Adopted from : John W. Hilton, PH.D

                                Research & Development, Veterinary Medical Diets

A number of resent newspaper articles and books on the subject of feeding family pets recommend the feeding of raw meat (chicken, fish, meat and eggs) as the major or sole source of nutrition. The justification for such a recommendation is based upon the fact that both cats and dogs are classified as carnivores and are thus “meat eaters”. However, the fact that cats and dogs belong to the class “Carnivora” does not mean that these animals are exclusively meat eaters. Wild or feral cats and dogs will consume a variety of foods, and even when consuming a prey, they will consume the digestive tract, hide and bones in addition to the meat. The consumption of a raw meat diet cannot be justified on the basis of its nutrient content. Furthermore, raw meat can be potentially dangerous to the heath and well being of the cat and dog. The following is a brief description of the potential heath problems associated with raw meat consumption in cats and dogs.

1/Food Poisoning

Raw meat (chicken, fish, meat and eggs) is considered to be a high-risk food for food poisoning (dupont, 1992: J. Amer.Med. Assoc. 268:3420). Raw meat left out for a few hours at room temperature is ideal for the culture and growth of these microbes.  Considering the method by which cats and dogs are fed, the use of raw meant in this situation can be very dangerous. However, the cooking of meat at temperatures greater then 165 F will certainly destroy most of these pathogenic bacteria.

2/ Parasitic Infection

Although food poisoning from pathogenic bacteria is the most frequent cause of food borne disease from raw meat, bacteria are not the only potentially dangerous microorganisms in raw meat products. Parasites  can be found in various raw meat products, particularly pork.  Adequate cooking can readily destroy these parasites and eliminate this potential health hazard.

3/ Nutrient Deficiencies

The nutrient composition of raw meat is very high in protein and lipid, and very low in carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals. The feeding of a complete raw meat diet will eventually produce a number of nutrient deficiencies, which could reduce the life expectancy of the cat or dog.

Conclusions

The belief that a raw meat diet is better than a cooked meat diet cannot be supported by any scientific study. That nutrient quality and quantity of cooked and raw meat are virtually identical. However, raw meant can contain a number of pathogenic bacteria and parasites that would be hazardous to the health and well being of the family cat or dog. A complete raw meat diet is not a balanced diet and would have a large number of nutrient deficiencies. Thus, there is no justification for feeding raw meat to any pet and there are a number of health concerns, which would make this a potentially dangerous practice.