Raw Food Diets May Be Dangerous for Pets
Just like fad diets for humans, popular diets for your pets come and go. However, there’s one particular pet diet trend that gives us pause: ASPCA experts say raw food diets for pets that include raw meat, eggs and milk may be dangerous for your furry friends. We typically recommend that pet parents opt for well-balanced, high-quality commercial and cooked foods instead.
The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) agrees. In studies published in AVMA’s journal, homemade and commercial raw food diets for dogs and cats were found to contain dangerous bacteria like E. coli and Salmonella, just to name a few. Other tests showed that unprocessed food diets can lead to nutrient deficiencies or excess that can cause serious illnesses in pets. Also, pets chewing on raw bones can lead to obstruction or perforation of their gastrointestinal tracts, and fractured teeth.
If you don’t want to feed your dog or cat a commercial diet, consider a homemade diet that will diminish the risks of foodborne illnesses. These meals should be thoroughly cooked and need to be formulated by a veterinary nutritionist or by your veterinarian to make sure they’re nutritionally sound.
If you are passionate about feeding your pet raw foods, please consider the following tips.
- Work with your veterinarian to ensure that your pet’s diet is nutritionally balanced.
- Avoid feeding raw foods in homes with babies and toddlers (who put lots of things in their mouths), the elderly and those with compromised immune systems.
- Practice regular hand washing before and after feeding pets.
- Practice appropriate disposal methods when cleaning up pet feces.
For more information about pet-safe diets, consult your veterinarian and check out our complete list of people foods that are dangerous to pets.
Tell us in the comments below: Do you feed your pet raw foods or a homemade diet?