Sorry for my negativity about the BARF Diet and for this extremely long post, but you all are like my new family, and I might come across as being overprotective, but I really do care about all of you and your pets. I've practiced law, both on the offense and defense, in various types of legal matters for the past 13 years, and one of my specialties is medical malpractice. Everyone (including a doctor) can make a mistake ... and some can accept and admit it, but some have too much pride and refuse to do so ... which can also take years and lots of money to prove their mistakes to a judge and jury. I performed some database research on "Dr. Ian Billinghurst". He has been licensed to practice in Australia since 12/17/75, with an address in Bathurst. He's a veterinary surgeon (not a nutritionist), and graduated from a university in Sidney with a BVSc degree. I've also done some research on Tom Lonsdale, Kymythy Schultze and Richard Pitcairn.
Dr. Lonsdale claims that whole raw carcasses, raw meat bones, and
table scraps help prevent periodontal, liver and kidney diseases, skin problems and diarrhea in dogs, and that "dog food" isn't healthy. He was expelled from the Australian Veterinary Association based on his alleged "unorthodox views on canine diets" and his claims were determined to be "unfounded". Numerous complaints had been filed against him by vets and individuals with the New South Wales AVA Division. He quit practicing in 1992 after his expulsion. Dr. Lonsdale also wrote a book about his theories, which became a very political issue due to the reputation at stake of the vets and dog food manufacturers, and this was just one of the reasons why he was expelled by the AVA.
I feel that Dr. Lonsdale might actually have some valid theories, but no proof has been established. I also feel that since this became a scandalous issue, primarily among the Australian veterinarians, the AVA either wasn't willing to accept his theories, or he didn't have enough proof to show that his feeding method was more beneficial to canine health. Without the opportunity to see the actual proof and his studies myself, then I'm also doubtful of his claims.
As to Richard Pitcairn, who is more of a homeopathic type veterinarian, he recommends giving bones to dogs for the calcium content. He states that a large dog weighing around 100 lbs. requires about 10 times as much calcium as the average woman. I feel that his recommendations are more convincing, but he still provides no proof as to his theories and studies either.
Kymythy Schultze is a certified Clinical Nutritionist and a certified Animal Health Instructor, who appears to be more into the profitability portion of giving her theories and advice ... as she provides little information without purchasing her books. However, I have found some info., which basically states that she formed her theories about feeding requirements for dogs from a 10-year study on 900 cats which was conducted by Dr. Francis Pottenger, Jr.
Billinghurst, Lonsdale & Schultze all claim that grains can cause allergy, digestive and other problems. Still, without having seen their research and studies, those theories mean nothing to me.
I've read Dr. Billinghurst's "home method" of the BARF diet, and if all of the variations, supplements and other extensive feeding requirements are not strictly adhered to, then the program may actually harm your dog.
I personally do not approve of Dr. Billinghurst's BARF Diet program, but, again, that's just my opinion. Here's just a few of the many things that bother me about his recommendations:
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Are bones dangerous? Perhaps. |
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Perhaps? What kind of answer is that? Obviously, he cannot affirm that raw chicken, turkey, rabbit, ostrich, or any other bones are not dangerous to dogs. If he did state that they were completely safe, then he'd be subjecting himself to potential medical and/or professional malpractice liability, and could be sued for giving bad advice, as well as potentially having his license revoked by the New South Wales Veterinary Surgeons Board. And, keep in mind that all of this has already occurred. The website link provided in the other thread is apparently outdated.
Also, Dr. Pitcairn states,
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Bones can also contain toxic elements like arsenic, lead, mercury, & radioactive strontium. This is because these elements have contaminated our world, coming from the use of gasoline, agricultural products, nuclear reactions and so on. The contaminants are picked up by grazing animals (e.g., sheep, cattle) and deposited in their bones. This is why it is important that the bone meal source has been checked for these substances. It is often bone meal from other countries, less industrial, that can be used while bones from cattle in the US are often quite contaminated. This is one reason that you will find warnings on bone meal in garden supply centers, that it is not to be used in food. It is a little known fact that commercial pet foods use bones from US cattle & are often unacceptably high in lead. Very few veterinarians know this or consider this when treating ill animals yet excess lead can cause a myriad of serious problems including anemia, intestinal problems and disorders leading to death. |
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With that statement, it's a toss-up as to who or what to believe.
