Raw Dog Food Debate

Whether you've been feeding raw dog food for years or are just starting to be curious about it, this is the place to share your thoughts, questions and experiences.

Do you have an opinion about raw dog food? Share your thoughts.

I first became aware of the controversy around feeding dogs raw food in the fall of 2000 while I was attending a conference for pet care professionals sponsored by the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. When I shared this concept with some of my colleagues at work, the general consensus seemed to be that this was a fad. And, perhaps a dangerous one. After all, my co-workers reasoned, dog food companies spend big bucks to scientifically determine what constitutes optimal nutrition for a dog. We are better off sticking with the scientific approach than following some unbaked (literally) notion of going back to nature.

I thought--ok, my dogs seem healthy and happy. Why fix something if it's not broken? Then came the pet food recalls of 2007. And, I had to wonder again whether my dogs would be better off if I took charge of their food instead of relying on the commercial dog food industry to decide what my dogs needed.

By this time, my dogs were senior citizens and I shyed away from raw feeding due to the high protein content. But, more recently I've made some changes in my own diet. And, I can't help but notice how much better I feel when I eat nutrient dense, relatively unprocessed foods. In other words, REAL FOOD. Food that even my grandmother (if she were living today) would recognize as food.

And, how were dogs fed in my grandmother's day? Commercial dog food is a little over a hundred years old. Before then, dogs were mostly fed bones and table scraps. Not much different from what raw food advocates are proposing.

If you want to find out more about feeding raw, you might like Raw Dog Food: Make It Easy for You and Your Dog by Carina Beth Macdonald. I just finished reading it and found it very informative.

Do You Have a Story to Share About Raw Feeding?

Whether you're a raw dog food veteran or contemplating making the switch, share your thoughts, experiences, tips and questions here.

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What Other Visitors Have Said

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One month of raw food
When I first learned of the raw food diet I was so excited. I had been debating for a while on whether or not to try it since cats and dogs are carnivores ...

Supplement with Raw Foods....
Here's how I supplement with raw foods.

I have been a dog owner for a loooooong time which will get me a Dr. Pepper if I have a $1 bill so no biggie ...

The BARF Diet Not rated yet
The BARF Diet: How Raw Food worked for our dog.

Right from the start our puppy Luigi was a really itchy dog. After doing some tests, the vet said he ...

Raw tooth, kibble teeth. Not rated yet
I currently work at a Holistic Pet boutique. We carry high end dog and cat dry kibble and canned foods. Raw bones, and packaged raw food diet. Before this ...

No raw food Not rated yet
Hi everyone. I have owned dogs practically all my life, and their digestive system is very special. I think that's what dog food is for. Don't you?

Gale'...

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