What have your vets said about raw diets for cats?

I've read good words on the raw diet.It sounds great, cats evolved to eat meat %26amp; you can be sure that they are get proper nutrition assuming you get a proper recipe.



My vet's against raw diets b/c of the risk for bacterial infection.I understand.I'm a medical student and even the human stomach's pH can go down to 1 during digestion, but raw foods are also risky for humans.



Assuming that I am careful with the source of the meat (I'm thinking of whole rabbit carcass cut into chewable pieces, much of the bacterial infection is from grinding meat and mixing meat from an infected animal with meat from other animals), storage, and get a proper recipe, is this ideal compared to highly respected cat food brands like Wellness?



What were the opinions your vets had?



What have you found helpful? Just like human medicine, vets are trained to use commerical products like meds and Rx foods. Little education is given about preventative nutrition. Have you had any useful reads on nutrition?What have your vets said about raw diets for cats?
Well, I haven't actually discussed with my vet about raw diets. But I am currently feeding my kitten a raw diet with supplements provided by Feline Future (so I don't have to worry about how much to put in).



I've decided to make a raw diet for my kitten after numerous vet visits and medicines which didn't help his irritable bowel disorder. He was given metronidazole, two times; was on Sulfa for 14 days. He was also given Clavamox for prevention of secondary infections when he had a URI. The vet recommended a prescription dry diet. The vet was frustrated because he could not find the answer to fixing the diarrhea problem.



When I switched him to a raw diet, immediately I saw changes to his stool. Now they are completely "normal", no more poopy paws.



I always buy whole chicken with its skin on. Come home and immediately proceed to making the food. I peel off the skin, wash the whole chicken in cold water, and then I dunk the whole chicken in boiling water for a few seconds. Then I proceed to cut off pieces of meat to grind myself. And then freeze it immediately.



I've tried to research in veternarian journals on raw diets, but it's very inconclusive since no controlled studies have been done recently. A lot of people rely o the research done by Pottenger, but that research was conducted years before studies have been done on specific nutrition for cats.What have your vets said about raw diets for cats?
I didn't discuss it with my last vet because I knew what they'd say.



I did discuss it briefly with one other vet I was test driving and they were ok with it, but I discussed it in great depth with my new vet. Not only are they obviously all for it, they sell some commercial raw in their office, there's not a bag of Science Diet or Iams to be seen, and she really got me back on the path. I had considered feeding raw, got confused and gave up. Thanks to her, Poppy is now eating raw 95% of the time and is doing very well.



I have so much info I don't even know where to start! I'm just going to link to a bunch of things that you'll find useful I hope. One is my blog on how to get started, and others are just general nutritional info. The Little Big Cat site has an article about the "dangers" of feeding raw that you should look at.
My vet is very concerned about the possible spread of salmonella to me or my children.



Other vets are terribly against it without having understanding of nutrtion.



A vet who advocates it is Dr Lisa Pierson and her website www.catinfo.org has a great recipe.



A raw diet can be very beneficial to your cat IF you feed a diet that is properly balanced. Unfortunately, not all commercial products are properly balanced, so you must educate yourself prior to buying.



Check out Dr Pierson's website, and also www.holisticat.com



And yes, skip Dr Pitcairn's book as it is not a good one to follow.What have your vets said about raw diets for cats?
I'm against raw diets - they cause excess risk and infection both bacterial and worms.

Sure cats evolved to eat meat, but wild cats also don't live very long. The reason that we're now seeing out pets live longer and longer is that we've learnt a lot about pet nutrition and have produced nutritionally balanced products to support out pets.

Saying that vets are trained to sell rubbish kibble (a comment above) is complete rubbish.

Feed proper pet food (from your vet or from the supermarket - most of us don't work on commission so gain no benefit from you buying veterinary diets!!!).

I feed my cat Hill Science Plan neutered cat and she is doing fabulously. I would never dream of giving any animal a raw meat diet.

I'm aware you're all going to give me thumbs down for this, but those are the facts!
I have fed my cats with organic chicken and organic turkey (ground) for eight years now and have had no "infection" problems.



Vets just will never "approve" of raw diets I think. They don't use it themselves and think cats do just fine on commercial food. With all the problems they see in their clinics daily you would think they might think it worth a try - especially with their own cats and dogs.



When my old cat (who lived to be 22+) went to a vet who does acupuncture and Chinese medicine she was delighted that Cameo ate the raw meat. Her former vet would never admit that the diet contributed to Cameo's vitality, her soft coat, bright eyes and feisty nature in spite of failing kidney function as the years went on.



So it's great your cats will chew on the bone as the ground meat usually means a cat will need a dental cleaning annually (mine usually do). My cats were older when I started and just won't "do" chunks.



I wouldn't waste my $$ on Pitcairn' book. He doesn't have proper recipes for cats and he is not a good homeopath either. Sandy Arora's book "Whole Health for Happy Cats" is great for the raw feeding and all manner of things "holistic" to help cats. Her book is extremely attractive, useful and available through Amazon for about $15.What have your vets said about raw diets for cats?
You are correct that vets have been trained to pick a brand of horrible kibble and recommend it. There are a lot of good books out there for raw feeding. Again, you are correct that the source has to be sound. The only real concern in salmonella etc.



Dr. Pitcairn has a pretty good book on natural healthcare for animals that contain recipes for a variety of diets and conditions that start with good meat sources. Not true raw feeding but a happy step up if you are not ready yet. Getting the balance right can be a bit dodgey at first.



Not sure if a holistic vet would be a good source of info or not. They certainly have better training in dietary needs than regular vets who get almost no training in diet.



Best of luck and good thinking.
I'm a raw feeder...and I'm a vet tech in vet school. The bacteria is a concern. I feed my cats a variety or raw meats...chicken wings, ground turkey, ground bison, ground chicken and ground venison. I also add ground kelp and bone meal along with fish oil capsules and flaxseed. They get taurine from the chicken bones and hearts...my guys don't like chicken hearts and gizzards though. I prepare everything in individual plastic baggies, then freeze it. I use a -40 degree freezer and freeze everything for a minimum of 2 days. That kills absolutely everything!!!



Cats are true carnivores. A raw diet keeps their body in an alkaline state. Diseases like cancer cannot live in an alkaline state. Male cats with an acidic diet also produce urinary crystals. The high carbohydrates in dry food also contribute to diabetes. Do your research though. It is very important to make sure your kitties are being fed a balanced diet. And do a slow switch. My guys really love the ground chicken and turkey (i use the 85/15 blend---the fat is good for them). I chopped the chicken wings in pieces with a meat cleaver to make it easier for them to eat. They didn't really get the bone thing and played with the wings in the beginning, but after time, they gnawed all the meat off them. Not all my guys will eat the bones, that's why I use supplements. And be aware, it is much more expensive than feeding commercial food, but so much better for them.