However, balancing a raw diet is easier than ever; resources on raw diets continue to grow, and this information is easily accessible to anyone with an internet connection and the time and patience to adequately research diet requirements.
The potential consequences of nutrient deficiencies should not be dismissed, and there is reason to be suspicious of whether or not every pet owner will put in the effort necessary to research, balance, and feed an appropriate homemade diet. However, the idea that no owner is able to research and feed a balanced diet or that all raw diets are unbalanced is simply false.
For owners that are not prepared to balance a diet themselves, there are plenty of commercial raw diets that have been formulated according to AAFCO, NRC, and FEDIAF standards, and there are homemade raw diet recipes readily available that have been formulated according to these standards by veterinarians and other professionals or that have passed feeding trials, which are supposed to be the “gold standard” of analysing a diet.
Another major concern with raw diets is in regards to potential pathogenic organisms, like salmonella, E coli, or internal parasites. There are multiple studies comparing the amount of salmonella bacteria found in kibble fed vs raw fed dog’s feces. In one study, 16 dogs were fed a contaminated raw food meal, and 7 of those dogs shed salmonella bacteria in their stool for up to 7 days following the meal; none of the dogs were symptomatic. Another study found that dogs fed raw diets were significantly more likely to shed salmonella in their stool than dogs fed other types of diets. Yet another identified salmonella in 30% of the stool samples analyzed from dogs fed a raw diet.
However, the frequency of fecal isolation of salmonella in healthy non raw fed dogs has been shown to be as high as 36%, indicating that this is not exclusive to raw fed animals. Further, fecal isolation of salmonella doesn’t directly translate to a higher risk of salmonella – all it means is that the animal has successfully passed salmonella bacteria without becoming symptomatic. The ability to harbor and pass salmonella as a normal, nonpathogenic bacteria is a known trait of carnivores.
Other studies have identified the presence of pathogenic microorganisms in commercial raw foods. One study found that 7% of the 60 commercial raw diet products analyzed tested positive for salmonella. Another study analyzed 240 commercial raw food samples and 42 processed food samples (24 dry, 24 canned); about 6% of these samples tested positive for salmonella (all of which were raw foods), and 53% of these samples tested positive for E. coli (including both raw and processed foods).
This is not exclusive to raw pet food products. Salmonella and other harmful pathogens have been found in dry foods and dog chews and treats. There are many documented cases of humans obtaining salmonella from dry and canned pet foods.
The risk of internal parasites can be virtually eliminated by freezing raw meat before feeding, not feeding guts or intestines, and avoiding meats that have the potential to be infected with freeze-resistant parasites (such as polar bear or walrus).
Dogs, cats, and ferrets are equipped to handle much larger loads of bacteria in the diet [87], so the risk of salmonella or other bacteria is mostly a concern for the humans in the household rather than the pets. By practicing safe meat handling and sanitation when preparing raw foods of any kind – for consumption by pets or humans – the risk of salmonella to humans in the household can be greatly diminished. Owners should also continue to use care when handling and disposing of feces to prevent contamination. Of course, this is also not exclusive to raw pet food or raw fed pets, but applies to the handling of any kind of pet food or waste. However, care should be practiced with raw diets, and owners should consider any potential risks. Greater care should be used if there are any small children, elderly, or immunocompromised in the household, or if the animal to be fed a raw diet is immunocompromised and/or has a history of bacterial overgrowth in the gut.