The popularity of raw food diets for dogs, including Shih Tzus, has been on the rise in recent years. This approach to feeding emphasizes raw meat, bones, fruits, and vegetables, and is based on the idea that it more closely mimics the diet of canines before domestication. While some pet parents passionately advocate for raw food, citing various benefits, others, including many mainstream veterinarians and the FDA, express concerns about potential risks. Understanding both the potential advantages and disadvantages of a raw food diet is essential for making informed decisions about your Shih Tzu's nutrition.
Understanding the Raw Food Diet
The concept of feeding dogs a raw diet gained traction in 1993 with Australian veterinarian Ian Billinghurst's proposal of the BARF diet, which stands for Bones and Raw Food or Biologically Appropriate Raw Food. Billinghurst argued that adult dogs would thrive on a diet consisting of raw, meaty bones and vegetable scraps, similar to what canines ate before domestication. This contrasted with grain-based commercial pet foods, which he believed were detrimental to a dog's health.
Today, raw dog food comes in various commercially prepared forms, including frozen and freeze-dried options, as well as combination diets that blend grains, vegetables, and vitamins with raw meat. Raw dog food recipes typically include:
- Muscle meat, often still on the bone
- Whole or ground bones
- Organ meats, such as livers and kidneys
- Raw eggs
- Vegetables like broccoli, spinach, and celery
- Fruits like apples
- Some dairy, such as yogurt
Potential Benefits of a Raw Food Diet
Devout raw dog food enthusiasts anecdotally report several benefits, including:
- Shinier coat: A high-fat composition in raw diets can result in a shinier coat for dogs.
- Healthier skin: Raw food proponents suggest that the diet contributes to improved skin health.
- Cleaner teeth: Some believe that raw diets promote better dental hygiene.
- Higher energy levels: Increased vitality is often attributed to raw food diets.
- Smaller stools: Supporters claim that raw food leads to more efficient digestion and reduced stool volume.
Barbara Benjamin-Creel, a pet owner who switched her dogs to a raw food diet, noticed immediate improvements in their coat and breath. She also noted that one of her dogs with chronic digestive problems tolerated the raw diet better.
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Potential Risks of a Raw Food Diet
Despite the reported benefits, many mainstream veterinarians and the FDA caution against raw diets due to well-documented risks. These include:
- Threats to human and dog health from bacteria in raw meat: Raw meat can harbor harmful bacteria, such as Salmonella and E. coli, which can pose a risk to both dogs and humans handling the food.
- Unbalanced diet: If not carefully formulated, raw diets can lack essential nutrients or contain excessive amounts of certain nutrients, leading to health problems.
- Potential for bones to cause harm: Whole bones can cause choking, broken teeth, or internal punctures.
Lisa M. Freeman, DVM, PhD, a nutrition professor at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, advises pet owners against raw diets, citing online myths and scare tactics about commercial pet food. She recommends a cooked homemade diet designed by a nutritionist certified by the American College of Veterinary Nutrition for those who want to avoid commercial food.
Bacterial Contamination
Studies of raw pet food have revealed bacterial contamination. The FDA issued guidelines in 2004 for safer manufacturing of raw pet food due to concerns about health risks to owners handling the meat. Studies by the FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine found that raw pet food was more likely to contain disease-causing bacteria than other types of pet food.
If you feed your pet raw pet food, the FDA recommends:
- Thoroughly washing your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds after handling the pet food or touching anything the raw pet food touched.
- Disinfecting surfaces that came into contact with the raw pet food.
Nutritional Imbalance
Homemade raw diets may lack sufficient calcium and phosphorus, leading to bone fractures and dental problems. Depending on the diet's quality, calcium or phosphorus may be difficult to digest, even if present in adequate amounts.
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An evaluation of raw dog food diets published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Association in 2001 found that all five diets analyzed (three homemade and two commercially available) had nutritional deficiencies or excesses that could cause serious health problems when given long term.
Antimicrobial Resistance
Raw pet food commonly exceeds hygiene thresholds for Enterobacteriaceae counts. These bacteria often encode resistance to critically important antibiotics, such as extended-spectrum cephalosporins, and raw-fed pets create an elevated risk of shedding such resistant bacteria.
Risk of Infection
Surveys in Europe and North America have consistently found Salmonella species in a proportion of raw pet food samples, typically of fresh-frozen commercial diets. Where pet food is contaminated, likely routes of infection for pet owners include contact with the food, direct contact with the pet, and contact with Salmonella shed in pets’ feces.
Raw Feeding and the Intestinal Microbiome
Formal evidence exists for claims by raw-feeding proponents of an altered intestinal microbiome and improved stool quality. However, there is currently neither robust evidence nor identified plausible mechanisms for many of the wide range of other claimed benefits.
Considerations for Specific Health Conditions
Even veterinarians who support raw dog food diets acknowledge that they are not suitable for all dogs. Because these diets are typically high in protein, they are not appropriate for dogs with late-stage kidney or severe liver failure.
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Doug Knueven, DVM, recommends that dogs with pancreatitis or other digestive issues start with a cooked, homemade diet to resolve problems before transitioning to raw. Dogs with cancer, undergoing chemotherapy, or with other immunosuppressive diseases should also avoid raw food. Puppies are also not considered good candidates for raw diets.
Regulations and Oversight
Commercial compounders and suppliers of raw pet food in the European Union (EU) are subject to regulations governing animal products not intended for human consumption. These regulations dictate the types of by-products permitted in pet food, requiring commercial producers to perform sampling for Salmonella and Enterobacteriaceae.
In the USA, microbiologically contaminated animal food is prohibited in interstate commerce, and Food and Drug Administration advice is for meat ingredients for raw pet food to have been passed for human consumption.
Addressing Common Myths
Many myths surround raw dog food diets, including:
- Harmful bacteria: While raw food can contain bacteria, the gut of a healthy dog is well-equipped to handle it. Proper handling and sanitation can minimize risks to humans.
- Age restrictions: Raw diets can be formulated to meet the nutritional needs of puppies and senior dogs.
- Complicated diet: Pre-portioned, commercially available raw diets simplify the process.
- High cost: While raw food may be more expensive than kibble, it can potentially reduce vet bills in the long run.
- Fussy dogs rejecting raw food: Most dogs enjoy the taste of raw food.
- Messy feeding: Raw food doesn't have to be messy with proper handling and pre-portioned options.
- Excessive freezer space required: Raw food doesn't necessarily require a dedicated freezer.
- Bone dangers: Finely ground bone in commercially prepared raw diets eliminates the risk of choking or internal injuries.
- Health risk to children: Teaching children to stay away from a dog's food dish is important regardless of the diet.
- Superiority of cooked meat: Studies suggest that raw food is easier for dogs to digest than cooked food.
- Increased aggression: There is no evidence to support the claim that raw meat increases aggression in dogs.
The Importance of Nutritional Balance
One of the primary concerns regarding raw diets is the potential for nutritional imbalance. Many veterinarians argue that raw diets do not offer balanced nutrition, which is essential for a dog's health. However, commercially prepared raw diets like We Feed Raw are formulated to be nutritionally complete and balanced, meeting or exceeding AAFCO nutrition requirements for dogs of all life stages.