When you tell people that you plan to put your dog on a raw diet, it is likely that you will experience some pushback. People may wonder whether dogs have evolved at this point to prefer or even need cooked meat or whether a raw diet can truly provide your four-legged friend with the nutrition that they need to thrive.
In February 2020, the results of a 24-month study by the University of Exeter in the UK into a species-appropriate diet for dogs were finally published, and the impact has been huge for raw dog food proponents. The study set out to investigate two things: first, whether a raw food diet could meet the highest possible nutritional guidelines for dogs, as specified by the European Pet Food Industry. Second, whether such a diet would be nutritionally adequate when fed to a meaningful sample of dogs over 26 weeks using the rigorous trial protocol developed by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO).
The primary researcher — Dr. Richard Allport BVetMed, VetMFHom, MRCVS — set out with the hypothesis that a raw diet could, indeed, provide dogs with everything they needed to thrive, due to his own experience feeding his and his clients’ dogs a raw diet. Yet he wanted to back up this belief with solid scientific research. His key finding was that “it is possible to create a range of complete, species-appropriate (raw meat, raw bone, raw vegetable) adult dog foods that – when fed in conjunction with each other – meet the FEDIAF nutritional guidelines without need for additional, synthetic supplementation” . During the twenty-six week study, none of the twenty-six adult dogs enrolled in an extended version of the AAFCO food trial protocol experience any adverse health effects or significant weight loss. In short, the study concluded that a properly formulated raw food diet will meet an adult dog’s nutritional requirements.
According to a 2018 study conducted by the University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer, and Environmental Sciences, “fresh and raw diets for dogs may have health benefits.” The researchers in this study tested the palatability and digestibility of three commercially available fresh and raw diets for dogs. The results showed conclusive evidence that the raw diet resulted in lower triglyceride levels than a kibble diet, even though the raw foods were higher in fat.”
“As far as diet format and market segment is concerned,” head researcher and Professor of Animal and Nutritional Sciences Dr. Kelly Swanson concluded, “it ultimately comes down to consumer preference and philosophy. As long as a diet is shown to be safe and meets the nutritional needs of the pet in question, it is an acceptable option to me. If an owner is willing to pay more for premium ingredients and/or an improved processing method, I am fully supportive.”
One criticism that is often leveled at raw feeding proponents if that there is “no scientific research” to back raw diets. While the two examples above clearly refute this claim, it is also worth pointing out that there is similarly a dearth of scientific research proving that kibbled, processed foods are good for pets. Indeed, no research has been done to determine the long-term effects of feeding kibble, nor to determine if it is actually healthy for your dog.
As for raw diets, on the other hand, one million years of evolution confirm that dogs can indeed get optimal nutrition from eating a diet primarily composed of raw meat. There is significant anatomical and physiological evidence, mtDNA evidence, and circumstantial and statistical evidence to support this, as well as statistics that show that processed food is correlated with a high rate of diseases in pets.
The reason for the lack of scientific research into the benefits of raw diets is that the commercial dog food industry (and the veterinarians benefiting from it) aren’t about to fund this kind of study. The sad fact is that the main means of funding scientific studies today is by approaching corporations who have something to gain from your results. Since most raw dog food companies, are relatively modest enterprises, this kind of funding is simply unavailable.
If raw diets were proven better than commercial diets, there would undoubtedly be a tremendous backlash against the mainstream pet food industry and the veterinary profession that is so financially entrenched with it. Legal ramifications would be probable, due to people suing vets for recommending products that could potentially harm their pets and people suing pet food companies themselves for creating a harmful product without warning consumers of its dangers. In addition, society would no longer have an “acceptable” outlet for disposing of its 4D (dead, dying, diseased, or down) meats and its grain waste.
Dr Conor Brady, author of a revolutionary book, together with the Senior Vice President of the Raw Feeding Veterinary Society are in conversation with Nick Thompson and Dr Brendan Clarke about the impact his book could have on the pet food industry.
I would strongly recommend anyone with an interest in their dogs diet read this book. See more here.
