Download SA Raw Diets - Tangle Foot Vet

Dr Uli Helvoigt
Dr Denise Peebles
Dr Joanna Kouwenberg
Dr. Stacy Radics
Raw Diets
What is a raw food diet?
There are many types of commercial and home-prepared raw diets. They contain raw meat (+/- bones)
and raw plant ingredients (fruit, vegetables, rarely grains).
What are the proposed benefits?

Unsubstantiated claims suggest improved longevity, oral health, resolution of gastro-intestinal and dermatological
disease, and better palatability.
However:
 Reported benefits are restricted to testimonials (i.e. feedback from pet owners using raw diets).
 There are no published, peer-reviewed studies to support claims made by raw food advocates, or to examine
differences in animals fed other types of diets (kibble, canned, homecooked). But there have also been no studies
to refute these claims.
What are the risks and concerns?


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Public health food safety:
o Concerns related to bacterial or parasitic contamination have been documented in published peerreviewed literature.
o Raw diets have proven to be common sources of Salmonella, Campylobacter and E. Coli.
o Pets eating raw diets have been shown to shed pathologic organisms in their feces. These organisms
can cause significant disease in people and immunocompromised animals. Passage of these
pathogens from animals to people has been documented.
Nutrition:
o Nutritional adequacy and nutrient balance is an important issue, particularly for puppies and kittens as
they are growing.
o One study determined that nearly 70% of home-prepared diets were deficient or unbalanced in key
nutrients.
o Nutritional excess or inadequacy can be life-threatening over the long term. Any recipe should be
analyzed by a qualified and experienced nutritionist before starting a long term feeding program.
Bones:
o Bones fed to your pet can cause blockages and perforations as the fractured pieces pass through the
stomach and intestines.
o Chewing on bones (cooked and raw) is a common cause of broken teeth.
To Summarise –
“Most, but not all, healthy adult animals will tolerate a raw food diet. Similarly, not all raw foods are equivalent, or
nutritionally sufficient to prevent problems. Recipes should be evaluated by a nutritionist, bones should be ground and
never fed whole or in pieces and safe food handling practices are essential in minimizing risk of contamination. Finally,
there are no clinically proven benefits of a raw food diet, but there are documented hazards and risks.”
- Dr Claudia Kirk