Raw feeding has started to become increasingly popular in pet parents who want to take their dog’s health into their own hands. According to The Barf Diet by Ian Billinghurst (4), raw diets or BARF diets (Bones and Raw Food or Biologically Appropriate Raw Food) are based on the diets of a wolf or a dingo. Billinger claims creating a BARF diet for your pet is simple and can be produced using “foods from your local butcher or supermarket”. His idea of an ideal diet consists of 50% raw meaty bones and 50% “muli-mix BARF patties”. This book was published in 2001 and since then, more studies have been done about evolution from wolves to domesticated dogs, including research on their gut microbiome and genetic differences (see post EVOLUTION! for more information). It is relatively common knowledge at this time that dogs require a more balanced diet than just meat and in fact evolved to be omnivores. That being said, it is possible to raw feed your dog but it is difficult to properly balance the nutrients they need.
Many people switch to raw diets for their pets hoping to avoid recalls such as the recent recalls of Nutri Source and Fromm Four-Star Nutritionals dog foods (1). According to the FDA, both these foods contained a harmful level of Vitamin D. Other reasons for commercial dog food recalls include elevated levels of Aflatoxin, Salmonella contamination or potential for Salmonella contamination, and Listeria monocytogenes contamination. Aflatoxins are produced by the mold Aspergillus flavus (2). It is a concern in pet foods because it grows in ingredients such as corn, peanuts, and various grains. All these ingredients are common in dog foods and treats.
The study of raw diets in dogs is relatively new, therefore not many credible comparative studies exist. Most studies analyzing raw diets test food or stool for specific markers of infection, primarily Salmonella. In a review of studies on raw diets in dogs published in 2011 (3), the authors discuss a number of studies that tested Salmonella. One study of a greyhound racing facility that raw feeds their dogs found that 31 out of 41 fecal samples collected tested positive for Salmonella. It is important to note that these samples were taken from greyhounds with gastroenteritis (stomach upset). There was a control group of dogs not suffering from upset stomachs and 4 out of 35 of these samples tested positive. Another thing to keep in mind when evaluating the results of this study is that greyhound racing facilities are notoriously inhumane and are often fed low-quality diets.
Results of elevated levels of Salmonella in fecal samples of dogs fed raw diets have been found in other studies cited in the 2011 review (3). An experimental study was done on research dogs. This study fed dogs a commercial frozen raw diet. The food was tested for Salmonella before being fed to the dogs. Some food tested positive while the rest tested negative. The food that tested positive was fed to 16 dogs and the food that tested negative was fed to 12 dogs. None of the dogs exhibited symptoms of gastroenteritis, but 7 of the dogs fed contaminated diets shed the Salmonella serovars in their stool for 1-7 days after ingesting contaminated food. “Serovars” refers to the distinct variety of Salmonella that was present in the food. The fact that serovars stay in stool for days after consumption increases the risk of humans becoming infected. Humans are exposed when handling food and cleaning up fecal matter from their pets, which can lead to infection.
These studies are particularly interesting in the context of many kibble and canned food recalls. Commercial dog foods are regulated, therefore when large quantities of dogs ingest contaminated foods and get sick, we hear about it via a recall. The danger of creating a raw diet for your pet without regulations or assistance from a professional is in the deregulation and lack of testing. A way around this issue is prepackaged commercial raw foods from companies like “The Farmer’s Dog”. The diets are formulated by nutritionists in order to create balanced meals and are subject to recall like kibble. The issue many pet owners run into with this alternative is the high price point. Raw foods like The Farmer’s Dog need to be stored and shipped in refrigerated containers, boast “human grade” ingredients, and personalized plans for your pet which all lead to a higher price.
- FDA. (2021, November 16). Recalls & Withdrawals. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Retrieved November 17, 2021, from https://www.fda.gov/animal-veterinary/safety-health/recalls-withdrawals.
- FDA. (2021, January 8). Aflatoxin poisoning in pets. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Retrieved November 17, 2021, from https://www.fda.gov/animal-veterinary/animal-health-literacy/aflatoxin-poisoning-pets.
- Schlesinger, D. P., & Joffe, D. J. (2011). Raw food diets in companion animals: a critical review. The Canadian veterinary journal = La revue veterinaire canadienne, 52(1), 50–54.
- Billinghurst, I. (2001). The Barf Diet. Google Books. Ian Billinghurst in Australia. Retrieved November 16, 2021, from https://www.google.com/books/edition/_/O3tXDAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1.