Raw vs. Cooked
In the past few years the popularity of the "BARF" (raw) diet has become very popular and is currently in vogue. To begin, you must decide which definition of the acronym is correct, as we have seen all of them and clearly each has a different definition as it would apply to your dog.
Is it:
Bones And Raw Flesh
Or
Bones And Raw Food
Or
Biologically Acceptable Real Food
In any event, for the following reasons we do not believe that a raw dog food diet is the best for dogs. Cooking meat, vegetables and fruit at the minimum FDA specified levels not only breaks down the complex structures of meat and vegetables, making them more digestible and delivering the maximum nutrients but also avoids perhaps the most serious risk that a raw dog diet poses - the transfer of parasites and bacteria that exist in raw meat. There have been a number
of cases where dogs have become
seriously ill as a result of feeding raw.
A raw diet for dogs also denies your
dog of the nutrients and benefits that
fully cooked whole grains deliver such
as B vitamins, zinc, iron, folic acid and
fiber. Another reason a raw diet for dogs is not the best way to feed is the lack of precision as it applies to calories and nutrients - it's simply more difficult to feed your dog the essential nutrients in the appropriate proportions. Lastly, just like your dog, you and your family run a risk of exposure to those same parasites and bacteria in raw meat.
Having said all of the above, if we were forced to choose between a raw diet for dogs and a commercial diet of dry dog food, kibble or canned dog food we would reluctantly choose a raw diet for dogs. Even though there are great risks with a raw diet there is nothing worse for your dog than a diet of commercially manufactured dog food. If you insist on feeding your dog raw be sure to use only USDA certified meat intended for consumption by humans. Never use pork, be sure to supplement the meat with the necessary vitamins and minerals (they will not get everything they need from the meat!) and handle the meat and bones with care.
