I told my vet I was thinking of switching Buffy’s dog food since I had been using the same brand since 2001. At that time I had a dog active in agility competitions, and her trainer had recommended a certain brand, which was a senior / weight management variety. I had no complaints about the food and neither did my vet. I had never seen it recalled. But I thought it was time for a change.
Buffy is quite sedentary now that she is blind and can no longer chase her ball. So I asked my vet if I should try a raw food diet, since I have heard so much praise for it.
“No,” she said. “Check out the recalls. Often they are for raw foods. They also contain too much protein for senior dogs.”
Instead, she recommended several brands of high-quality kibble, one of which I had never heard of.
Buffy doesn’t eat kibble alone. She gets a mix of homemade dog food that my husband makes out of oatmeal, chicken livers and veggies, plus a bit of people-food leftovers mixed in with her kibble.
I researched my vet’s views, especially since I have been hearing all the benefits of a raw diet.
Raw Dog Food Diets
Most proponents list raw food as a natural diet for our dogs. But I disagree. Man domesticated dogs about 16 thousand years ago. For ages, dogs mostly ate scraps of human food, bones, cooked or raw meat, spoiled food, etc. Wild or stray dogs scavenge garbage.
Wild dogs and most dogs before about 1960 rarely lived to ten years of age, usually much less. They often died due to the lack of affordable veterinary care.
Even as recently as 1993, when I had a badly injured dog and went to extremes to help her heal, there were very few choices available—and my parents and friends thought I was crazy to spend a lot of money to help this dog. I’m writing about this struggle in my memoir.
Our treatment of dogs has changed a lot since then.
Veterinary care and dog foods have exploded the markets in the last two decades.
You could be feeding raw food and not even know it.
Buffy loves her freeze-dried turkey heart treats—these are raw. I never read the small print and I’d been feeding these to my dogs for years. The label says I should wash my hands afterwards to avoid contamination to myself—I didn’t know this and never did.
Raw food concerns
1: Bacterial contamination
Get on the email list for Dog Food Advisor Recall Alerts.
I checked the latest ten dog food recalls, of about half included raw dog foods. Many of these recalls were for potential contamination of Salmonella, E. coli, and Listeria monocytogenes. The bacterial contamination is more of a concern for people than for dogs since our intestines are more sensitive.
Is this a problem? The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) believes so:
“Several studies1–6 reported in peer-reviewed scientific journals have demonstrated that raw or undercooked animal-source protein may be contaminated with a variety of pathogenic organisms, including Salmonella spp, Campylobacter spp, Clostridium spp, Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, and enterotoxigenic Staphylococcus aureus. Cats and dogs may develop foodborne illness after being fed animal-source protein contaminated with these organisms if adequate steps are not taken to eliminate pathogens; secondary transmission of these pathogens to humans (eg, pet owners) has also been reported.1,4 Cats and dogs can develop subclinical infections with these organisms but still pose a risk to livestock, other nonhuman animals, and humans, especially children, older persons, and immunocompromised individuals.”
My vet is just going by the AVMA guidelines, which I believe she is required to follow.
But read on. The American College of Veterinary Nutritionists (ACVN) states in this very informative article Raw Pet Foods and the AVMA’s Policy: FAQ:
“However, proof for these purported benefits is currently restricted to testimonials, and no published peer-reviewed studies exist to support claims made by raw diet advocates. No studies have examined differences in animals fed raw animal products to those fed any other type of diet (kibble, canned, or home cooked) with the exception of looking at the effects on digestibility.”
Therapy dogs are banned from eating a raw diet. None of the other dogs in the home can eat a raw diet either due to concerns about bacteria transferring from dogs to humans.
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has published a study on bacteria contamination in raw dog food.
I’m a science person and I teach the scientific method and information literacy to my college students. I teach that primary sources (those backed by scientific research) are the most trustworthy studies.
2: Raw dog food is hard on the digestive system for senior dogs.
