Low protein dog food

There are those who swear by the BARF diet that is essentially an all raw diet that is mostly bones.  The biggest selling point being a much calmer dog.
http://www.ukbarfclub.co.uk/about-barf-feeding/what-is-barf.php   

Rufus was fed on raw chicken carcusses at the shelter and did really well.  It takes a lot of organisation to get it going but for those who feed their dogs BARF, they swear by it. 

I have to speak out against the BARF diet i'm afraid, because it just isn't safe. Its risky on many many levels, including the fact that bones often will cause esophageal obstructions, obstipation, esophageal tears and they can get stuck in the roof of the mouth causing pain and a roaring infection if not caught soon enough. On top of the problems with bones, feeding uncooked meat carries the risk of all sorts of pathogens (meat obtained from processing plants has a much higher risk of bacterial cross-contamination than a single carcasses taken down in the wild) like Salmonella and E.coli. There is also the risk of transmitting viruses and parasites (Trichinella and pseudorabies in raw pork, and toxoplasma to name a few). BARF diets are really difficult to balance as well, considering that wild carnivores didn't subsist on just chunks of raw meat/bones - they also ate fur, skin and viscera as well as wild grasses and fruits.

If commercial pet foods really bother someone, home-cooked diets are perfectly adequate usually...it just takes *A LOT* of effort to make sure they are balanced and healthy for your pet.

I have to disagree w/the fear about the raw diet. Yes, there are things you have to be careful about, as w/any diet, but compared to the junk that is in a lot of commercial pet food (including supposedly good brands like Science Diet--yes, I include the prescription formulas in that one), it is way healthier. (not to mention stuff like, oh, the pet food recall...)

There is a lot of information out there on how to feed raw well. Here is one link to start w/ that debunks some myths:
http://www.rawfed.com/myths/index.html [nofollow]

(I am less familiar w/raw feeding for dogs than w/cats, just because we have cats--who eat raw!--right now, but I know for cats, the risk of food poisoning is much smaller than you'd think, because they have a much quicker transit time through their digestive system than humans do.)

I have to disagree w/the fear about the raw diet. Yes, there are things you have to be careful about, as w/any diet, but compared to the junk that is in a lot of commercial pet food (including supposedly good brands like Science Diet--yes, I include the prescription formulas in that one), it is way healthier. (not to mention stuff like, oh, the pet food recall...)

I'm just going to have to say *sigh*.

You seem to dismiss the real problems that raw-food diets pose (like pathogens and obstructions) a little too nonchalantly. I'd like to know what the "junk" is that you speak of in commercial pet foods, and how you know that a BARF diet is "way healthier"? What are your sources beyond the one website link?

The pet food recall was horrific - yes, but even in light of that - commercial pet foods are still the safest thing to feed your pets. My three cats are on Hill's Science diet - as are hundreds of thousands of others. Commercial pet food companies have a vested interest in your pets health - and I believe they do take it seriously. Who would buy their food otherwise? I'm not saying that commercial pet foods are perfect...but what is?

There is a lot of information out there on how to feed raw well. Here is one link to start w/ that debunks some myths:
http://www.rawfed.com/myths/index.html

And as for the website...sorry to say but anyone can put up a website saying whatever they like. Where I'm coming from is professors with decades of clinical experience and research to back up what they have to say. And studies galore. 

"Evaluation of bacterial and protozoal contamination of commercially available raw meat diets for dogs

Rachel A. Strohmeyer DVM, MS Paul S. Morley DVM, PhD, DACVIM Doreene R. Hyatt PhD David A. Dargatz DVM, DACVIM A. Valeria Scorza VMD, MS Michael R. Lappin DVM, PhD, DACVIM

Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—Bacterial contamination is common in commercially available raw meat diets, suggesting that there is a risk of foodborne illness in dogs fed these diets as well possible risk for humans associated with the dogs or their environments."

Raw meat diets spark concern (from the Journal of American Veterinary Medical Association - News, January 15, 2005)

"There is a greater apparent risk to animals and humans from feeding a raw meat diet," Dr. Strohmeyer commented. "I really do not think that there is any advice we, as veterinarians, can give to improve safety. You can give basic food safety guidelines like hand washing, cleaning surfaces, and bowls, etc., not letting the food sit out for extended periods of time. I just think that it would be a disservice for a veterinarian to give any recommendation for the safety of dogs and their owners (except to not feed raw meat to pets). Bacteria are not the only health concern, there are also parasites and protozoal organisms that can be transmitted in raw meat, even meat labeled fit for human consumption."

