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I'm teaching a raw feeding workshop on Saturday, May 27, 2017.  This will be my second workshop.  When the courses were initially published and promoted, the office that helps us organize our classes received a letter of complaint from a local veterinarian.  Raw feeding is dangerous.

I Won't Lie About Raw Feeding

This isn't the first time that I've received criticism from a veterinarian about raw feeding and it won't be the last.  When meeting a new vet, it's tempting to lie about what our dogs eat because I worry that the vet will stop the exam and blame the raw diet for whatever ails my dogs – but I don't like being dishonest, so I'm upfront with about what I feed my dogs.

I've come out as a raw feeder to four traditional veterinarians and the responses I received are:

• “You have to be careful with that diet; let's see how the dogs were doing.”  After the exam, the vet gave me tips on raw feeding.
• “Given the amount of research you do and how much you know about your dogs, I'm confident that you'll do what you can to feed a balanced diet.”
• “Yes, I've noticed more people coming in who are feeding raw; how are you teaching yourself?”

Wow! That was easier than I expected.  But it's not that easy for everyone.

When the Vet Says Raw Feeding is Bad

I have met many veterinarians who disagree with raw feeding and thanks to years of research and experience, I'm confident enough to engage in a respectful discussion.  I'm also smart enough to walk away when a veterinarian shows that they're incapable of having that discussion with me.

The other day, I received an email detailing an experience someone had with a new veterinarian who was aggressively anti-raw feeding.  I was asked to share how I would respond to the negative comments about a raw food diet.  This will be easy as I sit on the sofa, surrounded by dogs, with the Kardashians in the background – it's much more challenging to come up with these responses on the fly.  However, as I stated above, the more confident I became in my ability to feed my dogs a balanced raw diet, the more confident I exhibit when I'm faced with these discussions.

DepositPhoto/ryanking999

“Raw Feeding is a Fad Diet!”

While I can appreciate why people think raw feeding is a fad diet given the number of new brands coming on the market; people have been feeding raw for longer than they've been feeding kibble.  Kibble has only been around for 100 years, created as a convenience for pet owners.  Before kibble, dogs at what their humans ate.

“It's Impossible to Feed a Balanced Raw Diet”

I thought that at first too.  Learning from pro-raw veterinarians and experienced nutritionists and raw feeders has taught me that raw fed dogs should be fed 80% muscle meat, 10% raw bone, 5% raw liver, and 5% raw offal.  I also add a pureed blend of organic vegetables, fruits, and bone broth.  I find that grinding everything helps me make sure that I'm getting the ratios right and alternating proteins and other ingredients provides my dogs with a more balanced diet that meets their nutritional needs.

“Raw Feeding is Dangerous to Pets!”

I agree that raw feeding can be dangerous.  If someone doesn't do the research to learn how to feed a balanced raw diet, their dog can become malnourished.  Knowing this, I researched raw feeding with the guidance of holistic veterinarians for several months before transitioning my dogs to a reputable brand that is endorsed by many veterinarians in our community.

“If a Vet Recommends Raw Feeding, They're Being Paid Off!”

I can appreciate why people would be suspect.  I feel the same way about veterinarians who are always promoting prescription diets to their patients.  I can name a long list of professional veterinarians who are proponents of raw feeding and are not being paid off; here is a short list…

• Dr. Cathy Alinovi
• Dr. Karen Becker
• Dr. Douglas Yearout
• Dr. Evergreen
• Dr. Ian Billinghurst
• Dr. Barbara Royal
• Dr. Laurie Coger

While some veterinarians may endorse products, I don't see this as being “paid off.”

“Vets that Recommend Raw Feeding are Idiots!”

I never understood the need to attack someone's character or intelligence because they hold a different viewpoint, but that's just me.  I have met many vets who recommend raw feeding and I have found them to be intelligent, compassionate, and open-minded.

“I Have Seen Many Cases due to Feeding Bones!”

I don't doubt it.  Because of the warnings about feeding raw bones, I always supervise my dogs when they are eating bones.  Doing this helped me determine which bones are and aren't a good fit for my dogs.  Today, my dogs get duck necks and lamb necks.  Duck necks are 50% meat and 50% bone, they're a nice, healthy snack and I held them, in the beginning, to teach my dogs to take their time chewing them instead of swallowing them whole.  The bones in lamb necks are softer than other bones.

I also give my dogs beef knee caps and beef knuckle bones.  These are huge in size, making it impossible for the dogs to swallow whole.  They're mostly cartilage, which is great for gnawing.  The dogs love them and, as I said, they only get them under supervision.

“The Calcium: Phosphorus Ratios Must be Correct!”

I agree 100%! I have read from many sources that the calcium: phosphorus ratios should be 1:1, with more calcium for growing puppies.  That's why to feed a balanced raw diet, we're taught to feed 80% muscle meat, 10% bone, 5% liver, and 5% offal.  This ratio provides us with the correct calcium: phosphorus ratios.

“Bacteria in Raw Food Can Cause a Problem!”

If a dog or a human has a severely compromised immune system, then I think bacteria can pose a problem.  However, for a healthy dog, the bacteria is barely a blip.  A dog's saliva has antibacterial properties and a dog's gut is high acidic, making it an uncomfortable environment for bacteria.  And their shorter digestive tracts allows for the efficient processing of food.

Proper cleaning habits protect the humans who handle the raw dog food.

“Decades of Research and Science has Gone into Formulating Kibble!”

And maybe when kibble was first created, the ingredients were better.  However, today we're seeing recalls along with a rise in pet obesity, cancer, diabetes, digestive issues, allergies, and other health issues that we've seen in the past.  I attribute the shorter lives of our dogs to over vaccination and a poor quality, commercial diet.  While I respect that some will disagree, many in the veterinarian community do agree and have shown compelling evidence that has me convinced that raw is better.

Have you seen Pet Fooled?  It's available on Netflix.

Fighting or Raising Awareness

I'm not going to fight with people about the value of raw feeding.  I see raw feeders doing this on social media all the time and while I agree raw feeding is superior to kibble, I'm turned off by the conflict.  Instead, I think it's better to share our experiences, link to resources, and if someone still believes that their kibble is superior to fresh food, then move on.  What I have found is that for that one person who will defend their kibble, there are ten people who followed along with the discussion and may either follow me to learn more or take the time to start researching raw feeding for their dog.

A win isn't turning a staunch kibble advocate into a raw feeder, the win is inspiring someone to ask more questions about their dog's nutrition.