Today was a new low in official advice-giving. We don't understand the true motivation behind this, but we have our suspicions. We do know that vets become vets because they care deeply about animals, but we do not agree with their sweeping generalization against raw food for pets because it might harm humans. Really?
We have been feeding raw to our dogs for years, and we live on to blog about it.
Today the AVMA (American Veterinary Medical Association) recommended that we NOT feed raw food to our pets. Yes, you read that correctly... They are saying to NOT feed animals their natural preference, the food that keeps their immune system strong, that helps prevent skin problems, yeast infections, tooth decay and other imbalances that can lead to disease.
Apparently the vets are mainly concerned about the potential for salmonella passing from the raw food to the humans in the family. What worries this blogger is that I expect any day now to read that raw chicken will no longer be offered in supermarkets because of the danger to small children and the elderly.
And eggs! No more chocolate chip cookie batter licked from the spoon? Fine. Well, we are grown-ups here, and we understand the risks about salmonella, and we deal with them safely most days of our lives. Why is dog food any different?
Thank you, AVMA, for your concern. We do appreciate the warning, and we will take appropriate precautions. But in your consideration for this announcement, did you consider the manufacturers of raw food for pets? Did you consider the impact on their sales?
We believe there could have been a much better way to express concerns than a press release of scare tactics that favor the manufacturers of kibble and canned over raw. Why not come out with a resolution that acknowledges the many documented health benefits of raw food for dogs and cats over canned and kibbled, and add the caveat that humans must exercise the same precautions with this raw food as they do when deboning a chicken?
It's an unfortunate state of affairs when media hype sets the mood of a nation, and even the world. When one can instill FEAR, PANIC, DREAD instead of reasonable caution, awareness, and education, one gets more attention. In fact, I'm giving this plenty of attention right now.
So let's relax and not let associations, media hype, the government, or broadcast news form our opinions for us. This is one of those cases where you are already doing the right thing by feeding raw and being clean about it, so consider the recommendation, and move on.
And while you're moving on... visit
www.darwinspet.com to see how a great organic raw food company operates.
Woofs and wags to all!
