Raw Diet Risk Management

Content taken from the  book "Work Wonders" by Tom Lonsdale veterinary surgeon, page 52......for online book link given at the bottom .

If raw meaty bones act as a food and medicine for dogs; then you want to know the safety aspects and side affects. Like all successful pioneers you know that risks do not deter you, only help you gain a fuller understanding. Problems, potential or actual, come in two broad categories, Biolological and Man-made.

Biological Problems;

                                  When appropriate raw food meets the complex anatomy and physiology of dogs things usually go well. Lets take a look at some possible side effects and strategies for avoiding or dealing with them.

Vomiting;

                Dogs vomit more readily than humans. The loud heaving and smell may not be your likings but usually you need not be concerned when your pet vomits raw food, and then eats it again. Some dogs eat too quickly and then vomit. Solution is to offer food in one big piece requiring plenty of ripping and tearing.

Some dogs r either allergic or sensitive to a particular meat. If your dog consistently vomits beef, make changes for instance try feeding rabbit, turkey. Some dogs vomit bile. In general this poses no risk for your dog but if your dog appear unwell call your vet.

Diarrhea;

               Defined as ' abnormally frequent intestinal evacuation with more or less fluid stools'. Sometimes diarrhea follows the introduction of and is associated with raw food. May be a dog enzyme systems need time to adjust or may be it's to do with the population of  bowel bacteria that need time to change. Usually, diarrhea following introduction to raw food is short lived and resolve itself. You just need to keep check dog does not look or act unwell and clean up the mess.Some dogs, allergic to cooked meats in processed food, eat the same meat raw without ill effect.

Choking;

              Choking occurs when food or other material obstructs the airways. This is an emergency requiring prompt removal of the obstruction. Meaty bones cut too small can lodge across the airways, but so too can kibble, chew toys and plastic bones. Dogs don't need meat in bite size that can be swallowed whole; they need raw meaty bones in large pieces.

 Raw bones can and do stuck in the food tube between mouth and stomach. But reason is usually bones which are too small. Chicken necks, wings, Ox tail or other vertebrae cut too small and with sharp edges get stuck. Prevention  is always better than treatment. Ensure bones are of suitable size and covered in lots of meat.

Salmonella & Campylobacter;
                                                 these are common bacteria found in a variety of locations. The municipal pound, boarding kennels, and the droppings of wild birds may be sources of infection. Many kibble-fed dogs carry the bacteria. When humans become infected the source may b traced to salad vegetables or the roast chicken served for dinner. Its best to consider all chicken, including chicken for human consumption, as a potential source of harmful bacteria.
Theoretically very young, old and those with reduced immune systems are at great risk. When pets are first introduced to raw food, especially chicken, they may develop diarrhea. Salmonella often talked about is seldom a factor. Sometimes, though, the diarrhea is due to the contamination of the chicken with campylobacter. Campylobacter induced diarrhea can be treated by your vet. Once recovered, dogs are unlikely to suffer from the prob again.

Worms;
             If dogs eat their natural raw diet of meat, fish and bones they are likely to contract parasitic tapeworms. However in the domestic situation there is no cause of alarm. Raw meaty bones cleared for human consumption contain few if any worm cysts. Similarly low numbers of adult worms do not create health   problems for carnivores. The few worms that do develop can be controlled by regular use of modern worming medicines.

Man-made Problems
Raw meaty bones & table scraps;
                                                       its possible to have too much of a good thing, especially when a pair of imploring eyes beg for more. Some people feed an excess amount of minced meat and some feed excess amount of starchy food and vegetables. It is possible to feed too much liver and create vitamin A excess problems. Table scraps both cooked and raw, can provide welcome calories, trace elements and micronutrients for dogs, but there are a few things to watch out for.

Items to avoid:

• excessive meat off the bone---not balanced
• excessive vegetables---not balanced
• small pieces of bone, can be swallowed whole and get stuck
• cooked bones---can get stuck
• excessive starchy food e.g potatoes and bread---associated with blot
• onions and garlic---toxic for pets
• grapes and raisin---toxic for pets
• fruit pits
• milk---associated with diarrhea
• chocolate---toxic for dogs
• mineral and vitamin additives---create imbalance

Cooked Products;
                             

No matter that grains are not a 'natural' part of a dog's diet; no matter that cooking and pulverizing alters the nutrients and destroys the texture of natural food. Fad diet books for dogs lists so called natural ingredients grains, vegetables and minced meat which you are then told to cook on the kitchen stove. Niche marketers use the same confused and misleading concepts to sell 'premium' cooked products. Human-grade ingredients selected and mixed according to a special recipe they say, 'Cooked and sealed in the bag for your convenience'.

http://www.doguedebordeaux.in/rawdiet.pdf