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If you ... have a dog that is missing teeth, who does not eat carefully, or has difficulty digesting whole bones, then it is recommended that the [raw meat bones] be ground. |
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That, I do agree with, except for the "raw" bones portion of it, of course. I just wanted to make sure that anyone who plans on using the BARF Diet method is aware of this suggestion by Dr. Billinghurst.
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"For optimal health your dog will definitely need extra vitamins." |
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Obviously, Dr. Billinghurst realizes that this BARF Diet does not provide all of the nutrition needed by a dog, which is already included in "dog food", according to the FDA. That's why I made the comment before that when given "people food", dogs lose the nutrients they need to live a healthy life. Also, "people food" not only doesn't provide all of the nutrients a dog needs, it can also deplete other nutrients that are supplied within the "dog food".
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Healthy Oils. The BARF diet requires that a health promoting oil be included as a source of omega3 and omega6 essential fatty acids. These oils are vital for your dog's health. What you will be looking for is flax oil or salmon oil. You will also need cod liver oil. When feeding these oils, appropriate antioxidants must also be used - such as vitamin E. |
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He doesn't tell you how the quantity or frequency of feeding these supplements to your dog. If it's a requirement to the BARF diet, then how are you to know how much of each, or how frequently, you should give it to your dog?
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A dog's immune system is designed to handle bacteria such as Salmonella, E.Coli and Campylobacter jejuni. If dogs are fed nothing but heat sterilized food, you are depriving them of the opportunity to develop an immune response to these and many other organisms. |
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Ms. Schultze states, "Bacteria is not a problem for a pet with a strong immune system, and a strong immune system is encouraged by eating species-appropriate raw food."
If that is true, then this leads me to believe that if your dog doesn't have a strong immune system, either by genetics or because you have been feeding it heat sterilized food, then its immune system may not be able to handle the raw meat and/or bones.
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Raw meaty chicken bones can be fed to all sizes, shapes and ages of dogs. |
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Umm, yah, right ... fed to puppies, NO. Also, he contradicts himself when he states that feeding cooked bones to dogs can prevent them from developing their immune system to fight off the bacteria and organisms from raw meat and bones.
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Handling raw foods for your dog requires the same care as your 'human' food does ... Keep raw meat separate from other foods; wash working surfaces, utensils and hands with hot soapy water after each feeding. |
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What if a child comes in contact with the potential deadly organisms left by the raw meat bones you fed your dog either on the dog and/or inside or outside of your home (within the carpeting, flooring, patio, etc.)? As every dog owner knows, dogs tend to hold the bones between their front paws and any surface available to them, depending on where they decide to eat them. Children are much more susceptible to those contaminants. A child who touches the dog's contaminated paws, the carpeting within your home, the patio, etc. could be at risk for infection, which can be deadly. Sorry, but it's just frightening to me to even think about.
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How to make the switch? Some owners just go 'cold turkey' and never look back. Some dog's may have a looser stool for a day or so ... others are so excited about eating now they will follow you around begging for more. |
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A "looser stool"? Yah, more like diarrhea for most dogs, which can be very painful, as we humans already know.
And "others are excited about eating now they will follow you around begging for more". Yah, follow you around and beg. That's so annoying. And, they may start begging constantly during every meal you eat ... including when you have guests at your home ... very embarrassing. Also, some dogs eventually won't eat their "dog food" anymore, cuz they know they're getting "people food" later on. This causes even more nutrition deficit problems.
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Dairy foods are not required by the dog. |
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Then why is he recommending it? Eggs cause most dogs (and even humans) to develop gastrointestinal problems, which, as we know, can be very painful ... ummm, and unpleasant to the nose.
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Eggs are a cheap source of top quality protein, vitamin A, minerals - and if free range they also contain good amounts of fatty acids. The entire egg - shell and all is fed. |
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Feed your dog the egg shell also? A third of humans over age 50 in the U.S. have diverticulosis, which is a condition involving tiny weak pockets within the wall of the large intestine. Popcorn shells can get stuck in the tiny pockets, causing diverticulitis, which results in inflammation, infection, bleeding, fever, pain and tenderness in the abdomen. Since humans aren't known to eat egg shells, there are no studies available regarding their effects on 50+ aged humans. However, I don't see why egg shells wouldn't affect an older dog's intestines in the same manner as popcorn shells do in a older humans. I could be wrong about that, but I certainly wouldn't chance it with my adult dogs.
