Top Ten Myths About Raw Meat Diets
RAW MEAT DIETS
TUFTS UNIVERSITY
CUMMINGS SCHOOL OF VETERINARY MEDICINE
In addition to the nutritional imbalances of these diets, raw meat products are likely to carry
bacteria (like any raw meat products we encounter at home or in restaurants). These diets pose a
health risk, not only to the individual animal eating them, but also to other animals in the hospital
and to our hospital staff.
Raw meat diets can be homemade from various recipes (eg, BARF or Ultimate diet). However,
raw meat diets also are available commercially from a variety of companies. Commercial raw
diets are typically frozen or freeze-dried but some can even look like regular dry food (eg, diets
with a raw meat coating).
At this time, there are no scientific studies showing any health benefits of raw meat diets.
However, studies show that there are significant risks to feeding raw meat diets. For example, one
study demonstrated that all homemade and commercial raw food diets tested had multiple
nutritional imbalances. Another study reported two cats that died of a blood infection from the
same bacteria that was in their raw food. Other direct risks of raw meat diets include
gastroenteritis (inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract, usually resulting in vomiting and
diarrhea) and, for raw meat diets that contain bones, fractured teeth and gastrointestinal injury can
occur.
In addition to these risks, recent scientific studies have shown that nearly all raw meat diets
(whether commercial or homemade) are contaminated with bacteria, with between 20-44% of
commercial raw food diets contaminated with Salmonella. Also, be aware that animals that eat
raw meat diets can shed these bacteria in their feces (in one study, approximately half the dogs
fed a single meal of contaminated raw food shed Salmonella in their feces for up to 7 days). Other
bacteria found in raw meat diets include E coli 0157:H7 and Clostridia. These bacteria are a risk,
not only for the animals eating the diets, but also for other pets and people in the household – this
is particularly true for any people or animals who are young, old, or immune-suppressed.
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Top Ten Myths about Raw Meat Diets
1. “Their benefits are proven”
No scientific studies have shown benefits of raw food diets. Their appeal is based on word of
mouth, testimonials, and perceived benefits. For example, raw food diets may result in a shiny
coat and small stools because they are generally high in fat and digestibility. However, these
same properties can be achieved with commercial cooked diets without the risks of raw meat
diets.
2. “This is what animals eat in the wild”
Wolves in the wild do eat raw meat (in addition to berries, plants, etc). However, the average
lifespan for a wolf in the wild is only a few years. Therefore, what is nutritionally “optimal” for a
wolf is not optimal for our pets who we hope will live long and healthy lives.
3. “Dogs and cats have short gastrointestinal tracts so won’t get infections from Salmonella in
raw meat diets”
Dogs’ and cats’ gastrointestinal tracts are not shorter compared to people when viewed in
proportion to their smaller body size. Dogs and cats can become infected with Salmonella and
other bacteria found in raw meat diets, just as people can (especially young, old, or
immunosuppressed individuals)
4. “Raw food diet ingredients are human grade”
Even meats purchased at the best of stores for people can be infected with bacteria so purchasing
“human grade meat does not protect against the health risks of uncooked meats (would you eat
raw hamburger?). Also, be aware that the term “human grade” has no legal definition for pet
food.
5. “Freezing raw diets kills bacteria”
Most of the bacteria found in raw meat diets can easily survive freezing.
6. “As long as bones are raw, they’re safe”
Bones, whether raw or cooked, can fracture dogs’ and cats’ teeth. Bone also can block or tear the
esophagus, stomach, or intestine.
7. “Cooking destroys enzymes needed for digestion”
All the enzymes that dogs and cats (and people) need for digestion are already in the
gastrointestinal tract.
Therefore, additional enzymes from food are not required for digestion. In fact, enzymes are
proteins so any enzymes that are eaten get broken down by the body and have no benefit in the
digestion process.
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8. “Grains are added to pet foods as fillers”
Corn, oats, rice, barley, and other grains are healthy ingredients that contain protein, vitamins,
and minerals; they are not added as fillers. There is no benefit of potatoes, sweet potatoes, peas,
or oatmeal compared to other carbohydrate sources, unless the animal has certain specific health
problems.
9. “Most commercial pet foods contain harmful ingredients”
By-products. By-products are the animal parts that Americans don’t typically eat, such as livers,
kidneys, or lungs.
