The Raw debate

Re: The Raw debate

laceylp1990 — Tue, 20 May 2014 17:48:06 GMT

Jackson gets play bones ( weight bearing so generally much tougher so he can't eat them ) This I hope will help keep his pearly whites nice and clean .

He's generally more in tune with me and less hyper which is great as he's training as a personal assistance dog.

There are various predone companies but the companies I trust most are Honeys , Nutriment and Natural Instinct all of whom have websites

Re: The Raw debate

Arlo Guthrie — Tue, 20 May 2014 16:48:24 GMT

[quote user="laceylp1990"]I actually feed a pre-done raw meal. It comes in ice cream tub type packaging and I just defrost it [/quote]

Well that sounds like a real improvement, convenience-wise, over offcuts from the butcher. Still, you've got to have the freezer space and get into the routine of defrosting. Would be curious to see if the manufacturer of the frozen raw diet has a website.

Also, I think I'm getting my RAW mixed up with my RMB. Proponents of the latter argue that it is the chewing on the bones that is the major benefit of the RMB diet.

Re: The Raw debate

laceylp1990 — Tue, 20 May 2014 15:27:51 GMT

Arlo your comment has made me chuckle on a rather busy day. The PRO RAW TALIBAN is hilarious and I've witnessed it first hand.

I actually feed a pre-done raw meal. It comes in ice cream tub type packaging and I just defrost it . Uber easy:) It goes through a deep freeze process at the manufacturer to kill bugs and what not. I don't throw him a chicken wing and hope for the best and have seen raw done very badly indeed.

I really appreciate feedback on this as the game is changing somewhat and the shift in opinions is rather astounding . It really in nice to see that one thing doesn't fit all anymore .

That said im sure some crazy raw person will hunt me down as Jackson ( my lovely asbo pup) gets kibble in his food balls while I work . * runs from crazy raw followers*

Thanks guys :)

Re: The Raw debate

Arlo Guthrie — Tue, 20 May 2014 11:43:43 GMT

Obviously I'm in no position to comment about the rights and wrongs of a raw diet from a clinical perspective (not being a vet or nurse myself), but the one thing that always strikes me as unfortunate is the fundamentalist nature of the pro-RAW taliban brigade. The arguments trotted out are always the same, that the veterinary profession is corrupt - recommending commercial diets that it knows causes disease, that universities and colleges are all in cahoots with manufacturers to brainwash veterinary students and so on, and so on.

From my perspective as a pet owner with no particular axe to grind (sure, commercial pet food manufacturers advertise here from time to time, but they are just one of many different advertisers), the reason I do not feed a RAW diet are:

Our dog seems absolutely fine on the commercial diet we feed. Plus I have seen no compelling evidence that commercial diets cause any problems in the long run (on the contrary, dogs are living ever longer these days).
Do I want the dog dragging raw meat round the kitchen? No.
Do I want the extra hassle of storing raw meat in the fridge. No.
Do I think there is a greater risk of my young children picking up some sort of bug from raw food being routinely left around for the dog. Yes. Probably a small risk, but a risk all the same.
Do I think there is a risk of the dog ingesting a bone. Again yes. Maybe a small risk, but a risk all the same.
Do I think there is more hassle with a raw diet in terms of making sure that the dog gets all the nutrients it needs, versus a commercial diet? Yes.
On top of that, I think a raw diet is likely to be more expensive (I haven't actually investigated in depth, because of the reasons above, so I don't know for sure.

From a marketing perspective, I just don't believe that RAW will ever gain popular acceptance because commercial diets offer convenience and simplicity, whereas a raw diet comes with the sort of extra hassle (or perceived hassle) that only the most committed pet owners will tolerate.

I don't entirely rule out that a raw diet may be better for a dog. As I say, I don't see any compelling evidence that this is the case, but I'm open to the idea. But it would have to offer a substantial health benefit for the dog for me to consider it as a realistic alternative to a commercial diet.

Re: The Raw debate

Clare Espley — Tue, 20 May 2014 09:38:52 GMT

There was an interesting lecture on RAW diets at BSAVA congress this year in the nursing streams, so it might be worth seeing if you can get hold of the notes or podcast.

I think the general consensus amongst my friends and colleagues is that if RAW is done well and balanced correctly (as said above) it can be a brilliant way to feed animals. However, I do think that if pet owners get it wrong it can have serious consequences for the pet. That said, there are a few manufacturers now that provide pre-packaged portions that are supposed to be nutritionally balanced, so that is what I would recommend to owners asking about RAW diets.

I don't feed a RAW diet to my own dog, mainly because he has too many sensitivity issues for me to want to mess around with what suits him, but I think I would consider it in the future as long as I didn't have to faff around with measuring this and weighing that!

Re: The Raw debate

Caro Laithwaite VN — Tue, 20 May 2014 06:40:27 GMT

l didn't used to like raw now l like it. Don't have animals though so doesnt afffect me but if l did would feed raw. To much carbs and starch (grain) in processed diets. So long as raw kept well and balanced go for it. Possibly only time l think ok for processed is with kidney or special problem where it is more difficult to do raw but still possibly worth trying for the specials as well.

Just wary of small bones and cooked bones.