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When dogs are switched to bones and raw food, health problems either improve or disappear. |
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I'd love to see his proven scientific studies on that. The link to his "Raw Diet Study" is not currently operational, so I cannot view his comments on that topic.
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An optional requirement - Grain? The short and simple answer is that grains did NOT figure as part of our dogs [or cats] evolutionary diet. On that basis, grain is not biologically appropriate for our pets. The only way grains may be used in the diet is when they are freshly sprouted and then processed along with the other vegetable matter. |
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Ummm, yeah ... I'd love to see his research on that also.
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In the mornings our dogs get the following: Beef/organ meat/bone dust (4-5 times a week) - 1 - 1.5 lbs per dog; Ground Chicken or Turkey (1-2 times a week) - 1 - 1.5 lbs per dog; Fish (1-2 times a week) - 2 tins of sardines or salmon, or fresh; Homemade all natural yoghurt - 3 tablespoons; Apple cider vinegar - 3/4 tablespoon; Free range eggs (boiled - not raw - 2 times a week); Ultra Kelp - 1 tablespoon per day (mixed with our own 'private recipe'); Vitamin C (powdered) - 1000 mg 2x day; Vitamin E - 400 ui (2-3 times a week); Flaxseed Oil or fresh ground flaxseed- 1 capsule squeezed into food or 1 ground tablespoon; Salmon Body Oil or Shark Oil - 1 capsule squeezed into food; Zinc - 50 mg (2 - 3 times a week); MSM - 500 mg; Glucosamine - 500 mg; Veggie/Fruit Mix (please see below) (1/2 - 3/4 cup). |
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Geez, I wonder how much time he spends measuring all of that and mixing it up ... or whether he REALLY does feed his dogs all of those ingredients. Look at the vitamin supplements he's giving his dogs ... just shows that he realizes that his BARF Diet requires a lot of additional nutrients. "Dog food" already has the nutrients a dog needs, according to the FDA, who approved the store-bought "dog food" before it was even placed on the market for sale. However, if anyone can show proof and studies of the "natural diet" suggested by these few other individuals, which negates the FDA's approval method, then I'm all for it, and would help to fight for the FDA and various medical boards' approval throughout the entire world. And, I'd even put my dogs on this diet if I knew for a fact that it would help them to live longer and healthier lives.
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VEGGIE MIXTURE: ... [from] alfalfa sprouts [to] yams |
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I've had numerous dogs, and none of them would eat vegetables. If your dogs don't like them either, then they are losing necessary nutrition, which must be supplemented if you use the BARF Diet. Also, Dr. Billinghurst states that "the use of vegetables must be stressed as their omission in the diet may contribute to ill health. Vegetables should form 15 - 25% of the overall diet", "an all meat diet has the potential for disaster" and "grain is not biologically appropriate for our pets" (ruling out
dry dog food ... ummm, I totally disagree with that last quote).
Also, Dr. Pitcairn states that, "Bones contain both calcium and phosphorus, with more calcium in them than phosphorus. We also know that animals need to have a balance of calcium to phosphorus in the ratio of 2:1, e.g., twice as much calcium as phosphorus. What this means is that to come out with enough extra calcium from bones, you have to use a lot more total minerals to cancel out the extra phosphorus. It turns out that the phosphorus in the bone meal makes the requirement for calcium even higher. This would not be a problem in the natural state but when we are feeding grains and vegetables, the balance of these minerals has to be adjusted accordingly and we get into these issues. A vegetable source of calcium therefore has the advantage of providing just calcium without the unwanted phosphorus."
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Lots of people watch their dog deteriorate on commercial foods simply because they either don't know what else to feed, how to feed it or that they do need to feed something better in order to obtain or maintain optimal health. |
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Deteriorate? Again, I'd love to see the proof.
Another concern I have is that feeding the poultry skin and other fats to a dog may cause weight gain and possibly obesity. Dr. Billinghurst doesn't provide any info. on this topic.
I'm considering writing Dr. Billinghurst and asking him about my concerns, as well as Ms. Schultze and Dr. Lonsdale. I have their contact info. ... maybe I will do that and post my inquiry and their responses here, if any, for everyone else to read. Sorry if I'm being overprotective ... I just care about all of you and your pets.