Most of the information I found about senior dogs and protein involve possibly giving too much poor quality protein, which could make a dog gain weight. Buffy has had problems with weight gain. But most say that senior dogs, unless they have kidney disease, should be fine with a high quality protein source.
3: Raw dog food is complicated.
The variety seems overwhelming from homemade diets, frozen, freeze-dried, and dehydrated foods. Plus there is the B.A.R.F. diet – Bones and Raw Food. For some diets, you need to add supplements, other’s you do not. Some diets require a fair amount of preparation.
Do your research if you want to feed a raw diet.
What have I decided to feed my dog?
There’s a lot of information out there about dog foods of any kind, but especially about raw foods. A few months ago, I watched the entire seven part series, Docu-series The Truth about Pet Cancer and wrote a review. One of their recommendations was that if you didn’t want to switch to a raw food diet for your dog, then feed a high quality kibble with about 20% fruits, veggies, and basically people food. They also recommended not feeding your dog the same thing day after day so they get a variety of nutrients. The 20% as a “topper” can provide some variety.
I didn’t even talk about toppers. Raw dog food can supplement your dog’s regular kibble. I’ve used toppers a number of times when given samples at conferences and my dogs have gobbled it down and have not gotten sick. Toppers add extra nutrition to your pet’s food. Bone broth is one of the best. I have not purchased bone broth, but make from leftover bones boiled in water.
I feel like the vote is still out on raw dog food since my vet and the AVMA don’t approve of it. But I’m not against giving tidbits of freeze-dried treats since I’ve given these for years. I am feeding Buffy the high quality kibble that my vet recommended, along with homemade dog food, plus some people food. Buffy loves fruits and veggies as snacks.
Do you feed your dog raw food? What type of raw food (frozen, freeze-dried, dehydrated, or homemade)? What are your thoughts about the AVMA not endorsing raw food? This is a very controversial subject, so please comment.
For more reading:
https://pets.webmd.com/dogs/guide/raw-dog-food-dietary-concerns-benefits-and-risks#1
https://www.petmd.com/dog/nutrition/5-mistakes-people-make-when-feeding-pets-raw-food-diet?page=show
Hi Sandy,
I’m canvassing for our friend who is collecting stories about people and their pets.
We’d love to have yours on the gallery to add to the show of people who love and care for animals.
You’ll find it here at http://www.TipJarStories.com
Once there you’ll see how to add your short story of a few lines in a show of solidarity for kindness to animals.
As for raw food, I give it a miss because as you say we have domesticated dogs now and if my dog is thriving that’s all I need to know. I know you can’t really tell until they get old but in a lot of ways you can.
All the best,
The Ed.
Thank you! I’ll check it out!
Mr. N eats frozen raw. Our vet knows and thinks he does well on it. It works for us but every dog is different!
I don’t feed the girls a raw food diet, but some of their freeze-dried treats are identified as “raw.” I’ve read the instructions on the package about washing my hands afterwards and I admit I don’t. I’ve talked with one of my vets about raw feeding and she wasn’t in support of it. The gave me some of the reasons you mentioned above. I did try a commercial raw food with the girls and they didn’t like it. I don’t believe our vets intentionally give us bad advice about food, but I am talking with my vets about contacting a nutritionist to deal with Truffle’s issues with her bladder stones.
I too didn’t realize that some of the treats that I give are raw, and so have not washed my hands. A nutritionist sounds like a good idea.
Thanks for this great post, it’s very informative and you have used great authority resources. I asked 3 Veterinarians what they think about feeding dogs a raw diet. All three felt the potential for harmful bacteria was too much of a risk and advised against it. My dog Icy is also a therapy dog so she isn’t permitted to eat a raw diet for that same reason. I do not feed raw but I have added packaged freeze dried raw food as a topper to their meals. However, I never do that during weeks when we have therapy visits. All my pets have lived very long, healthy lives (so far, knock on wood!) so I’m sticking with what works for me.
