The Biggest Myths About Raw Food (And Why They're Mostly Nonsense) by Dr. Karen Becker

by Chelsea Kent December 28, 2020

In part 2 of a 3-part video series on raw food diets for pets, Dr. Becker defines optimal nutrition for dogs and cats and lists her nutritional goals for her patients.
Your pet’s overall health is heavily influenced by two factors -- genetics and environment. Environmental factors include diet, antioxidant intake, exposure to chemicals, and water and air quality. Your pet’s weight, sex, age, breed, prior illnesses and injuries, hormonal status and fitness level are also part of the equation.
Pet food recalls are on the rise, but did you know most of the recalls are because something was found (often salmonella bacteria) that could pose health risks to humans – not necessarily pets? And have you noticed the vast majority of recalls involve processed foods, not raw diets?
Fear of the presence of salmonella remains a big hurdle for pet owners considering raw diets, but the risk of handling raw meat for dogs and cats is no greater than the risk of handling raw meat for human consumption. The same safe handling precautions apply. And sterile raw foods are widely available.
Dr. Becker also puts to rest pet owner concerns about trichinosis, toxoplasmosis, salmon poisoning, GI parasites and unidentified pathogens in raw pet food.