Why are some people so dead against raw food for dogs?

Most people grew up hearing about how bad raw meat is for dogs (kibble companies did a great job selling the image of a healthy dog coming from eating only kibble, although when kibble was first invented it was meant as a supplement)... They've also been told bad bones are and cannot seem to differentiate between raw/cooked bones.

I've reached a point after raw feeding for 15 years that I simply don't much concern myself about what someone else thinks about how I feed my dogs. I know my dogs are in good condition. I know they have low vet bills. I know I win at shows. The dogs are happy, I'm happy.

There is no proublem with feeding your dogs raw food. The reason they go nuts if you do is because raw food "is not balanced like dry food and there for is not good for them" at least that is the answer I get most often and thats a bunch of bull s*** all farmers used to give their dogs were table scraps. Their dogs lived until they died of old age or got hurt doing their job there was none of this cancer and other proublems. Heck they didn't even vacinate and dogs seldom got rabies and if they got distemper or another deadly illness well that was to bad. Wolves have all the imunities they need to make it. Nothing wrong with giving raw meat to a dog but make sure you give them bones too. There are tons of articals out there that show raw feeding to be good for your dogs.

Side note: You can get worms from eating pork thats why it's important to cook it well so you kill any worm eggs or larva.

I'm neutral on the whole issue, but one of the concerns that I've heard is in regard to salmonella and other food-born illnesses. There was a news story on it several months ago. The issue was that when your pet eats the raw meat, even if he doesn't get sick, it can be spread to you through contact with your pet.

I've also heard (on Food Network) that trichinosis from pork is actually much lower risk than it used to be because of the feed that hogs are given now instead of slop.

Because too many people are ignorant of the nutritional needs of their dogs to be able to create a home-built raw diet. Not to mention that the dog's ancestors went through a LOT of calories and energy in hunting, so they actually had some very different nutritional requirements than today's domestic dogs.

Yes, dogs in the wild eat raw meat, but they eat a lot more besides. They eat the bones, the hide, the offal, etc., as well, which is a lot more balanced than just straight meat.

Some people (including many vets) are against raw feeding because most people who try feeding a raw food diet think it means giving the dog a chunk of meat and have no idea about either the nutritional requirements of the dog, or the nutritional content of a bit of meat. Raw diets can be great if they are well researched, but 9 times out of 10 they're not, and the dog's health suffers as a result. Raw feeding involves a lot more than just giving a dog some meat...

Part of the problem is the source- a lot of meat sold for dogs is not properly refrigerated. Believe it or not, plenty of dogs get low-grade gastroenteritis most likely associated with 'food poisoning', and a lot of them are on raw food diets...

Like a few people have already said- we COOK our meat to remove bacteria and other parasites. The issue is also one of human health- if you feed a dog raw meat containing tapeworm cysts for example, you have a potential source of human infection. I advise anyone who includes raw meat in their dog's diet to be very strict about worming. The same issue applies to bacteria such as Salmonella and Campylobacter.

Incidentally- eggs are a risk. Their shells are porous and can become infected with bacteria such as Salmonella- which is why people with compromised immunity are advised against eating anything containing raw eggs.

My two cents

Delicious Raw Food Recipes : http://www.rawfoodhappy.com/Guide

I don't know anyone who's against it! If you're up for it, it's a great way to go! It can really be beneficial for dogs that are prone to allergies to ingredients in commercially available dog foods.

When did chicory, carrots, peas, apples and cranberry become dog food ingredients? There isn't much real difference between these foods. One uses chicken and turkey, the other only uses chicken. Neither uses corn or wheat. The biggest difference is the fruits and vegetables in the chicken soup brand. Both are made by the same company and its a good bet that the major ingredients come from the same sources. Unless there is an allergy problem your dog will be fine with either food. Feed whichever one is easier to get. The prices are close enough to the same, especially considering how little one pomeranian will eat. If you were feeding a working dog you might notice a difference between those foods but not with a normal family pet.

Cooking the meat kills the worms and parasites. That's why we cook OUR food. I cook my dogs vegetables too, got a problem with THAT? No I don't use commercial dog food.

The dogs ANCESTORS didn't live as long as our dogs do for exactly that reason, raw food...same as OUR ancestors didn't live as long.

If I cook MY food for health reasons, why should I treat my dog any worse?

Only SOME of the nutrients are destroyed by cooking, and that's a small price to pay for destroying the worms and parasites.

I will keep my dog alive and healthy, and you are free to do whatever you want to yours.

I know exactly what it is you are talking about!! It is often very difficult to go against the consensus (even though this consensus is unscientific and plain WRONG) with your ideas, especially when those ideas also go against very powerful vested interests/big business. The pet food industry is a multibillion dollar business, and with this kind of buying power the media and many vets have been led astray. You could say an alternate reality was created by the pet food industry, sponsored by their big bucks. Please visit this website for further commonsense clarification....you are on the right track and i completely agree with you. http://au.wrs.yahoo.com/_ylt=A0oGku.diY1H4N4A.pkL5...