Other veterinarians, including Dr. Jeffrey LeJeune, a food safety molecular epidemiologist and microbiologist at The Ohio State University, agree that pets should not be fed raw meat. This may be a hard sell, however, to some clients.

"From my own clinical experience, owners that feed raw (meat) pretty much have their minds set that they are going to feed raw," Dr. Strohmeyer said. She thinks clients who are thinking about feeding raw (meat), however, can be swayed fairly easily, just by basic education"

From the World Small Animal Veterinary Association Congress in Vancouver, 2001

"Biochemical and mathematical analysis of the BARF and other raw diets has shown that there are significant imbalances in some minerals. Calcium, phosphorus, zinc, magnesium and iron were either low or high in these analyses. The diets were also cultured for enteropathogens, and E. coli 0157 [pathogenic to humans!] was found in one of the three diets examined."

(I am less familiar w/raw feeding for dogs than w/cats, just because we have cats--who eat raw!--right now, but I know for cats, the risk of food poisoning is much smaller than you'd think, because they have a much quicker transit time through their digestive system than humans do.)

Thinking like this is just dangerous, and wrong. I'm going to have to address this later when it's not 1am.

(I am less familiar w/raw feeding for dogs than w/cats, just because we have cats--who eat raw!--right now, but I know for cats, the risk of food poisoning is much smaller than you'd think, because they have a much quicker transit time through their digestive system than humans do.)

First problem: that the fact that a shorter GI transit time than humans has anything to do with how susceptible cats may be to foodborne illnesses. It may be that people have a higher prevalence of foodborne illness than cats, but thats pretty moot. It doesn't negate the fact that cats can still be affected by pathogens in raw food.

Second problem: GI transit time has nothing to do with food intoxication or "food poisoning". From Small Animal Clinical Nutrition - 4th edition

"Food intoxications do not depend on the ingestion of viable cells, but result from the ingestion of a food that already contains a microbial toxin. Because cell replication is not required, the signs of food poisoning appear rapidly."

If there are live bacteria producing exotoxins...or dead bacteria that have released endotoxins...transit time in the GIT will be a moot point.

Also from Small Animal Clinical Nutrition

"Animals that roam freely and those fed raw meat or uncooked foods are at greatest risk of foodborne illnesses...which may be caused by bacterial infection, bacterial toxins, mycotoxins, chemicals, metals and other contaminants."


I have very strong opinions on this topic because one of the things I am most passionate about is animal health, and from the information presented to me by my professors and my own personal research into the matter...I feel that feeding a raw food diet poses a much greater risk to your pets health than a commercially prepared diet. But please don't take this as a personal judgment on you diffuse, if your cats are happy and healthy and seeing a vet regularly then more power to you.

There are actually a lot of vets who support feeding a raw diet. Elizabeth Hodgkins is one (one of her websites is http://www.all-about-cats.com/ [nofollow] ). She used to work for both Hills/Science Diet & Purina, & now speaks out about how crap their food is. Lisa Pierson is another vet who recommends feeding raw (http://catinfo.org/ [nofollow] ).

If cats are obligate carnivores, why are pet food companies stuffing their foods w/carbs, carbs & more carbs? What is the benefit to feeding cats large amounts of corn or rice or wheat, even leaving aside the fact that many cats are allergic to these substances? Sure, it benefits the companies, b/c it's cheaper... but cats do not need these substances, they need protein. Cats don't need kibble, they need moisture w/their food. They don't need little biscuit-y things; that's not what they evolved to eat. Oh, wait, kibble is cheap & convenient for pet owners... even though it can contribute to a lot of health issues...

Not to mention, the same problems w/the human food system (ie. poor regulation -- esp. in the US -- leading to poor quality ingredients & stuff like the recalls) are present in the pet food industry. And, no, apparently consumer demand or outrage is not enough to actually ensure that mad cow disease, or pet food recalls, etc. etc. are not going to happen. Yes, huge companies depend on consumers to buy their products--but they're also almost always going to do as little as they can get away w/in terms of health & safety, b/c it cuts into their profits.

