Are raw nutrient diets for dogs a good idea ? hear the pros and cons of feed your Canis familiaris only raw kernel , pearl , and other uncooked or unpasteurized component .

Organ meat . Muscle meat . bone . These and other uncooked ingredient are what you ’ll be buying , preparing , and serve if you decide to put your frankfurter on a raw food dieting . But be cognisant ; these diet are controversial . Some citizenry — like Ian Billinghurst , inventor of the Biologically Appropriate Raw Food ( BARF ) dieting — say these intellectual nourishment are what dogs ate before they became domesticise . Other expert think nutritionally balanced commercial dog foods are the right way of life to go .

Learn more about the mentation behind raw food diet and the risks name by theAmerican Veterinary aesculapian Association(AVMA),Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC ) , and theFDAbefore you throw away the kibble and get up close and personal with piles of raw meat .

illustration of dog with bowl of raw foods

Caitlin-Marie Miner Ong

What Foods Are Included in a Raw Diet for Dogs?

According to the AVMA , raw food diets for dogs commonly include some or all of these things : organ meats such as liver or kidney ; musculus pith ( often still on the ivory ) ; whole or ground os ; raweggs ; freshfruitsand / orvegetables ; and some dairy farm products such as unpasteurized yoghurt or milk . None of this food is cooked before you feed it to your dog .

Note that some fruits and vegetables likegrapes and raisinsaretoxic to dogs , and should be avoid as part of any dieting — admit a crude food for thought dieting . There is also a peril involve with feeding your dog any raw animal product , as they can stage a risk for bacterium likeSalmonellaorE. coli .

There are avariety of raw solid food diets , each gas a slenderly different compounding of foods . Some of the types you may have find out of : the Biologically Appropriate Raw Food ( BARF ) diet , the Prey Model Raw ( PMR ) diet , and the Ketogenic Raw Food ( Keto ) diet .

What is the BARF Diet?

The BARF dieting is one variation of a raw food diet . Canine athletes such as racinggreyhoundsand sled dogs have been eating eminent - fat raw food dieting for a long sentence , according toThe Journal for Nutrition . In 1993 , Australian veterinarian Ian Billinghurst created the BARF diet for family hound . He speculate dog-iron would do well on this dieting because they ate such foods before they became domesticated positron emission tomography .

Is the BARF Diet OK for Puppies?

The folks who believe in the BARF diet say yes , but it ’s good to check with your pup ’s veterinarian first . If you both agree this is the good dieting for your puppy , to forfend tooth equipment casualty you should n’t give your pup the free weight - bearing bones from gravid animal such as cows or sheep concord toThe Happy Puppy .

That internet site suggests if you ’re trying to give your puppy raw nutrient on a budget , you should prepare your pup ’s cutting food for thought yourself instead of buying prepackaged raw food for thought . Shop for garish animal parts that do n’t present a choking endangerment for small puppy mouth and give your pupdog - good yield and vegetables .

What Are the Benefits of a Raw Food Diet?

Anecdotal evidence from Billinghurst and his supporters say those benefit include a shinier coat , healthier cutis , cleaner dentition , more energy , and little poops , allot to theCanine Journal . That sounds smashing , right ? Except there is n’t any scientific grounds to endure those claims .

Plus , it ’s the nutrient in any peculiar dieting that are going to find out which benefits a blackguard gets from eating it , says Jessica Romine , DVM , DACVIM , a veterinarian atBluePearl Veterinary Partnersin Southfield , Mich. " It ’s not so much the raw nature of the solid food as it is the actual element of the food , " says Romine , who is control board - certified in veterinary internal practice of medicine . " For example , if a raw food dieting is gamey in fatty tissue than what the detent was eating previously , then he ’ll train a glossier coat . "

What Health Risks Are Attributed to a Raw Food Diet?

Pointing to a number of studies , theAVMAdiscourages natural or undercooked meat for dogs because it may contain potentially deadly pathogen that can sicken your pet and may even be transmitted to you and your category . The AVMA also tell peeled food diets may not be nutritionally balanced ( which is particularly dangerous for puppies ) ; the diet ' high protein grade may lead to liver or kidney disease . And giving whole bone to domestic dog come with a risk of pass away , broken teeth , or intragroup puncture .

TheAVMAsuggests that you should n’t feed dogs natural foods that are n’t cooked , pasteurized , or ray to kill bacterium . Avoiding solid food like that means your frank ’s dieting will be safer and minimize the public wellness peril .

How Do I Get Started Serving My Dog Raw Food?

If you ’re strongly interested in serving your hound a bleak or base - cooked diet , work with your veterinarian or a veterinary nutritionist to develop a naturally balanced dieting .

Where Can I Find Meat for My Dog’s Diet?

hear your local butchers ( they can put specialness items ) ; cultural grocers ; farmers ( a great source for organ kernel ) ; Orion ; and online center provider for naked as a jaybird tributary and detent owners .

What About Delivery Options?

You may not have the time to shop for special ingredient or do all the grinding , chop , measuring , mixing , and freezing that come with intellectual nourishment prep . That ’s where naked dog food delivery services do into free rein . Companies such asThe Farmer ’s Dog , Ollie , andNom Nompackage meals made of fresh meat , produce , vitamins and mineral , and other ingredients that are freeze - dry or fixed to maintain their nutrient .

But here ’s the thing : You ’d be get a probability with these well - intend livery service because they are n’t regulated . " There is n’t a communications protocol dictated by the FDA , " Romine says . " And there ’s no character control board overseeing their manufacturing processes . "

What Precautions Should I Take with a Raw Food Diet?

Get the full picture for keeping your deary and your family dependable while deal raw food at the AVMAwebsite . Here are some of the organization ’s cardinal recommendation .

Food Prep

head off food - put up bacterium by cooking in the buff kernel before feed it to your dog-iron . Keep your positron emission tomography ’s raw core separate from heart and soul intended for your family . rinse fruits and vegetables before gift them to your click .

Cleanup

wash out your hands thoroughly after handling raw food . Sanitize frank bowls , countertops , cut board , and utensil on a regular basis .

And be wary of corrupt in the altogether meat — specially volaille — at the grocery store storage and then feeding it to your frump , Romine says . " It ’s pretty risky — because the store assumes the meat will be prepare before serving , " she say . " You ca n’t usurp the package will be uninspired on the exterior , either . "

Can I Create a Low-Fat Raw Food Diet for my Dog?

If this is important to you , your best stake is to look up a vet or panel - licence veterinary nutritionist to put together a raw dieting that provides your pooch with a well - balance dieting that ’s lower in fat .

How Can I Tell If My Dog Gets Sick From a Raw Food Diet?

You ’ll probably be able to separate by the fluids expelled from his body . standardised to those of solid food poisoning , Salmonellasymptoms includevomitingand a nasty diarrhea that does not react to abland dietor probiotics , per Romine . " But your dog can be an symptomless carrier ofSalmonellaorE. coli , " she state . " He wo n’t look or act sick , but he can still be shedding bacteria in his stool . And that put people at risk , specially young children or the elderly . "

If you suspect your dog is sick , take him to your regular veterinary clinic . Your veterinarian will run a acculturation on your dog ’s stool to identify the bacterium and hint a treatment plan if the culture is positive .