STORY AT-A-GLANCE
Dr. Conor Brady is the author of a groundbreaking new book titled “Feeding Dogs: The Science Behind the Dry Versus Raw Debate”
Dr. Brady’s passion for food-as-medicine arose from the plight of his 7-year-old dog with debilitating hip dysplasia
Dr. Brady was improving the health of his own dog and the guide dogs he trained with raw diets, but the vets and others he worked with were uninterested — so he struck out on his own to make the case for feeding raw
His incredibly well-researched and footnoted book is the result of a decade of work; it makes complex topics understandable and digestible for both veterinarians and pet parents
Of particular benefit is the proof the book provides that ultra-processed pet food is tied directly to the epidemic of diseases in today’s canine companions.
Dr Brady left college in 2006 and was accepted into Irish Guide Dogs and schooled as a dog trainer. He left in 2009 and set off for Perth, Western Australia to establish a puppy training programme. He began to notice a large number of dogs were on long term doses of serious medications like steroids, non steroidal drugs (NSAID's), antibiotics and antihistamines.
For the large part, most of the dogs were suffering recurring skin and gut conditions and the medications were potent tablets, powerful injections, creams and eardrops. Out of a random sample of 18 dogs that he worked with, 7 of them were receiving long term steroid medication.
They were not all visiting the same vet, but were all labeled as allergy dogs with hot spots, flaring skin conditions, itchy sore feet, weeping eyes, mucky ears, poor condition and/or weight loss. All of the pills and potions were used to relieve the dog's symptoms.
Recurring skin and gut conditions became casually accepted and the norm for many of the dogs in Perth and it didn't add up. Dogs were overreacting, sometimes quite viiolently to the likes of a fleabite, two dogs even suffered mange outbreaks, and the more common Demodex manage that should only get a hold of a very sick, stressed or weakened animal. The mite that causes mange is, invariably, on and off throughout their lives. For a well-cared for dog, mange should be no more common than scurvy is for a well-fed human.
Dr Brady went on to conduct some tests. He changed three of the worst most steroid-dependent dogs to an all-natural, cereal-free, raw meat and bone diet. The trial dogs were a Labrador, a Cocker Spaniel and a Labradoodle. They were from different breeders and were all suffering from a recurring skin rash, and two with a continuous stomach upset.
In the 5 months before the changeover, these three dogs had racked up a costly 19 vet visits specifically for their ailments. There were multiple diagnoses, multiple causes and multiple uses of medicine.
Within days, the dogs stopped itching, their skin cooled, their poo was nice and firm, they drank less and they urinated less. Two weeks into the change and their hair started to grow back on bald spots and very soon the dogs were off their steroids and allergy-free. Four weeks later they looked incredible with softer coats, better muscle tone and back in training. Four months after the change all dogs were thriving and only one had returned to the vet for a skin care follow-up appointment, and without using one single drug their issues had expediently been resolved, which the best vets in Perth couldn't achieve.
The results were astounding as these were the worst cases he could get his hands on. It was only the lack of veterinary interest that took him to the position he is in today and after 8 years in college studying science, he felt this was completely unacceptable.
With adequate nutrition being one of the most important factors in the health and longevity of an animal, there is still some confusion over what a dog would eat normally left to his own devices.
A Pet Crippled with Hip Dysplasia Got the Ball Rolling
"I think my passion for dogs began with my first dog," he explained. "I come from a family of five boys, and my parents got the dog on the day I was born. Prince grew up with me and I was really attached to him. I knew straight away when he died that I wanted another dog and my mom and dad said, 'Slow down, let's get you into an animal shelter.' So, I was only 12 or 13 years old and working in animal shelters. It's kind of the same progression that a lot of people have had. I became passionate about animal welfare and animal health because you see a lot sick, sad dogs in shelters. My next dog was a shepherd collie cross, Meg, who I spent six or seven years with. She was such a lovely dog, and she was hobbled with chronic hip dysplasia by the time she was about seven years old. We neutered her too young, and she was fed poor-quality food. She's walking around like an old woman at seven. The veterinarian was giving her shots of cartrophen and other things, and we were feeding her an amazingly complicated diet, but none of it was helping. And I said, 'What's the prognosis here? How long is this going to go on?' I was in college at the time, so I knew a little bit and I wasn't given any good news. I said, 'You know what? I'm going to remove everything from this dog's life and start again.' I decided to put her onto real food and go with a raw diet. I bought whatever books I could get my hands on, like "Give Your Dog a Bone" and others. Then I added a couple of natural supplements like omega-3s and said, 'Let's see how this goes.' The dog went from walking painfully to running back up the cliffs beside the beach within about a week. And I was like, 'Bloody hell, look at the difference in this dog! This is incredible!' I took her to the vet and said 'Look, Meg is a different dog. Look at the walk, her gait is fixed.' He asked me what happened, and when I told him, he was no longer impressed with the dog's improvement. He had the standard reaction we've come to expect to raw food. I was a bit disappointed. But it was the change in Meg, despite the lack of response from the vet that convinced me I wasn't wrong."
