Why talk to a veterinarian about your pet’s diet?

 To provide the best service to pet owners, veterinarians act in accordance with the recommendations of medical science. This means they are well positioned to advise people about the appropriate diet for their pets.

 The scientific community has expressed reservations about the benefits of a raw meat-based diet reported by advocates of this type of diet. It is important to check with your veterinarian if you plan to change your pet’s diet.

 Vets have extensive knowledge about animal nutrition. They can:

•  Assess the nutritional needs of a pet based on specific parameters such as stage of life, level of activity and specific medical conditions
• Inform the owner about all aspects of a particular diet, such as optimal nutritional balance, food industry standards, available options and food safety, and advise the owner about the appropriate diet for the specific needs of their pet

Your vet may express reservations about raw food. Current medical science data show that consuming a raw meat-based diet may cause:

• Deficiencies in vitamins, macro-minerals, amino acids and essential fatty acids
• Nutritional deficiencies that may lead to long-term complications such as chronic diarrhea, heart disease, pancreatitis, osteopenia and anemia
• Imbalance in intestinal flora
• Bacterial gastroenteritis
• Parasitism
• Gastrointestinal obstruction or perforation
• Tooth fractures

 

What should you consider when choosing your pet’s diet?

 It is important to remember that a raw meat-based diet:

•  Is made up of uncooked ingredients derived from domestic or wild animals, such as muscles, whole or ground bones, internal organs, unpasteurized milk and raw eggs
• May be commercial or homemade

One of the important things to consider in your choice is the wide variability in the composition and nutritional value of commercial or homemade raw meat-based foods. Furthermore, achieving optimal nutritional balance with a commercial or homemade raw meat-based diet is a serious challenge.

 

Are there risks for humans associated with raw food for pets?

Current medical science data show that a pet that eats a raw meat-based diet can excrete parasites and pathogenic bacteria in its stool such as:

•  E. Coli
• Neospora
• Toxoplasma
• Salmonella
• Campylobacter and
• Cryptosporidium spp.

 This means that the pet may become a source of contamination for other animals and humans, especially the young, the elderly or people who are immunocompromised.

 

The OMVQ’s position – Summary

Based on current medical science data, the Ordre des médecins vétérinaires du Québec would like to inform owners who are considering a raw meat-based diet for their pets that this choice involves potential risks for them, their family members and their pets. The benefits put forward by certain people do not outweigh the real risks for public health and pet health.

The OMVQ also recommends that pet owners choose – with the help of their veterinarian, who has the required knowledge about animal nutrition – a diet suited to the specific needs of their pet, taking all the above-mentioned points into consideration.

Please see our Frequently Asked Questions about Raw Meat-Based Diets for more information.

 

 Adopted February 9, 2021