Natural and/or Raw Foods
Starting in the 1990s, a new wave of dog feeding began to sweep the nation. The BARF diet (standing for “bones and raw food” or “biologically appropriate food”) grew in popularity, with the seminars of Ian Billinghurst, DVM, of Australia, being one of the most notable. His book, Give Your Dog a Bone, revolutionized how people fed their dogs, based upon his own personal observations as a vet and his own research over a thirty-year period. Another early pioneer in natural dog food revolution was Richard Pitcairn, D.V.M. His book, Dr. Pitcairn's Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats, provides recipes for cooked dog food and treats.
Early critics of the raw-food movement maintained that dogs would be malnourished unless they got their kibble regularly. But raw-food proponents argued back that the genuine bioavailability of highly processed kibbles was questionable in the first place, and the dangers of oversupplementation were as real as undersupplementation. Raw-food advocates maintain that using a natural approach, including various different meat and vegetable sources over time, more closely approximates how the dog would eat in the wild. This is more reminiscent of how humans tend to eat, which eventually provides a balanced consumption of readily bioavailable sources of vitamins and minerals.
Proponents of the raw-food movement take the point of view that human-grade food (food fit for human consumption) is the only food that a dog should eat. They hold that biologically appropriate foods, or those that are closest to their natural states, will enhance your dog's health. The movement totally discourages the use of food by-products and rendered meat meals and preservatives as a source of food for your dog.
Most adult humans tend to remain generally healthy, even with extreme swings in diet and levels of consumption, such as what happens around the holidays and other celebrations. People commonly eat rich, high-calorie meals that are scarce in vitamins, but most of them survive just fine. Or they eat mostly junk for a few days, followed by organic produce only, or at least, balanced meals with vegetables. Some argue that dogs have the same ability to handle and even enjoy and benefit from a more widely varied diet.
Opposition to Raw/Natural Foods
At the advent of the raw and natural food movement, many vets and others felt that departing from the tradition of feeding commercial dog foods would be greatly detrimental to dogs. Others believed that a biologically appropriate diet, which includes raw meaty bones, would perforate the dog's intestines and produce bacterial infections through E. coli and other pathogens. However, many vets are currently moving in the direction of supporting the raw-food movement because they feel that they see an overall improvement in canine health.
Problems with Raw Foods
Some dogs have had difficulty with raw meaty bones or raw foods in general. But this usually happens when the dog's overall digestive system has been compromised to the point that he is not producing enough digestive enzymes to deal with the digestion of raw food or any pathogens that might occur in it. In the wild, canines often eat meat that is rancid without suffering any ill effects — not unlike those garbage-can raiders that can eat anything and never notice the difference. In general, domestic dogs do have the capability to digest foods that may be past their prime.
After a decade or more that has seen canines flourishing, for the most part, on raw food diets, more vets now support the choice to feed a raw or natural food diet as opposed to commercial dog food only.
