There are many, many myths about raw dog food, both with and without
bones.
Myth #1
"Feeding my dog raw meat will make him
aggressive!"
Fact:
There is NO causative relationship between eating raw meat and wanting
to kill animals. It has nothing to do with what a dog is fed and
has everything to do with natural prey drive, training and
socialization. For example, some breeds like the Siberian Husky
can have a very high prey drive. If raised around other animals
and trained not to chase them, most Huskies will have no problem
co-existing happily no matter what they are fed. With many dogs,
the prey instinct is a very ingrained primal one and the sight of an
animal running can bring this out in them no matter what they are
fed. Dogs can easily distinguish between what they are eating and
other animals or people.
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Myth #2
"Eating bones is dangerous for my dog!"
Fact:
COOKED bones are the
dangerous bones. Cooking causes the bones to become brittle and
hard, risking splintering and perforation of the digestive tract.
RAW bones are soft and easily digestible by dogs, who have stomach acid
pH in the 1-2 range. That's equal to the strength of hydrochloric
acid! Canines are engineered biologically to eat raw prey.
Still think bones are dangerous? Don't take my word for it, read
this study that shows the risk to dogs from raw chicken wings is 1
in
3,000,000.
Estimated
Risk from Feeding Raw Chicken Wings
Of course, nothing in this world is wothout risk. Is there a
chance your dog could be injured or die from eating raw bones?
Certainly! (didn't you read the study above??) But we do know
that there are dogs who have died from inhaling kibble the wrong way
and choking or suffocating to death. And I am convinced that
feeding commerically prepared kibble leads to dogs that are not as
healthy as they could be. Where's my study? Well, in my own
house! Before and after raw in terms of veterinary bills has been
stunning.
From the article "Fresh
food Diets For Dogs", Dr. Lew Olsen PhD Natural Health, LMSW -
ACP,
writes:
| Dogs' digestive tracts are
designed to eat raw meat and bones. The heaviest concentration of
hydrochloric acid is on the stomach wall. The stomach churns when food
is admitted and the heavy items such as bones are forced to the outside
wall. This process easily breaks down these bones. Smaller bones such
as chicken wings, necks, and pork neck bones and beef ribs are
recommended. Larger bones can cause some stomach upsets and are not
recommended. Even when wolves consume their prey, they leave the long
bones and skulls. |
| I often hear time and time again
from veterinarians that bones can perforate and cause blockage. I have
not seen this in the six years I have been feeding raw bones, nor have
I heard it from the thousands of raw diet feeders on the internet, the
people I correspond with, or from the throngs of dog show people that
feed this diet. I often see stories pointed out by dog care
professionals on the dangers of feeding bones but they are confusing
the feeding of cooked bones vs. raw bones. Cooked bones are hard to
digest, as the fat crystallizes under high heats and renders the bones
brittle and difficult to digest. Raw food feeding is about feeding RAW
meat and bones. |
| What about the increase in
diseases in dogs on dry food? These include irritable bowel syndrome,
cancer, allergies, autoimmune problems, seizures, orthopedic and
ligament problems and gastric upsets. They never seem to look at the
processed foods currently being fed as being any part of the problem. I
have been feeding my dogs raw meaty bones for eight years without any
problems and today, this trend is increasing by the thousands. With the
fear instilled in most of us when we started, if there had been any
problems we would have stopped immediately. While I have heard of many
anecdotal cases of bones causing problems, I have only one documented
case to date. |
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Myth #3
"Dogs are omnivores and need a high grain diet."
(Dog foods are at least 65% grain and fiber and grain and fiber are
necessary for shelf life and for the pet food companies to make a cheap
diet)
Fact:
Dogs are carnivores and have a
short, simple digestive tract designed to eat animal protein and fat.
The method for determining what category an animal falls into is by
physical attributes. Some typical features common to carnivores are a
large mouth opening, a single hinge joint that lies in the same plane
as the teeth, and a large primary muscle on the side of the head for
operating the jaw. The teeth are short and pointed, made for grasping
and shredding. These teeth come together to give a cutting motion and
act like shears. The teeth and mouth of the carnivore are developed to
swallow food whole, not for chewing or crushing.
