A dog is a man’s best friend. This statement holds true and defines the strong bond between humans and domesticated dogs. However, for many individuals, a dog is considered much more—they have become a part of the family. Human-animal relationships have greatly evolved and continue to strengthen their bond for the past generations. Humans and dogs rely on one another for companionship, security, and a range of other benefits. For hundreds of years, dogs have depended on humans for food and shelter. To ensure dogs live long and healthy lives, veterinarians and animal nutritionists recommend feeding pets an optimal and balanced diet. The pet food industry is larger than ever and offer a wider range of commercial pet food products than they did in the past including dry kibble, wet canned, as well as, the now trending, raw-meat based foods. In the recent years, homemade raw-meat based diets has been the focus of many pet owners due to a growing number of consumers reporting an improvement in their dogs’ overall coat condition, dental hygiene, and a decrease in waste production. Although homemade raw-meat based diets has become increasingly popular among pet owners due to its immediate benefits, these diets pose a series of serious health and safety issues for pets including lack of vitamins and household exposure to a number of pathogens. Furthermore, there are currently no proven or scientific evidence claiming that homemade raw-meat based diets is a beneficial diet for household dogs and may cause injury by damaging pets’ teeth and organs.
The homemade raw-meat based diet is a controversial topic among many pet owners and veterinarians. For some, it is becoming the increasingly popular choice and may suggest that dogs on this type of diet will thrive due to the “natural” aspect behind it. One common theory is that all breeds of today’s domesticated dogs can be traced back to a group of wolves, specifically the gray wolf, that roamed the wilderness thousands of years ago. Canis Lupus, also known as the gray wolf, are dominant predators and natives to regions in the Northern hemisphere. From there, Canis Lupus Familiaris, the domesticated dog, began to branch off from their ancestors and evolve into their own subspecies. The trend of homemade raw-meat based diets are based off this theory that dogs should be fed what wolves would normally eat in the wild, before domestication took place. However, recent studies shows that wolves and dogs are not as closely related as some may believe in regards to their history of evolution.
One notable distinction in comparing wolves and dogs are their physical attributes. Although there are some dog breeds that look similar to wolves, such as the Alaskan Husky or German Shepard, they do not have the same survival skills of a wolf. Wolves possess necessary characteristics to help them survive in the wilderness and hunt for their food. For instance, their hips and chests are more narrow, legs are elongated, and their paws are much larger in comparison to that of a dogs’. In addition, wolves and dogs have different jaw structures. Wolves are carnivorous animals and need strong, large jaws to kill their prey and tear through bone and flesh. Gray wolves primarily hunt large animals such as different types of deer, elk, moose, and bison. On the other hand, domesticated dogs are detritivores, which is defined as an animal that feeds on dead organic material, and have been bred to chew on commercial food such as dry kibble and canned. Although dogs enjoy eating meat, they are also referred to as scavengers and do not kill before consuming their food. Researchers hypothesize dog domestication occurred some 15,000 to 40,000 years ago. During this time, humans used the process of artificial selection to develop new dog breeds to make it easier for dogs and humans to coevolve. According to the America Kennel Club and the World Canine Organization—two of the largest registries—there are at least 202 recognized dog breeds in the United States and 344 dog breeds in the world. In a recent study lead by Dr. Lisa M. Freeman, researchers discovered that “dogs have undergone an incredible variety of selection pressures resulting in large phenotypic differences from their ancestors and among current breeds… In fact, it was reported that there are 36 regions of the genome that differ between dogs and wolves, 10 of which play a critical role in starch digestion and fat metabolism” (Freeman). This growing number of dog breeds have been able to adapt to a domesticated lifestyle and are exposed to a variety of foods that humans offer them including plant and animal products to meet their own nutritional requirements.
In 2014, Dr. Adam Freedman, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), lead a research study to identify the early evolutionary history of dog domestication as well as the changes in genetics. The team of researchers generated genome sequences from three gray wolves and the genome of two basal lineages—a Basenji from Africa and a Dingo from Australia—and a golden jackal as an out-group. As a result, the researchers determined there to be no clear evidence linking the dogs to the wolves. According to John Novembre, one of the researchers who took part in the study, states: “One possibility is there may have been other wolf lineages that these dogs diverged from that went extinct… when you ask which wolves are dogs most closely related to, it’s none of these because these are wolves that diverged in the recent past. It’s something more ancient that isn’t well represented by today’s wolves” (Freedman and Novembre). According to Novembre’s statement, dogs may not have evolved from the gray wolves after all. Instead of the dogs being closely related to one of the wolf lineages, the outcome of the DNA results to the dogs having descended from an unknown wolf-like ancestor. Based on the current findings of this research study and evolutionary changes, the probability of finding the genetic link between these two animals remain nonexistent.
