Raw Feeding for Pets

By: Michelle Yaglowski

Does your dog suffer from digestive issues? Do you have a picky eater? Does your dog struggle with allergies? How about weight? Have you spent time and money trying different foods that really made no difference? If you’ve spoken to anyone who has switched to a raw diet, they will have a story (or three) about why they switched to raw and how it positively impacted their dog’s life. Unfortunately, sometimes the switch can seem overwhelming, as consumers are not given the proper information to begin. Questions such as, “How do I transition?” “How much do I feed?” or “How do I make it balanced?” are often questions that arise. The truth is, there is no wrong way. Here are the basics of raw feeding:

Raw Feeding Background

 Raw feeding has become increasingly popular over the years. Consumers are beginning to realize some of the ingredients in kibble aren’t ideal. Pet owners are questioning pet food companies, and (surprise!) they aren’t getting the answers they had hoped for. Many pet owners have made the switch to raw, because they want to know what they are feeding their pets, where ingredients come from and because fresh food just makes sense. Right?

 If you ever talked to a raw feeder, they are often always raving how healthy their dogs are. Less poop, clean teeth, shiny coat, you name it. That said, this is an unconventional way of feeding, and although there are researchers behind the scenes working to document the science on why raw feeding works, it just isn’t there yet. While we do have some evidence to show a decrease in inflammation, better gut microbiomes and a few others – much of the evidence that does exist is largely anecdotal. Anecdotal means that most evidence is based off of personal experiences instead of documented and formal scientific research.

 This is why our highly educated vets aren’t always on board with this switch. That is why it is important to consult a professional who has knowledge in raw feeding nutrition and safety prior to making the switch. Then, you can bring back all the information and share it with your vet, and hopefully they will be more comfortable with your decision.

 BMC Veterinary Research published a survey analyzing pet owner’s attitudes, as well as reasoning, for feeding raw.2 218 raw feeders were analyzed, and 79% (178 out of 218) reported seeing a shinier coat after making the switch. Some of the other common changes reported was muscle mass gain, cleaner teeth, vitality, and odorless breath. There are just some of many benefits that raw feeding can have.

What is Raw? 

Raw diets can be a combination of meat, skeletal muscle, organs, cartilage or bone. Some also include vegetables, fruit and supplements like bone broth and goat milk. These diets can be commercially produced or made at home. The most common type of raw diet is frozen, however, freeze-dried is becoming increasingly popular. Some commercial diets can come already balanced, where others may require supplementation.

Homemade raw diets are one of the largest reasons for veterinary apprehension surrounding raw. The reason is two-fold: bacterial contamination and diets that are not balanced which can lead to critical nutrient deficiencies leading to illness which can be severe. This is where commercial diets provide a sense of safety and security when they are produced by a company with proper pathogen mitigation techniques and that are formulated by a qualified nutritionist.

The Guidelines

Although there aren’t strict rules for feeding raw, there are a few guidelines. A good starting place when determining how much to feed is that your dog should be eating 2-3% of their ideal body weight. The amount of food to feed can vary depending on your dog’s age, energy level, breed and metabolism. For example, if your dog is more active, they may require more food to stay at their ideal body weight.

There are more precise ways to determine your pet’s daily food intake that depend on the caloric density of the food, and your pet’s energy expenditure. For example, a food that is higher in fat will require a lesser amount than a food that is low in fat. This is because fat provides a high number of calories. 

Different Raw Methods:

There are many ‘camps’ when it comes to raw feeding. Some are adamant that ‘their way’ is the only way. However, we simply do not have enough available research to determine the ‘best’ way to raw feed, and the reality is that it is unlikely there is one ‘right’ way. Instead, different pets respond differently to different approaches and that is ok!  Here are a few main philosophies:

·      The “Prey Model” consists of roughly meat (80%), raw meaty bones (10%), and organs (10%, 5% should be liver and secreting organ). This generally involves sourcing whole organs, cuts of meat and adding in a variety of items to ‘balance’ the diet. This is also one of the most cumbersome and involved ways to feed because it does require some nutrition knowledge and usually the use of spreadsheets and some research to determine nutrient quantities to balance the meal appropriately. This generally does not include the use of fruit or vegetables

·      The “BARF” model or Biologically Appropriate Raw Food, which is 70% meat, 10% raw meaty bones, 10% organ (5% should be liver/secreting organ), and 10% fruit, veggie or dairy. The differentiator is that the BARF model will include veggies and/or fruit. This approach can be homemade or utilize a commercially prepared base with the addition of fruit, vegetables and/or dairy.

