Raw diets for dogs and cats: Potential health benefits and threats
Author:
Główny D.1, Sowińska N.23, Cieślak A.4, Gogulski M.35, Konieczny K.1, Szumacher-Strabel M.4
Affiliation:
1. Poznan University of Life Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Department of Internal Diseases and Diagnostics, Poznan, Poland 2. Poznan University of Life Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Department of Genetics and Animal Breeding, Wołynska 33, 60-637 Poznan, Poland 3. Poznan University of Life Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University Centre of Veterinary Medicine, Poznan, Poland 4. Poznan University of Life Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Department of Animal Nutrition, Wołynska 33, 60-637 Poznan, Poland 5. Poznan University of Life Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Department of Preclinical Sciences and Infectious Diseases, Poznan, Poland
Abstract
Raw meat-based diets for pet nutrition are becoming increasingly popular. The percentage of meat content, composition of nutrients, and amount of additives started to play an important role in the recipe of a given food. However, the use of healthier and unprocessed food must also be balanced with the animal’s specific needs based on its anatomy, physiology, and behavior. There are many potential advantages and disadvantages of a biologically appropriate raw food (BARF) diet, and all of them should be considered before switching to this approach. Raw meat is considered a diet closest to nature and least processed. However, raw diets threaten pet health because of the potential for nutrient imbalances. The choice of raw meat in pets’ everyday diet should be supported by the veterinarian’s medical decision and preferably also with nutritionist help. Growing animals require a specific Ca:P ratio in their diet, which may be improper in raw meat. For cats, taurine levels must be carefully checked. In addition, an imbalanced raw-meat diet can be the cause of poor semen quality in males. Females are prone to inhibition of the estrus cycle, especially due to hyperthyroidism. Exogenous thyroid hormone intake is a real concern when feeding a neck/head meat with thyroid glands. There is also a possibility of bacterial or parasitic presence in raw meat. The present paper aims to summarize the current state of knowledge about the benefits and threats of eating a raw meat diet for the health concerns of companion animals.
Publisher
Polish Academy of Sciences Chancellery
Reference2 articles.
1. 1. Ahsan U, Kamran Z, Raza I, Ahmad S, Babar W, Riaz MH, Iqbal Z (2014) Role of selenium in male reproduction - a review. Anim Re-prod Sci 146: 55-62. 2. Alessandri G, Milani C, Mancabelli L, Mangifesta M, Lugli GA, Viappiani A, Duranti S, Turroni F, Ossiprandi MC, van Sinderen D, Ventura M (2019) Metagenomic dissection of the canine gut microbiota: insights into taxonomic, metabolic and nutritional features. En-viron Microbiol 21: 1331-1343. 3. Anderson RC, Armstrong KM, Young W, Maclean P, Thomas DG, Bermingham EN (2018) Effect of kibble and raw meat diets on pe-ripheral blood mononuclear cell gene expression profile in dogs. Vet J 234: 7-10. 4. Axelsson E, Ratnakumar A, Arendt ML, Maqbool K, Webster MT, Perloski M, Liberg O, Arnemo JM, Hedhammar Å, Lindblad-Toh K (2013) The genomic signature of dog domestication reveals adaptation to a starch-rich diet. Nature 495: 360-364. 5. Bilezikian JP, Bandeira L, Khan A, Cusano NE (2018) Hyperparathyroidism. Lancet 391: 168-178. 6. Brozić D, Mikulec Ž, Samardžija M, Đuričić D, Valpotić H (2020) Raw meat-based diet (BARF) in dogs and cats nutrition. Vet J Rep Srp 19: 314-321. 7. Buff PR, Carter RA, Bauer JE, Kersey JH (2014) Natural pet food: a review of natural diets and their impact on canine and feline physi-ology. J Anim Sci 92: 3781-3791. 8. Cornelissen S, De Roover K, Paepe D, Hesta M, Van Der Meulen E, Daminet S (2014) Dietary hyperthyroidism in a rottweiler. Vlaams Diergeneeskundig Tijdschrift 83: 306-311. 