I have just come across the response of a Victoria veterinarian, Dr. Chris Collis in regard to the article “This raw deal is a good one from Dec. 10 of  Times Colonist ,(posted at the end of this blog)  and feel obligated to respond.
I too am a veterinarian licensed and practicing in British Columbia, with 24 years of clinical experience. In the early days, I also believed what I was taught by processed pet food companies that their food was the best.
However, as years progressed, I observed an alarming trend where feeding processed food and even special diets was not enough to keep my patients healthy. I continued to see a rising number of patients suffering from allergies, obesity, diabetes, pancreatitis, and a variety of organ dysfunctions and cancer. The paradox was, that even though I knew that eating processed food is not good for people, I somehow blindly believed what I was told. Kibble was the best.
In the mid 90’s, I started to see a few of my clients switching their pets to raw or cooked natural diets. First, I was concerned but when I started to see some dramatic recoveries and general improvement in most, I started to question commercial diet companies and their intentions.
After 15 years, I have no doubt that the pets eating wholesome food live longer, look younger, move better and need to see a vet less frequently. In fact, my own cat Mina has been on raw food since she was eight years old is now 21. My dog Skai, who has turned 10 years in August 2011, has never been on processed food and doing very well. ( I have enclosed a brief video of him and his sister who is also fed raw. It  was shot  a few months after his 10th birthday.)
It is not my intention to get into a lengthy debate about who is right or wrong because diversity of opinions is a good thing.
However, I cannot agree that commercial diets are the safest because we all know about the hundreds of cats and dogs that were irreversibly damaged or died from the effects of tainted commercial pet food. Sadly, melamine has been also found in baby formulas made by companies who often blow the horn of “excellent quality control”.
It is true that the quality of any pet food is important and that it may vary depending on the knowledge, skills and integrity of the manufacturer. However, unlike processed kibble manufacturers who, as my colleague mentioned, use second grade ingredients, raw food companies frequently use first grade, human quality, non-medicated meat and organic vegetables in their products.
I completely agree that it is important to feed a balanced diet to our dogs and cats and ideally it should be us veterinarians who help pet guardians to do so. Strangely, we appear to have abandoned our common sense of what healthy food is and blindly follow the pet food companies, while some of our clients know better.
According to the statistics of recent years, veterinary visits and processed pet food sales are in decline despite the rise in the number of dogs and cats. It is possible that the pets of people who have embraced the feeding of wholesome fresh diets are healthier. And that some people may be afraid to see their vets and tell them they feed raw.
When it comes to bacteria, I have not seen one single client to have reported salmonelosis when feeding raw meat. I have also come to accept that dogs and cats are naturally resistant to intestinal pathogens and that they are not humans. Cats often eat mice that are frequent carriers of salmonella and other bacteriae without any ill effect and lets be real, dogs sniff and eat worse things than a piece of raw meat.
With respect and gratitude,
Dr. Peter Dobias, DVM, North Vancouver, BC
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Re: “This raw deal is a good one,” Dec. 10 by Dr. Chris Collis, DVM
I have been a veterinarian for 22 years. The article on the pet food venture has me profoundly concerned. I’m a big advocate of small business, but the raw pet food business is fraught with substantial risk.
The article neglected the dangers associated with feeding raw meat to our pets. A nutritionally balanced, consistent quality and biologically safe food requires an understanding of biology, nutrition, biochemistry, disease and quality control. There is no routine standard testing of pet food by government agencies.
All pet foods are made from the discarded waste of the human food industry, including those contaminated with salmonella, e.coli and campylobacter. Commercial diet “cooking” destroys the infectious diseases and additional testing ensures the freedom of foreign material, mould and chemical toxins.
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.
Who would want this type of risk on their conscience?
Chris Collis B.Sc.(Agr.), DVM
VictoriaRead there original article here:Â http://www.timescolonist.com/business/This+deal+good/5839618/story.html
<a href=”http://growlies.ca/2011/12/response-dr-chris-collis-veterinarian-victoria-b-c/”>A response to Dr. Chris Collis a Veterinarian in Victoria B.C.</a>
Another article: Â Is pet food actually poisoning our dogs?
Tags: bacteria, dr peter dobias, dr. collins, dr. dobias, food recall, pet food recall, raw food, safe, safety, salmonella, times colonist
Thank you for posting and including the video
. As one studying to become an animal naturopath I believe rearing our dogs naturally is the best for them (raw species appropriate diets) however I do think everyone has to come to this conclusion on their own through research and education.
“we appear to have abandoned our common sense of what healthy food is blindly follow the pet food companies while customers know better.” We tend to just bury our heads in the sand and do what is recommended without challenging the main stream thinking. I did this for years with my dogs and now try to do what is right by them, naturally.
