Oh dear - question in this month's YD

No, no. Out of 6 replies in this issue, he mentions chicken in two of them. Three of the questions weren't about something that you'd give treats for really, so out of 3 answers, chicken is a solution in two lol.

Don't you know that chicken is the answer to all the world's problems?!

Mr Burns advice no matter what the dog, the problem or the question is this - 

Ideal diet = low protein, low fat, high carbs (ideally rice and maize.) 

He always emphasises the importance of hypoallergenic diets because all of his diets are of course, which naturally makes them 'highly digestible' - which is a complete misnomer because they're only 'hypoallergenic' if your dog happens not to be intolerant/ allergic to any of the ingredients! And regarding chicken which was mentioned earlier....chicken is one of the most common allergens dogs suffer from!

Protein is bad (apparently even for an obligate carnivore because his cat food contains no more than 40% meat) - it causes excess waste in the body which is basically linked to every acute, chronic and inflammatory condition possible.

Dogs should be fed as little as possible - even if they are skinny/weak/emaciated - to ensure firm stools.  


Here is his statement for why he is against raw food diets on his Veterinary Health and Nutrition Handbook on his website -

RAW FOOD DIETS

The BARF (“Bones and Raw Food” or “Biologically Appropriate Raw Food”) diet is a system

of holistic nutrition which is championed by Dr Ian Billinghurst who is an Australian vet.

Dr. Billinghurst has published several books on health and nutrition. The best known of

these is called “Give Your Dog a Bone”. The BARF Evolutionary philosophy is at first glance

an attractive one; it seems to be truly natural because it tries to emulate the lifestyle of

the dog in the wild.

But, after due consideration I am of the opinion that the BARF theory, like the emperor’s

new clothes, does not stand up to critical inspection.

The BARF or “Evolutionary” Diet is based on the principle that domestic dogs should be

fed on a diet which replicates as closely as possible the diet of the wild dog. According

to Dr Billinghurst domestic dogs have been fed on processed (cooked) foods for only

approximately 70 years and this is not a long enough time to adapt to cooked foods.

To replicate the diet of the wild dog he recommends that all carbohydrate should be

avoided and pet dogs and cats should be fed on a diet based on raw meaty bones and

raw vegetables . Dr Billinghurst insists that because of this evolutionary history the BARF

DIET is the ONLY correct way to feed the modern domestic pet dog.

The problem with the evolutionary argument is that domestic dogs bear little relationship

to the original wild dog. Very early in their association it is likely that man selected and bred

those animals which suited his purpose e.g. guarding, hunting, more docile, less independent

– even better suited to the food provided by man.

There are practical reasons why the diet of the wild dog is not automatically suitable for the

domestic dog. The modern dog and its lifestyle bear no similarity whatever to the wild dog.

We provide shelter in heated houses, they do not have to forage or compete for food, they

eat every day, and they have little exercise compared to a wild dog.

Many dogs have dietary sensitivity which means that they need a highly digestible diet, low

in protein and low in fat. I can’t see how that could be achieved with a BARF diet.

Modern farm livestock is reared in such a way that the fat content, even in “lean” meat is

very high. So a diet high in meat will inevitably be high in fat too.

The Carbohydrate Question...

According to Dr Billinghurst dogs cannot digest carbohydrate. In reality, the dog has

very sophisticated, sensitive and efficient mechanisms for breaking down carbohydrate

and ensuring its absorption. This could not have evolved if carbohydrate was detrimental.
But, according to BARF, carbohydrate causes so many health problems e.g. inflammatory

disease such as pancreatitis. While it is true that low-quality or refined carbohydrate

may be undesirable, my experience is that I have had excellent results in treating and

preventing inflammatory disease using both home cooked and commercial diets which

are based on whole grains i.e. high in carbohydrate.

On a simple level what vet has not recommended chicken and rice to treat gastrointestinal

disease?

There are other major flaws with the BARF philosophy. One which flies in the face of

the facts is the assertion that raw food is more digestible and that cooking destroys

that digestibility. Simple common sense and experience tell us that cooking actually

increases digestibility. Increasing the digestibility of the food is an important way of

treating bowel disease and problems of malabsorption. Cooking does this.

I suspect that any success claimed for the Raw Food system is due to a much more

mundane explanation than its grandiose but erroneous philosophy. This is that any

benefits are due to the avoidance of ingredients which cause dietary intolerance.

My main criticism of the BARF philosophy is its self-righteousness. BARFism puts forward

a flawed theory with a certainty which bears comparison to religious fundamentalism;

it brooks no dissent. It advocates a system which is impractical and does not fit well

into the lifestyle of present society, denying the possibility of alternatives, thereby

condemning those pet owners, the majority, to feelings of inadequacy for failure to

follow its teachings.

The BARF/Raw diet is self-righteous?! Has he heard himself?!

I don't know if anyone else gets the YD email newsletter? If not, this question and answer popped up in the one I received today.

www.yourdog.co.uk/Dog-Health-and-Care/which-diet-should-i-choose-for-my-dog.html

Mr Burns' answer seems a little different to the one that appeared in the magazine in that he's not actively putting raw diets down but rather acknowledging that the veterinary profession tends not to like them! 

Would be interested if he actually responds caz2golden, let us know if you get anything back!