons that come with raw feeding. Your individual circumstances such as your dog’s age, health and nutritional needs play a big role in making the correct choice.
So too does ignoring your neighbour’s disapproving glances at your dog’s kibble or your best friend’s assertions that raw is the only way. Your decision needs to be based around your pet’s health. After all, food fads come and go, but a dog’s love is forever.
Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of raw feeding for your dog or puppy.
Pros of raw food
Advocates for raw dog food diets tend to argue the BARF (ahem) way of feeding is more natural and therefore better for canine health than commercial diets. The rationale is that years ago, before dogs were domesticated, their wolf ancestors would have eaten this way.
According to advocates, key benefits can include:
- Glossier coat
- Simplified weight management
- Healthier skin (and fewer skin conditions such as dermatitis)
- Palatability (some picky eaters seem to prefer the taste of raw dog food)
- More energy
- Less poop
On that last note, this appears to come down to easier digestion. The higher levels of enzymes in raw food that would normally be broken down during the cooking process may make raw food more digestible. This also tends to make pooch’s poop both smaller and firmer so it’s said that raw feeding may help dogs with chronic diarrhoea.
Some dogs certainly seem to thrive on a well balanced raw food that’s fed correctly. Generally speaking, though, the verdict is yet to be decided as to whether these claims are true.
The safety of raw dog food diets still needs to be properly assessed over time because early and anecdotal results may differ from long term ones or simply be biased.
The argument against a raw diet
As BMC veterinary study shows that 94% of those who feed raw diets believe it to be completely safe. However, they’re acting on hearsay rather than scientific evidence. According to the study “most owners underestimate the risks” of raw feeding and the “reputed health benefits are mainly anecdotal.”
Let’s take a look at some of the key concerns of a raw food diet for dogs:
- Bacterial contamination. One of the biggest risks associated with raw meat is contamination from bacteria. In fact this is one of the big reasons we humans cook our food as raw meat can be unsafe for pets and people. It can (and often does) carry bacteria and pathogens like listeria and salmonella. As many as 200,000 Kiwis get food related illness like salmonella every year. A raw dog food diet likely means dogs will be joining these ranks.
- Poorly balanced diets. Getting a healthy and balanced diet for your pet is essential to their health and raw feeding can be hard to do correctly. Dogs and growing puppies have specific requirements when it comes to proteins, fats, minerals, vitamins, carbohydrates, fibre and water. In addition, they need these in varying proportions based on their breed, size, growth stage and overall health.
- Health risks. The fallout from an unbalanced diet can have dire consequences. For instance, the wrong ratio of calcium to phosphorus can have significant effects on bone development. Raw feeding in puppies has been linked to rickets.
The BMC veterinary study shows that “choosing a diet that puts both animal and human health at risk should not be encouraged.” As Stuff reports, the veterinary industry traditionally advises a raw food diet for dogs because of the associated risks, however, some holistic vets do support it.
Weighing the pros and cons of raw food
As you’ve seen, there are pros and cons to a raw food diet for puppies and adult dogs. Either may weigh out the other depending on your pup and your approach. However, it’s important to note that many vets don’t support raw food diets for dogs.
When it comes to pros and cons of raw food, any mistakes or errors of judgement can have a much greater effect on puppies than adult dogs. Bacteria and pathogens are hard for a fledgling immune system to fight off. Any nutritional miscalculations could lead to developmental problems for your puppy.
Ultimately the decision is yours. If you decide to go for it, we recommend working in close conjunction with your vet and/or a pet nutritionist who can help you with regular check-ups, feeding adjustments and consultations.
If you choose to, then you may very well feed your puppy a commercial puppy food diet and switch to a raw food diet for dogs once they’re grown up. This will give them time to develop their immune systems.
After all, they say you are what you eat. It’s worth getting your puppy or dog’s diet right rather than having to spend hundreds or even thousands down the line to make up for what was lost.
Raw food diet and rickets
We recently interviewed Royal Canin about changes and innovations to pet food. In this interview, Royal Canin’s Scientific Services Veterinary Manager, Dr Corey Regnerus says,
“We’ve seen a re-emergence in the last five years of rickets in puppies now that has been directly attributed to raw feeding in puppies.”
He adds “That’s not to say that all raw feeding is bad, but it can be very challenging to do well in that particular growth phase. Making sure that we have the energy levels right, and the calcium and phosphorus in particular, and in the correct ratios is important when we’re talking about feeding puppies and kittens which can be nearly impossible to achieve with raw feeding.”
Pros and cons of raw food for dogs VS wolves
Interestingly the idea that raw feeding is natural because wolves eat raw food doesn’t hold much water. Dogs have evolved alongside and with humans, in other words, we’ve co-evolved.
As a result dogs digest and absorb food differently to their distant wild relatives because of biological differences.
To this end pet food companies that follow AAFCO feeding standards (the minimum global guidelines) are a safe option to choose. Many offer niche products to cater to your specific dog’s breed and age requirements.
Give your dog a soft landing with pet insurance
Now that you’ve got the gist of the pros and cons of raw food, you’re better positioned to make the best choice for your pooch. While we’re talking what’s good for pooch, pet insurance is both great for them and your pocket.
When you get award winning cover from PD Insurance you can have the costs of diagnostics, treatments and medication covered for a broad range of unexpected pet vet visits. With our hassle-free plans, you get high quality cover, easy claims and fast reimbursement.
PLUS, you can get 1 MONTH FREE dog insurance when you sign up. Why wait until it’s too late, click below and start your quote today.