Blessings in the new year~ Angela
Are you kidding me Dr. Collis! Do your homework and research on feeding a raw diet..I have had dogs for over 30 years…I am a breeder as well…Up until 10 years ago I ws feeding, what I thought to be the best dry dog food available….I had 4 dogs die of cancer..and none of them lived past the age of 10..I switched to raw 10 1/2 years ago…and my dogs are in the best health and active..They go in 2 times a year to me vet ( who I admire, she has educated herself on the raw diet and totally supports me) they go in twice a year for a full health exam and blood tests etc..and they all are doing great..my dogs ages are 16,14,11,9,5,2, with the 2 year old that I bred and the entire litter was raised on raw…I know exactly what my dogs are eating….OH and BTW..I do not vaccinate my dogs..they only get thier puppy shots and 1 maybe 2 rabies shots in their entire life
I suggest that you get with the program do your homework and research..Prey Model Drive diet would be an excellent way to start to educate your self and may just maybe for you to stop ripping your clients offs..if you were a good caring vet, you would help your clients as much as you can..or maybe them being on crap food helps your income..SHAME ON YOU !!
I feed my dogs a fully balanced BARF diet and they are thriving. My White German Shepherd did poorly on the the best commercial diets and we switched to BARF and she gained weight and became healthier. Our last vet exam the vet marked her down as being between 2-3 years old when she is really almost 5! They even thought I brushed her teeth as they were so white and had not tartar build up. I just responded that she does not have any corn or processed foods so that is why she is healthy.
A vet like Dr.Collis is the type I would NEVER visit. He is old school and probably in the pocket of his local pet food distributor. He obviously has not done the research on RAW or BARF diets and is just going off of the outdated information that is taught in Veterinary schools (by pet food manufacturers). Or, it could be that he likes the results that the pet food industry creates: obese, poor teeth, and a numerous other ailments.
Dr. Dobias if you were local to me I would be on your client list.
The original article is so scewed, fraught with fear mongering and unsubtained assumptions. I have been raw feeding my dogs and cats for 10 years, two dogs from weaning, and one of those since before conception. All of my cats have been on raw since a very young age. I have NO, ZERO vet bills, the only health issues we come across is when the dogs steal grains from the chickens (allergies). I have a Maine Coon right now that is going on 9 years old, and you’d not know it, other than the fact he has HUGE, gleaming fangs! Have never had to have dental work done on any of them, all their teeth are plaque free. Weston A. Price, a dentist who lived in the 30′s studied the importance of traditional diets in humans, and the link between oral health and over all health. I feel this link is true for ALL species, from my experience. Also, Pottenger’s Cats is an excellent study that proves that COOKED foods are extremely harmful for cats.
I have a very strong concern, however, on commercially prepared so called ‘raw’ diets. Nearly every single one I have ever seen offered, short of being single ingredient products, have had added SALT. Not sea salt, but sodium choloride, table salt. I did have a new puppy that came in try some commerciall prepared ‘raw’ food once, a multiple ingredient product, she had a HORRIBLE time on it, consumed water like a spounge, had much more issues with urination and elimination than she ever should have, and was very aggitated while on that food. Once we graduated her off of it, onto WHOLE, prey modle fresh meaty bones and organs, ALL of that ceased.
Honestly, the best thin one can do for their pet is to take the time to educate yourself and feed prey modle, raw meat bones and organs. It’s NOT that hard, nor rocket science, just learn to pay attention to what your dog/cat tells you as you go along, and make adjustements as needed.
As I’m always one for a good debate, I’m thrilled to see another veterinarian step up and politely, clearly, and directly object to the opinions of the first.
My thoughts:
* If a child in a home where a dog was fed raw were to be ill/die of anything that could remotely be attributed to the dog’s raw food…I’d have to question the owner/parent on their handling of any raw food in their home be it for the dog or their own consumption. As with the handling of ANY raw meat, proper hand washing, washing of the preparation surface, etc is a must.
* Dr. Collis, where have you been in the last 10 years and what is your thoughts on the numerous, repeated, often fatal to the animal, pet food recalls? How can you defend those. If the ingredients going into the commercial food was worth it’s weight, the “cooking” and testing and ultimately preservatives and other additives would not be necessary.
* Dr. Dobias, you are a godsend to this ever heated debate. Your insight is from experience and that is something I take to the bank. I applaud you for speaking up in an intelligent and articulate manner to dispell the teachings of the commercial food industry. I wish that veterinary medicine education would include attention to this matter rather than “trust” the makers of whatever kibble is being peddled today. Your dogs look healthy and are clearly active. At 10, that’s an accomplishment. Congratulations, I’m sure you’ve made a few clients in the process of defending this subject.
I adopted a 3 1/2 year old Husky/Lab cross almost a year ago and the previous owner fed him “whatever was cheapest at Wal-Mart”. I discussed commercial food options with the local pet supply store (big chain) and found very little knowledge amongst the staff that I was comfortable with…the most interesting being “you get what you pay for”. True, to a degree, as generally any commercial diet that seems to attempt an all natural avenue will cost you an arm and a leg to feed your dog…and you still don’t REALLY know what’s in it.
