The Dangers of Raw Diets in Dogs and Cats

Dangers of Raw Diets in Dogs and Cats

               Raw diets may seem like a good idea as a “natural” diet to feed your pet.  After all, they’re similar to what dogs and cats would eat in the wild, right?  In reality, there are no studies that show that raw diets are more beneficial or nutritious than commercial pet foods. And, they may actually be detrimental to your pet’s health as well as your own. 

               In 2019, multiple cats from different households in the United Kingdom contracted tuberculosis from a commercially sold frozen raw feline diet. The cats were indoor-only cats with no exposure to wildlife. These cats spread the infection to other cats in the households and more than 100 cats were ultimately infected.  Sadly, 5 of the 6 original infected cats who were symptomatic died or were euthanized as a result.  While no cat to human transmission occurred in this case, this has been documented to occur, so this also poses a huge human health risk.

               Both cats and dogs can be infected with Salmonella, Campylobacter and other bacteria known to cause food poisoning.  And while not all pets may show symptoms if infected, they can spread these infections to their owners when bacteria is harbored in the pet’s mouth or shed in poop.

               Bones in raw diets can potentially cause obstruction of the bowel, can puncture the esophagus or intestinal tract and can cause broken teeth.

               In addition, raw diets could be over- or under-supplemented with essential nutrients and thus do not always provide a balanced diet. One study showed up to 60% of raw diets had improper levels of calcium, phosphorus and other nutrients which could lead to health problems.

               Veterinary governing agencies such as the AVMA and American College of Veterinary Nutritionists as well as organizations like the CDC do not advocate the feeding of raw diets in pets due to the reasons listed above. There are too many health concerns with these diets providing proper nutrition in addition to the health concerns such as TB and bacterial infections that could actually infect people.  There are recipes for home cooked pet diets out there that are balanced and much safer to feed and many quality commercially available canned foods and dry kibble diets that are healthy for you pet.  Should you have further questions about your pet’s nutritional needs, please contact our office.

               This blog brought to you by the Patton Veterinary Hospital serving Red Lion, York and the surrounding communities.

https://vetnutrition.tufts.edu/2019/07/raw-cat-food-tuberculosis/

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1098612X19848455

https://www.avma.org/raw-pet-foods-and-avmas-policy-faq