Despite this evidence pertaining to the evolutionary change between wolves and dogs in the past years, raw-meat based food products continue to grow rapidly. Ever since the nationwide melamine pet food recall in 2007, pet owners are spending more money towards predator-style diets. According to the Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), more than “150 brands of pet food have been voluntarily recalled by a number of companies [including] moist dog and cat food, canned dog and cat food, dry dog and cat food, dog treats…” The FDA discovered traces of melamine—a substance responsible for the death of at least 100 deaths and at least 500 cases of illnesses in pets—in the contaminated pet food products linked to a single company in China. The recall affected popular and corporate pet food brands found in many pet stores such as Nestlé Purina PetCare, Hill’s Pet Nutrition: Science Diet, Royal Canin, and The Blue Buffalo Company. In the last few decades, more people have considered dogs as members of the family and making their dogs’ health a priority, especially in the Western countries. According to Growth from Knowledge (GfK), a research market institute, “51.6% of all US households own a dog or cat; among Millennial households, the percentage rises to 57% with another 20% reporting they intend to get a dog or cat. Further, pet-free Millennials are 39% more likely to own a dog or cat in the future, and are 77% more likely than any other generation to get a dog or cat while unmarried and not a parent” (Phillips-Donaldson). In addition to becoming new pet owners, 63% of Millennials agree pets should be pampered and tend to shop differently than previous generations owners (Phillips-Donaldson). According to a survey conducted by Growth from Knowledge and the American Pet Products Association in 2015-2016, pet food manufacturers and marketers have used this data and gathered information regarding the trends among Millennials which include being influenced by the latest technology; new products and services; in favor of customization; spending more money on pets (including veterinary care and pet services); are not brand loyal; and purchasing brands that reflect their lifestyle or support a cause they care about. The modern pet food industry including large and small pet companies are aware of these current trends and use them to persuade devoted pet owners who are constantly looking for the best food, treats, and services money can buy for their beloved pets.
The most common types of commercially sold raw-meat based products include fresh, frozen, and freeze-dried. According to the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) Dog Food Nutrient Profiles, these diets are formulated to meet the nutritional standards. However, not all foods are labeled accordingly and may only be meant as an additive to the dogs’ actual meal. In contrast to commercial pet food, two different types of raw-meat diets prepared at home and requires specific feeding regimens include BARF and the Prey Model. Both diets consists of uncooked meat, bones, organs, plus other supplemental ingredients and are based on the dogs’ ancestral diet.
BARF, which stands for Biologically Appropriate Raw Food or Biologically Appropriate Raw Food, was created by Dr. Ian Billinghurst as an alternative to grain-based commercially bought pet food. The BARF diet consists of chopped or ground muscle meat, bones, organs, fruits, vegetables, and may include dairy and supplements as well. When adding vegetables, it is necessary to lightly cook and then ground the vegetables as feeding raw vegetables are often poorly digested by dogs. The other type of homemade raw-meat diet is called the Prey Model and is the closest resemblance to what dogs would eat in the wild without having to hunt and kill. Just like the name, this diet consists of the whole prey including its bones, muscle, skin, organs, fat, connective tissues, animal hide, hair, and/or feathers. (Marshall) Since the prey model is given to dogs to model a prey animal in the wild, there are no other additives such as fruits, vegetables, or supplements to this diet.
Raw-meat based diets may not provide all the essential nutrients in comparison to commercial pet food. In comparing to raw-meat based diets, commercial pet food consists of much more ingredients such as proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals. According to Dr. Cathy Alinovi, DVM, a holistic veterinarian who is also certified in Veterinary Food Therapy, one of the major problems with raw meat diets is that there are no vitamin or mineral standard established for them. Pet owners may turn to raw meat diets after hearing claims that this type of diet will help their dogs lose weight. Although it may be beneficial for some, others may experience the concern of their dogs losing too much weight and require additional supplements. In order to have a properly balanced diet, domesticated dogs need a variety of vitamins and minerals including omega-3 and omega-6 which plays a vital part in their immune response, blood clotting, and cell growth. When dogs are fed too much of one or the other, these fatty acids can cause hormones to increase inflammation or trigger an immune dysfunction. Chronic inflammation is known to last for weeks, months, or years at a time in dogs and includes allergies, arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, heart disease, diabetes, liver or kidney disease and cancer. (Scott) Since it can be difficult and time consuming to adequately balance a raw-meat based diet, nutritional deficiencies are a significant possibility. Furthermore, nutritional deficiencies may take months to show up and go unnoticeable for months or years after dogs are put on a raw-meat based diet.