I switched to a middle of the road option ($ wise) and found no improvement in my dog’s coat, teeth, bowel movements, etc. In fact, he rarely had solid stool at all and every three weeks or so had violent diarrhea. That’s IT! I researched raw options, discussed it with people who feed raw to their animals (here in Canada and in Australia where it is VERY popular) and couldn’t see a reason not to try. I happened to take him to a local vet during one of his diarrhea moments as I was concerned and when the vet opened the topic of what he ate, I took the opportunity to discuss a switch to raw. I’m delighted to report that she wholeheartedly supported me and has been positive about the changes in him since.
It took quite a bit of research to find a supply I could rely on and since switching, I have nothing but positive feedback. Within a few days Bailey had a shinier coat (even more so now), and now has quite lovely teeth thanks to beautiful meaty bones. His bowel movements are typical of those fed raw, small and solid. Oh how wonderful it is that his body is truly using EVERYTHING I feed him as it naturally needs as opposed to the fillers and additives that move right through him to my lawn ($ literally on my grass that I will throw out). I’m not far along enough to comment on any savings due to less visits to the vet but I’ve read that it’s generally one of the outcomes of a raw fed dog and that excites me as well.
Yes, it’s a little more expensive than the commercial diets. Yes, you need to think ahead to thaw something out for the dog and a there’s a little prep work…but my dog is beautiful and healthy and is regularly thought to be an active 2 year-old rather than an almost 4.5 year old now. I’m looking forward to a long and happy life with my best friend and I believe I’ve made the right choice for the two of us.
My girl Sweep, now nearly 12 years of age, has never had commercial food and had always had a home cooked diet. She is healthy, active and still, occasionally, herds sheep. When the pet food recall happened that saw many animals sickened or dying, we were deeply saddened and very, very releived that our beloved girl was safe because of our choice to feed her only natural, ‘human grade quality’ food. We tried to introduce a raw diet and she is not interested in it. I think that is because she was already an adult when we tried. I would love to know how to provide an adequate raw diet for my 9 month old kitten!
DR Collins! take your commercial food and feed it to the wolves! LOL I bet they are smart enough not to touch it. I am sorry to see so many people not trusting mother nature. This is why we see packs of wolves and coyotes charging pet food manufacturing facilities to get in and eat.
Thank you for this article. I had a cocker spaniel puppy and I decided to switch to a raw food diet when raising him after I heard about the melamine contaminated dog food on the market. My puppy was much happier on the raw food diet but I had a hard time finding recipes for preparing meals. Especially since a lot of articles (on the internet) regarding a raw food diet for pets usually fall on the extreme of both sides of the debate – one side being that a raw diet is dangerous and kibble is the most nutritionally balanced and the other side stating that raw is better. Even among the pro side of the raw diet being best, there seems to be some contention as to what ingredients are better or what consists of a nutritionally balanced recipe.
“but the raw pet food business is fraught with substantial risk.” – There is a raw pet food business?! I buy my raw food from human supermarkets. I hope that human quality food is a lot less ‘risky’ than foods labelled: “PET FOOD ONLY”.
Tegan, you may be surprised but for example Safeway and Save on Food chicken is full of hormones and is inferior to that of the top quality pet food companies that make raw. I suggest to source locally and go with non-medicated free range meat if possible. Our pets are our family!
Is there really anything negative in and of itself about feeding a species appropriate diet? It seems counterintuitive. Humans are the only species on the planet that cooks their food and one only has to try a raw food diet themselves to see the amazing energy that proper food can provide. Isn’t that the reason to eat in the first place – to gain energy? Cooked food human or otherwise is devoid of enzymes and water-soluable vitamins and therefore is taxing to the body depleting much needed energy resources necessary to heal and to live vibrantly. It may be true that not all raw food companies are the same but it is just a matter of becoming more involved in your (pets) food and seeking out a company that adheres to good nutritional practices and cleanliness such as red dog – blue cat. They welcome everyone to their processing plant and that is the company I recommned to people who are not sure where to start. Look at the food, it is red like red meat is supposed to be and you can see the vegetables. It doesn’t smell when you open it…educate yourselves especially vets who think raw food is bad. But I understand why they say that and that is because they will get less business from a healthy well-fed happy animal. Sad but true.
Yay Doc Peter! I’ve been feeding raw prey diets for over 17 years now. I only see benefits, like fresher breath, cleaner teeth, no fleas, no itchies, no doggy odour, less ‘vet visits’ [oops, sorry, but you know what I mean ")], and more. Mother Nature always knows best, doesn’t she. It was my mentor, Mogens Eliasen, who started me on the road to raw, and it was my JRT who pushed me to start True Carnivores, the Raw Food Store for Cats and Dogs.