Dogs used for work or sport, such as sled dogs and greyhounds, have been eating raw diets for many years. Ian Billinghurst, an Australian veterinarian, popularized the idea in 1993 with his book Give Your Dog a Bone, introducing raw diets into the main stream pet industry (Lee, 2012). Since 1993, many owners have switched to BARF diets containing muscle and organ meat, bones, eggs, vegetables, fruit, and dairy, which tout benefits such as healthier skin and coats, cleaner teeth, higher energy levels, less digestive upset, and small firm stools (Lee, …show more content…
Pets with a compromised immune system, kidney or liver issues, and puppies are not suited to raw diets, as they can be harmful to the pet (Lee, 2012). Pets with compromised immune systems may be unable to respond to an opportunistic pathogen. Raw diets contain a fair share of meat, which is high in protein. While some owners may see this as a benefit, dogs with impaired kidney or liver function will not be able to process the protein after it is degraded into urea. Puppies, especially large breed dogs, are very sensitive to calcium and energy levels in the food. Growing to quickly or having a calcium deficiency can cause bone abnormalities and problem such as hip dysplasia when the dog