Raw Diets
A current popular fad among dog owners is raw food and homemade diets. Pet owners want the very best for their dogs, and so they decide that raw or home-cooked diets are the way to go. There are books dedicated to raw diets, and many Web sites, chat rooms, and e-mail lists out there espouse the virtues of raw and homemade diets.
You may indeed be tempted to try these diets because of all the hype. People offer anecdotal evidence that these diets are better than anything available commercially. However, some popular praise of such diets is based on the following questionable reasoning:
Elimination of allergies. If the dog had allergies, there was something in the previous diet that the dog was allergic to or intolerant of. The owner might cause the same allergies if he or she accidentally feeds the ingredient to the dog. It is best to have a vet diagnose what causes the allergy.
Improved appearance. How does the dog look better? Was she sick before? This is highly subjective.
Increased lifespan. There are no statistics on whether dogs fed raw diets live longer than those fed commercial dog food. Good nutrition and exercise will help a dog live longer, not just a fad diet.
Raw bones are safe for dogs to eat. Any vet who has removed blockages or repaired a dog's intestines after the dog ate a bone will tell you that raw bones can be harmful.
Wolves eat raw diets. Wolves are wild animals that hunt on instinct. Dogs are a domestic species that have been trained to eat manufactured food, not fresh kill. Raw diets don't reflect what a wild wolf would eat, anyway. A chicken leg and some fresh vegetables is not the same as a moose carcass.
Less frequent visits to the vet. Any dog with a complete and balanced diet will be healthier. If your dog is getting an imbalanced diet, he may have health problems.
There's nothing wrong with feeding your dog a raw diet, provided that you have your dog's diet analyzed and evaluated by a veterinary nutritionist. Many of these diets lack crucial vitamins and minerals, and few people who follow these diets ever have them analyzed. There have been some preliminary testing of these diets by veterinary nutritionists who have published their findings in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association. These findings show that most of these diets have dangerous imbalances in key nutrients and many carry harmful bacteria. While your rottie may or may not have a resistance to the bacteria, you can contract those bacteria from your dog, which will make you very sick.
At first, mixing your rottweiler's own diet might seem like a good idea. However, without extensive knowledge of canine nutrition, you are likely to cause imbalances in his diet. Calcium, for example, must be balanced with phosphorus. Too much calcium can be as serious as too little. Too much iron can inhibit the absorption of other vital nutrients, while too little can cause anemia.
Premium dog food is the culmination of intensive research by dog-food manufacturers. Many of these manufacturers continue testing to provide optimal nutrition. These premium pet-food manufacturers try to exceed the guidelines set forth by the AAFCO committee. Homemade diets can seldom compare to this superior nutrition.
If you would like to try a raw food diet, many veterinarians recommend that you feed a good premium commercial dog food and add raw vegetables. It's a great idea to consult a nutritionist at a veterinary college. Most are willing to work with you to help you develop a complete and balanced diet with the ingredients available to you.