I think vets are supposed to follow AMVA guidelines, which is against raw food. I’m not sure I agree with giving Icy a raw topper food on weeks when she doesn’t have therapy. Bacteria can take a while to develop to a high enough concentration to cause illness, so you may still be potentially exposing your patients to bacteria.
I know that many people’s pets thrive on raw diets. My dogs eat kibble and fresh (cooked) food. I have noticed that their coats are shiny and healthier looking when they eat the fresh food, but it isn’t in my budget to feed them that year round. It sounds like Buffy is pretty lucky with her homemade food and good kibble!
Yep, my husband is a great cook for me and Buffy!
I have taken my dogs to a holistic vet that advocates raw feeding…primarily the frozen BARF diet. Schatzi was too old and suffering from brain cancer to do well with it…she would not even eat it.
When Gusto came into my life a year ago, I made sure that I got certified in pet nutrition by Dogs Naturally and started on their raw food certification but life has slowed me down on completing that…maybe due to so many students having trouble understanding the percentages.
I have been a rep for a high quality pet food company since 2002 and continue to use their foods, which include freeze-dried turkey heart treats. I also do some home cooking. We tried the dehydrated raw but got into some diarrhea with that so can feed very little of it…more as a topper to the home cooked food.
Gusto always has free choice of the grain-free kibble that is low on starch. He looks great…is winning at the dog shows and has high enough energy for lure coursing.
Ultimately, our dogs know what they like and need. We should listen more and stress less over what they are eating…imho.
I admire your determination to become a pet nutritionist. I’m not so sure pets eat what they need. I love candy but it is not good for me. Dogs will eat chocolate if given the opportunity. I’m glad Gusto is thriving on the food you give him.
A very important and hot-button topic for sure! I personally do not feed my dogs raw. I do as many here do, incorporate homemade food into a high-quality kibble. I also create my own healthy toppers. My Huskies have been on this “diet” for their entire lives, and have always been healthy. Now that they are senior dogs, I personally would not change their diet and possibly risk upsetting their systems. My furangel Husky was an epileptic, and I did incorporate healthy fruits, veggies & home-cooked meats. I do know of some Epi-dog parents who swear by a raw diet for helping manage, reduce, or even eliminate seizures. I, thankfully, was able to manage his seizures not by going raw, but by buying what I believe is a high-quality kibble containing no ingredients that I consider unhealthy or known possible seizure triggers. With five Huskies, I would also worry about possible bacteria contamination in handling as well. It is a hot-button as I’ve seen people comment that kibble feeders are “lazy” pet parents, and I disagree. I, as many others I know, put as much love into preparing dogs’ food – from homemade additions and toppers to researching the best quality of kibble. Raw feeding is just not for me and mine, but it may be just perfect for someone else.
Thank you for your comments. Raw feeding may not be feasible with five dogs. It’s interesting to see how many people feed a quality kibble mixed with homemade food or maybe a bit of raw as a topper. I do agree that kibble can be pretty easy, but it’s best to add some variety.
My vet is not a fan of raw either. I serve kibble with Tuckers on top and sometimes freeze dried Stella & Chewys. They love the combo and get the meat they love but adding it on top, but it’s not raw. Your post is really informative and helpful!
Thank you. I’m glad you enjoyed it.
There’s a lot of great information in this post. There’s a lot of talk about raw diets for cats, too. I don’t feed mine raw food, and I could never make it myself. I haven’t had a conversation with my vet about it, but I may bring it up to see what her opinion is. You know, I never thought about looking to see if our freeze dried treats are raw! I’m going to check the label today.
You may be surprised about your freeze-dried treats!
