First of all a vet is not always a qualified dietitian...after all they push science diet, one of the worst dog foods simply because of the kickback they get. What ever you decide to feed, do your research!
Here's a few links of pros and cons...
http://www.bestfriends.org/members/healt鈥?/a>
http://www.dogguide.net/raw-diet-basics.鈥?/a>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raw_feeding
http://www.mountaindogfood.com/HealthCar鈥?/a>
http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/?p=5鈥?/a>
http://www.rawfeddogs.net/Recipes
ADD%26gt;%26gt;%26gt; And just for additional info for the incorrect post below, vets go to school 4 years undergrad usually getting a degree in biology followed with 4 years vet school followed by post-medical school training in a specific area such as small animal medicine or large animal then sometimes a sub-specialized fellowship. They are not usually a nutritional specialist unless they specifically studied for that. Vets just like doctors recommend certain things like brands of drugs or foods for vets. They do this because they get a percentage of the costs not because they are the best to offer...they are adequate. As for dog foods, common sense dictates what is best to feed your animal based on the nutritional ingredients. Nutrition has come a long way in the last 10 years and you will get just as many vets to give you reasons to feed raw or specialty foods as ones that say Ole Roy is fine. If you feed your animal based on what it's requirements are and read labels you can make an educated choice on what is best for your animal. A vet isn't necessarily the one to ask....just as you wouldn't ask a GP what a specialist needs to tell you. Pretty much the entire medial profession...human and animal alike recommend based on profit, that does not make them unethical, they do this because it's smart business. Also, a general practitioner is not a specialist in a specific area of study so they aren't always the expert in every field. And one last thing...although I personally wouldn't feed RAW doesn't mean it is a fad...it's been studied for many years and has scientific research to back it up (although there is still pro's and con's just as there is to most anything). To me personally it is just a difficult diet to follow correctly and requires more time than I want to put into it.Is a raw food diet for my dog a good idea?
I see this question all the time. The sad thing is, on the internet, its often the rule of the popular rather than the rule of what has actual science behind it. If you think about it, lets imagine that one in one hundred dogs get horribly sick after eating raw, and the other 99/100 dogs do pretty good.
You're going to hear a lot of pretty good things, and the 1% that get sick might just keep quiet about it (might not like to admit that they went against their vet's advice, and their dog got sick).
My thoughts on raw food (and why) can be found in this video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwB-w5ImP鈥?/a>
To the responder who said that meat should always be cooked, this is NOT true for animals. They are not susceptible to the bacteria found in raw meat like we are (unless it's rotten). Think about it. Animals don't typically build fires in the woods and cook their meat prior to eating it. However, the responder is correct that many people have a difficult time maintaining a balanced diet with raw food. (But then again, the pet food companies don't try very hard either.) You easily can do it if you make sure you do the proper research regarding your dog's life stage, dietary restrictions, etc. You can make a good balanced mix of all the things your dog needs, then put it in the food processor and make a few weeks worth of mushy deliciousness that you can portion more easily. Make sure that you NEVER feed your dog anything that has cooked bones in it. Cooked bones are dry and can splinter in your dog's stomach. Raw bones are digestible. If you're concerned, you can always choose a dry dog food and then supplement by adding raw foods. Evo makes a good dog food that is grain free and made with astoundingly high quality ingredients.Is a raw food diet for my dog a good idea?
My vet recently pointed out that dogs eat better than humans. While I'm scarfing down three meals at Taco Bell I'm serving my dog balanced, nutritious meals. Dog food is formulated to give them the minerals, vitamins, and % protein they need (which depends on the breed and age). Trust your vet. Most people don't know what they're doing with a raw food diet, and most people on the internet who advocate for them are no different. Just because something is a fad right now doesn't make it the healthiest thing for your dog.
And actually, four years of vet school and a number of years of practice make vets experts....that's why they're vets. They know what is good for your dog. And if a vet is pushing a specific food for their own profit, they're being unethical and should be avoided.
Edit for the response above:
I wasn't incorrect. Yes, nutritional specialists for dogs will know more about the subject than vets. My point was that vets will know better than random people on Yahoo Answers. Instead of listening to our advice, ask your vet, and if you're not satisfied, ask him/her for recommendations of specialists. Plenty of dogs do just fine on raw food diets just like plenty do fine on other diets. Ask your vet.
Unless you have a holistic vet, chances are they'll try and talk you out of feeding a raw diet.
Vets get very minimal nutrition classes while at college/university, and these classes are run by Purina and Hills. These reps will tell budding vet students that raw meat/bone/organ is bad and that their corn filled, by-product, meat flavoured nuggets are the best thing for dogs.
Vets also get kickbacks for selling these dog food in their practice. The more they sell, the more money for them.
Here are some useful websites to help you:
http://www.rawlearning.com
http://www.rawfeddogs.net
http://www.rawmeatybones.com
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/rawfe鈥?/a>Is a raw food diet for my dog a good idea?
The Vet most likely said this because most people don't know what they are doing when they feed a raw diet. Plus, meat should always be cooked. Dogs need protein, minerals, etc.. Would you know how to give your dog them, and how much of each?
Vets are not necessarily nutritionists. Before starting your dog on a raw diet, be suree to do lots of research to make sure you are providing propernutritionn. It is not just tossing them a pound for hamburger, and it is spendy.
ask your self this. do you want to spend the money on all the meat as it will add up. you have to cook the meat and what other minerals will your dog get.
Go ask your vet
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