Don't Paint the Roses
When people learn that we feed our pets a raw diet we receive quite the range of interesting reactions- abject disgust, confusion, surprise, and on rare occasions someone enlightened will nod with hearty agreement. Here I will cover the reasons why we feed a biologically appropriate diet and why we do not feed our animals commercial pet food.
We believe that each organism on this planet is adapted to thrive on a specific diet. One that will maximize health and vitality, and as caretakers of these animals it is our responsibility to be knowledgeable about their needs and see to it that we can provide them. Here I will address some common concerns regarding our pet’s diet:
What do you feed your pets?
Our cats are fed a variety of animal meats; the ideal being a whole prey animal such as a small bird or a mouse, but practically-speaking, mimicking this as closely as possible. We feed chicken with the bones and organs, pork, beef, fish on occasion (with the bones and all) and when possible mice and chicks. The ideal percentages would be 85% meat, 10% bone and 5% organ. Cats should be fed 3-4% of their body weight each day and dogs 2-3% of their weight each day. Our fish is fed a variety of live insects and worms with some plant foods such as peas and lettuce, since he is an omnivore.
There are so many commercial diets out there- don’t they provide sufficient nutrition for your pets?
Consider the physiology of our most common pets- cats and dogs. These animals are obligate carnivores by nature. They possess a carnivorous jaw structure (jaws that cannot move from side to side, large facial muscles and a large mouth size to skull ratio), a short digestive tract, a highly acidic digestive system, widely spaced teeth designed for shearing chunks of meat and cracking bone, a lack of the enzyme amylase, which digests carbohydrates, in their saliva and a presence of the enzyme lipase, which destroys bacteria. Conversely, herbivores possess a jaw structure that includes a small mouth with fleshy lips and a lower jaw that can move side to side, a long digestive tract, closely spaced teeth with flat surfaces for grinding plant matter, the presence of amylase in their saliva and the absence of lipase.
Let’s look at the ingredients in the majority of commerical pet foods. They contain a large portion of plant matter, including grains- of which carnivorous animals are not equipped to digest properly. A life-long diet of plant matter in a carnivorous animal can lead to diabetes, urinary tract disease, gingivitis, and heart disease. It also is responsible for much of the so-called genetic problems of large-bodied dogs, namely joint and heart disease.
Herbivores possess a long digestive tract because it takes a lot of time to break down the cell walls of plant matter. Carnivores possess a short digestive tract that is designed to move animal flesh through it quickly to prevent the build up of harmful bacteria. When a carnivore is forced to eat a diet that is comprised of a large portion of plant matter its body is not able to absorb all the nutrients it needs. It needs to eat much more plant-based food in order to acquire needed nutrients and this is what leads to the large rates of obesity and diabetes we are seeing amongst our pets.
On to the other ingredients found in most commercial pet foods: when they do contain ‘meat’ it is usually low-grade meat by-products. These are diseased animals processed and put into pet food and also the remains of animals processed for human consumption, such as chicken beaks and feathers.
Most commercial pet food is sold in the form of dry kibble. This product contains a very low percentage of water. This is dangerous for carnivorous animals, who are adapted to acquire the vast majority of their water needs from their food. They naturally have a low thirst drive and so animals fed a kibble diet are typically in a perpetual state of dehydration.
Commercial pet foods don’t provide the necessary jaw action that a biologically appropriate diet does. Carnivorous animals need to shear meat and crack bone in order to maintain healthy teeth. Cats, dogs and ferrets don’t chew. They shear large chunks of meat and bone and swallow them, but they do not use their teeth to grind and chew. Soft and dry commercial food are slurped down leaving carbohydrate-laden residue in the mouth for bacteria to damage teeth and gums. This results in gingivitis and can lead to fatal systemic infections.
Let’s consider poo for a moment: The typical large and smelly masses that pets often make is not normal. It is the result of an inadequate diet that is not biologically appropriate. Put on a biologically appropriate one and poo output is greatly decreased and is usually small, not smelly and quickly dries. We noticed a drastic change in our fish when he was switched from a commercial cichlid pellet diet to a diet comprised of live insects, worms and some vegetable matter (he is an omnivore). When he was on a pellet diet he would leave enormous amounts of red poo all over his tank. One week into a biologically appropriate diet and it is rare to see any poo. What little he makes is quickly broken down by helpful bacteria.
Isn’t feeding raw meat dangerous to the animal because of bacteria?
While all meat does harbor an amount of bacteria carnivorous animals are prepared to deal with it. The lysozyme enzymes in their saliva destroys bacteria in the mouth. Their digestive fluids are much more acidic than humans and other herbivorous animals. They possess a very short digestive tract that is designed to move the flesh through their bodies quickly to prevent bacterial growth. What is shocking is that there is no regulation in regards to microbial growth in pet food. Dry kibble is full of rancid fats, bacteria and fungi and usually contains remnants of diseased animals.
What about bones? Can’t they puncture the intestines? Can’t the animal choke?
Cooked bones are dangerous. They become brittle and dry and can splinter and most definitely puncture organs in the digestive tract. Raw bones are a necessary part of a carnivore’s diet (to provide needed minerals) and are soft and easily digested. Carnivores are naturally suited to swallowing large pieces of bone.
I can’t imagine feeding my pets a diet better than myself. Isn’t it very expensive?
We spend about $40 a month to feed two cats and a large cichlid a biologically appropriate diet. What are your options with commercial diets? All-meat canned food for one cat can easily rack up to $100 a month. And this still doesn’t provide the necessary jaw action and teeth cleaning that shearing meat and cracking bones does. The animal will still have to be taken into the vet for expensive dental work or risk gingivitis and deadly systemic infections that will cost even more money. Cheaper commercial pet foods carry the risk of causing an animal to develop many other diseases in addition to gingivitis and systemic infections: kidney and urinary tract disease, diabetes, cancer, obesity and skin diseases to name a few. The majority of pet owners are faced with paying expensive veterinary bills as their pets succomb to a lifetime of inadequate diet, thinking that this is normal.
My vet says my pet needs a particular brand of food. Shouldn’t I trust my vet? He’s the educated one.
The truth is, veterinarians only receive about four hours of animal nutrition education, and that is usually provided by pet food companies. Veterinarians also receive incentives for promoting certain brands of commercial pet food. He has a vested interest in getting you to buy a particular brand and is typically unaware of the dangers of commercial pet food and what your animal really needs nutritionally.
Helpful links about rawfeeding your pet a biologically appropriate diet:
http://www.rawfedcats.org/index.htm
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