Rethinking the way we feed our pets.
Our pets face two major problems at the present time. Obesity and dental disease. According to the statistics, 80% of pets over the age of three have dental disorders requiring veterinary intervention and as many as one in three pets are overweight. It is safe to say that the vast majority of these pets are fed commercially prepared pet food. Obesity and dental health are both diet related problems and so it must be time to rethink the way we feed our pets. We are obviously doing something wrong.
A nutritious and balanced diet leads to good health. So, is that “complete and balanced diet” you are feeding your pet appropriate to the species? Dogs and cats are carnivores. The have carnassial teeth for ripping and tearing at flesh, they have little movement in their jaw, so they are not suited to grinding up plant material. They have very acidic stomachs and no area in the gut to ferment plant material. Carnivores need high protein, very low carbohydrate diets with moderate amounts of fat. Ideally they need to eat whole carcasses of prey animals. 
This suggestion is not to the liking of many pet owners but is achievable. For cats think chicken necks, chicken wings, rabbit legs and saddles, whole fish and you are getting the idea (and your cat is smiling). Dogs need bigger chunks of raw meaty bones that they can chew and tear. Think of whole chickens, whole rabbits, whole fish, lamb flaps and big chunks of venison bone.
For a full discussion of raw feeding your pet see www.rawmeatybones.com, a site set up by Tom Lonsdale, the Australian vet who has pioneered the rethinking of our carnivorous pets diets.
In the history of companion animals, the move to commercially processed food is relatively recent. Driven by the convenience factor and now a highly competitive market worth millions. But logically, is it really possible to take raw food, heat it to high temperatures, add ingredients which are not a normal part of a carnivorous diet, add back in the nutrients that are lost during processing, press it into amusing shapes and have the equivalent of a natural diet? Become an informed consumer and decide for yourself what is best.
By recommending species appropriate diets we have many animals in our practice with beautifully clean teeth and amazing waistlines. Their owners have taken up the challenge and sourced locally produced natural foods (with a great knock on effect on the environment).
Obviously as a practice we have a duty to the few to ensure that they do not choke in dramatic circumstances. We advise feeding the meat and bone ration in one large piece requiring much ripping and tearing. Never feed cooked bones as they are brittle and can splinter and lead to gut problems and constipation . Never microwave raw bones to defrost them as they can quickly cook on the inside. And obviously take your usual precautions when handling raw meat in your kitchen.
With obesity leading to diabetes and lower life expectancy and dental disease having serious consequences on overall health, our duty as veterinarians is to the many pets we see, to ensure that they are fed appropriately and do not slide into protracted debilitating dietary induced illness.