Dog Raw Diet Safety

Many pet owners are switching to their dogs to a raw diet. However, there are still a lot of unanswered safety issues when it comes to feeding a raw diet to dogs. As responsible pet owners, we certainly want to make sure that the diet we’re switching to will actually be better for our dogs.

The benefits of a healthy diet for our dogs is obvious. Getting the right balance and a source of nutrition that is optimal for our dogs can help ensure that they are healthy, active and far from contracting illnesses and medical problems.

On the other hand, the dangers of a commercial diet or food that has undergone a lot of processing is also something that we’ve come to expect. It’s true for human food, and it makes sense that the same is true for dogs. The more processing food undergoes, the more additives and preservatives get added to it, the harmful it becomes in the long run.

This makes a dog raw diet very attractive. But with very little scientific study into the safety of a raw feeding regimen, pet owners often have to rely on other pet owners to verify or refute the benefits or harm of raw feeding. Let’s take a look at some of these safety issues and what proponents and opponents say about these issues.

On Food Contamination

The Issue: Raw food is prone to contamination

Proponents: According to proponents of the dog raw diet regimen, food contamination can be addressed through proper handling of raw food. Aside from this, the digestive track of dogs are much more acidic and they have better immune systems, which allows them to deal with and ward off bacteria.

Opponents: The other side argues that the threat of bacterial contamination is a real threat to dogs. Parasites in contaminated food that be transferred and infect dogs who ingest them.

On Feeding Bones

The issue: Bones is dangerous to dogs because it can accidentally lodge itself in a dog’s throat or puncture its digestive tract.

Proponents: Proponents argue that raw bones are safe for dogs. It’s cooked bones that become brittle and break off easily, posing a threat to dogs. As long as bones are served raw, it shouldn’t become a problem. In fact, bones are good for dogs because it helps them clean their teeth and gums are are part of a dog’s natural diet.

Opponents: Opponents argue that bones are dangerous for dogs - whether cooked or served raw. This is because pieces of bones can still break off even if the bone is raw. For some types of meat, like for chicken, the bones are less compact and dogs can easily break them apart, which increases the risk of injury to the dog.

On Being Nutritionally Sufficient for Dogs

The issue: Is the raw food diet really represents the optimal diet for dogs in terms of providing them with the nutrition they need?

Proponents: Proponents of the dog raw diet argue that the raw food diet is optimal because this is the type of food that is appropriate to the dog’s digestive tract. By simulating what dogs eat in the wild, or what kind of food they will naturally eat without human intervention, we are giving them the best source of nutrition possible.

Opponents: Opponents argue that figuring out the nutritional value that each type of food provides is tricky. Raw food don’t come with labels that tell you exactly what kind of nutrients your dog will receive. With this type of diet, it’s difficult to ascertain that owners are able to provide the best mix of food for their dogs.

As with any type of diet, there are several pros and cons to putting your dog on a raw food regimen. Before switching your dog to a raw food diet, consultation and research is required to make sure that it really is the best type of diet for your dog.