“For years food enthusiasts have touted the health benefits of uncooked food for humans. Now, some veterinarians and pet owners believe that a raw meat diet is best for pets” this according to a New York Times article by Anahad O’Connor.
I came across this article when I found myself searching for more information on dog food after making a visit to Petco.
The store was filled with so many dog food brands with labels trumpeting qualities like ‘all natural’, ‘grain free’, ‘holistic’ and ‘organic.’ Everything claimed to be the best, I suddenly felt very guilty for buying my dog’s food from a supermarket. The truth is I feed them Pedigree. Yup, Pedigree, and my dogs are all pretty healthy. In fact they are very healthy.
I have tried other dog foods, lots of them, the most expensive and “best” brands, but my dogs always got sick. I asked my vet about this and she said she has heard that story from others. So why am I feeling guilty?
The article highlighted an actress who swears by the raw diet for her dogs claiming it cured all ills. I have friends who also feed their dogs raw and they do very well. I guess whatever works best for your dog is OK.
The article also goes on to say, fans of the raw diet defend its benefits because a “Natural diet is similar to the way animals in the wild hunt prey and eat it raw.”
Well, dogs have been domesticated for over 10,000 years, and although our dog, Penny does love to eat an occasional baby bunny raw, (and then is usually sick for days) I think she prefers her good old Pedigree dog food.
According to the book Vet Confidential; An Insider’s Guide to Protecting Your Pet’s Health, “Animals in nature eat raw food but don’t live very long…. What is natural isn’t necessarily better”. The author, Dr. Louise Murray, is Director of Medicine for the ASPCA Bergh Memorial Animal Hospital. And according to her biography, she’s been a frequent guest on national and local television radio programs, including CNN American Morning and Anderson Cooper 360, ABC World News Tonight and Good Morning America, NBC The Today Show and Nightly News, CBS The Early Show, MTV, FOX News Live, and Animal Planet’s Animal Precinct.
“Animals in nature eat raw food but don’t live very long…. What is natural isn’t necessarily better.” — Louis Murray, D.V.M
So many dog foods, so many opinions. For my money (and my pets’ health) I am sticking with Pedigree.
So how do you feel, dear reader? Have you tried a vegetarian or raw diet? And if so what was your experience like? What do you feed your dogs? Send me a line and I would love to discuss.