DRY DOG FOOD
Dry pet meal was likely invented by James Spratt sometime during the 1850's. The first canned dog food appeared in 1922 called Ken-L-Ration. Made of horsemeat it was a big hit with pet owners largely to being advertised during the popular Adventures of Rin Tin Tin radio show.
By the 1960's, the Pet Food Institute began a campaign to get pet owners to only feed their dogs dry pet food and started funding reports concerning the dangers of table scraps for pets.
Dry pet food is said to vary in quality from economy to super premium. However studies can detect no nutrional differences whatsoever between the two types of food. Cereal-based pet food remains the food of choice by the world's vets.
CARBOHYDRATES
Dogs do not require any carbohydrates whatsoever in their diet, they happily make their own energy from protein and fat. Studies of beagle puppies fed carbohydrate-free diets all exhibited normal blood glucose concentrations, growth rates and weight gain. Despite this, the pet food industry is now feeding them more than 50% carbohydrates every meal of their lives. Manufacturers of these high carbohydrate products are correct when they claim that carbs, while not essential for dogs, may provide an excellent source of energy, this is true, they can, nobody is disputing that. Many things are an excellent source of energy, Doughnuts for example, Mars bars another, but are they suitable.
In essence
While dogs can digest them, at no stage do dogs require carbohydrates in their diet.
Food trials conducted by dry pet food companies show us that, given the choice, dry-fed dogs will consume largely protein and fat, with very little carbohydrates for energy.
The dog food industry claims carbohydrates are an excellent source of energy, yet sled dogs perform better without them. Sled dogs on high carb diets have more injuries. High starch diets stimulate the formation of struvite crystals in cats, while high-protein diets can rectify the issues. Studies show that reducing carbohydrates in the diet prevents tumour growth in dogs.
Studies suggest that carb-based light dry food is not the answer to the canine obesity epidemic as it is still high in carbohydrates, yet higher protein diets facilitate great weight loss in pets, retaining lean body mass.
There is evidence to show that bloat is not aerophagia (air in from the mouth) but fermentation gas coming up from the intestines. The question is why is the stomach filling with gas? It is suspected it is something in dry food as using less dry food reduces the risk, as does selecting dry foods with more meat in them.
Chronic pancreatitis in dogs is likely caused by a diet high in carbohydrates. It causes the body to run on sugar, using the glycolytic energy system and not the fatty-acid oxidation system. The result is the more carbohydrates that are consumed, the more fatty acids build in the blood.
Tumours are carbohydrate junkies, they use glucose 10-20 times more than normal cells. Tumours also have a great number of insulin receptors as insulin is the growth hormone. Diets high in carbohydrates mean blood full of sugar and insulin. As in humans, carbohydrates are shown to spike canine blood insulin and cancer patients are advised to reduce carbohydrate content.
WILL A MEAT DIET PROVIDE EVERYTHING A DOG NEEDS
A whole-prey diet, all the parts, less the gut contents, fulfils all the dog's nutrient requirements. A dog or cat cannot live on one meat alone for too long. Organ meats contain a huge array of compounds that are known to have major health benefits when ingested, the most well known being insulin, but that is just one hormone, from one organ. Raw feeders are recommended to feed a variety to touch all these bases, achieving balance over time.
WHAT DOES THE IDEAL RAW DOG FOOD DIET LOOK LIKE
There are essentially two feeding styles with raw feeders today. The first is the Prey Model - this feeding style is based on the desire of the owner to feed the dog as close as they can to whole prey. It is based around a ratio of 80:10:10, that is eight parts raw meat, to one part secreting organ and one part raw bone.
