I'm not trying to stir the kettle here. I've been thinking of switching from the Solid Gold kibble and cooked chicken/beef to the BARF diet. I was doing some on-line research when I came across this article. Can anyone confirm or refute the author's claims? Thank you.

http://secondchanceranch.org/rawmeat.html

The issue of feeding raw meat as part (or the entirety) of a domestic dog's diet, has proven to be very dangerous. What started out as an unresearched and unsubstantiated diet that qualified veterinarians dismissed as a "fad", has now become a real threat for the well meaning dog lovers who are striving to give their dog's the best. click here to hear what just a few vets have to say. Additionally, dogs who are not on a raw meat diet are still at risk because of parasites and bacteria spread through feces at commonly shared parks.

I am often asked if my motivation for speaking out against raw meat diets is driven by a product that I sell. The answer is "no". I do not sell any products and I highly recommend home made or supplimented diets.
(see commonly asked questions).

Veterinarians across the United States have grave concerns about raw meat and bones in a dog's diet. History and current statistics show us that both wild and domestic dogs who eat raw meat and bones can and do become very ill for a number of reasons.

There has been a significant increase in a variety of illnesses due to a raw meat diet. Some dogs become ill right away and others have severe pancreatic, kidney, heart and brain illnesses due to a long-term raw meat diet. Most dogs that die from a raw meat / bones diet do not show signs of illness until a few days before it kills them. This is true with Pancreatitis and with the raw chicken or turkey necks and backs that injure the stomach and intestinal area.

Advocates of a raw meat/bone diet make a giant leap from a low quality kibble to raw meat and bones, skipping over a more common sense solution. A home-made diet with cooked meat. Any initial results they might see with a raw meat diet are a result of an "absence" of one or more ingredients of the kibble - NOT the "presence" of raw meat. I am very much in favor of home-made diets made with cooked meat and grains, raw veggies and fruits, as long as you have researched your dog's current health status and breeding history if possible.

I considered a raw diet for my dog and decided to challenge the idea by thoroughly investigating everyone's claims (on both sides of the fence). It has evolved into an 11 year independent study. The most compelling evidence are the growing number of dogs I have known to actually die from a raw turkey or chicken back/neck tearing apart their stomach. Intestinal parasites from the raw meat causing a slow death or severe illness. Female dogs on a raw meat diet are more commonly dying while giving birth to a litter.

Throughout my research, I have interviewed and collected data from several top veterinary universities and nutrition experts with degrees in science and biology. Not one of these credited experts could honestly say that a raw meat and/or bone diet for domestic dogs was anywhere near the realm of safe. In addition, I have not found a holistic practitioner or raw meat advocate that can provide evidence that raw meat actually benefits the dog. For example, I'm often told "my dog has a beautiful coat". Raw meat is high in fat - this could also be accomplished with olive oil added to their diet, without the risk of illnesses associated with raw meat. New studies are coming out frequently - all opposed to raw meat and bone diets.

Advocates of a raw meat diet feel that it's "bringing your dog back to a more natural style of living". None of the people who are promoting a b.a.r.f. diet (that I have encountered) have actually had contact with a wild dog. Dr. Billinghurst admittedly has never done any studies on wolves or wild dogs. I have. I have a wolf sanctuary, and the truth is that wild-born wolves taken into captivity are typically malnutritioned. Most people *assume* that because wild dogs don't have the opportunity to cook their food, that nature has set up the perfect diet for them. This is simply not true. We know from their carcasses that they die of splintered fowl bones and have very bad dentalia (dental problems).

As for the statement that raw meat is a biologically correct food, Humans have survived healthfully on cooked foods for thousands of years. It is more than safe to say that diseases such as Cancer are not caused by cooking your meat.

There are a variety of raw meat menus being offered. You can also find several home-made raw meat diets on websites. It's possible that some of these menus or products are better/safer than others. However, I have been told by experienced veterinarians and nutritionists that they all have in common - they are extremely unbalanced and also put your dog at risk of contracting dangerous bacteria and parasites. This is not my own opinion, but that of the top veterinary universities and true nutritional experts. Anyone to deny there is risk, is fooling themselves!

