The popularity of raw pet food diets has been steadily increasing, with many pet owners believing they offer superior nutrition and health benefits for their dogs and cats. These diets typically consist of uncooked meat, bones, fruits, and vegetables, aiming to mimic the ancestral diet of pets. While proponents tout benefits such as improved digestion, increased energy, and a shinier coat, it's crucial to consider the potential risks associated with raw feeding, particularly concerning food safety and nutritional balance.
Understanding Raw Pet Food Diets
Raw meat-based diets (RMBDs) are available in various forms:
- Home-Prepared RMBDs: These diets require careful formulation to ensure they are complete and balanced, including the correct ratios of calcium, vitamins, minerals, and taurine. Studies have shown that a large percentage of homemade pet food recipes found online can lead to nutrient deficiencies and serious health concerns.
- Commercial Raw Frozen, Freeze-Dried, or Dehydrated Meat Diets (Incomplete): Some commercial options may not be complete and balanced, particularly those with limited protein sources or exotic meats.
- Commercial Raw Frozen Complete and Balanced Diets: These diets offer a variety of protein sources and are formulated to meet the nutritional needs of pets.
- Commercial Freeze-Dried Complete and Balanced Diets: These diets undergo a process where they are frozen under vacuum to remove nearly all moisture, offering a convenient and shelf-stable option.
- Commercial Dehydrated Complete and Balanced Diets: These are heated slowly to remove moisture, though the impact of low heat on nutritional quality is still being studied.
- Commercial High-Pressure Pasteurized (HPP) Complete and Balanced Diets: These diets are subjected to high pressure without heat, mitigating pathogens while preserving nutritional integrity.
Generally, raw pet diets are made from high-quality food sources and aimed at the informed, discerning pet owner. They are more expensive than regular dog or cat kibble. The freeze-dried, dehydrated, and HPP foods are more costly than the raw frozen diets due to the additional processing. The costs may be substantial when feeding many cats or medium to large dogs.
Perceived Benefits of Raw Feeding
Owners feeding RMBDs often report improvements in their pet's health, including:
- Healthier body condition
- Higher energy levels
- Shinier coat
- Cleaner teeth
- Normal bowel movements
Some owners believe that a raw diet aligns more closely with the ancestral diet of pets. For cats, this is particularly true, as their natural diet consists of small rodents. While dogs are omnivorous, carnivorous scavengers, RMBDs are considered more biochemically complex than high-protein cooked diets, containing bioactive compounds and higher levels of antioxidants like vitamin C and vitamin E.
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Furthermore, heating food can result in the formation of cooking toxins such as acrylamides and nitrosamines, which are known carcinogens. RMBDs may also support improved immune function, given the significant role of the intestinal tract in immunity.
In some cases, raw diets can be beneficial for pets with food allergies, particularly to common proteins like chicken and beef. Commercial raw pet food limited ingredient diets (LID) are often made in dedicated facilities, minimizing cross-contamination. In cats which have developed diabetes, diets high in protein and very low in carbohydrates can be disease reversing or, at least, stabilizing.
Risks and Challenges of Raw Feeding
Despite the perceived benefits, raw pet food diets pose several risks:
- Nutrient Imbalances: Homemade raw diets are particularly prone to nutrient imbalances. Studies have shown that 85-100% of homemade pet food recipes found on the Internet will cause nutrient deficiencies that can lead to serious health concerns. Ensuring a complete and balanced diet requires careful attention to detail and may necessitate the addition of vitamin and mineral supplements.
- Bacterial Contamination: Raw meat and eggs can carry harmful microorganisms such as Salmonella, E. coli, and Listeria. Freezing, freeze-drying, or dehydration can reduce bacterial counts, but viable pathogens may still survive. This poses a risk to both pets and humans, especially young children, pregnant women, the elderly, and immunocompromised individuals.
- Zoonotic Transmission: Pets fed raw diets can shed pathogenic bacteria in their feces, leading to potential zoonotic transmission to humans. Strict hygiene practices are essential to minimize this risk.
- Time and Cost: Preparing homemade raw diets can be time-consuming and expensive, requiring extensive research, shopping, and preparation. Commercial raw diets are generally more costly than traditional pet foods, with freeze-dried, dehydrated, and HPP options being the most expensive.
- Veterinary Concerns: Various veterinary associations, including the CVMA, AVMA, WSAVA, and AAHA, have issued position statements discouraging the use of RMBDs due to the potential health risks.
Ensuring Safety in Raw Pet Food
To mitigate the risks associated with raw feeding, several strategies can be employed:
- High-Pressure Processing (HPP): HPP is a non-thermal processing method that uses high pressure to inactivate pathogens in food products. It has become a widely accepted kill step in the raw pet food industry, aligning with regulatory expectations and consumer demand for safer products. HPP mitigates pathogens without heat or chemicals, preserving the nutritional integrity of raw food.
- Stringent Sourcing and Handling: Raw pet food manufacturers must adhere to strict sourcing and handling protocols to minimize the risk of contamination. This includes careful selection of suppliers, regular testing for pathogens, and maintaining high hygiene standards throughout the production process.
- Consumer Education: Educating pet owners about the safe handling and preparation of raw pet food is crucial. This includes proper storage, thawing, and cleaning practices to prevent the spread of harmful bacteria.
- Ongoing Research: Staying up-to-date on the latest scientific research is essential for addressing emerging threats such as highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). Research has already demonstrated HPP’s ability to inactivate the H7N7 avian influenza strain through envelope disruption, protein denaturation and genome destabilization.
Instinct Pet Food: A Focus on Safety and Nutrition
Instinct Pet Food is a company that produces a variety of raw pet food diets, emphasizing both safety and nutritional quality. They utilize High Pressure Processing (HPP) on all of their frozen and freeze-dried raw recipes to eliminate pathogenic bacteria such as Salmonella, E. Coli, and Listeria. This is the same process used for human foods like cold-pressed juices and guacamole. In addition, Instinct carries a Safe Quality Food (SQF) Food Safety certification as well as a SQF Quality certification. SQF is a rigorous and credible food safety and quality auditing program that is recognized by retailers, brand owners, and food service providers world-wide. SQF certification is NOT a requirement in the pet food industry.
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Instinct's raw diets are made in their Lincoln, Nebraska facilities, with a team of experts including a DVM, DACVN, and a Board-Certified Veterinary Nutritionist who work together to maintain their nutritional philosophy through product formulations. They source the highest quality, safest, and most nutritious ingredients possible, looking for domestic sources first but sometimes turning to other locations when their ingredients are truly the better choice.
Instinct is also committed to sustainability and environmental responsibility. They are a member of the Pet Sustainability Coalition (PSC), an organization that helps improve companies' environmental and social impact by reviewing practices, production, and supply chain.
The Veterinarian's Role
Veterinarians play a crucial role in advising pet owners about the benefits and risks of raw feeding. They can help owners make informed decisions based on their pet's individual needs and health status. It is essential for veterinarians to:
- Engage in open and honest discussions with clients about their dietary choices.
- Provide evidence-based information on the potential risks and benefits of raw diets.
- Offer guidance on formulating complete and balanced raw diets or selecting appropriate commercial options.
- Emphasize the importance of safe food handling practices.
- Monitor pets for any signs of illness or nutritional deficiencies.
- Record all dietary recommendations and the owner's decisions in the pet's medical record.
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