Why I stopped feeding raw

As we trembled and took the last piece of raw meat out of the dog's food bowl, watching it sniff the empty bowl with its wet nose in confusion, only experienced owners understood the mixed feelings of reluctance and pain. This decision is not a betrayal of the concept of "natural feeding", but a life warning exchanged with blood and tears. The craze for raw food feeding once convinced us that it was the best love for dogs, until reality tore apart beautiful fantasies with cruel lessons - those bright red chunks of meat contained demons that could destroy lives.

The raw meat on supermarket shelves may be a breeding ground for Salmonella and Escherichia coli. According to testing by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), 23% of commercially available raw meat contains Salmonella and 15% carries Campylobacter. These pathogens not only threaten the health of dogs, but may also contaminate the home environment through feces. I have rescued three dogs infected with raw food in the emergency room in a row: a golden haired puppy suffered from multiple organ failure due to sepsis, and the treatment cost was as high as 30000 yuan; The owner of a Schnauzer was infected with Listeria monocytogenes through contact with the excrement of a sick dog, resulting in a miscarriage. Behind these cases are countless families with broken medical bills and lingering psychological shadows.

The nutrition that dogs need is far beyond what raw meat can meet. Raw beef lacks vitamin C, chicken meat has a severe imbalance in calcium phosphorus ratio (1:5 vs ideal 1:1), and pork may carry Toxoplasma gondii. I once conducted a physical examination for a German shepherd who had been eating raw food for a long time, and found that his blood calcium concentration was only 60% of the normal value, causing bone deformities. Canine nutritionists point out that feeding raw food requires precise calculation of over 20 nutrients, which is almost impossible for ordinary owners to achieve. What is even more worrying is that parasites (such as tapeworms) in raw meat may breed in dogs. I once extracted a 3-meter-long tapeworm from a stray dog's body.

When we view raw meat as a gift of returning to nature, we overlook the physiological evolution of modern domestic dogs. After thousands of years of domestication, their gut microbiota has adapted to cooked food, and forcibly feeding raw meat may cause severe diarrhea. I once treated a poodle with intestinal mucosal detachment caused by raw food. It had rectal bleeding for three consecutive days and a 20% drop in weight. What is even more heartbreaking is that some owners, in pursuit of "wildness", deliberately let their dogs bite their flesh and bones, resulting in broken teeth and jawbones. These behaviors are marketed as' natural ', but in reality, they are a disregard for life.

23 countries around the world have legislated to restrict raw food feeding. In 2023, a veterinarian in the UK was found guilty of "negligent infection" for recommending raw food to clients and was required to pay £ 25000 in compensation. Although there is no clear law in our country, many animal protection organizations have called for the regulation of raw food. I once represented a lawsuit case where the owner caused a neighbor's child to be infected with Salmonella by feeding raw meat, and ultimately paid a compensation of 500000 yuan. These cases warn us that feeding raw food is not only a personal choice, but may also lead to legal liability.

Commercial fresh grains (such as The Farmer's Dog) and freeze-dried rehydration grains (such as Stella&Chewy's) provide safer options. These products have undergone irradiation sterilization and scientific nutritional ratios. I once replaced fresh food for a sausage dog suffering from pancreatitis, and after three months, its blood lipid levels returned to normal. For hosts who adhere to the "natural" concept, cooked chicken breast and salmon paired with nutritional supplements can preserve flavor while killing pathogens.

When we put warm cooked meat into the bowl with trembling hands and watch the dog happily wag its tail to eat, the sense of comfort far exceeds the previous "superiority of raw food". I once witnessed an owner making a nutritious and balanced cooked meat meal for their dog after it fell critically ill due to raw food, and recording the dog's bowel movements and mental state every day. After three months, the dog not only recovered its health, but also had brighter hair than before. In this process, what we learn is not only a change in feeding methods, but also a reverence and respect for life.

Stopping raw feeding is not a debt to the dog, but a way to make up for the delayed protection with rationality and science. Those once bright red chunks of meat will eventually turn into a deeper understanding of life - true love is not about taking risks in the name of "nature", but about building a healthy defense line with knowledge and responsibility. May every dog grow strong in a safe diet, and may every feeding carry a sense of reverence and appreciation for life. After all, what they have exchanged for a lifetime of companionship is worth responding to with the most rigorous attitude.