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A Fresh Look at Feeding Raw
Lisa S. Newman, ND, Ph.D.
A lot has changed in 25 years; cell phones are everywhere
& do everything; TV’s are bigger and we have the internet 24/7; the
raw-feeding movement has came a long way in that time! Let’s look at what
has improved and ways to support this menu option.
In the days when I first began exploring natural health
for pets, I was initially delighted to discover the raw-food diet- it made
sense to me to feed pets the way they ate in the wild. As I expected most
pets switched from a low-quality dry kibble to the raw diet using
human-grade meats and bones flourished, at first. However, after using this
approach for a while with my own pets and seeing the longer-term results in
both my pets and client’s pets, I began to suspect that what seemed logical
in theory didn’t measure up in practice. My expectation of a healthy daily
diet was one that pets could not only survive on but thrive. I decided to
test my theory by conducting a clinical trial in 1986. When all aspects were
analyzed, I concluded that this wasn’t the best method of feeding after all.
I discovered that while some pets did, in fact, thrive on the raw-foods
diet, for others it was actually harmful (noticeably elderly pets or pets
with poor liver, kidney, or digestive function). Then there were the many
risks involved; e. coli, salmonella, bowel obstruction or puncture woods
from bones or feathers, difficulty in insuring that a complete nutritional
profile was met, difficulty for pet parents to insure that their pets were
fed as they intended while on vacation or in the hospital. In my opinion,
there were too few benefits to outweigh the risks and work involved in doing
BARF right.
That was the mid-80’s, before the movement gained
momentum and consumer demand led to much needed improvements to the raw
diets such as; carefully monitored & standardized sources available frozen,
the addition of fresh fruits & veggies, the improvement of natural dry
kibble or canned formulas that are easily supplemented by raw or home-cooked
diets. With these improvements the raw diet doesn’t carry the same risks it
once did, nor does it require the focused time and effort and, with a little
tweaking, the full benefits of raw feeding can be realized.
One of my principle objections to the raw diet & why I
felt it shouldn’t be used for most pets remains the stress it places on the
digestive system. Because the proteins, in particular, are not cooked they
are not partially broken down and therefore require more digestive enzymes
to fully break down & absorb all the available nutrients. This additional
production of digestive enzymes produces stress on the pancreas, gall
bladder & liver. To further compound the stress is the decreased likelihood,
over time, of the body to absorb all needed nutrients before the nutrients
exit the body. This stress, when coupled with the incomplete digestion can
lead to numerous health complications such as increased incidents of
nutrient deficiency and, in my experience, an increased aging effect
(graying coat, early arthritis, and early-developments of cataracts). In my
experience, these are directly attributable to the increased stress of
digestion brought on by raw feeding as it was introduced years ago and as
some still implement it today.
Due to the increased digestive stress I recommended and
still recommend the use of supplementary digestive enzymes (DigestZymez)
that can ease the burden placed on the digestive system. I also recommend
the use of a multi-vitamin/mineral (Mega Pet Daily), vitamin C (Super C
2000), garlic (Garlic Daily Aid) and a homeopathic detoxifier (D’Toxifier).
This combination is extremely important when switching a pet to the raw
feeding regimen. For those pets who suffer from chronic conditions or have
known digestive issues, these supportive measures can make raw feeding truly
beneficial.
Lest we forget, everyone has times when somebody else
must care for our beloved pets. Rarely is the pet sitter competent to carry
on the raw diet. That is where use of high-quality natural diets, like
Azmira, comes in. Having a prepared kibble or can formula to substitute in
or to use as a base for semi-raw diets is important! Emergencies happen and
most of us never prepare until after the fact. A sudden switch from raw to
conventional kibble can cause relapse into old conditions at the worst, or
extreme digestive upset at the least.
I have been very pleased to see the evolution of the raw
feeding movement, especially in the last 5-7 years. Recognizing that our
domesticated pets are countless generations removed from their wild cousins
has led many to realize that going raw- when done consciously & properly-
can improve pet health. My experience shows that even the most dramatic of
health improvements gained by switching to raw are increased further with
the use of digestive enzymes and nutritional supplements.
All being said and done, you are the guardians of your
pets’ health and must make a decision you are comfortable with. I can only
hope you can benefit from my 30 year perspective observing thousands of pets
around the world. My goal has been, and always will be, to provide you with
the tools to insure that in whatever feeding method you choose, you are
successful and your pet is healthy.
Since 1982, Dr. Newman has been a world
renowned pioneer in the field of natural pet care. The author of nine books,
including her latest, Three Simple Steps to Healthy Pets: The Holistic
Animal Care LifeStyle™, Dr. Newman is also the formulator of Azmira
Holistic Animal Care Products and Diets.
©2010, Dr. Lisa S. Newman, All Rights
Reserved
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