DIY feeders put their meals together from bits and pieces they find online, using their local butcher and rummaging through the half-priced aisle of the supermarket. Others buy premade, preground raw dog foods m ade to the 80:10:10 formula. The most extreme followers use actual whole prey - whole baby chickens, rabbits, rats and even frogs.
Any meat you can find in the supermarket is fine for your dog, chicken, turkey, duck, pork, lamb, beef, rabbit, venison etc. Fish is good, but it is the only meat you need to freeze first for a couple of days as there is a potential for worms and freezing will kill them. Some fish species contain thiaminase, which breaks down thiamine (vitamin B), so it can't be a regularly large component of their diet. Fish that contains thiaminase includes herring, chub mackerel, whitefish, sardines and skip jack tuna. Fish that does not contain thiaminase and may be used more readily in premade meals include cod, hake, atlantic mackerel, halibut, hake, trout and haddock.
Salmon doesn't contain thiaminase, although it is not recommended to feed too much farmed salmon as there are huge nutrional differences.
The vast majority of raw feeders assume 10% is the ideal bone content of raw dog food. This is based on a rough average of the skeletal weight of typical prey of the dog. This means if raw manufacturers are including just 10% beef, pork or lamb bones, they are already at their maximum for calcim permitted by the Asssociation of American Feed Control Officials for growing puppies. Raw dog food has a protective effect against canine hip dysplasia compared to processed dry dog food as the body handles natural calcium differently for the likes of calcium carbonate.
If you cannot feed bone for whatever reason, it is possible, although not ideal, to use one level teaspoon of eggshell powder per 10kg of dog per day. Feeding a meaty bone at least once a week will keep the dogs teeth clean.
There is a lot of debate on the use of plant matter in the dog's diet. Reasons for including plant matter are as a source of harder to find vitamins and minerals, the benefits from plant-based bioactive compounds, and a source of fibre.
Some FAQ'sOn average dogs need 2 - 2.5% of their bodyweight per day in raw dog food
Puppies need much more. An 8 week old puppy will be consuming 10% of his body weight per day of raw food over four meals. 5% by six months and 3% by 12 months, although this varies greatly with the size of the dog.
There are two ways to introduce raw dog food - quickly by skipping a meal or two and moving him straight over, or gradually by decreasing the amount of dry and increasing the amount of raw over a few days.
For picky dogs you can make a raw meat gravy and pour some on their favourite food, increasing the meat ratio each time. If moving gut-sick dogs onto raw, always begin with broth, and remove the cooked bones, add probiotics and colostrum for bad cases.
Puppies can be weaned onto raw meat from 3 weeks of age. Begin with plain, boneless white meat and leave a large beef bone out for them to explore and chew. By week 6 they can be moved onto pre made food containing bone. Feed puppies the same way as you would feed adults, but increase the fat content a little. When they reach 50% of their adult body weight, you should drop the amount of food down to 5% of their body weight per day.
Pregnant bitches can be fed as normal until week 5 when you increase the amount offered by 30%, and week 6 you start upping the fat content, but reduce the bone content by week 7. After birth increase the bone content again.
THE ARGUMENT FOR RAW FEEDING IN BRIEF
A survey of 632 raw fed dogs showed that 67% of owners changed to raw to fix various ailments. The results showed that 74% of skin issues, 88% of gut issues, 79% of eye issues and 53% of urinary tract issues were resolved.
The University of Helsinki found that a species-appropriate raw diet was protective to canine hip dysplasia. Even if just a little kibble was replaced with raw dog food, it had a protective effect on puppies.
The same group measured the stress metabolities of dry and raw fed dogs. Dry-fed dogs had nearly a 10-fold increase in stress metabolites. When raw-fed dogs were moved to dry food, they suffered a five-fold increase in stress metabolites. It was later found that a raw diet is associated with a decrease in cytokine gene .
The same group followed this up with a survey of more than 8000 dogs. They noted a decrease in the incidence of atopy and allergies in dogs fed a raw food diet.
Iowa State University found the nutrients of raw meat and bone diets were highly digestible and did not result in gastrointestinal upset.
