The HuffingtonPost.co website recently posted an article “Veterinarians Share The 1 Food They Never Give Their Dog”.
From the Huffington Post article – Dr. Sarah Hoggan, medical director of the California-based VCA Animal Hospitals stated: “The number one thing I would not feed my dog would be a raw food diet,” Cohen said.
Her argument – pathogenic bacteria; “raw pet food was more likely to be contaminated with disease-causing bacteria.” She also argued that human health is at risk from raw food; “Children and immunocompromised adults can contract infections if they handle raw food or their dog’s [raw food diet] waste.”
It is unfortunate that Dr. Hoggan is unaware that of all pathogenic bacteria recalls (since 2012)…
More than 150 million pounds of kibble have been recalled
compared to only 2 million pounds of raw pet food.
Based of FDA Enforcement Report data.
Another veterinarian interviewed for the Huffington Post article – Dr. Nicki Cohen – was much more common sense with her response. She stated her number 1 concern is rich, fatty human foods that could lead to pancreatitis in dogs. She also is concerned about dogs eating chocolate, xylitol sweetened foods, grapes/raisins, onions.
With Huffington Post only consulting a Mars Petcare vet and a traditional vet, we decided to ask a more progressive veterinarian the same question – a veterinarian that understands both sides of the pet food industry (feed and food).
We asked Dr. Laurie Coger – an integrative veterinarian – what is the #1 food she would not give to her dogs? She told us…
“A grocery store corn based kibble, full of dyes and chemical preservatives (such as BHA, BHT) – made with non-human quality ingredients.”
And my #1 ‘food’ I would not give to my own pets (cats and dogs)…
Any food or treat that contains a rendered ingredient (such as chicken meal, beef meal or animal fat) or any food ingredient that is feed grade. My pets only eat ‘food’, they do not eat ‘feed’.
So what is yours? Where do you draw the line with what your pet eats?
Wishing you and your pet(s) the best,
Susan Thixton
Pet Food Safety Advocate
Author Buyer Beware, Co-Author Dinner PAWsible
TruthaboutPetFood.com
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Mark
July 18, 2023 at 1:46 pm
It’s unfortunate that I have to draw the line at top quality dry kibble and top quality wet food as a fairly healthy combination meal.
“Food” is unjustifiably much more expensive and out of my range.
Barbara Fellnermayr
July 18, 2023 at 4:58 pm
Hi Mark,
I’m going to disagree with you. By definition, top quality and dry kibble can’t be in the same sentence. Top quality infers that quality ingredients are being used. Kibble is made using meals – ground up anything, you don’t know what’s in it. It’s definitely not top quality. You definitely wouldn’t eat it!!!
One of the benefits of feeding quality food, is you feed a lot less. Less input = Less output! Also, look at the quality of the output, it tells a whole story.
There are ways to reduce food costs and feed a better quality food. If you’re looking for suggestions, please feel free to contact me.
Sheila Black
July 18, 2023 at 5:15 pm
My raw food costs for my two raw fed cats,(here in Ontario Canada), is very close to the cost of feeding them the better quality brands of canned foods.”Top quality canned food” is a option for cats. There is no such thing as “top quality dry kibble; as there is no such thing as a”quality’ dry food. The negatives All dry food, no matter how much or how little you pay for it, is the same.
Sara
July 18, 2023 at 8:30 pm
Mark- you get points for your awareness. I hope you slip in a pce of broccoli or something in with their kibble.
Kathy
July 18, 2023 at 1:49 pm
My pets have eaten raw for years, if they ever put a halt to it’s production I’d make my own. And curious the idea of getting sick from handling raw pet food – people handle raw food every day that they prepare for themselves, what’s the difference?
Brent W
July 18, 2023 at 8:24 pm
Great response Kathy. You are correct, people handle raw chicken and beef and I’ll bet the majority don’t wash their hands with hot soapy water OR the same with utensils. I adopted a 10 yr old overweight lethargic Golden. Started him on mostly raw and within two months, he lost a good amount of weight, and became like a dog half his age. Clear eyes, great coat, happy and silly and very much looked forward to his meal(s). And the poops, less voluminous and less stinky. Yay for raw! I switch around from beef, chicken and even salmon.
Sara
July 18, 2023 at 1:50 pm
I would never feed my dog anything rated under a #3 rating on Petsumer Report! 🙂
It pains me when I see pet shelters asking for only Purina (or other feed). I know they need an inexpensive solution for all those homeless dogs and cats, but I just can’t. I stick to donating bleach, towels and Dawn. Hopefully their eventual forever home will give them real food.
Sherri
July 18, 2023 at 9:54 pm
I draw the line at anything made by the commercial pet food industry lol. My dogs are fed real food, not garbage.
Real Foodmaker
July 18, 2023 at 2:39 pm
OMG. I am reminded of the line from Say Anything with John Cusack. (I’m dating myself.) He played the character Lloyd Dobler: “I don’t want to sell anything, buy anything, or process anything as a career. I don’t want to sell anything bought or processed, or buy anything sold or processed, or process anything sold, bought, or processed, or repair anything sold, bought, or processed.”
Consequently, we handcraft 100% whole-food, gently cooked, human grade, real food for dogs. It’s as unprocessed as human grade allows.
Margo Mann
July 18, 2023 at 3:02 pm
I never give my cats dry cat food –ever!
I never give my cats food with Tuna, tuna is high in mercury!
I try to find food that is high in good protein, and with no veggies, fruit, carbs! That is hard to find!
