Computer‐aided ration calculation (Diet Check Munich^©) versus blood profile in raw fed privately owned dogs

Abstract

Many dog owners create nutritionally imbalanced raw meat‐based diets (RMBD) with information from the Internet and pseudo‐scientific books, some even use pre‐prepared frozen raw feed from online shops, local butchers or other providers. The risk of nutritional imbalances is therefore present. Blood profiles for dogs fed RMBD are promoted by laboratories as a simple tool for the owner to check the nutritional supply situation. Veterinarian nutrition specialists seem to be consulted less frequently and, in most cases, when blood analyses show deviations from reference ranges. The aim of the present study was to evaluate whether a RMBD blood profile reflects possible malnutrition according to a computer‐aided ration check and to assess its clinical relevance. Using standardized questionnaires, the average daily rations of 104 dogs, 83 of which were fed raw diets versus 21 commercially fed dogs, were analysed using Diet Check Munich©, based on the National Research Council values. Afterwards, the SYNLAB.vet GmbH ‘Barfer‐Profil’ test including calcium, phosphate, calcium/phosphate ratio, vitamin A, vitamin D, copper, zinc and iodine with additional parameters taurine, urea, uric acid and creatinine was carried out. No significant correlation between nutrient supply and associated blood parameters could be detected. Diet calculation revealed significantly more nutritional imbalances in the RMBD group than in the control group. Low plasma taurine could be detected only in the RMBD group. After participating, 30% of the dog owners (RMBD group) decided to adjust their dogs’ diets at the nutrition consultation of the Clinic for Small Animal Internal Medicine of the LMU Munich. Based on these results, for most parameters a RMBD blood profile is not an appropriate tool to monitor a dog's nutrition and computer‐aided ration calculation remains the gold standard for detecting nutritional imbalances.

Reasons Why Dog Owners Stop Feeding Raw Meat-Based Diets (RMBDs)—An Online Survey

“…Since the development of the raw meat feeding trend, veterinarians and scientists have expressed concerns regarding this feeding practice. The focus has primarily been on contamination with pathogenic microorganisms [5,[11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20] and inadequate contents of trace elements, minerals, and vitamins [3,[6][7][8][9][10]. The study's findings reveal a disparity between the reasons why the science community advises against this feeding method and the actual reasons why dog owners opt to discontinue it.…”

“…There are numerous scientific publications on the topic of RMBDs. These mainly focus on nutrient supply [3,[6][7][8][9][10] and the occurrence of potentially pathogenic and zoonotic organisms in the food and excreta of RMBD-fed dogs [5,[11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20]. Despite the risks of transmission and infection with pathogens and the risk of imbalances in nutrient supply highlighted in these studies, many dog owners continue to use this feeding method.…”

Fecal microbiota composition, serum metabolomics, and markers of inflammation in dogs fed a raw meat-based diet compared to those on a kibble diet

“…Malnutrition may also occur in pets when owners fail to appropriately formulate home designed diets. Over 90% of dogs fed raw meat-based diets (RMBD) had at least one or more nutritional imbalances when examined by diet calculations ( 32 ). While case reports highlight the potential for this adverse outcome, there are no estimates of how common incidences of malnutrition may be in practice.…”