Interesting post. I don’t have a dog but did have two cats (that since passed). I agree with the other comments in terms of its a very tricky not so cut and dry situation when it comes to pet food. Raw food is great for humans and some pets but not everything is for everyone. Just as you mentioned Buffy is older and to introduce a drastic 180 turnaround in her diet could do more harm than good. From what I’ve heard from other dog owner friends of mine they try to find the best kibble or canned food and mix in leftover human scraps. Fifty years ago before there were so many brands many people gave their dogs leftovers or home-cooked food and their dogs had way less ailments than we see today, so raw food phenomenon may not be all it’s cracked up to be. If I had the choice I’d probably do the same thing you are doing…quality kibble or canned food with frozen raw treats here and there. I know before my cat Dusty passed she really responded well and like quality wet canned food with veggies mixed in. Like you said, as a pet parent do your research best you can, consult your vet and make the best decision for your household.
Thank you. I agree that supplementing your dog’s food is good for them and to use only a bit of raw food occasionally.
And I agree with your vet. I am not in favor of a raw diet either I do not think it is worth it to put in risk the health and wellbeing of our dogs or cats because raw food can generate bacteria thus they can get sick. However I cook for my dogs and my cats and I buy also good quality dry food too to mix with the meals I prepare for them. I am glad you are making awareness about this.
Homecooked meals are great as long as they also have some high-quality dog food to supplement it and provide nutrients. I always wonder if Chipper caught something since his spleen was enlarged a few months after giving him raw food toppers.He died within 6 weeks of discovering that he had a problem.
Well…I learned a long time ago that nearly every vet I’ve taken my cats to knows next to nothing about pet nutrition, and what they “think” they know, they learned from seminars sponsored by Hills. Gee, I don’t see a conflict there at all, do you? So I don’t take advice on what to feed my cats from my vet. In the end it’s up to the pet owner to be as informed as possible, to do your own research, and make the choice you feel is best. And realize that what works for one person’s pet may not be the right choice for your own.
I have had several vets that didn’t seem to give me good advise. I didn’t stay with them long. My current one is pretty good and I trust her judgment.
I’m glad to hear folks realizing this. The conflict of interest for a lot of vets is astounding. They are sometimes heavily co-erced into promoting not particularly great things because surgery maintenance is expensive, but as a pet parent that is not your problem or priority. And like you say do your own research.
Thank you for your comment. Yes, we are ultimately responsible for our pet and should have their best interests at heart.
Reading this article was like reading my own mind. I cannot even count how many hours I’ve spent worrying over what kind of food I feed (or should feed) Bernie and Lizzie. I completely understand why you take seriously the health of all your dogs, including your injured pup back in 1993, and how some people may judge that choice. Our pups are the most important thing to Matthew and me, so we put them first consistently.
Regarding raw food, I’m in your camp. I kind of laugh when people refer to dogs as wolves. I look at Bernie, a total fluffer nutter, and I think about his ancestry. Sure, there were wolves, once. But he’s a domesticated animal who would never survive in the wild. He’s no Buck written by Jack London.
Our vet, who’s been practing for 20+ years, said he saw many benefits of raw feeding in clients who chose that route. However, he’s had a few dogs nearly die because of diseases contracted and infection spreading to other organs. We had this conversation almost two years ago, so I don’t remember the specifics, but with Bernie’s atypical Addison’s Disease, we can’t risk compromising his immune system.
As someone who also supports scientific inquiry, I wish there were studies regarding raw feeding. I’m signed up for the dog food recalls with Dog Food Advisor and Sue Thixton’s pet consumer site. While I haven’t kept track, I do wonder how many of the raw food recalls are voluntary. In terms of consumer trust, I also wonder how many larger brands, more corporate America-types, don’t disclose problems with their dog food because it is not cost effective.
With therapy dogs, when I read that the marketing director of Purina was on the board of Delta Partners, years ago before they re-branded to Pet Partners, I found that suspicious in terms of conflict of interest for Delta Partners declaring that raw food was too risky for therapy dogs. Plus Purina donated a large sum of money to the organization. I think $250,000, if memory serves.