9. Crissey SD, Swanson JA, Lintzenich BA, Brewer BA, Slifka KA (1997) Use of a raw meat-based diet or a dry kibble diet for sand cats (Felis margarita). J Anim Sci 75: 2154-2160. 10. Damodaran S (1996) Amino acids, peptides and proteins. In: Fennema RO (ed) Food Chemistry, 3rd ed., CRC Press, New York, pp 321-416 . 11. Davies RH, Lawes JR, Wales AD (2019) Raw diets for dogs and cats: a review, with particular reference to microbiological hazards. J Small Anim Pract 60: 329-339. 12. Dillitzer N, Becker N, Kienzle E (2011) Intake of minerals, trace elements and vitamins in bone and raw food rations in adult dogs. Br J Nutr 106 (Suppl 1): S53-56. 13. Di Cerbo A, Morales-Medina JC, Palmieri B, Pezzuto F, Cocco R, Flores G, Iannitti T (2017) Functional foods in pet nutrition: focus on dogs and cats. Res Vet Sci 112: 161-166. 14. Domosławska A, Zdunczyk S, Franczyk M, Kankofer M, Janowski T (2018) Selenium and vitamin E supplementation enhances the an-tioxidant status of spermatozoa and improves semen quality in male dogs with lowered fertility. Andrologia 50: e13023. 15. Domosławska A, Zduńczyk S, Nizański W, Jurczak A, Janowski T (2015) Effect of selenium and vitamin E supplementation on semen quality in dogs with lowered fertility. Bull Vet Inst Pulawy 59: 85-90. 16. Dyachenko V, Pantchev N, Gawlowska S, Vrhovec MG, Bauer C (2008) Echinococcus multilocularis infections in domestic dogs and cats from Germany and other European countries. Vet Parasitol 157: 244-253. 17. Empert-Gallegos A, Hill S, Yam PS (2020) Insights into dog owner perspectives on risks, benefits, and nutritional value of raw diets compared to commercial cooked diets. PeerJ 8: e10383. 18. Fleischer S, Sharkey M, Mealey K, Ostrander EA, Martinez M (2008) Pharmacogenetic and metabolic differences between dog breeds: their impact on canine medicine and the use of the dog as a preclinical animal model. AAPS J 10: 110-119. 19. Frantz LA, Bradley DG, Larson G, Orlando L (2020) Animal domestication in the era of ancient genomics. Nat Rev Gene 21: 449-460. 20. Freeman LM, Chandler ML, Hamper BA, Weeth LP (2013) Current knowledge about the risks and benefits of raw meat-based diets for dogs and cats. J Am Vet Med Assoc 243: 1549-1558. 21. Hamper BA (2014) Raw meat-based diets: current evidence regarding benefits and risks. In: Purina Companion Animal Nutrition Sum-mit: Nutrition for Life, Austin, pp 99-107. 22. Hielm-Björkman A, Virtanen J (2013) Exploratory study: 632 shared experiences from dog owners changing their dogs' food to a raw food (barf) diet. Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Equine and Small Animal Medicine, University of Helsinki, Finland 206: 2-3. 23. Howard J, Allen ME (2008) Nutritional factors affecting semen quality in felids. In: Fowler ME, Miller RE (eds) Zoo and Wild Animal Medicine: Current Therapy VI. Saunders, Elsevier Science, pp 272-283. 24. Huang HF, Dyrenfurth I, Hembree WC (1983) Endocrine changes associated with germ cell loss during vitamin A-induced recovery of spermatogenesis. Endocrinology 112: 1163-1171. 25. Johnston SD (1991) Clinical approach to infertility in bitches with primary anestrus. Vet Clin North Am Small Anim Pract 21: 421-425. 26. Kawaguchi K, Braga I, Takahashi A, Ochiai K, Itakura C (1993) Nutritional secondary hyperparathyroidism occurring in a strain of German shepherd puppies. Jpn J Vet Res 41: 89-96. 27. Kawakami E, Kobayashi M, Hori T, Kaneda T (2016) Therapeutic effects of vitamin E supplementation in 4 dogs with poor semen qual-ity and low superoxide dismutase activity in seminal plasma. J Vet Med Sci 77: 1711-1714. 28. Kerr KR, Beloshapka AN, Morris CL, Parsons CM, Burke SL, Utterback PL, Swanson KS (2013) Evaluation of four raw meat diets using domestic cats, captive exotic felids, and cecectomized roosters. J Anim Sci 91: 225-237. 