Establishing a raw-meat based diet has proven to be expensive and time consuming among pet owners. The preparation of a balanced meal can be a challenge many people face, especially those living a busy lifestyle. For those who travel frequently or tend to spend nights at hotel, raw-meat based diets are inconvenient whether or not dogs accompany pet owners on the trip or are left behind. This is due to the fact that many hotels are not equipped to deal with raw food storage, commercial brands are not available everywhere, and some boarding facilities charge a a higher rate for dogs on special raw diets as they do not much space for food storage. (Pask and Scott). As the options for raw dog food grows and pet owners are projecting their food preferences onto their pets, they are more willing to spend between “$2 and $8 a day for premium raw food versus about $1 a day for dry kibble.” (Shore). According to Inna Shekhtman, an owner of a raw pet food producer in North Vancouver offering a variety of proteins such as rabbit, kangaroo, beef, buffalo, and poultry, “eating minimally processed food with less preservatives ultimately makes us healthier and people have applied that same thinking to their pets. They are members of the family and we want them to live longer and healthier lives.” Although Shekhtman’s raw food company, Red Dog Deli, seeks to match the ratio of meat, bone, organ and vegetation that wolves eat in the wild, many veterinarians are still unconvinced of the value of raw-meat based diets.
In addition to the nutritional concerns of homemade raw-meat diets, preparing raw-meat diets at home poses safety risks to everyone living in the household by spreading human and canine pathogens including Salmonella, Campylobacter, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Clostridium botulinium, and Listeria. (Freeman). Not only can these pathogens harm animals being fed raw diets, these pathogens are also a concern for people preparing the food and handling food bowls. Harmful bacteria and pathogens can also be transferred into the environment and spread through the dogs’ feces. Several reported studies have been published outlining the bacteria and parasites found in raw-meat products. A recent study performed by Paul Overgaauw, a veterinarian and visiting researcher at Utrecht University, and his colleagues analyzed samples of 35 frozen pet-food products from eight different brands. According to the study, the food contained “raw meat, bones, and animal by-products from beef, duck, chicken, lamb, and horse, along with additional ingredients.” The researchers discovered 40% of the pet-food products contained Escherichia coli, 43% contained Listeria, and 20% of the samples contained Salmonella bacteria. Furthermore, two harmful parasites, Sarcocystis and Toxoplasma gondii, were also detected in 11% and 6% of the tested products. Although the study only required a small number of commercial raw-meat based products to be tested, research and evidence confirms the zoonotic bacterial and parasitic pathogen contamination risk to dogs and pet owners.
Food bowls may be a source of infection for dogs and pet owners if the food bowl is not properly disinfected after use. Dr. J. Scott Weese and Dr. Rousseau, both veterinarians in Ontario, brought up how bacteria and pathogens can indirectly be transferred among humans by handling food bowls contaminated with raw meat. In this study, the presence of Salmonella in contaminated food bowls were evaluated after testing different cleaning techniques and disinfection regimens. The study confirmed that traces of Salmonella—although a low amount—remained evident despite being soaked in bleach and washing at a temperature of 85 degrees celsius. According to the study, the risk of contracting salmonellosis is unlikely among healthy individuals. However, households living with infants, the elderly, and/or immunocompromised individuals should take caution as they are much more prone of contracting salmonellosis even if bacterial exposure is a low amount.
Whether devoted pet owners are using raw-meat based diets to strengthen the human-animal bond, revert their dogs to a more natural lifestyle, or to protest production of corporate commercial pet food, homemade raw-meat diets have and continue to grow in popularity over the past recent years. Individuals who support raw-meat based diets and claim they have noticed a positive change in their dogs’ behavior and overall appearance are doing so without regarding necessary long-term scientific evidence and are also not considering the potential harmful consequences their pets—and other humans in the household—are facing. Although the immediate benefits of homemade raw-meat based diets is rather convincing, we cannot ignore the fact that dogs have been domesticated for the last thousands of years and are adapted live a domesticated lifestyle. an unbalanced diet can lead to life-threatening complications including death. Without a published certified guideline of nutrient requirements provided by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO), pet owners have to use their own judgement of what makes up an appropriate diet based on their dogs’ health. Based on a number of published raw-meat based diet reviews, a majority of homemade diets do not offer a complete and balanced meal and are lacking in at least one type essential fatty acid, vitamin, and/or mineral. Identifying specific nutrient deficiencies or excesses among dogs is a difficult task; thus, it is important for pet owners to keep track of their dogs’ diet history including any vitamins, supplements, and/or medication they are taking. Additional studies are recommended for further evaluation but as the trend continues to grow, there is no doubt pet owners and veterinarians will have a better understanding of the true effects of dogs being fed raw meat.