The Biggest Myths About Raw Food. By Dr. Mercola. Welcome to part two of my three part video series on the myths and truths surrounding raw food diets for pets. In part one, I discussed the origins of pet dogs and cats, and the fact that, like their ancestors and wild counterparts, Fido and Fluffy are carnivores. I also discussed the fact that while dogs and cats have been able to survive diets of biologically inappropriate pet foods for many years, processed diets have caused significant metabolic and physiologic stress, resulting in many of the degenerative diseases we see in todays animals. Meat Log Mountain Full Game' title='Meat Log Mountain Full Game' />Optimal Nutrition for a Pet Carnivore. I typically break the list down into necessary and unnecessary foods. Dogs and cats need quality protein, fats, and a small amount of vegetables and fruits. Vegetables and fruits provide antioxidants and fiber to animals that no longer hunt whole prey. Natural sources of trace minerals, vitamins, and fatty acids must be added, since the soils in which foods are grown are depleted of many of the nutrients pets need. Also, food storage, whether its in a freezer or a pantry, decreases critical essential fatty acid levels in foods. Pets need unadulterated, fresh, whole foods that are moisture dense. They dont need grains, fillers, artificial preservatives, colors, additives, chemicals, byproducts, or processed foods. Although animals can eat some processed foods, they arent designed to consume a lifetime of dry or canned diets. My Nutritional Goals for My Patients. A diet that is as species appropriate as possible low in carbohydrates, high moisture content, and unprocessedA variety of fresh, whole foods that are nutritionally complete and optimal for the species. Providing everything their body needs and nothing it doesnt. Helping my clients understand the difference between biologically appropriate and metabolically stressful diets. This means we must put aside our religious andor political beliefs and recognize that most of us have preconceived ideas we must address in order to provide the best possible food for our companions. The reality is most pets live their entire lives without consuming any living foods. They eat an entirely processed diet from birth to death. There are a wide variety of reasons for this. Doctor Who Mod more. Not everyone believes food matters to overall health. Many people dont correlate disease with diet. And there are also people who realize theres a connection, but just dont care. In fact, I regularly hear at my practice, Well, you know, they got to die of something. Another huge issue is that veterinarians dont receive an objective education in animal nutrition. As a result, they arent doing their job of helping clients make wise nutritional choices for their pets. In fact, many people virtually never discuss their dog or cats diet with their veterinarian. Your Pets Health is Determined by Genetics and Environment. I believe health and wellness are based on two factors genetics and environment. Nutrigenomics is the emerging field of study that links our lifestyle choices to genetic expression, which means the food you feed your pet has the potential to either up or down regulate target genes. What this means is that early identification of cell markers can allow doctors to provide nutritional intervention and return the patient to cellular health, avoiding genetically predisposed disease. This is huge. Environmental factors that influence genetic expression include not only the foods you choose to feed your pet, but also antioxidant intake, exposure to chemicals, and overall toxic load. Quality wild game processing in the greater Denver area. Brighten someones day with gift baskets or gourmet food gifts from Hickory Farms. Our handcrafted gifts feature sausage, cheese and other specialty foods. Chemicals include topical flea and tick preventives, yard and household chemicals, and medications including vaccines. Water and air quality also play a role, as does your pets weight, sex, age, breed, prior diseases and injuries, hormonal balance and level of physical fitness. Research shows the best way to reduce metabolic stress and chronic inflammation is through lifestyle choices, in particular the food your pet eats. The classic anti inflammatory diet most holistic vets recommend is essentially a low carb, high protein diet that eliminates refined foods. But in addition to all of these considerations, pets also have a unique hurdle the serious quality control issues surrounding pet food. Pet Food Recalls are Increasing. As a pet owner, Im sure youre aware of the vast number of recalls occurring in the pet food industry. What many pet owners do not realize, however, is that pet foods are recalled for two reasons. Either something has been found that could harm pets, or much more commonly, something has been found that is a potential health risk for humans. Last year, the FDA launched a national effort to test products for the presence of potentially harmful microbes. The goal was to evaluate the prevalence of salmonella in pet foods and treats. This is because humans and animals handle this organism very differently. The identification of salmonella in pet foods is responsible for the majority of recalls due not to pet health concerns, but human health concerns. Many people have become sick by touching or accidentally consuming salmonella in dry pet foods or treats over the last several years. Interestingly, there have never been any reported human or animal outbreaks of salmonella from consuming or touching raw pet food. So salmonella isnt a problem for most dogs and cats, but contaminants certainly are. In addition to foreign substance related impurities, pets regularly become ill from dry foods manufactured in this country that are contaminated by aflatoxins. In 2. 00. 6, 7. 6 dogs died from eating aflatoxin tainted dry food. And in 2. 01. 1, there were many brands of foods recalled for the same problem. Aflatoxins are a type of mycotoxins or fungal toxins that come from grains. So another benefit of feeding a grain free or raw diet is you eliminate your pets risk of mycotoxin poisoning. Speaking of Salmonella It seems many pet owners are still concerned about feeding raw foods because raw meat can contain salmonella bacteria. Its important to note that salmonella can be found in up to 3. Many pets harbor these bacteria as a part of their normal GI flora and naturally shed salmonella organisms in feces and saliva regardless of what food they eat. All non typhoid salmonella species are ubiquitously present in the environment and reside in the GI tracts of many animals, including pets. The fact is the majority of human salmonellosis cases are acquired through ingestion or handling of contaminated dry pet foods and treats not raw meat. In fact, as I mentioned, theres no known incidence of human beings being infected with salmonella by raw fed cats and dogs. The points I want to make about salmonella are Dry food and raw food can certainly harbor salmonella, so awareness is important. Regardless of what food you feed your pet, animals can naturally harbor salmonella which can be a risk to humans, especially if they are immunocompromised. The raw meat used in commercially available raw food diets is USDA inspected and is no different from the steak and chicken purchased for human consumption from a grocery store. It should be handled with the same safety precautions you use when you prepare, say, burgers for your family. Its all the same meat. Your counters, bowls, cutting surfaces and utensils should be disinfected whether the raw meat is intended for your pet or human family members.