# Two vet's opinions on raw feeding



## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

I found the anti-raw fellow quite alarmist. 



> An ill pet fed a raw diet entering our hospitals would be handled as a potentially infectious communicable disease risk and *a quarantine protocol would likely be instituted for the protection of our staff. *
> 
> The use of commercial diets are the safest, most complete and balanced way to feed 99 per cent of our pets. *I wait in anticipation to see the end of this fad* and can only hope that the catalyst for its inevitable demise is not the death of a toddler from a raw food feeding pet owner who thought they were doing the right thing.


If you live in Victoria BC and feed raw, hopefully your vet is not this guy.

but the pro-raw vet (also from BC) made an interesting statement - he thinks people are feeding raw and not telling their vets (sound familiar???) because vet visits AND dry kibble sales are down.

No wonder the pet food companies are so up in arms about this - maybe they are losing dollars!

Two veterinarians write on the topic of raw diet, is it safe or not? « Dr. Peter Dobias – holistic veterinary medicine


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## nupe (Apr 26, 2011)

Interesting...ty for sharing.


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## Mia (Oct 4, 2010)

It really doesn't surprised me. I worry when I actually have to bring my dogs in if they are sick knowing the blame will be on raw.


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## barneysmom2510 (Oct 12, 2011)

I feel really lucky because I have a vet who is a big supporter of a raw diet. I would probably keep my diet to myself with any other vet I would worry they would focus more on the diet being the issue if something went wrong.


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## DeekenDog (Aug 29, 2011)

I'm lucky that the vets I work for are true believers in raw. Almost the entire staff feeds raw (although the majority feed BARF). One of our vets basically specializes in creating diet plans for different medical conditions- these are not PMR but are tailored to the medical condition of the client's animal. I am so lucky to be able to take Deeken to my clinic where his diet is considered to be optimal for his health.


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## Kat (Jul 12, 2011)

So true, since I started raw feeding in August I have not had to bring Ruby to the vet AT ALL! Before raw, I was bringing her in 1-3 times a month! In July alone I had to bring her in 4 times because of severe food allergies that were not going away.
I will not be telling my vet I started raw though, because when I was thinking of trying raw when I first got Ruby my vet is so against raw she was like ''look at wolves and how they die from serious illness and disease". Thats how they always start a debate on raw, so Ill just keep it my little secret lol.


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## Mia (Oct 4, 2010)

Kat....had to just say Ruby is so stinkin cute! Lol


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## Kat (Jul 12, 2011)

Thanks Mia!


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## PeanutsMommy (Dec 7, 2008)

interesting. well i have not gotten sick from Peanut eating raw and i still get kisses from him and even on my face.

i wonder what Peanut's new doctor (same facility but he has been getting a different dr) thinks of his food. they haven't asked me since he started seeing this new doctor.


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

I am used to having a vet who supports raw food.

When we have an appointment with our new vet in Texas in two weeks, I'm definitely telling them that my dogs eat raw and that I'm not getting them any more vaccines from rabies.

If she acts horrified, I'll try another vet. I'm pretty spoiled to being able to be honest about my dogs' home lifestyle, and I think it's important the vets know.

The problem with vets knowing you feed raw and don't approve is that they will ALWAYS blame any problem on the food, and perhaps overlook or miss the real problem if something goes wrong.


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## PeanutsMommy (Dec 7, 2008)

Peanut's doctor before he got this one (based off of days we had been there he has no permanent doctor just facility) knew he eats raw. he got diarrhea i brought him in she asked what he was eating and i told her he normally eats chicken but i thru in lamb suddenly. she told me to stick with the chicken for now because the sudden lamb could have upset his system. 

i don't know their offical stance on raw for the facility (now i am curious) but they haven't said anything negative to me so far.
i have to say though it sucks that feeding a better diet, what they are supposed to eat makes people nervous about telling vets what their diet is and that they may misdiagnose something because of what you feed.


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## Chocx2 (Nov 16, 2009)

I forwarded that link to my friend who is a vet. She is slowly opening up, but prefers cooked meals. peanuts mommy are you in Fl? I see you do dock stuff, the club in my area is having a Natl Dock Dog event.:thumb:

My friend who started feeding raw has started cooking everything. The vet told her that since she was on Pretazone for after treatment of cancer that she might get bacteria from the raw:shocked: 

I'm very disappointed in the vet for telling her that and for her getting sucked in to the BS


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## Sapphire-Light (Aug 8, 2010)

Wow quarantine? now that's over-reacting , is like they think raw meat is nuclear waste. :twitch:

If that is the case then why don't quarantine restaurants or supermarkets? the restaurant's employees don't waer nuclear suits and at supermarkets people touch raw meat and they don't wash their hand before touching the shopping kart again , then little kids touch or get into the karts and they don't die from riding a shopping kart. :tsk:


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## Mia (Oct 4, 2010)

Sapphire-Light said:


> Wow quarantine? now that's over-reacting , is like they think raw meat is nuclear waste. :twitch:
> 
> If that is the case then why don't quarantine restaurants or supermarkets? the restaurant's employees don't waer nuclear suits and at supermarkets people touch raw meat and they don't wash their hand before touching the shopping kart again , then little kids touch or get into the karts and they don't die from riding a shopping kart. :tsk:


I was just gonna say....LOL. Ditto!


