Written by Australian Dog Lover 3 years ago
The raw food debate is perhaps the most controversial topic within companion animal nutrition today. The divide is stark between those wholly in favour or against, with few fence sitters. We like to think that we treat our pets well, so claims that the food that we feed them is dangerous or incomplete can quickly get heated.
However, this lack of open-minded discussion can be to the detriment of our pets. This article explores the nutritional benefits and risks of raw pet food diets for dogs and how to make it work if you so choose.
The 'Raw Food' Movement
The 'Raw Food' movement has been largely propelled by Australian veterinarians Dr Ian Billinghurst and Dr Tom Lonsdale. Dr Billinghurst developed the well known commercial raw food diet BARF (Biologically Appropriate Raw Food). With no similar product on the Australian market, BARF became a commercial success and has spawned similar products in recent years.
Since the 2010s, raw food diets are now considered a mainstream dietary option available in Australian pet stores and its popularity continues to grow.
So why are people switching over to exclusively raw food diets for their pets?
There is an intuitive appeal of a 'natural' diet for your animal which is similar to that of their ancestors rather than the grain-heavy commercial options.
There is also growing awareness of the ingredients in processed foods and concern about potential harm of certain ingredients in the body. These concerns have grown over the last decade with each new recall of pet food removed from retailer and vet clinic shelves.
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