Why would vets push special dry food for cats prone to crystals, when dry food does not allow cats to be hydrated enough & keeping the body hydrated is crucial to managing crystals?

I am passionate about this subject as well, & yes, from my own research into the matter & the evidence of my own cats & those of many other folks I know, I believe that raw is very healthy & certainly better than stuff like Science Diet or Purina.

There are actually a lot of vets who support feeding a raw diet. Elizabeth Hodgkins is one (one of her websites is http://www.all-about-cats.com/). She used to work for both Hills/Science Diet & Purina, & now speaks out about how crap their food is. Lisa Pierson is another vet who recommends feeding raw (http://catinfo.org/).

If cats are obligate carnivores, why are pet food companies stuffing their foods w/carbs, carbs & more carbs? What is the benefit to feeding cats large amounts of corn or rice or wheat, even leaving aside the fact that many cats are allergic to these substances? Sure, it benefits the companies, b/c it's cheaper... but cats do not need these substances, they need protein. Cats don't need kibble, they need moisture w/their food. They don't need little biscuit-y things; that's not what they evolved to eat. Oh, wait, kibble is cheap & convenient for pet owners... even though it can contribute to a lot of health issues...

Not to mention, the same problems w/the human food system (ie. poor regulation -- esp. in the US -- leading to poor quality ingredients & stuff like the recalls) are present in the pet food industry. And, no, apparently consumer demand or outrage is not enough to actually ensure that mad cow disease, or pet food recalls, etc. etc. are not going to happen. Yes, huge companies depend on consumers to buy their products--but they're also almost always going to do as little as they can get away w/in terms of health & safety, b/c it cuts into their profits.

Why would vets push special dry food for cats prone to crystals, when dry food does not allow cats to be hydrated enough & keeping the body hydrated is crucial to managing crystals?

I am passionate about this subject as well, & yes, from my own research into the matter & the evidence of my own cats & those of many other folks I know, I believe that raw is very healthy & certainly better than stuff like Science Diet or Purina.

There are always going to be people (like yourself) with differing opinions - there are even a couple of people in my class who are into the BARF diet. The majority of vets though don't support it, and the faculty at my school who have dedicated their lives to nutrition research don't support it. The research supports the fact that a raw food diet is more dangerous than a commercial pet food diet, as well as being more difficult to balance - as I commented earlier. Commercial pet foods on the other hand are nutritionally balanced and digestible, and contain adequate protein. The dry food I feed my cat lists pea protein, rabbit, pea bran meal, pork fat and rabbit meal as the first five ingredients. The wet food they get lists rabbit as the first ingredient, followed by water and then ground green pea.   

Just so you know, cats are very often allergic to beef and chicken as well - one of my cats is on Hill's prescription d/d (rabbit formulation) for that very reason (she is allergic to chicken). Food allergy is actually pretty rare and can develop to any food: the major offenders include beef, dairy and poultry - as well as wheat, soy, corn and fish. More animal protein sources there than plant, in case you didn't notice.

And on the subject of dry vs. canned - just because people choose to feed a commercial diet doesn't mean they are restricted to feeding kibble. High protein, high quality wet food is out there, and my cats personally get fed a mixture of dry food to nibble on during the day and some wet food in the evening. They also have two sources of fresh re-circulating and filtered water. Obviously I'm one of those cheapskate owners who cares only for convenience - and not their pets health. And as for dry food contributing to health issues, I'd like to know what issues you are speaking of specifically. While I give my cats wet food, thats not all they get - and if they did I would shudder to see their teeth. Feeding only wet food can contribute to the build up of calculus on the teeth - a place where bacteria can get a foothold and lead to serious periodontal disease and possibly even sepsis (and albeit extremely rarely - vegetative endocarditis). There also exist special WET foods for cats with crystals and uroliths.

I'm not entirely following what you're going on about with poor regulation "esp in the US" and mad cow disease. But again, if the commercial aspect of pet foods bothers you - make your own home-COOKED diet. It can be done, although it is difficult to balance for cats. What is dangerous is the raw/bones aspect of the BARF diet. Anyway, its clear to me that you have made your mind up - its disheartening that it came from websites online but again, as long as your cats are healthy and see a vet then I guess you can count yourself lucky.