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

Chocx2 said:


> I forwarded that link to my friend who is a vet. She is slowly opening up, but prefers cooked meals. peanuts mommy are you in Fl? I see you do dock stuff, the club in my area is having a Natl Dock Dog event.:thumb:
> 
> My friend who started feeding raw has started cooking everything. The vet told her that since she was on Pretazone for after treatment of cancer that she might get bacteria from the raw:shocked:
> 
> I'm very disappointed in the vet for telling her that and for her getting sucked in to the BS


From what I have read, if a dog's immune system is compromised they might be more susceptible to the meat in bacteria because their digestive system isn't working properly. I don't know if that's really true though.


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## PeanutsMommy (Dec 7, 2008)

Chocx2 said:


> I forwarded that link to my friend who is a vet. She is slowly opening up, but prefers cooked meals. peanuts mommy are you in Fl? I see you do dock stuff, the club in my area is having a Natl Dock Dog event.:thumb:
> 
> My friend who started feeding raw has started cooking everything. The vet told her that since she was on Pretazone for after treatment of cancer that she might get bacteria from the raw:shocked:
> 
> I'm very disappointed in the vet for telling her that and for her getting sucked in to the BS


dang, i am in southern california. 

if you go post pictures!!


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## Steph (Jun 24, 2011)

Wait wait wait.... how would a child die from a dog fed raw? I don't get it. My dogs lick me after they eat their dinner and I've never gotten sick.


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## tem_sat (Jun 20, 2010)

My Doxie gives French kisses every night. No one has ever gotten sick...


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## Mondo (Dec 20, 2011)

I think the fear factor of raw chicken is exaggerated. Not to be gross, but there have been studies done of pet homes, and well, there is fecal matter that gets transferred. Feces that often carries bacteria etc Dogs also lick things, and then lick you. 

My wife uses tongs to give the boys their chicken necks, when I'm not around. I find that odd, because when she prepares chicken for us, she uses her hands. Not saying nothing though!! 

Kind of a digression, but some studies indicate that antibacterial soaps are actually bad. 



> The rising incidence of asthma and allergies in the developed (cleaner) world, doctors say, could be tied to the relatively sterile environments our children live in compared to a generation ago. Children not exposed to harmful bacteria, or conversely, given antibiotics to kill bacteria, do not receive the germ workout required to make antibodies. More specifically, they do not develop T-helper cells, which fight foreign cellular invaders and minimize allergies.
> 
> War on Bacteria is Wrongheaded | LiveScience


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## Steph (Jun 24, 2011)

Antibacterial soaps can create "supergerms" or germs that adapt to resisting antibacterial chemicals. I'm not 100% on board with this theory. However, I work in a child development center and we require the children (think infants, 1, 2, 3, 4 year olds to wash their hands up to 12 times a day. This is a state requirement so we MUST do it. Do our kids still get sick. Absolutely. ALL THE TIME. And I think the OCD hand washing has a lot to do with it. And these kids are from wealthy families. They are getting great nutrition and most are breast fed as infants. They have access to good medical care as well. But they get sick A LOT.

Anyways, I feed the dogs with my bare hands, but wash them after. My dogs are even allowed to have their RMB's in the house. Sometimes they sneak them on the bed, although I always kick them off the bed and furniture immediately. I have never gotten sick and neither has my fiance. I do the processing of the meat we get in the basement and use bleach on the surfaces after I am done.


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

Mondo said:


> I think the fear factor of raw chicken is exaggerated. Not to be gross, but there have been studies done of pet homes, and well, there is fecal matter that gets transferred. Feces that often carries bacteria etc Dogs also lick things, and then lick you.
> 
> My wife uses tongs to give the boys their chicken necks, when I'm not around. I find that odd, because when she prepares chicken for us, she uses her hands. Not saying nothing though!!
> 
> Kind of a digression, but some studies indicate that antibacterial soaps are actually bad.


I have never and will never use any kind of "antibacterial" product.

I don't know if it's coincidence, but I haven't had a cold or the flu upwards of 20 years. And sometimes i don't even rinse my hands well after i handle raw chicken.


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