So I find the whole raw food conversation truly frustrating. While I love the idea of feeding our pups a raw diet, I can’t in good conscience do so until I see scientific studies backing up the anecdotal results of many people, including many fellow bloggers who I truly respect. I am in awe of those who feed raw. I just don’t know that I could get that balance right.
The one big positive I see in this conversation about raw versus commercial dog food is that pet parents are so much more vocal now. As consumers, we’re demanding higher quality ingredients (like I do try to feed non-GMO). At some point, somebody is going to fund studies for feeding dogs a raw diet. If we ever win the lottery, I know that would be one avenue we would want to help fund.
Thank you for posting this article, Sandy. I’m glad I’m not the only person who just can’t switch to raw without scientific evidence.
Wow! Thank you, Irene, for your in-depth comments. I didn’t know that Purina was on the board for Delta Partners, so you’re right, this does look like a conflict of interest. I do hope some studies are done soon about raw food. In a few years I may get a puppy and then I’ll have some tough decisions to make.
I don’t feed our dog Misha a raw diet, simply because I’m afraid that it’s either going to get recalled due to bacteria or not be balanced properly. She eats a high-quality kibble(and she’s very picky when it comes to food – but not treats though lol). But I will occasionally give her a raw-type treat. When it comes to raw feeding, I think that you have to be well educated on what nutrients and vitamins your pet needs in order to remain healthy. I can’t tell you how many times clients at the clinic have fed their pets a home-made raw diet and it wasn’t nutritionally balanced, leaving their pets in critical condition sometimes(especially cats, since they need taurine).
From what I have read, a home-made raw diet can get complicated. Thank you for your insight about diet imbalance causing serious illness in pets.
Yes, I feed Cookie raw. She kind of made that decision when she started hunting and eating small rodents. Our vet, fortunately, is fine with that. Cookie has been on raw for several years and we never had any problem with it.
There are recalls of kibble too.
Yes, I noticed a lot of recalls on kibble. I’m glad Cookie is doing fine on a raw diet.
This is such a well argued and thought provoking post. I know this will provoke a lot if discussion because you have done a lot of research here.
Our cats do not eat raw. Mostly because transitioning 7 cats to it would be a full time job. There is also much food for thought here.
Thank you for the compliment and the wit – food for thought – ha!
Interesting post! No, I don’t feed my dog raw food, but I’m not opposed to it. As you state, one should do their research on it. My cats get those freeze dried raw bits sometimes, but I also don’t fee them a raw diet.
There are a lot of freeze-dried treats out there which we don’t even think of as raw. I never thought about washing my hands until I did the research.
Thanks for this interesting read!! There are many who will strongly disagree with your vet, advising against raw and being in favour of kibble. Pet food is a minefield, and I say it all the time. I had briefly considered feeding Red a raw diet, but to be honest I felt it was too late in the game for her. Her system was too fragile to mess with anything. In the case of my other dog Jack…I had asked a raw food company to write an article for me, and in return they sent me a ton of raw food for him to try. I checked the quality, did the research otherwise I wouldn’t have approached them. Anyway, Jack eats a very good quality canned food, so every meal I just add in some raw and he loves it. I was surprised because he’s so fussy. I know 2 people who feed raw and they’re very happy with it. I can’t see myself ever feeding it exclusively, but I’m happy to include it as part of my dog’s regular diet.
You voiced my feelings exactly. Buffy is 9 1/2 and I feel is too old to transition to raw food. I kind of like the idea of adding some as toppers.
I am on the Dog Food Advisory email list and love it as it keeps me updated all the time as to what is happening with recalls. As for raw food, I do not feed it to Layla but cook her food with veggies instead plus add Grandma Lucy’s Macanna Pre Mix for all the supplements, the only protein that food has is beans, so I can alternate her meals with either fish, beef or chicken. My vet totally agrees with what I am doing and she is one healthy 11 year old.
