AVMA to Vote on Policy Regarding Feeding Raw Food

• Posted on 30 July 2012
• By Dr. Jill Tack
• Posted in support raw feeding
• 0

Several of The Pet Beastro customers have sent us notes and comments on our social media sites about the upcoming AVMA vote this week regarding raw feeding. Some of it correct and some are a bit confused.

Several of The Pet Beastro customers have sent us notes and comments on our social media sites about the upcoming AVMA vote this week regarding raw feeding. Some of it correct and some are a bit confused.

So here are the facts:

The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) is about to vote on a policy against the feeding of raw meat to pets. Specifically the AVMA Council on Public Health and Regulatory Veterinary Medicine will vote to create a policy to "discourage the feeding to cats and dogs of any animal source protein that has not first been subjected to a process to eliminate pathogens because of the risk of illness to cats and dogs as well as humans." Read actual policy verbiage here

What does this mean for you?

1.  This proposed policy would be an AVMA policy if approved, not state or federal law. The AVMA cannot, and will not, regulate what pet owners choose to feed their pets. If you already feed raw food to your pet, that’s your choice. However, several veterinarians who feed raw are afraid their license may be revoked for doing so or for recommneding raw.

2. This proposed policy is about mitigating public health risks, not about restricting or banning any products.

What can you do? ACT NOW!!!

You can express your opinion by contacting the following organizations immediately!

AVMA Headquarters

1931 North Meacham Road, Suite 100

Schaumburg, IL 60173-4360

Some of the companies that we carry have thoughts about this as well.

From Lanny Viegut
President and CEO
Vital Essentials

"Vital Essentials views of raw pet food and raw feeding have not waivered since the inception of the company back in 1968. We believe the foundation is an Alpha prey-model diet, in its natural state. When we say natural state, we are referring to pure, unadulterated, real meat for carnivores…just as they would consume in their natural (wild) habitat. There are neither sterilization steps…nor HPP chambers in nature. Heck…how do dogs wash themselves??? Answer: With their tongue!

Two years ago, Vital Essentials (Green Bay Pet Food) co-led a consortium of raw pet food companies that an effort to preserve the rights of raw pet food and feeders of raw pet food. We invested over $40,000 in that effort...and Vital Essentials covered 95% of that cost. Today, we remain firmly planted in our values and belief sets.

In response to those who are led to believe that an AVMA vote against raw feeding will directly lead to legislation against unadulterated raw feeding as we know it today…we suggest that this belief is mis-guided. It’s our opinion that the “AVMA corporate figureheads” are merely using their power for the purposes of self-preservation and promoting personal agendas, not necessarily acting in the interest of pets or pet owners. However, it is important to keep in mind…AVMA is a lobby/PAC (political action committee) and more than half of the dues collected by the AVMA goes towards lobbying efforts, based on my understanding. Please see attached link. http://www.avma.org/onlnews/javma/aug05/050801r.asp The good news is that the FDA, who creates rules for the pet industry, is not governed by elected officials who may be “bought” by the AVMA PAC lobbying efforts."

Exerpt from Sojos Blog

"Set aside the unbelievably overwhelming positive results that people witness when switchingto a raw diet for their furry friends. Sojos has been around since 1985, and has been recommending raw meat for pets that entire time. Never – not once – have I heard of a dog, or a human for that matter, becoming sick from food-bourne pathogens as a result of using Sojos with raw meat. Ironically we’re currently in the midst of one of nation’s largest recalls of kibbled pet food in history as a result of almost 50 people being sickened from the handling of cooked pet food pellets. Considering this and the hundreds of thousands of dogs afflicted with a variety of health issues as a result of eating sub-par pet food, one might wonder why the AVMA isn’t voting on a policy against feeding kibble.