Here’s Why Dog Owners Are Moving Away From Raw Feeding

Here’s Why Dog Owners Are Moving Away From Raw Feeding A new published study has discovered the r...

Here’s Why Dog Owners Are Moving Away From Raw Feeding

A new published study has discovered the reasons why many dog guardians are no longer raw feeding their dogs. It highlights the dangers of raw diets for dogs, including a high rate of gastrointestinal problems in raw-fed dogs.

Researchers used a survey of 802 dog owners to investigate the reasons why owners who were previously feeding raw meat- and bone-based diets stopped doing so and instead shifted to a different dietary pattern for their pups.

The dogs addressed in the study were from a broad sample, covering both sexes, many breeds, all sizes (from just 2kg all the way up to 73 kg), and all ages (from just a few months up to 17 years old).

The main three reasons for abandoning raw meat feeding were intolerance, disease (especially gastrointestinal disease that includes watery stools, urgency, accidents at home, fever etc), and, of course, the dog simply not enjoying the taste or texture of the diet itself.

In fact, almost 40% of participants stopped raw feeding due to the dog developing gastrointestinal problems, despite claims by many raw feeding advocates that raw food is an evolved or ‘natural’ diet for dogs.

As the study notes, this pattern of raw food diets causing digestive problems fits with previous research showing that there is a higher rate of diarrhoea in dogs being fed raw food than dogs fed with cooked meat diets, for example.

Of the 40% who stopped raw feeding due to gastrointestinal problems, 104 participants cited specific gastrointestinal diseases as the reason for stopping. In over 80% of cases this disease developed during or after the feeding of raw meat, indicating that the raw food diet could well have played a role.

Another 196 participants cited their dog’s intolerance of the diet, detected by gastrointestinal problems like gas, bloating, loose stools, diarrhoea, constipation, or other signs of discomfort.

The remaining reasons for dog guardians abandoning the raw food diet are listed below:

  • The dog was unwilling to eat raw meat (15%)
  • Preparing raw meat was too much effort (12%)
  • The raw meat diet was too expensive (6%)
  • Preparing the raw food diet took too much time (5%)
  • Their dog lost weight while eating raw foods (3%)
  • A separate, special, non-raw-foods diet was required (2%)
  • The dog developed skin issues while on the raw food diet (2%)
  • The dog gained weight on the raw food diet (2%)


Due to the potential risk of dangerous pathogens (viruses, bacteria, and other nasty germs), many reputable veterinary bodies like the British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) advise against feeding raw food to dogs.

If you have been feeding raw food to your dog, or are considering it but have not yet made up your mind, please get in touch with our team at woof@omni.pet

Sources:

Baum, L.L.; Zablotski, Y.; Busch, K.; Koelle, P. Reasons Why Dog Owners Stop Feeding Raw Meat-Based Diets (RMBDs)—An Online Survey. Pets 2024, 1, 20-32. https://doi.org/10.3390/pets1010004

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FAQs

But aren’t dog’s carnivores?

Dogs are in fact nutritional omnivores as demonstrated by a robust scientific study published in the reputable journal Nature (1,2) in which it was shown that they have 30 copies of the AMY2B gene responsible for digesting plant-based foods.

They have also evolved relatively long intestines (21) (almost as long as humans) and relatively flat surfaces on their molars (31, 22) which they use for digesting and chewing a whole range of foods.

The common misconception that dogs are carnivores probably arises from the fact that they are classified in the order Carnivora but so are plenty of other species like bears, skunks, racoons who are omnivores and even the giant panda who thrives on a plant-based diet (20).

Is plant protein digestible to dogs?

Absolutely yes, studies which have looked at how much protein dogs can absorb from plant-based and fungi-based foods like soya and yeast demonstrated over 75% digestibility which is on par with meat-based foods (23, 24, 34, 35 & 25).

Both these protein sources also contain all 10 essential amino acids (36, 37) that dogs need to thrive.

Isn't there too much fibre in plant-based food?

The average amount of fibre in a commercial dog food diet is between 2-4%. omni’s plant-powered recipe has a fibre content of 3% which is on par with meat- based diets.

In our survey with over 200 dog owners, 100% reported that their dog’s stool consistency was either ‘normal’ or ‘perfect’ and there were no reports of any digestive upsets (data on file).

Can I mix omni with other meat-based diets?

We are proud that our recipes are nutritionally complete and so include everything your dog needs to thrive. This means omni can be fed as a sole ration. We also fully support a 'flexitarian approach' like meat free lunches or using omni as a mixer.

Every little helps to bring some of the health and environmental benefits of plant-power to meal times. Mixing omni with meat/fish will help to add variety into your dog’s diet whilst adding in healthy ingredients with a relatively low carbon footprint.

Can plant-based food provide the essential fatty acids dogs need?

All the essential fats and oils that dogs need, including omegas 3 and 6 are found in a variety of both meat and plant-based foods (31, 28).

omni’s recipe is rich in plant-based sources of these nutrients so your dog will get all the essentials they need.

I hear a lot about feeding raw meat, isn’t that better?

Feeding raw meat to dogs has become a very popular trend in recent years, but most vets will warn against this practise. This is because the cooking process is vital to help kill off dangerous bacteria like E coli, Salmonella and Campylobacter (9) that have necessitated several food recalls from the market and caused serious illness and even death in both dogs and their owners (40, 41, & 42).

There are also several worms and parasites that are only killed off when raw meat is cooked. Dogs are dogs, not wolves and thanks to their domestication over thousands of years, thankfully don’t need to hunt to get their grub nor do they need to eat raw meat, it's just not worth the risk.

References

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