Studies find raw dog food highly palatable and digestible. Crude protein is better digested in raw compared to dry pet food. The dogs safely adapt their gut flora to their new diet and faecal quality is maintained.
Disrupting the gut flora leads to a myriad of health issues. Consuming foods that contain probiotics help to right the unbalance.
Dry food contains chemical anti-life, difficult to digest protein and large amounts of fibre. All have been shown to disrupt the gut flora.
Raw dog food increases faecal butyrates and GABA, which are epxected to have anti-depressive and calming health benefits for the dog.
Studies suggest dogs fed home-prepared meals of fresh meat (minced offal, beef, chicken, tripe) and cooked vegetables, are calmer.
Studies show 'complete' dry pet food repeatedly fail to meet the minimum requirements of AAFCO. 94% of complete canned food and 62% of dry foods were found to be non compliant with the AAFCO guidelines.
If pet food was truly 'complete' then we should't be able to add various real ingredients and see such immediate payoffs. Blueberries increase the performance of sled dogs. Fish oils reduce inflammatory skin and joint issues in dogs. Sprinklings of various vegetable ingredients improve the cognitive performance in senior dogs. Replacing some kibble with leafy greens and orange/yellow vegetables three times a week reduced the cancer risk in Scottish Terriers by upward of 70%.
One Practice That Flipped the Script on Veterinary Care
On a positive note, Dr. Brady knows of a veterinary group in the U.K. that's sort of a ray of sunlight on an otherwise bleak landscape. The group has 20 veterinarians, and they're all raw food advocates. In fact, anyone who doesn't believe in raw diets doesn't get a job offer. They offer a healthcare plan to pet parents. Clients pay a certain amount of money per month, and the practice commits to keeping their pet healthy.
"They flipped the whole thing on its head," said Dr. Brady, because it's less costly to keep a pet well than to cure a sick pet, so it's a win-win-win for pets, owners, and the veterinary practice. The only caveat is that the animal must be raw fed to qualify for a plan.
"I've heard that these vets are 'sucking in clients from a 100-mile radius'," said Dr. Brady. "Conventional vets within that 100 miles are going to lose the argument very quickly because the community is flocking to these vets. They offer huge discounts off raw food if they go on the plan which commits the customer in a positive way."
According to Dr. Brady these vets also don't promote a lot of flea control and they test for worms instead of automatically treating. They don't give annual boosters, and they offer titer testing. Their proactive preventive approach is their business model.
I'm thinking this could be a template I need to show my conventional colleagues, many of whom are burned out or worse, depressed and potentially suicidal. Some of their struggle is they don't have enough tools in their veterinary toolbox. Imagine giving them the tools to prevent degeneration from occurring. What would that do for their psyches?
Could it refresh their souls as doctors and give them the opportunity to put proactive medicine into practice? Wouldn't their jobs have more meaning if they didn't constantly endure the heartbreak of watching their patients fall apart bit by bit, not knowing what to do about it? And food is the foundation of it all.
The Roadmap from Diet to Disease in Dogs
Dr. Brady does a good job in his book explaining why high-glycemic starch and sugar-based diets are so damaging to dogs' health.
"Dogs can digest carbohydrates, sure," he explained. "They have taken some very tiny evolutionary steps toward that ability. Some breeds have fired up a few more genes for amylase production, which is the enzyme for digesting carbohydrates. But people leap on that and assume we can feed them 60% corn. We're feeding pets the foods we're told not to eat as humans. We know that when you eat huge amounts of carbohydrates, your blood fat spikes. We were once told it was dietary fat that was causing fat people. We dropped the fat content in food and not the sugar and then the obesity crisis exploded because it was always the sugar. It was the same with pancreatitis. We were taught, it was that little bit of fat that we gave our dog. What was wrong with your dog that he couldn't eat a little bit of fat? He's a carnivore. Why couldn't we eat a little bit? It wasn't the fat, there was something else going on. The pancreas was knackered for want of a better word beforehand. Bloat with torsion is shockingly prevalent in the canine community, 3% of pedigree dogs are killed by it and 10% are affected by it. I strongly believe soluble fiber is at the heart of that in deep chested dogs."
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