Carnivores do not have digestive enzymes in their saliva. Humans have
amylase, which helps to begin to break down complex carbohydrates. The
dogs' digestive tract is one-third to one-half the length of an
omnivore. This shortness is designed for adaptation for quick, muscular
digestion of raw meat and bones. Carnivores have a much higher
concentration of hydrochloric acid in the stomach for the break down of
proteins and to kill any dangerous bacteria. Their stomach acidity is
less than or equal to pH 1 with food in the stomach, while humans have
a pH 4 to 5. |
This raises the question of what
is the best food for carnivores, according to the digestive tract and
physiology. Dogs, as carnivores, have difficulty digesting grains and
other complex carbohydrates. With the lack of digestive enzymes in the
mouth, complex carbohydrates are not predigested, and take a long time
to break down in the stomach, and small intestine, if they break down
at all. Most of the complex carbohydrates pass through undigested, and
create large stools in the dog.
It is interesting to note that dry dog foods are mainly cereal,
consisting of a large part of corn, wheat, rice and soy. While dog food
companies would have you believe that grains are a good source of
protein, the fact is that dogs have a very difficult time digesting and
utilizing protein from carbohydrates. Studies show dogs do best on
animal protein, and the higher the quality, the better the protein is
assimilated. The poorer quality proteins create stress on the dogs'
kidneys and it makes proper nutritional digestion difficult. |
-From the article "Fresh
Food Diets For Dogs" by Dr Lew Olsen,
PhD Natural Health, LMSW - ACP
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Myth #4:
"Commercial dog foods are complete."
Fact:
Cooking changes the amino acid chains and renders many of them unusable
for dogs. Studies in the 1970's found dog foods lacking in many of the
necessary amino acids. It also destroys the digestive enzymes and
beneficial bacteria (acidophilus, etc) necessary for good digestion and
digestive tract health. High heats also kill omega 3 fatty acids and
change fats into difficult to digest material. While many dog food
companies do add omega fatty acids and beneficial bacteria, these
nutrients do not withstand the packaging or shelf life for extended
periods. Dog food companies attempt to make their diets complete by
adding synthetic supplements to meet industry sanctions and Nutritional
Research Council standards.
-From the article "Fresh
Food Diets For Dogs" by Dr Lew Olsen,
PhD Natural Health, LMSW - ACP
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Myth #5:
"Dogs do fine on grains and starches and they are
necessary for good heath and energy."
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Fact:
If you subtract the protein and fat content from 100, and add back in
the fiber percentage, this will give you the carbohydrate amount in
your dog food. Add about 5% to 10% more (dog food companies also count
plant proteins which are incomplete for canines) for a more accurate
amount. Most dog foods will have between 60% to 75% grains. |
| With the dog lacking starch
digestive enzymes in the mouth and a long digestive tract, these
nutrients are taxing on a dogs system and difficult to digest. It is
also important to note that grains and starches turn right into
glucose, which is sugar. Too much glucose in a dogs system can lead to
hypoglycemia, allergies, hyperactivity, diabetes and according to Dr.
Olgivie DVM's studies at Colorado State University can lead to
accelerating tumor and cancer growth in canines. |
| Grains and starches also contain
phytates, which block mineral absorption. These include calcium,
magnesium, zinc, iron and iodine. Many dog food companies became aware
of this fact in the 70's and added high doses of synthetic minerals to
offset the deficiency that grains caused. |
| While carbohydrates can provide
an energy source (which is sugars), animal fat is the best source of
energy for dogs for stamina and endurance. |
In 1985 the National Research
Council (who decides the nutrient content of pet food) reported changes
were necessary and developed a new requirement list. The NRC stated
that the nutrient bioavailability of dog foods needed to be determined
after processing, rather than calculated before it was processed. They
also called for more thorough testing of dog foods through trials to
determine the quality.
It is reported in the Waltham Symposium book, Nutrition of the Dog
and Cat, 1989 that the pet food industry reacted with
"disappointment and anger". To date, the pet food industry is still
following the old 1974 standard.
-From the article "Fresh
Food Diets For Dogs" by Dr Lew Olsen,
PhD Natural Health, LMSW - ACP
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