When I was growing up, my mom brought home whatever was on sale that week in the pet aisle: sometimes kibbles shaped like peas and hearts dyed painfully bright shades of green, other times packets filled with squishy red tubes meant to look like ground beef.

Whether or not that was a sound nutritional choice wasn’t on our radar; the vet never batted an eye when we said we fed Kibbles n’ Bits mixed with store brand chow. That’s what you did in the 80s.

The whole idea of ‘high end” pet foods didn’t start to gain a foothold until around the time I started vet school, and now the boutique market has evolved into a dizzying array of food choices, each marketed to one specific niche of owners: the grain-free types, the breed specific types, the dehydrated types, the organic types. There are plenty of folks still on the Gravy Train gravy train. And then there are the raw food aficionados. Each niche has its strongly held beliefs and values, and a good portion of them will take those to the grave.

“So what are you feeding your pet?”, which used to be a pretty generic question to ask during an exam, suddenly became a meaning-laden query laced with dynamite. It’s an oft-shared fact that many veterinarians don’t bring up nutrition with owners at all, and for many of them it comes down to “It never changes anyone’s mind anyway.”

How I approach nutrition conversations

I disagree that conversations never change anyone’s mind. Sometimes a conversation is DOA, but other times it’s a really good opportunity to learn more about a person and their relationship to their pet. Like many interactions we have with each other in life, I’ve found so much more success entering a conversation from a place of curiosity versus intent, of understanding before judging.

Getting to the why of someone’s food choices not only helps you understand that person and their pet better, it gives you an opportunity to determine whether or not a nutrition conversation is something they are open to in the first place.

Let’s be honest here: if someone’s mind is made up, and I mean really made up, nothing you say will change their mind. This goes for both sides of the raw food debate. You can pull up pages upon pages of information that make a compelling-sounding argument that people can and do use to bolster their argument all the time.

These people believe deep in their bones that their choice, whatever it is, is in the best interest of their pets and anyone who believes the opposite is either ill intentioned or woefully misinformed. Arguing just makes hard feelings even harder.

Trying to change the mind of someone not open to having a conversation isn’t something I dedicate time to these days. I respect their desire to make the right decision even if I don’t agree with the decision they ultimately made. Then we move on.

But sometimes, asking someone the “why” of a person’s choices leads to some really wonderful dialogue. Why do you think this is the healthiest choice? What specifically is it about uncooked food that you think is better than cooked food? What concerns you about commercial pet foods? If you know the specific objections someone has or a specific benefit they’ve identified, now you have a very discrete piece of information you can explore. Is it recalls? Worries about old food? Ingredient sourcing? Those things I can answer.

As you can imagine, I believe- like many of my veterinary colleagues- that raw food isn’t the best choice for most pet owners. Whether or not you take my advice will depend on whether or not you trust me in the first place, of course. But let’s assume we have a rapport, and you and I start talking about it. I will tell you the truth:

Over the years, I’ve used just about everything on the market depending on my pet’s situation: the grocery store kibble of my childhood. Kibble from the big brands, prescription foods. Canned foods, rehydrated foods. I even tried raw once, and stopped not because my cat did poorly but because of the risks to people in the house.

Now, I want the healthiest choices available for my pets with the convenience and consistency of a commercial diet, made by a company whose ethics and purpose I believe in based on their transparency, accountability, and quality control history. I am very happy with my decision.

The best thing I can do as a person with expertise is give you the information and the resources I have, and help you line that up with your priorities for your pet.

I can give you my suggestions as to what you should do with that information, suggestions based on twenty years in the field working with thousands of people and pets. Ultimately, though, it’s your choice.

That works really well. Be honest and share what you know. Lead with your good intent, and be satisfied that you had a good conversation no matter the outcome. You won’t win everyone over, but you’ll connect with the people you were meant to.

References:

Read a veterinary nutritionist's perspective: https://weethnutrition.wordpress.com/2015/01/24/campylobacter-salmonella-e-coli-oh-my-why-i-dont-recommend-raw-meat-for-pets/

Tufts College of Veterinary Medicine primer on raw diets: https://vet.tufts.edu/wp-
content/uploads/raw_meat_diets_memo.pdf

Cavallo SJ, Daly ER, Seiferth J, et al. Human outbreak of Salmonella typhimurium associated with exposure to locally made chicken jerky pet treats, New Hampshire, 2013. Foodborne Pathog Dis. 2015;12(5):441-446.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Human salmonellosis associated with animal-derived pet treats— United States and Canada, 2005. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep.

2006;55(25):702-705. Freeman LM, Chandler ML, Hamper BA, Weeth LP. Current knowledge about the risks and
benefits of raw meat-based diets for dogs and cats. J Vet Intern Med. 2013;243(11):1549-1558.