Cats are true Obligate Carnivores
Margo, in Canada
Gail Gardner
July 19, 2023 at 10:31 am
Sardines. That is what I eat and what I feed my dog and ducks. Similar to tuna without the high mercury. Not overly expensive. Cooked with brown rice, white rice, fresh veggies and herbs from the garden, and various colors of lentils, a can of wild sardines in extra virgin olive oil makes it delicious for humans, dogs, cats and poultry.
Maybe it isn’t balanced, but compared to the toxic commercial feeds they do a lot better on it. The ducks also get fresh sprouts. And the horses get wheat fodder with the wheat that didn’t sprout being added to the duck food.
Kyle
July 24, 2023 at 12:08 pm
You’re in the right direction, but the white rice serves absolutely no part in their diet and would be more likely to complicate their diet than to help complete it.
Erzsi Huffman
July 18, 2023 at 3:19 pm
I will not buy/feed any food produced by the largest pet food manufacturers. List below:
1. Mars Petcare Inc.
2. Nestlé Purina PetCare
3. Big Heart Pet Brands
4. Hill’s Pet Nutrition
5. Diamond Pet Foods
6. Blue Buffalo
7. Spectrum Brands / United Pet Group
8. WellPet
9. Sunshine Mills
10. Merrick Pet Care
11. Ainsworth Pet Nutrition
12. Simmons Pet Food
13. C.J. Foods
14. Tuffy’s Pet Foods
15. Nature’s Variety
I also do not buy any pet food from places like Petco, Petsmart, Walmart, Target,Costco, and any supermarket. Oh, and don’t forget my vet. I would never feed any food from my vet!! Only shop at small, boutique style pet stores.
Faith Jones
July 18, 2023 at 3:44 pm
I only feed my Cavalier human grade food, lightly cooked or raw! Responsibly manufactured or homemade. I prefer balanced with whole food rather than synthetics!
I appreciate your help and updates!
Sara
July 18, 2023 at 3:49 pm
@Faith I have a Cavalier too! They deserve the royal treatment!
Barbara Fellnermayr
July 18, 2023 at 4:51 pm
The companies on Erzsi’s list are in the “business” for two reasons. 1) to use up the crap they can’t use for human consumption and 2) for the money. I bet they don’t feed their pets the crap they make.
If I can’t eat the ingredients I use, neither can my dog!!
Madeleine Innocent
July 18, 2023 at 7:30 pm
I never give my cats and dogs any commercial pet food. It’s only human grade raw or good quality raw. Since I have very few health issues in my not insubstantial family, it speaks for itself.
Brent W
July 18, 2023 at 8:36 pm
In the past I spent 8 years in rescue placing dogs in homes and would try to educate adopters on Good/Better/Best food for the dog. I would hear repeatedly, ‘But it’s so expensive.’ My standard reply was, well you can spend more on better food or spend more at the Vet. Your choice. All these dogs with allergies are usually on crap kibble. My eyes tear up when I see someone’s shopping cart at Wal-Mart with a 100 lb bag of Ol’ Roy kibble. Whaaa!
LG
July 18, 2023 at 9:14 pm
Question: How many total pounds of kibble have been sold in The USA compared to pounds of raw pet food sold?
That data would benefit the readers.
Susan Thixton
July 19, 2023 at 7:49 am
The data of pounds sold is VERY difficult to find. But for 2021 – kibble was 59% of all pet food sales and 99% of all recalls (both in pounds). Raw was 4% of all pet food sales and 0.02% of recalls.
Nora
July 19, 2023 at 12:32 pm
Is that vet aware that prior to the “invention” of kibble after WWI dogs ate raw and some human scraps. And the maker of kibble teamed up with the krupps dog show guy.. look can we say ADVERTISING.. It baffles me, we didn’t create dogs in a lab. Why would it be health to eat a dry cookie your whole life🤔
Lorraine Sullivan
July 23, 2023 at 10:15 am
Wish I had seen this article earlier. It never fails to amaze me when professionals can’t even back up what they say. A veterinarian saying they would never feed a raw diet because it “”was more likely to be contaminated with disease-causing bacteria.” And they also argued that human health is at risk from raw food. Do these vets EVER follow the recalls on contaminated food? Does this Vet realize that they eat raw food everyday of their lives? Does this Vet realize that children eat raw food just about everyday! 2023 recent recalls – Raw cookie dough recalled for salmonella, Flour recall for salmonella, Frozen strawberries recall for Hepatitis A, leafy greens recalled for Listeria, Alfalfa Sprouts recalled for salmonella, raw oysters recall for Norovirus, Enoki mushrooms recalled for listeria & deli meat & cheese recalled for listeria! Do they have ANY idea how much raw fruits and veggies are recalled each year due to contamination??
chris
July 24, 2023 at 1:10 am
I believe much of the nutritional education a lot of vets receive when going through school consists of sponsored materials by big pet feed companies. A quick search of Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine Clinical Nutrition Service shows sponsoring from Purina and Mars.
Nora
July 24, 2023 at 8:35 am
It is, read Pet Food Con by dr Lonesdale. He’s been going after the pet food industry. Needless to say even the “raw” community is trying to banish him.
Barbara Fellnermayr
July 24, 2023 at 2:34 pm
If the vets think that kibble is so go, and continue to profit twice from it’s sale, they should have to eat it. I say they profit twice, once from the profit on the sale, the second from making the dog sick and having to treat it.
I’ve made pet food for 18 years. I would not hesitate to eat anything I make! I make it, because my dog has to eat something and its the only thing I trust. Be in this industry long enough and you’d be sick by what the big manufacturers think qualifies as “food”. Euthanol should NEVER be in food!
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