Intended for healthcare professionals

Rapid response to:

Editorials

Human and veterinary medicine

BMJ 2005; 330 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.330.7496.858 (Published 14 April 2005) Cite this as: BMJ 2005;330:858

Rapid Response:

British Veterinary Association Policy Brief

EDITOR — The British Medical Journal (BMJ) editorial of 16 May 2005, Human and veterinary medicine, contemplated ‘ways in which doctors and vets can work together’.(1) Midway through the article readers are directed to the Pet Food Manufacturers’ Association (PFMA) website:

‘Half of all households in the United Kingdom own a pet (www.pfma.com/public/petownership_stats.htm), and many pets are just as important as a family member or friend, sometimes more; for them, the same level of health care is expected . . . Doctors may not fully appreciate the importance of the relationship between owners and their animals.’

Before becoming engaged in a threesome with the veterinary profession and the PFMA it might be prudent for members of the British Medical Association (BMA) to consider the 12 October 2005 British Veterinary Association (BVA) Policy Brief reproduced below.

BMA members might also like to consider that:

• Confectioners Mars and Nestlé are the global giants of the junk pet -food business.

• The BVA Policy Brief refers to ‘an ongoing debate within the veterinary profession’ when in fact apathy, censorship and suppression prevail.

• The book Raw Meaty Bones provides a fuller discussion of the evils of a daily diet of junk food for pets, the implications for human health, national economy and natural environment.(2)

• A rebuttal of the BVA ‘Key facts’ is posted at www.rawmeatybones.com and www.ukrmb.co.uk

Tom Lonsdale, veterinarian and author

Email: tom@rawmeatybones.com Web: www.rawmeatybones.com

1. Alder M, Easton G, Human and Veterinary Medicine. British Medical Journal 2005;330:858-59

2. Lonsdale T, Raw Meaty Bones: Promote Health 2001 Rivetco P/L, Windsor DC, Australia ___________________________________________________________

BRITISH VETERINARY ASSOCIATION POLICY BRIEF (12 Oct 2005)

Raw Meaty Bones Lobby

An ongoing debate within the veterinary profession. A small lobby group proposes that pet dogs and cats should be fed a ‘natural diet’ of raw meat and bones rather than commercially prepared diets. The group is active in their criticism of the commercial manufacturers of pet foods. This criticism has recently been extended to the university veterinary schools, which have been accused of teaching undergraduate veterinary nutrition in a biased fashion in return for financial support for research and clinical work within the schools.

Key facts:

• Dogs are omnivorous animals whilst cats are obligate carnivores. Both species require a balance of essential dietary nutrients (e.g. vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids) for optimal health and longevity.

• Commercially prepared pet foods have been scientifically formulated to contain the optimum balance of essential dietary nutrients for each species. Some commercial pet foods have been designed to satisfy the requirements of specific breeds or the specialised dietary needs of animals with a range of illnesses. The use of such diets over the past decades likely accounts for the increased health and longevity of companion animals.

• These commercial diets are based on extensive research, performed both ‘in-house’ and in collaboration with veterinary schools. Much of this research is published in the peer-reviewed scientific literature. By contrast, there is no scientific evidence base to support the benefits of feeding raw meat and bones.

• Dogs and cats may be fed with home-prepared ‘natural diets’, but it is difficult to achieve the optimum balance of requisite nutrients in this fashion.

• The feeding of raw meat and bones to companion animals carries particular risks, including infection with pathogenic bacteria associated with uncooked meats (e.g. Salmonella, Campylobacter) and injury (e.g. intestinal perforation) caused by bone fragments. The BSAVA (the BVA’s relevant specialist division) advises against the feeding of raw meat or bones to companion animals for this reason.

• The RMB lobby proposes that the feeding of bones is beneficial to oral health (teeth and gums). Similar benefits may be achieved by feeding of purpose designed kibble food or dental chews, without the attendant risk of damage (e.g. fractures) of the teeth.

Main Contacts BVA: Dr Freda Scott-Park [BVA President], BSAVA: Mark Johnston

PFMA: Nicole Harrison 20 Bedford Street, London, WC2E 9HP Tel: (020 7379 9009) Fax: (020 7379 8008) Email: nicole@pfma.org.uk

BVA Press Office: Chrissie Nicholls E: chrissien@bva.co.uk Nadin Sajakow E: nadins@bva.co.uk Helena Cotton E: helenac@bva.co.uk T: 0207 636 6541 Out of hours: 07810 433 730 07929 620 325

Additional Resources • Pet Food Manufacturers Association Information Paper on Raw Meat and Bones Discussions. PFMA, January 2005.

Date last edited: 11 October 2005

Competing interests: Author: Raw Meaty Bones: Promote Health, Work Wonders: Feed your dog raw meaty bones

Competing interests: No competing interests

28 November 2005
Tom Lonsdale
Veterinarian/author
PO Box 6096, Windsor DC, NSW 2756, Australia