·      Commercially prepared options include both balanced and unbalanced options. They can also be fed on their own, used as a supplement to other foods (such as dry) or used as a complete and balanced raw meal. They also come in many options such as frozen blocks, tubes, patties, medallions or even small nibblets. Raw food companies have elevated the level of convenience they provide to the market making raw food diets much more accessible to nearly all pet owners.

Any one of the above philosophies works, and the choice is dependent on how much work and research you plan to devote to raw feeding. The majority of pet owners choose commercially balanced options from manufacturers that have effective pathogen mitigation steps and that are formulated by qualified nutritionists.

It’s also important to consider whether or not you will be adding fruit, veggie or dairy. While all of these can provide benefit, not every pet likes or may benefit from these additions. For example, some dogs need a higher fiber if there are liver, kidney or pancreatic concerns. Some pets also do not react well to dairy products, particularly cow’s milk.

How Do I Switch?

There is no wrong way to switch, it will depend on your dog’s ability to handle the change. Two ways to switch are cold turkey or gradually. A straight switch (e.g. cold turkey) is usually done by fasting your dog for 18-24 hours, and then introducing a small amount (half of a normal meal) of the raw diet. If this is not what you think is best for your pet, you can do it gradually, as you would if you were introducing a new kibble. This means incorporating a small amount of raw into your dog’s current food and slowly increasing until the full switch is made, usually over 5-10 days.

The DON’T of Raw Food

DON’T feed cooked bones, which means do not cook any commercially prepared raw food diet.

DON’T feed weight bearing bones or knuckle bones, as these can be too thick for our pet’s teeth and cause dental fractures, cuts or even intestinal issues.

Too much bone can also provide additional concern because excess calcium may cause intestinal blockages and constipation. See our other blog posts for information about feeding raw meaty bones!

What about pathogens from raw meat?

We, as humans, have always been told to cook our meat to eliminate pathogens like Salmonella or Campylobacter. The truth is, there are very little documented cases linking raw feeding to enteric pathogens. In a study by DogRisk1, stool samples were tested in dogs who were fed raw diets and some who were fed kibble-based diets. It was discovered that, “Zoonotic meat-borne bacteria—such as Campylobacter, Salmonella, and enteropathogenic Yersinia—were only sporadically detected in RMBD (raw meat-based diets) by PCR.”1 This means that there is no consistency with raw diets and enteric pathogens. As long as basic, safe handling occurs (we do this for our own meat to prevent getting sick) -- good hand hygiene, disinfecting surfaces after prepping, and not feeding meat that has gone bad, enteric pathogens should be prevented.

It's also important to note that some of the largest and most significant pet food recalls in the U.S. have been linked to dry food. This means that heat-treated foods also come with significant risk of pathogens, and research tells us that most pet owners feed their pets and do not wash their hands or clean their pet food bowls regularly. In other words, it is important to practice proper hygiene regardless of the type of food you feed your pet!

Currently, we feed our dogs “The Farmers Dog” and our cats raw from a farm located in Lagrangeville, NY called Rawganics. If you would like to try “The Farmers Dog,” please send us an email for a free code! Although “The Farmers Dog” isn’t raw—it is steamed and provides similar benefits to our pets.

1.     Anturaniemi (o.s. Roine), J., Barrouin-Melo, S., Zaldivar-López, S., Sinkko, H., & Hielm-

Björkman, A. (2019). Owners perception of acquiring infections through raw pet food: a comprehensive internet-based survey. Veterinary Record, 185(21). https://doi.org/10.1136/vr.105122

2.     Waters A, FPJ. Bree GCAMB, LM. Freeman MLC, et al. Raw meat-based diets for dogs:

survey of owners' motivations, attitudes and practices. BMC Veterinary Research. https://bmcvetres.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12917-019-1824-x#citeas. Accessed February 11, 2021.