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What about bones?
We get bombarded with reasons why not to give
bones to pets. Yet many raw diets encourage the
use of raw bones. Bones are very controversial.
Baking and smoking bones changes their texture.
However, even raw bones can break and snap. Raw
bones can cause damage to the esophagus, stomach
and intestine. But bones help scrape build-up off
teeth and raw may not be as brittle as bones dried
out in a baking/smoking process. It is argued that
wild animals have been chewing bones without
problem for thousands of years. However,
there has been no research done into the death
rate of wild canines or felines from bone
complications.
A wild canine or
feline with a bone impaction would die quickly and
never be seen by humans. This is why we do not see
wild canines or felines with bone impactions: they
do not survive. Bones have VERY little
nutritional value for animals. The bulk of the
nutrition comes from what is on the bone. However,
GROUND bone meal can be a good source of calcium
and other elements. Please realize that raw bones
do have risks like anything your pet can chew.
Now, let's consider
the bacteria in raw meat. Canine and feline
digestive tracts are not the same as ours.
Supposedly, a healthy dog or cat should be better
able to handle the bacteria in meat better than
humans can. However, there has been concern raised
regarding bacteria. First, humans: we must
practice safe meat handling and cleaning up after
our pets eat. The bacteria in raw meat can be
fatal to a human who is young, elderly or has a
weakened immune system. Some cats and dogs on raw
diets have persistent diarrhea – not normal.
Chronic diarrhea can lead to dehydration and other
problems. Also, it can be a sign that the animal
is not handling the bacteria well. The bacteria
can be fatal in a pet with a weakened immune
system or who is already sick. Dr. Lisa Newman, a
doctor of Naturopathy with a PhD in holistic
nutrition has seen an increase of irritable bowel
syndrome, digestive problems and immuno-related
weaknesses in animals fed a raw diet on a daily
basis.
Are raw diets a fad
or are they here to stay? I think they are here to
stay. Honestly this scares me. Please
understand, I am not fully opposed to the diets.
I feel for some animals they can be beneficial.
What worries me is the lack of education and
knowledge the general person feeding a raw diet
has. Good quality processed foods contain
everything a dog or cat needs to be healthy and
little in the way of additives or unnecessary
preservatives. Are raw diets safer than a high
quality processed kibble? Maybe they are or maybe
not. Should the average person try to make their
raw diets? No. It takes time, dedication, lots of
research and fully understanding the pros and
cons.
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