There are specific definitions for what by-products can and cannot include. For example, byproducts must be the clean parts of slaughtered animals and cannot include feathers, hair, horns,
teeth, and hooves. Basically, by-products are anything other than animal muscle. Note that some
pet foods may actually list these ingredients (eg, duck liver, beef lung) but these are really just
“by-products.”
10. “If bones or chicken necks are added to raw meat diets, they’re nutritionally balanced”
Most homemade (and even some commercial) raw meat diets are extremely deficient in calcium
and a variety of other nutrients, even if chicken necks, bones, or egg shells are added. This can be
disastrous in any animal but especially in young, growing pets.
General dietary recommendations for dogs and cats*
Feed a diet made by a well-known and reputable company – some criteria include:
Employing at least one full-time nutritionist
Having their own manufacturing plants
Conducting nutritional research so that continued improvements are made to their
diets
Maintaining good internal quality control standards (eg, ingredients, end product,
shelf life, accountability)
Feed a diet that has undergone Association of American Feed Control Officials
(AAFCO) feeding trials – not just formulated to meet AAFCO profiles. Pet foods can
be established to be complete and balanced in one of two ways:
1) By formulation to meet the levels established by the AAFCO or 2) by AAFCO
feeding trials. A diet that is only formulated contains nutrients in amounts that meet
AAFCO minimums but the diet has not undergone feeding trials.
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Therefore, unforeseen problems with bioavailability or nutrient interactions could
arise. Feeding trials provide better assurance that the food meets a dog’s or a cat’s
requirements. Although AAFCO feeding trials have their limitations, they should be
a minimum level of assurance. When feeding trials have been performed, the label
will read, “Animal feeding tests using AAFCO procedures substantiate that Brand X
provides completed and balanced nutrition for growth (or maintenance).”
If the food is only formulated to meet requirements, the label will read, “Brand Y is
formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog (or Cat)
Food Nutrient Profiles … ” Beware of any over-the-counter diets that do not have
either of these two statements (this means the diet is not complete and balanced).
Note that therapeutic diets sold by veterinarians designed to help manage certain
diseases may have a statement that reads “for intermittent or supplemental feeding
only.” These diets should be used under the supervision of a veterinarian.
*Note that dogs and cats with medical conditions may benefit from dietary modifications
Lisa M. Freeman, DVM, PhD, Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Nutrition
Clinical Nutritionist, Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine
For further information visit www.tufts.edu/vet/nutrition/faq or
www.fda.gov/cvm/guidance/Guide122.pdf
SEE THE FOLLOWING PAGE FOR “RAW PROTEIN DIET POSITION STATEMENT”
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Raw Protein Diet Position Statement
Past proponents of raw food diets believed that this was the healthiest food choice for pets. It was
also assumed that feeding such a diet would cause no harm to other animals or to humans. There
have subsequently been multiple studies showing both these premises to be false. Based on
overwhelming scientific evidence, AAHA does not advocate or endorse feeding pets any raw or
dehydrated nonsterilized foods, including treats that are of animal origin.
Homemade raw food diets are unsafe because retail meats for human consumption can be
contaminated with pathogens. Studies that have been done on both commercially available and
homemade raw protein diets have found a high percentage (30–50%) of them contaminated with
pathogenic organisms, and up to 30% of the dogs fed such diets may shed pathogenic organisms
in their stool. Many of the pathogens found in raw protein diets can be transmitted to the human
population by contact with the food itself, pet or environmental surfaces. A disturbing number of
these organisms have also been shown to be resistant to multiple antimicrobials.
Raw protein diets are now demonstrated to be a health risk for several groups, including:
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The pets consuming the diet
Other animals in contact with these pets or their feces
Human family members
The public
People at highest risk of serious disease from the enteric pathogens found in raw diets include
those that are very young, old or immune-compromised. These are the very groups that are the
focus of most animal-assisted intervention (AAI) programs. It is especially important that therapy
pets involved in AAI not be fed raw protein diets.
AAHA is committed to the human community, the veterinary medical profession, our AAHA
hospitals and the patients we serve in recommending the best known medical practices using
evidence-based medicine. We value the relationships between our pets and their families, along
with the positive impact that they have on the larger population, such as in AAI programs.
Feeding a raw protein diet no longer concerns only each individual pet, but has become a larger
community health issue; for this reason, AAHA can no longer support or advocate the feeding of
raw protein diets to pets.
The American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) and the National Association of State
Public Health Veterinarians (NASPHV) have both endorsed this statement.
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Resources Used to Develop the Position Statement
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Adopted by the American Animal Hospital Association Board of Directors, October 2011.
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