In recent years,
there has been a movement in the dog and cat world
regarding feeding raw meat diets. There are many
diets out there with the most popular being BARF
by Dr. Ian Billinghurst.
But why the
movement when there are so many brands of dog and
cat food on the market? The most popular
explanation I have found concerns what is going
into processed pet food. Some brands of processed
pet food are very low in “garbage” (excess
additives, preservatives and colors). Other foods
are full of sugars, colors, unnecessary additives
and potentially dangerous preservatives. All
processed foods need preserving but not all
preservatives are great. This article is not about
reading pet food labels; it is about the benefits
and the risks of a raw meat diet.
One of the benefits
with a raw meat diet is you know exactly what is
going into the animal. However, a drawback
is you also can end up with a malnourished pet!
Good nutrition is far more than feeding your
animal enough to keep it from getting too thin.
Cats for example are far more carnivorous than
dogs. The type of raw diet you would use for a cat
would not give a dog what it needs. According to
Give Your Dog a Bone by Dr. Ian Billinghurst, a
raw diet for a dog consists of 60% raw, meaty
bones. The other 40% is a variety of foods to
balance: green vegetables, eggs, milk and organ
meats (liver, heart, kidneys, etc).
Feeding a raw diet
is far more than hitting your local grocery store
and tossing hamburger or chicken your pet’s way!
Proper nutrition involves knowing what your pet
needs to be healthiest in regards to protein, fat,
carbohydrates, fiber, various vitamins and
minerals, etc. Deficiencies in any of these can
lead to serious problems down the road. For
example, if a cat lacks taurine, he can end up
with vision problems. Some breeds of dog are prone
to bladder stones and some stones may have a
protein-related basis. Too much protein can be bad
for these dogs. If you wish to properly feed a raw
diet, you need to take the time to understand the
intricacies of animal nutrition based on species.
A good, high quality kibble takes care of the
mystery of how much a dog or cat needs of what
element.
If you can dedicate
yourself to study and properly creating a balanced
raw diet, this is a major concern out of the way.
In March of 2001, an article in JAVMA (Journal of
the American Veterinary Medical Association)
compared raw diets to commercially prepared diets.
All the raw diets were not nutritionally complete.
Though the study was small, it gives pause for
thought. Can you ensure your dog or cat is getting
a balanced diet?
|