With 5 min. of research on why the RAW diet is so good, safe, and healthy for dogs, you will see why almost everything in the article is false and misguided. The list of contradictions is so long I wouldn't even know where to start. There are tons of people on this forum who feed RAW ans can tell you first-handedly how dogs really benefit from raw and don't die from bones ripping up their internal organs. I bet no one has even had or seen that experience.
Cooked food is definitley a big no-no though when choosing what to feed your dog. The bacterias present in raw meat that cause food poisoning for us do NOT hurt dogs and heat from cooking destroys all the enymes and nutrients that he would have got if you fed it to him RAW. It's as bad or worse as the kibble.
There is much more info on the forum and you'll really like RAW once you switch.
Here's a bunch of info:
http://www.leerburg.com/diet.htm

"Any initial results they might see with a raw meat diet are a result of an "absence" of one or more ingredients of the kibble - NOT the "presence" of raw meat."
As in no or very little grains, dairy, fertilizers, perservitives(sp?),chemicals, unsafe meat, motor oil, or contaminants from improper storage? Sounds like the lack of those would make your dog a lot healthier. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> Cooking meat just gets out all the good stuff. I noticed in her "study" she didn`t include the difference between a dogs stomach and a humans. Or any medical background for that matter. She says she talked to top vets and nutritionists yet anybody who actually researches the source of the food in commercial dog food would tell you how bad it is. A balanced diet for a human is different from a dogs. She doesn`t seem to realize that.

Good sales pitch for her dogfood.

The article is a bunch of crap for the most part.

I had to comment on this part specifically.


"I have a wolf sanctuary, and the truth is that wild-born wolves taken into captivity are typically malnutritioned."


The statement is correct, but it has nothing to do with the dog eating raw meat and bones. Every wild predator functions in a malnourished state. You would be hard pressed to find a wild predator that didn't have signs of severe malnutrition. It's a hard, cruel world out there and it is the rare predator that always has enough quality game to eat. Subsisting on carrion, small animals, and only the rare large fresh kill means you are malnourished most of the time.


This lady is cracked.

"malnutritioned" isn't even a word, by the way. Somehow I doubt she did a lot of research or even has the ability to do the kind of research necessary to support her claims.

I am pretty sure she has an incorrect definition of "research" I am sure she has read a good deal of things, but research involves experimentation to prove or disprove theorys based on your reading. I am sure there is a dog or two out there that has died while on the raw diet, but there are dogs that have died while on kibble.

The web site mentioned in the original post is a perfect example of "Everyone has an opinion on raising dogs, but few have the experience to back up their opinions" Cindy and I have fed raw for years. We have never had a problem.

If eating raw meat is dangerous there would be a lot less wolves and fox running around out there.

When people keep their dog food clean and fresh, when they add proper supplements, a raw diet is without a doubt the best way to feed dogs. For those who do not wish to to make the effort they can at least feed a all-natural commercial kibble. I have an article on my web site in the list of articles that contains a list of those kibbles. htYou can find the article is you go to the list of training articles on my web site. Then scroll down until you find it. The URL is http://leerburg.com/articles.htm

I found this website when I was doing my own research, and though I don't agree with their conclusions, I do think that it is the most informative counterpoint out there to the advocates of a raw diet. I recommend both that site and Ed's to anyone that asks me about feeding raw, since I think everyone should see both sides of the argument.

There are a couple of things about the research on their site that I think is misleading. First, if you look at their conclusions on wolf health, you will see that they lump skin parasites, heartworm, etc. in with intestinal parasites as a major (not THE major, you'll notice) cause of death. They also do not point out that intestinal parasites don't necessarily come from eating infected meat. They can come from any number of sources, and the high rate of infection they show could easily be (and quite likely is) a result of poor overall nutrition and a weakened immune system rather than a raw diet. As has been pointed out earlier, is isn't surprising in the least to see wild animals in a state of poor nutrition. Secondly, they fail to acknowlege the differences in the quality of meat found in the wild vs. the grocery store. And finally, they gloss over the fact that wolves are often scavengers, and their diet consists of carrion, insects, vegetation, etc. as well as fresh meat. Last I checked, raw food advocates don't recommend feeding your dog road kill.

The other thing I would point out is that their discussion on wolf health (which includes no mention of health problems related to eating bones) is the closest thing they come to providing analytical evidence of their claims. Everything else is anecdotal, and should be accepted as such.

Does this prove that they're wrong and Ed is right? No, the evidence provided by raw food advocates is often just as anecdotal. But I'll take Ed's experience over theirs. Everyone should make up their own mind. There are some good all-natural kibble alternatives out there - even some that are made with raw ingredients. Nervous about feeding bones? Then don't.

My personal inclination is to avoid a raw diet with puppies and sick dogs, since they are more susceptible to parasitic infections, though there are plenty of people out there who feed raw from day one. I have recently switched back to a raw diet after having trouble getting my dog to eat kibble day after day. I'd rather have a healthy, strong dog and accept what seems to be a slight risk of complications, than have a dog that picks at his food, eats too little, and gets sick as a result.

I would gladly switch to a raw diet if I knew how/where to get the ingredients. It's too expensive for us to just buy the dog's meat from the grocery store, so how/where do you go to get what you feed the dogs?