COMMON MYTHS ASSOCIATED WITH RAW PET FOOD DIETS
At Pawsome Raw our aim is to re-invent how dog and cat owners think about, approach and fulfil their pets’ nutrition requirements.
Raw Pet Meat makes pets “bloodthirsty”
Dogs and cats are natural hunters, hunting is what they are designed to do, but don’t be afraid your pet will not turn into Dracula, once its “tasted blood”. Kibble fed dogs and cats have been known to hunt and kill prey. There are breeds with a higher drive to hunt – so some pets will naturally hunt a lot while others may never hunt. The food you feed your pet is most definitely not a determining factor if they will or will not hunt prey. Prey drive is determined by a combination of the breed, obedience training, and how you manage your pet’s behaviour.
My pet will get salmonella from raw pet meat.
Salmonella can only survive in higher pH conditions (4-8+) and requires at least 12 hours to incubate. The highly acidic (pH of 1-2) environment in a carnivore’s stomach is a natural protective mechanism against pathogens in a short digestive system, which lacks complexity. Bacteria is killed when ingested into this highly acidic environment and is passed through the intestine within 4-6 hours, which means there is not sufficient time for salmonella to incubate. Given the acidic nature of the stomach of a Pawsome Raw fed pet versus the more alkaline stomach environment (pH of 5-7) of a kibble fed pet, there is a greater chance that the kibble fed pet will contract salmonella.
Feeding cooked meat is better than raw dog meat.
Cooked meat lacks all the benefits of raw and it is deficient in essential nutrients because the very act of cooking destroys or alters proteins, vitamins, fats, and minerals. However, cooking food makes some nutrients less available and others more available. Lightly steaming vegetables is an exception but its recommended to puree raw vegetables instead.
Raw bones are dangerous because they splinter.
A very common misconception about feeding bones is that raw bones are dangerous. In fact, raw bones are great for your pet, especially in cleaning teeth. Raw bones are soft and are easy to digest in comparison to cooked or dehydrated bones. Cooking and dehydrating bones removes moisture from the bones which makes them hard, this causes them to splinter when eaten, and difficult to digest.
