Thistle
Well-Known Member
CAN A RAW MEAT-BASED DIET BE MIXED WITH KIBBLE?
Mark Roberts PhD
Feeding a dog, a raw meat based (RMB) diet, is viewed by some dog owners and veterinarians as being inappropriate for many supposed reasons. With this concern expressed, an additional level of worry is instigated when combining of a raw meat-based diet with kibble is suggested, but is this viewpoint warranted?
Having completed several studies involving dogs consuming different ratios of commercial dry diets and RMB’s, I observed no detectable differences in faecal score and blood work over several parameters. To be specific, I witnessed none of the gastrointestinal issues commonly reported relating when a mix of these diets are fed to dogs. Don’t get me wrong, I would rather see (as my research would suggest for other reasons) dogs being fed solely a RMB, however, if this is simply not possible, for reasons such as cost, convenience, perception etc., then a combination of the two is a better option than just feeding kibble. This is because if it’s possible to reduce the amount of dietary carbohydrate a dog consumes, and replace this with high quality protein and fat, then this is a compromise I’m willing to accept.
I have witnessed all too often a hardline approach to feeding a dog on both sides of the debate (kibble vs meat based). Moreover, having seen no major health concerns from feeding a combination of both, if someone is willing to try mixing the two, in my experience, more often than not, they will likely see the dog consume the meat product first, and in time will switch over to that format if they are in a position to do so. I guess what I'm saying is that a gentle nudge is better than a hard push.
Mark Roberts PhD
Feeding a dog, a raw meat based (RMB) diet, is viewed by some dog owners and veterinarians as being inappropriate for many supposed reasons. With this concern expressed, an additional level of worry is instigated when combining of a raw meat-based diet with kibble is suggested, but is this viewpoint warranted?
Having completed several studies involving dogs consuming different ratios of commercial dry diets and RMB’s, I observed no detectable differences in faecal score and blood work over several parameters. To be specific, I witnessed none of the gastrointestinal issues commonly reported relating when a mix of these diets are fed to dogs. Don’t get me wrong, I would rather see (as my research would suggest for other reasons) dogs being fed solely a RMB, however, if this is simply not possible, for reasons such as cost, convenience, perception etc., then a combination of the two is a better option than just feeding kibble. This is because if it’s possible to reduce the amount of dietary carbohydrate a dog consumes, and replace this with high quality protein and fat, then this is a compromise I’m willing to accept.
I have witnessed all too often a hardline approach to feeding a dog on both sides of the debate (kibble vs meat based). Moreover, having seen no major health concerns from feeding a combination of both, if someone is willing to try mixing the two, in my experience, more often than not, they will likely see the dog consume the meat product first, and in time will switch over to that format if they are in a position to do so. I guess what I'm saying is that a gentle nudge is better than a hard push.