If you found this interesting, check out these related stories:

The Recall System is Putting You at Risk

The Inside Scoop on Homemade Pet Food

Updated 3-22-18: Something is very wrong in America’s food safety apparatus. Recently, numerous pet food companies have issued recalls for products containing Salmonella, Listeria and even Pentobarbital, a drug used almost exclusively to euthanize dogs, cats and horses. Not only can these contaminants result in pets contracting a serious illness, possibly even a fatal one, but in some cases they can lead to serious harm for anyone improperly handling the tainted products.

So far in 2018, we've seen double the number of recalls vs. 2017 in just two months time. Here's a snapshot of the FDA's pet product recall page ...

What jumps out from the list of recalls is the high number of raw foods which have become increasingly popular in the last couple of years, not only in the US, but around the world. Unfortunately, by their very nature, raw foods carry an exceptionally high risk of bacterial contamination.

THE DANGERS OF RAW FOODS

In fact, a recent study published in the British Medical Journal by a team of veterinary scientists from The Netherlands cited the dangers associated with feeding raw foods to companion animals. In a broad sampling of raw-food products, investigators found a startling amount of bacteria and parasite contamination. Numerous products contained Salmonella, Listeria, E coli, Toxoplasma gondii or other harmful contaminants that not only pose risks to dogs and cats, but also to the pet parents serving the foods. In the study's summation, researchers did not hold back in their conclusions, saying, "Cats and dogs that eat raw meat diets are also more likely to become infected with antibiotic-resistant bacteria than animals on conventional diets, which could pose a serious risk to both animal health and public health."

One company has initiated four recalls since 2016 after receiving multiple complaints from consumers. The FDA and the State of Washington are conducting separate investigations, due to the repeat nature of contaminants and the number of consumers affected. A number of dogs have been gravely sickened and one cat has died as a result of eating these products.

Another company has recalled its frozen raw pet food after reports surfaced of the death of two kittens from Salmonella septicemia, also referred to as blood poisoning. The FDA has launched an investigation, which has already uncovered the presence of both Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes in samples of that company's Beef products.

And these are just two of the raw food producers that have issued recalls. The products recalled are too numerous to include in this post, but we encourage readers to visit the FDA site for full details (link provided below).
 
EUTHANASIA DRUG DISCOVERED IN CANNED DOG FOOD

On February 8th, ABC 7 News (a D.C. affiliate) published a story about their investigation of the actual ingredients in dozens of canned dog food brands. What they found was genuinely disturbing. In all, 31 different foods tested positive for Pentobarbital. Most of the foods were produced by one company, The J.M. Smucker Co. The company first denied the reports, then issued a "withdrawal notice" asking retailers to return defective products. The FDA launched an investigation and the company finally issued a recall. 

Consumption of a pentobarbital-laced food can cause dogs to suffer drowsiness, dizziness, excitement, loss of balance, nausea, inability to stand, nystagmus (jerking movement of the eyes), even coma or death. Needless to say, if you believe your pet is suffering from such problems, please contact your veterinarian right away.

A Class Action lawsuit has been brought against Big Heart Brands, a subsidiary of Smuckers. To learn more about the Class Action, visit the link provided in the citations below, especially if your dog has consumed any of the recalled products.

If you're looking for a brand that puts the needs and wellbeing of companion animals before profits, we invite to you check out our health-promoting line of products for dogs and cats. We don't sell anything we wouldn't feed our own pets, who we treat like family. We only work with thoroughly vetted and trusted manufacturers and suppliers who provide top-notch ingredients. Our pet foods are made in small, frequent batches and go directly to our five warehouses where they are carefully boxed and shipped to customers. We've never had a recall, but we have a procedure in place that would allow us to contact every single consumer of our products directly (either by phone or by email) if there's an issue. At Life’s Abundance, we not only make premium products but we also ensure that we deliver premium products.

March 19, 2018: With all of the additional regulations put in place over the last ten years, pet food safety is still a problem. According to a follow-up story on March 19 by ABC7, they were able to purchase cans of dog food recalled due to pentobarbital contamination.

Citations Worth Checking Out:

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/01/180111224018.htm

http://wjla.com/features/7-on-your-side/class-action-suit-filed-against-dog-food-manufacturer-after-7-on-your-side-investigation

https://www.petfoodindustry.com/articles/6990-fda-investigates-arrow-reliance-raw-pet-food?v=preview

http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2018/03/blue-ridge-beef-recalls-pet-food-kittens-deaths-reported/#.Wp7lXujwa70

https://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/SafetyHealth/RecallsWithdrawals/default.htm