Traci and others/raw food diet article...

[Sara]

What do you think about this? http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f ... animal.DTL What about parasites in uncooked raw foods? I was just interested because of Vest's allergies and because I am always interested in diet and health. Also, we don't always get all the various diets in Argentina. Thanks!

[kate & kobi]

"All commercial canned and dry food has been cooked to death at such high temperatures that all the nutrition is gone."

Statements like this, to me, point to ideology, not fact. Commercial pet foods, at least the good brands, undergo lots of tests to make sure that it has the proper nutrients (even after cooking).

I suppose the raw diet could be as healthy as premium brands if you were careful, but it is more difficult to prepare, and there's no way to test the food to make sure what you're feeding has all the essential nutrients. You also run the risk of bacterial infection, and the dangers of feedings dogs bones (half of the diet is bones!).

I also object to statements like this: "When you see a cat that has been eating raw, the cat almost looks like a totally different animal. It's so much healthier." This is completely subjective, anecdotal evidence...

I think I'll stick with my "commercial" food.

[Sara]

Thanks for replying. I am so curious about homemade foods but like you say, how do you make sure they are getting everything and also, I fear parasites and bacteria in uncooked meat.

It's confusing because on the other hand fresh food sounds so much better than prepared. I am afraid I might have to experiment since my cat has food allergies and does not like the prepared hypoallergenic food available.

All I can get HA here is Hills ZD and maybe sometimes the canned CD (I think it's called). My other cats don't like the ZD either. Not easy to make 6 cats happy.

I do know my cats seem very healthy on Pro Plan light, except Vest of course. They seem to like the taste of the Pro Plan Light I get at my vets better than the Hills or Royal Cannon.

It's nearly impossible to find a good wet food that is not for medical purposes. I really have limited choices here.

[Traci]

Sara, I dont give credit to any raw or BARF fed diets, at all. Most of what you find on the internet including news stories (because they don't give you all the facts, nor are professional opinions given from those in the field of animal nutrition/medicine), are nothing but hype, heresay, anecdotal and based on a belief system, NOT evidence-based. There are not enough conclusive research studies to indicate raw or BARF is better than any premium commercial food.

Your concerns are rightly justfied, not only do you need to worry about parasites, but adding correct supplementation to make the diet complete and optimal (which is impossible, considering there is no one set vitamin/mineral formulation for raw diets, least of all, it is not a one-size-fits-all approach). Also consider quality of meat used in preparing home-cooked diets or raw...just check the FDA and CDC sites for updates on recalls and reports of food poisoning, bacteria, and other dangers.

For more information on this subject, see Reference Articles, which includes information on raw diets, BARF, supplements, and alternative methods (including herbs, which was referenced in the news link you posted), etc.

[Sara]

Thanks for the articles.

You know, come to think of it, cats in the wild do not live as long as cats in a household eating prepared, cooked food. Also, I think if a cat or dog had a choice of nice cooked meat or raw they would pick the raw. They eat it raw because they don't have the ability to cook it. Funny thing, Vest's favorite treat in the world is a Mc Donalds french fry. Cooked and not even meat. He has no allergy to potatoes BTW. This is a very rare treat but he would do anything for one of those. I eat sushi but it's dipped in wassabi to kill any bacteria.

I am still speaking with my vet about HA diets for Vest. I will post an update on the allergy situation as soon as I speak to the derm.

[Traci]

I'm glad you read the articles, there is much information there based on evidence-based research and application.

Being that Vest is not allergic to potatoes, you might consider IVD's duck and potato allergen diet, might also look into Wysong's allergen diets.

[Sara]

I looked up the ZD and there is chicken in it. It's hydrolized, not sure if that makes a difference. I have not read all the articles, there are lots of them but I am working on it. I still have to speak to the vet and the derm. this week and next about the ZD. I may have to have food shipped here from Miami because ZD is all I can get there. And I think CD if she searches allot. I'll post on the Vest thread after I speak to the Vet today. I thought that company on one of the links that you gave me that analyzis a perfect diet for your cat was very interesting. I am not looking at buying 3 different diets and seperating my cats at feeding time. But I need my vet to determine which are chubby and which are obese. I know Vest needs HA and I know Negrito needs adult but the rest I am not sure. I remember the Hills obesity being very good for Clover. She really lost weight.