Great post thanks
Layla always looks very healthy. I think some variety, like what you’re doing is great, so is adding veggies.
I feed my dog kibble — good kibble – but still kibble. I do not put too much thought into my pets food — I check the ingredients, check the reviews and confirm with my pet that all is good. I am one that actually thinks raw food and home cooked meals are not a necessity and do not give pets everything they need. My 2 dogs lived for 14 and 14.5 years just fine on Nutro brand foods…
Many dogs have done quite well on commercial dog food. My sister’s cocker just turned 16 and she eats kibble. Many of my mom’s dogs also did well on it. It may be too soon to tell how raw dog diets will pan out until more studies that last throughout a pet’s life are done.
My Dad used to feed his german shepherd raw food ,but I he did it himself with fresh ground steak,and then topped with a high quality kibble with some fruit and veg as snacks.He never brought raw dog food so never had any concerns about contamination of bacteria and most people I know who give their cats raw food do the same thing simply because they want to control what is being given to their pets which you can’t do when you buy it in.it sounds to me you have the right idea just maybe it’s about portion control for your old pup rather then changing it to something else,xx Rachel
Sounds like your dad did his research and fed his dog good quality food. Cats probably have less issues with raw food than dogs, since they hunt a lot more than dogs. Buffy definitely needs portion control, but who can resist a cute face asking for a treat?
Our dogs have always eaten kibble, along with a few table scraps, and have lived long, healthy lives. When they become very elderly I have a few recipes I cook for them: chicken soup with rice and vegies, ground beef with barley and vegies, and tilapia fish with potatoes and vegies. I have never given the dogs any raw food for the reasons you list.
Yes, let’s hear it for table scraps! Which our vet always says not to do. Dogs love them. And who couldn’t use a good pot licker or to pre-clean dishes before they go into the dishwasher? Your recipies sound great!
I feed my dogs home prepped raw and home cooked myself. With all the issues and recalls with commercial pet foods, I just don’t have that much trust in them. I like knowing exactly what my dogs are eating and where it came from. A lot of traditional vets don’t support raw and that can be very frustrating to raw feeders. I think a lot of times feeding raw is seen as a trend or a fad and that not all vets take the time to fully research it. But that isn’t the case with all vets, I go to an amazing vet who not only supports raw diets but also highly recommends them. There’s A LOT of money in the pet food industry and, sadly, money talks. Kibble companies pay for a lot of the studies done on pet nutrition so I feel like there’s a bias against raw there, and some vets even get kickbacks for recommending/selling certain kinds of kibbles. I’m not one of those people who pushes any one type of food on others because I think you really have to do your research and find what works best for your situation and your individual dog. But raw/home cooked has been amazing for my two dogs.
Yhank you Michelle for your insight into pet food companies and their support of studies, and to some extent veterinarians. I’m glad raw food has worked so well for you.
I do not feed my pets a raw diet and honestly, I never will. Feeding raw is a very hot topic and I know that there are those that believe in it whole heartedly and feel it is the only way to go – personally, I’m not one of those people. I like to know the food I am feeding my pets is nutritionally balanced and safe – for my pets and my family.
I’m sorry, but I firmly disagree with your vet’s view of raw feeding. Unfortunately, in my opinion, many vets- especially old school vets- are clinging onto outdated or inaccurate information. I am not a “raw feeder” per se. but rather, I choose to feed a balanced, holistic fresh prepared diet- but I do rotate some raw foods in. That said, I am not advocating this as THE BEST choice for anyone else, but rather it is what works best for my dogs.
I firmly support any pet parent’s feeding choice! We all have to be comfortable with the diets we choose for our pets and I hope Buffy thrives on her new diet!
I’m not sure if the vets are clinging to old data or just following the AVMA guidelines. Unfortunately, we rarely know if the diet we chose for our pet was successful until our dogs live to a very old age. But then, maybe it was just their genes.