Raw Meat Diets for Cats and Dogs

Raw meat diets are often referred to as “biologically appropriate raw food” or “bone and raw food” diets. Recipes for homemade options can be found online and in books and magazines. These sources often claim the recipes are for complete and balanced diets that are veterinarian created and/or approved. However, these claims have no regulatory oversight and are often unsubstantiated by research. Commercial raw diets are available in fresh, frozen, and freeze-dried forms. These are often marketed as complete and balanced, yet some are intended to be fed as dietary supplements. Any pet food labeled “complete and balanced” must substantiate this claim either through a formulation or feeding trial as established by the guidelines of the Association of American Feed Control Officials.

This article will address some of the most frequently asked questions about raw meat diets. For more information on raw and other alternative diets, see a past article on these topics at go.navc.com/3XHeGbn.

Are there benefits to feeding a raw meat diet?

Proponents of feeding raw meat diets often claim pets have healthier skin, shinier coats, fewer allergy-related issues, cleaner teeth, healthier gums, better eye health, lower risk for cancer, enhanced digestion, and improved stool quality. However, these claims are generally anecdotal and unsubstantiated by evidence-based research.

Advocates of raw meat diets often compare domesticated dogs to wolves and claim raw meat diets are more natural and healthier. Several studies indicate that dogs prefer food that mirrors the nutritional profile of food eaten by wild wolves.¹ However, dogs and wolves are omnivores, not carnivores. A 2013 study identified mutations in key canine genes that promote increased starch digestion compared with wolves.² Although a dog may enjoy eating raw meat, the risks associated with feeding this type of food far outweigh the benefit of a dog’s dietary preference.

What are the health concerns associated with feeding raw meat diets?

Several studies have revealed health issues associated with feeding raw meat diets affecting dogs, cats, and humans. An approximately 2-year study (October 2010 to July 2012) conducted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Center for Veterinary Medicine screened more than 1000 pet food samples and revealed that raw meat pet food is more likely to be contaminated with disease-causing bacteria than other types of pet food.³ In addition, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) does not recommend feeding dogs and cats raw meat pet food or treats.⁴

Raw meat diets have been found to contain pathogenic and zoonotic Salmonella species, Listeria monocytogenes, Campylobacter species, Clostridium species, and Escherichia coli. Healthy pets may not show clinical signs of illness when ingesting these bacteria species; however, immunocompromised, juvenile, and geriatric animals are at significant risk for illness, most frequently, Salmonella infections. Clinical signs of salmonellosis may include abortion, anorexia, conjunctivitis, gastroenteritis, hematochezia, and death.^5,6 Zoonotic parasites in raw diets include Toxoplasma and Echinococcus species.⁷

People are most likely to encounter pathogens in raw meat diets by handling the food and/or through environmental contamination (e.g., bowls, utensils, countertops, feces) from pets. Pathogen transmission can pose a significant health risk to young children as well as the elderly and immunocompromised.⁸ In July 2018, the CDC received reports of 90 people from 26 states with infections from a genetically related strain of Salmonella. The CDC interviewed 61 affected people, including 2 children, who became sick after a pet in their home ate a commercially available raw ground turkey pet food. One child’s infection resulted in osteomyelitis, a painful and serious bone infection.⁹

The risks of feeding raw meat diets are not unique to the United States. In the United Kingdom, researchers analyzed the DNA of bacteria found in the feces of hundreds of dogs. One study isolated an antibacterial-resistant strain of E coli from a fecal sample of a dog fed a raw meat diet. In a University of Bristol study, scientists surveyed dog owners in the United Kingdom from August 2017 through March 2018 as to the diets of 223 dogs at 16 weeks of age.¹⁰ The respondents provided information on their dog’s diet and a sample of their dog’s stool. The feces of several dogs fed raw meat contained fluoroquinolone-resistant E coli and bacterial strains resistant to tetracycline, amoxicillin, and streptomycin.

An additional health concern with feeding raw meat diets to cats and dogs is inadequate and/or imbalanced nutrition (e.g., taurine deficiency, mineral imbalances). For more details on the potential nutrition imbalances caused by raw meat diets, view a past article from Today’s Veterinary Practice at go.navc.com/3B8MfdA.

Are there ways to mitigate the health risks of feeding raw meat diets?

To mitigate the risks of feeding raw meat diets, clients should be educated on proper hand washing and cleaning of utensils, bowls, and surfaces used when handling raw meat.

