DEAR DR. FOX: My cousin feeds her dog the "BARF" diet -- Bones And Raw Foods, mainly beef, chicken and turkey -- and is encouraging us to do the same for our two dogs. What is your opinion? -- H.M., Trenton, New Jersey
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DEAR H.M.: Some groups do champion this idea. On its website, the U.K.-based Raw Food Veterinary Society (RFVS) states that a "gold-standard diet" for pets would primarily consist of "raw meaty bones, meats, (including) organ meats, fruits and vegetables, minimally processed by mincing and freezing. The diet contains no added synthetic supplements, additives or preservatives.”
The RFVS contends that animals on properly formulated raw-food diets have a healthy gut microbiome, which protects them from harmful bacteria that may be in some mishandled raw meats. (For more details, and documentation of their animal health and safety assertions, see rfvs.info/rfvs-position-statement-2021.)
But in my opinion, this is quite a risk, since factory-farmed animal meats are a significant source of harmful, and often antibiotic-resistant, bacteria. Furthermore, a drastic reduction in human consumption of farmed animal produce is called for because of the documented contribution of animal agriculture to the climate and extinction crises.
It is a fact that in the U.S., pet foods, especially ultra-processed kibble products, are often recalled because of salmonella and other bacterial contaminants from farmed animals that could make pets ill. However, feeding dogs raw meat may increase the likelihood that humans could be exposed to antibiotic-resistant E. coli bacteria either through exposure to the dogs’ feces or handling the uncooked meat. (See “One health transmission of fluoroquinolone-resistant Escherichia coli and risk factors for their excretion by dogs living in urban and nearby rural settings” by Jordan E. Sealey et al, published in One Health, October 2023.)
Feeding raw meat to dogs also runs afoul of AVMA policy, which advises against feeding cats or dogs “any animal-source protein that has not first been subjected to a process to eliminate pathogens because of the risk of illness.”
I am all for feeding some raw foods to dogs, such as well-washed, grated or blended fruits and vegetables (ideally organically certified). These can be given along with some moist canned dog food of good quality, such as Castor and Pollux Organix (also available for cats) and a slow-cooked or air-dried dog food, such as those from The Honest Kitchen and Earth Animal’s Wisdom dog food. Look for products that are certified by the Global Animal Partnership as humanely produced and of high nutritional quality.
Fully formulated, nutritious vegan dog foods will soon be more available as we humans evolve to feed our dogs in good conscience and with fewer adverse impacts on the environment. I do not advise cat owners to make their cats vegan at this stage in the development of such diets because they are obligate carnivores. But our dogs are more like us: adaptable omnivores able to transition to vegan diets.
Some studies have shown that dogs enjoy better health on well-formulated vegan diets than dogs fed highly processed conventional kibble, which loses so many nutrients from overheating that various vitamins and synthetic substances must be added after processing. These corrective measures sometimes add too much of a given nutrient, resulting in adverse health effects and recalls.
Biotechnological and bioengineering tools are being developed with the aim of making healthier, more sustainable foods with lower carbon footprints that don’t require the deaths of animals. Lower-environmental-impact cultivated meat and fish products, with zero animal suffering and killing, may soon be included in cat foods, as well as dog and human food markets.
If you want to find a cat or dog food of the best quality, visit truthaboutpetfood.com/the-list and pay a small fee to support the research of Susan Thixton, Pet Food Consumer Advocate. All companies on Thixton's list provided verification of the following, where applicable: human-grade food ingredients, human-grade supplements, organic ingredients and meats sourced from humanely raised animals.
(Send all mail to animaldocfox@gmail.com or to Dr. Michael Fox in care of Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106. The volume of mail received prohibits personal replies, but questions and comments of general interest will be discussed in future columns.
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