Helpful or Harmful? How the Raw Food Diet could impact your pet's health – WWJ

SOUTHFIELD (WWJ) – Veterinarians and pet parents can agree: feeding our cats and dogs a nutritious diet is essential for a healthy, happy pet.
But the popular raw food diet remains a controversial topic.
Veterinary professionals noted that raw food diets (RFD) have become increasingly popular among pet parents in the U.S. in recent years. The movement aims to ditch commercially manufactured kibble and bring cats and dogs back to what their ancestors originally ate in the wild.
While supporters argue the RFD is the most biologically appropriate food for dogs and cats, the American Veterinary Medical Association, the FDA and the CDC all say raw food doesn't offer a nutritionally balanced diet and aren't safe for pets or their owners.
Dr. Rachel Caballero, an Associate Veterinarian of five years, said the RFD trend could come from a phenomenon that's coming more commonplace in veterinary medicine.
"I think there's a false mentality that pet owners like to think of their dogs as small wolves when that's sadly not a reality," she explained. "They need a more balanced diet other than carnivorous diets."
Caballero also said dogs and cats who eat meat, bones and organs that haven't been cooked can contract infectious diseases like salmonella, Listeria, E.coli and campylobacter, which can make them very sick — or even kill them.
"Any human handling the raw meat themselves are potentially putting themselves at risk and there's a huge public health risk factor," she explained. "Any time that pet goes outside to use the bathroom it's potentially defecating that same bacteria into the environment."
If the stool is not picked up, Caballero said it can run off into waterways and expose other animals and people.
Salmonella, E.coli and Listeria can all cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Although healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, more serious infections associated with Listeria can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.
Based on a study from the FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM), raw food has a higher risk for food borne illnesses out of any other dog food product.
Caballero said the risks aren't worth it.
"I try to steer them towards diets that we have information about that I know has been researched well and that actually checks their diets to make sure it contains the ingredients, the contents, the nutrition that it claims to have," Caballero explained.
Caballero recommends diets from Royal Canin, Hill's Science Diet and certain Purina Veterinary brands that have been rigorously tested by medical professionals in animal science for decades; many products produced by these companies are specifically designed to help support animals in various stages of life and according to their medical needs.
Cats and dogs who suffer from thyroid issues, diabetic disease, neurological disorders and allergy issues can access a specially formulated food that doesn't pose the health risks associated with raw diets, explained Caballero.
"In most cases, I don't truly see the benefit [of raw diets]… when we have such other well-balanced diets that we can offer," Caballero said.
Sonya Stemmler, owner and founder of The Raw Dog Rescue Boutique in White Lake, said there is much misinformation when it comes to RFD and it wasn't easy breaking through that stigma when she first began making her raw food products.
"Seven years ago when I started this, a lot of vets kind of slammed the door in my face!" Stemmler said, but as the diet become popular overseas and more research came out, Stemmler found more demand for raw food.
The shop owner first ventured into raw food while she was volunteering at an local animal sanctuary that worked closely with the Columbus Zoo. When her own pet became sick, she turned to zoologists, neurologists and other veterinarians that she worked with for advice.
“It was just kind of a perfect storm of people’s brains to pick and I learned about the raw diet," Stemmler explained.
Stemmler began to second guess the quality of the expensive kibble she giving her pet and decided to make the switch to raw food, developing her own recipe in the process.
Due to a number of health issues, Stemmler said her dog had been given one week to one month to live, but ended up living for almost a year; Stemmler credits her dog's longevity to eating a RFD.
"When I lost my dog, I decided to continue to make this dog food kind of as her legacy," Stemmler said through tears. "She was such a special dog to me and I just don’t want any other dog owners to lose their dog like that, so it was just very important for me to keep that going."
Stemmler attributes the sudden and intense interest in RFDs to two things: a rise in pet ownership and those pet owners having more access to information through technology.
"They want to give them the best and because they can research what is the best, they are learning some things about the dog food they are feeding that aren’t great," Stemmler explained.
The key around food borne illness is focusing on high-quality, local sourcing, Stemmler explained. All of her products are made with human-grade meat which is farm fresh. She said a big reason why vets tended to shy away from RFD in the earlier days was due to people feeding low quality or diseased meat which did pose a lot of health issues.
"If you're somebody that's sourcing your raw dog food from roadkill that's been sitting out or buying dead animals from a farm that's been sitting out or diseased, and feeding that to the dog raw, then that's very different from buying human grade."
According to Stemmler, benefits of a raw diet may include a shinier coat, smaller, odorless stools which help express a dog's anal glands, healthier teeth and the diet is naturally low in fat which helps prevent obesity and pancreatitis.
Her shop employs a Certified Pet Nutritionist who can help tailor a diet specifically to a dog or cat's medical needs.
It is recommended by both pet food makers and animal professionals for pet owners to have an open dialogue with their veterinarian and address any health concerns or questions they have to make the most informed decision when it comes to their pet.
For pet owners that decide to feed a RFD, the CDC recommends taking these precautions to safe handle your pet's food:
• Always wash your hands with soap and water right after handling pet food or treats; this is the most important step to prevent illness.
• When possible, store pet food and treats away from where human food is stored or prepared and away from reach of young children.
• Don’t use your pet’s feeding bowl to scoop food. Use a clean, dedicated scoop, spoon, or cup.
• Always follow any storage instructions on pet food bags or containers.

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