Raw Diet or Commercial Pet Food?

The debate of what to feed pets is a touchy subject among pet lovers. Advocates for raw diets insist that it is the healthiest food, but veterinarians don't always agree.

Scientists who have made a life’s work of studying pet health and nutrition do have answers. Every type of diet has its pros and cons, and raw foods are no exception.

Advocates claim that raw foods are "natural" and are closer to a dog or cat’s natural diet. But our domesticated pets are far removed from wild animals.  Wild animals do not live as long as our pets, and they get parasites and bacterial infections from eating raw meat.  They suffer and many die when bones get stuck in their throats, intestines, or perforate their stomachs. “Natural” sounds healthy, but there's nothing healthy or good about feeding pets a diet that can cause parasites, bacteria infections and medical problems.

There are pets who cannot handle a raw diet and develop colitis.

Research has shown that commercially available "human grade" meats are often contaminated with bacteria like E. coli that can cause serious illness.  Meat sold for pet food surely has the same risk, if not more. Dogs and cats are not immune to Salmonella or other bacteria.

The Delta Society, a non-profit organization that trains volunteers for animal-assisted therapy, issued a statement that they would reject pets fed a raw diet (proteins) because they're likely to shed dangerous levels of bacteria that humans might be exposed to through contact.

On the other hand, commercial pet food contains ingredients that pets are allergic to. There are dogs that cannot tolerate corn or grain in their food, for example.

And of course, the corn or grain-free commercial foods are more expensive. That's another issue in itself!

For more information about raw diets, check out the Food and Drug Administration’s website, www.fda.gov, and search for “raw pet food.”  For more information about the Delta Society’s position statement, see www.deltasociety.org and search for “raw food.”  For the American Veterinary Medical Association’s information links on food safety, go to http://www.avma.org/public_health/default.asp#food_safety.  

What do you feed your pet and why? Do you believe that commercial pet food is safe and healthy? Reply in the Comment Box below.