29. Kienzle E (1993) Carbohydrate metabolism of the cat 1. Activity of amylase in the gastrointestinal tract of the cat. J Anim Physiol Animal Nutr 69: 91-101 30. Knize MG, Salmon CP, Felton JS (2003) Mutagenic activity and heterocyclic amine carcinogens in commercial pet foods. Mutat Res 539: 195-201. 31. Köhler B, Stengel C, Neiger-Casas R (2012). Dietary hyperthyroidism in dogs. J Small Anim Pract 53: 182-184. 32. Lawler DF, Bebiak DM (1986) Nutrition and management of reproduction in the cat. Vet Clin North Am Small Anim Pract 16: 495-519. 33. Lejeune JT, Hancock DD (2001) Public health concerns associated with feeding raw meat diets to dogs. J Am Vet Assoc 219: 1222-1225. 34. Loughrill E, Wray D, Christides T, Zand N (2017) Calcium to phosphorus ratio, essential elements and vitamin D content of infant foods in the UK: possible implications for bone health. Matern Child Nutr 13: e12368. 35. Morelli G, Bastianello S, Catellani P, Ricci R (2019) Raw meat-based diets for dogs: survey of owners' motivations, attitudes and prac-tices. BMC Vet Res 15: 74. 36. Morris JG (2002) Idiosyncratic nutrient requirements of cats appear to be diet-induced evolutionary adaptations. Nutr Res Rev 15: 153-168. 37. Oba PM, Utterback PL, Parsons CM, Templeman JR, Swanson KS (2023) Standardized amino acid digestibility and nitrogen-corrected true metabolizable energy of frozen and freeze-dried raw dog foods using precision-fed cecectomized and conventional rooster assays. J Anim Sci 101: skad311. 38. Oswald H, Sharkey M, Pade D, Martinez MN (2015) Canine gastrointestinal physiology: breeds variations that can influence drug ab-sorption. Eur J Pharm Biopharm 97: 192-203. 39. Overgaauw PA (2020) Parasite risks from raw meat-based diets for companion animals. Comp Anim 25: 261-267. 40. Owens TJ, Fascetti AJ, Calvert CC, Larsen JA (2021) Rabbit carcasses for use in feline diets: amino acid concentrations in fresh and frozen carcasses with and without gastrointestinal tracts. Front Vet Sci 7: 592753. 41. Rampelli S, Turroni S, Debandi F, Alberdi A, Schnorr SL, Hofman CA, Taddia A, Helg R, Biagi E, Brigidi P, D'Amico F, Cattani M, Candela M (2021) The gut microbiome buffers dietary adaptation in bronze age domesticated dogs. iScience 24: 102816. 42. Schuller-Levis G, Mehta PD, Rudelli R Sturman J (1990) immunologic consequences of taurine deficiency in cats. J Leukoc Biol 47: 321-331. 43. Sontas HB, Schwendenwein I, Schäfer-Somi S (2014) Primary anestrus due to dietary hyperthyroidism in a miniature pinscher bitch. Can Vet J 55: 6-7. 44. Spitze AR, Wong DL, Rogers QR, Fascetti AJ (2003) Taurine concentrations in animal feed ingredients 2. cooking influences taurine con-tent. J Anim Physiol Anim Nutr 87: 7-8. 45. Strohmeyer RA, Morley PS, Hyatt DR, Dargatz DA, Scorza AV, Lappin MR (2006). Evaluation of bacterial and protozoal contamina-tion of commercially available raw meat diets for dogs. J Am Vet Med Assoc 228: 537-542. 46. Sturman JA, Moretz RC, French JH, Wisniewski HM (1985) Taurine deficiency in the developing cat: persistence of the cerebellar ex-ternal granule cell layer. J Neurosci Res 13: 405-416. 47. Sugimura T, Wakabayashi K, Nakagama H, Nagao M (2004) Heterocyclic amines: mutagens/carcinogens produced during cooking of meet and fish. Cancer Sci 95: 290-299. 48. van Bree FP, Bokken GC, Mineur R, Franssen F, Opsteegh M, van der Giessen JW, Lipman LJ, Overgaauw PA (2018) Zoonotic bacte-ria and parasites found in raw meat-based diets for cats and dogs. Vet Rec 182: 50. 49. Verbrugghe A, Bakovic M (2013) Peculiarities of one-carbon metabolism in the strict carnivorous cat and the role in feline hepatic lipid-osis. Nutrients 5: 2811-2835. 50. Verbrugghe A, Hesta M (2017) Cats and carbohydrates: the carnivore fantasy? Vet Sci 4: 4: 55. 51. Westermarck E (1987) Treatment of pancreatic degenerative atrophy with raw pancreas homogenate and various enzyme preparations. Zentralb Veterinarmed A 34: 728-73
|
|