Category Archives: Nutrition

Veterinary News Network (VNN) Video Discussing Raw Pet Diets

Here is a brief video discussing the topic of raw diets for pets. It is nicely produced      

Posted in Nutrition | 7 Comments

Cooking increases the caloric value of meat and starches

I have reviewed the claimed benefits of raw pet diets previously, as well as the potential risks of these diets (1,2,3). The bottom line is that there is no credible evidence that these diets have any health benefits or that … Continue reading

Posted in Nutrition | 3 Comments

Dry Pet Food and Dental Disease in Dogs and Cats

One of the most common diseases in cats and dogs that I see in practice is dental disease. According to the American Veterinary Dental Society, by three years of age 70-80% of dogs and cats will have signs of oral … Continue reading

Posted in Nutrition | 19 Comments

Less is More–A reminder of why irrational dietary supplement use is a bad idea

The dietary supplement industry in the United States is enormous, profitable, and growing. There is a widespread belief that nutritional supplements are inherently safe and beneficial and that everyone can benefit from taking them regardless of health status or dietary … Continue reading

Posted in Herbs and Supplements, Nutrition | 2 Comments

Vitamin K3 (menadione) in Pet Food: Is It Safe?

One of the most popular fallacies that arises in discussions of pet health is the appeal to nature or naturalistic fallacy. Simply put, this is the notion that what is labeled “natural” is inherently safe, beneficial, or otherwise good, and … Continue reading

Posted in Nutrition | 55 Comments

Dietary Carbohydrates and Cats: It’s the Calories!

One of the most common questions regarding veterinary nutrition that I get from clients these days is about cats and grains. An argument often made about feline nutrition is that because they are obligate carnivores, cats are ill-equipped to eat … Continue reading

Posted in Nutrition | 7 Comments

Salmonella and Other Risks of Raw Pet Diets

Primal Pet Foods, a popular marketer of commercial raw diets for dogs and cats, recently announced a recall of one of its raw cat foods because testing has suggested the diet may be contaminated with the bacteria Salmonella. Such recalls … Continue reading

Posted in Nutrition | 11 Comments

Evolution Diet Update: Selling Food with Fraud

Early on in the writing of this blog, I posted an article and Evolution Diet, yet another “natural diet” promoted through fallacies, half-truths, and outright lies. I pointed out at the time that the CEO of the company selling this … Continue reading

Posted in Nutrition | 11 Comments

Raw Diets for Pets: Still No Evidence of Benefit but a Real Risk of Harm

I’ve written before about raw diets for pets, and at the time my conclusions were these (see the previous articles for details 1, 2): 1. The theoretical arguments presented to support feeding raw diets to dogs and cats are mostly … Continue reading

Posted in Nutrition | 15 Comments

PetDiets.Com: An excellent source for science-based pet nutrition information

I just wanted to point out a web site I found recently which offers excellent information on pet nutrition. PetDiets.com is the site of Veterinary Nutritional Consultations, Inc. (VNC). This organization is a independent consulting group that provides nutrition information … Continue reading

Posted in Nutrition, Science-Based Veterinary Medicine | 11 Comments