Another measure used to mitigate risks is high-pressure processing (HPP). HPP uses water at cold temperatures and high pressure to inactivate foodborne pathogens and destroy bacteria.¹¹ The food is placed in sealed, airtight packages, then into baskets that move into a high-pressure chamber. Water is pumped into that chamber, then the pressure is increased, typically from 80 000 through 87 000 pounds per square inch, for 3 to 7 minutes. Time and pressure vary based on the specific food and formulation. Thus, the effectiveness in killing harmful pathogens varies between manufacturers and products.

HPP has been used to pasteurize milk since 1899, and it is also used for various other food products (e.g., juices, smoothies, hummus, packaged meats). However, only some commercial raw pet food companies use this process. Raw pet food that has undergone HPP is sold in fresh, frozen, freeze-dried, and dehydrated forms.

Who feeds a raw meat diet to their pet and why?

A 2017 “survey of owner motivations and veterinary input of owners feeding diets containing raw animal products” generated 2337 responses and revealed that the most common resource for learning about feeding raw food is the internet.¹² Most dog and cat owners (68% and 65%, respectively) were familiar with feeding raw meat diets. Of all survey respondents, 42% reported having previously fed a raw diet to their pets; of those, 89% were feeding a raw diet at the time of the survey. The other 46% of respondents reported they had never fed a raw diet but were familiar with the practice. Most survey respondents who fed a raw diet were female (89%); 39% were 40 years of age or younger; 61% were 41 years of age or older; 61% did not have children; 12% had an associate’s degree; 27% had a bachelor’s degree; and 20% had a graduate degree of some type.¹²

The 2 most commonly reported reasons for a dog owner to feed a raw diet were the perception of it as a “healthier” and “more natural” diet.¹² The most commonly reported reason for a cat owner to start feeding a raw diet was “getting information from a veterinary resource (resources included books, magazine articles, online resources, and discussions with veterinarians associated with companies producing raw diets) other than their veterinarian.”¹² Those sources were not identified or verified as evidence-based veterinary research. The next most common reason for cat owners to feed a raw diet was that they did not wish for themselves or their cat to consume processed foods.

How much do clients trust the advice of veterinarians in general?

According to the same survey, clients who feed raw meat diets trust the general advice of veterinarians less than those who feed conventional diets. ¹² See TABLE 1.

How much do clients trust the advice of veterinarians on pet nutrition?

In addition, this same survey noted that clients who feed raw meat diets trust the nutrition advice of veterinarians less than those who feed conventional diets.¹² See TABLE 2.

Why is getting a complete nutrition history important?

Understanding why a client is feeding a raw meat diet and their perception of conventional pet food diets are crucial for developing a personalized diet recommendation that the client is willing to follow and to enable the veterinary healthcare team to better focus their client education points.

How can the veterinary healthcare team obtain a complete nutrition history?

How a veterinary healthcare team asks questions determines the completeness and accuracy of the information obtained from a client.¹³ Research shows that professionals often ask closed-ended questions to gather data, averaging 13 closed-ended questions (range, 0 to 42 questions) per appointment. In contrast, 2 open-ended questions (range, 0 to 11 questions) were asked on average per appointment. More concerning, no open-ended questions were asked in 25% of the 300 appointments evaluated in the study.¹⁴

Open-ended questions encourage clients to share more information and relay their concerns. The use of open-ended questions plays a significant role in understanding a client’s perspective, promoting their participation, enhancing their satisfaction, and ultimately ensuring their adherence to any recommendations.¹⁵ In contrast, although useful in certain contexts, closed-ended questions limit the scope of inquiry and deter clients from expressing their concerns fully, which can lead to less accurate answers and a greater likelihood of additional concerns arising at the end of the visit or not being mentioned.

What if a client does not accept veterinary-recommended nutrition advice?

The goal of a nutrition recommendation is to provide a patient with the best possible diet a client is willing to feed and capable of feeding. If a client is unwilling to accept the ideal recommendation, the veterinary healthcare team must determine what recommendation can be made and followed to improve a patient’s diet.

The World Small Animal Veterinary Association nutritional toolkit is an excellent resource for educating clients on raw meat diets and recommending how to select pet foods, including raw meat diets, that meet their guidelines (go.navc.com/487EeSR).

Summary

Research has identified numerous risks and health concerns associated with feeding raw meat diets. At this time, minimal evidence-based research supports the alleged benefits of feeding raw meat and the processes used to mitigate the risks of feeding raw meat diets; the veterinary healthcare team must educate clients about the concerns and risks of feeding raw meat diets to pets. The veterinary team must also recognize that some pet owners may elect to continue feeding raw meat diets. Providing tailored nutrition recommendations that align with a client’s preferences can increase compliance and safety. Discussions about a pet’s diet and client’s preferences are necessary to positively reinforce the relationship between the veterinary healthcare team and client.