Crazy things people tell me about raw

People are brain washed. The kibble companies are evil geniuses. They have people believing their lies. The raw diet movement is gaining momentum and the kibble companies are scared. It is, after all, a multibillion dollar industry. They need your money.

The kibble companies target people who will sell their food for them. Breeders and veterinarians have been doing the kibble company's work for them. Have you ever purchased a dog food based on your vet's recommendation? Guess what? Many vets get paid to sell you that bag of Science Diet or Royal Canin (or whatever brand they are hocking). They get kick backs, free product, etc to tell YOU the consumer, to buy more. Breeders too. I used to work at a pet store and anytime someone would bring in a puppy they HAD TO HAVE whatever the puppy was eating at the breeder's place. A change in diet apparently meant instant death to the new puppy. Many people keep their dogs on this brand for the entire life of the dog and maybe even future dogs. These people become brand loyal. Business at its finest.

They also make you believe each bite must be absolutely balanced. I agree that you have to have balance. But each bite? Tell me YOU eat a balanced meal everytime and that each bite is balanced? This is not natural. But they get that balanced meal schtick embedded in our brains. So when you find out that feeding raw is not completely balanced at every meal, you think "the kibble companies were right." We raw feeders believe in balance over time. Each meal offers something to this balanced diet. But each bite is not balanced. In nature, you do not have a balanced meal in every bite. We have been brainwashed by them. It is time to wash our brains of them.

I think my favorite myth about feeding dogs a raw diet is that it will turn them bloodthirsty and dangerous. How does a healthy meal upset their behavior? This is an old wives tale at its finest and I find it hilarious. My dogs might lick me to death (ewww) but they are no more dangerous than they were on kibble. In fact, I think the sugar they add in to kibble to make it more palatable should be considered dangerous. Sugar is so harmful to pets. It leads to hyperactivity (dangerous), diabetes (dangerous), rotten teeth (dangerous) and who knows what else. So no, giving your dog a species appropriate diet of raw meats, bones, and organs will not make him kill you.


Another one I hear a lot about is bacteria. Well, bacteria is everywhere. We live in a bacteria crazed society these days. Every soap and cleaner is antibacterial. We are on a warpath to wipe out all bacteria from the face of the Earth it seems. We are creating super bacteria that have evolved to survive out blasts of Lysol (no offense Lysol, I use you alot). The bad part is, once these bacteria are immune to our current weapons, we are in trouble because we are out of weapons that can destroy them. I am not saying we should roll around in raw chicken. I just think we are a little hypervigilant when it comes to bacteria. When feeding a dog raw, we should use the same cleaning practices and common sense we use when cooking meat for ourselves. Clean up after preparing the meat and wash your hands. Oh, and don't kiss your dog on the mouth. I don't know if it spreads germs but I do think it is gross. Just...pet them.

A new one I just heard someone say is that raw causes stomach cancer. I don't even know how to answer this ridiculous accusation. First of all, what carcinogen is found in raw meat that can cause cancer? There isn't one. The myths of feeding can be pretty darn ridiculous. I will say this though. It is not 100% safe. NOTHING is. Kibble, believe it or not, is a risky food option. Kibble can kill (look at the 2007 recall) and can be loaded with bacteria (hello recent 2012 Diamond recall). Dogs can even choke on eating kibble too fast. Nothing is without its risk. And that is 100% true, raw included. Life is full of risks.

I think raw is a risk I am willing to take, at least over kibble. When you feed your dog kibble, do you know what you are giving him? What shape was the meat in? Does the fish contain ethoxyiquin (a preservative known to be harmful usually found in fish containing kibble). I know what my dog food looks like. It looks like chicken, it looks like beef, it looks like pork.

So to wrap this up, raw is balance over time, it will not turn your dog into a ravenous bloodthirsty killer, or give him stomach cancer. It is healthy and natural. If you have any more myths, just comment below. Let's see how ridiculous they can be.