Blood Values on Raw Feeding

By Jade Bossenbroek

One thing most people are aware of, is that most vets are anti raw. The reason why is that they know little to none about raw feeding and only learn about processed kibble during their years of study.

Most vets will get alarmed when they find that the blood test results of raw fed dogs seems to be off/ different compared to the blood test results of a kibble fed dog, and is something you should prepare yourself for in case you need to have a blood test done on your dog, as not understanding the differences of these test results can in turn result in unnecessary expensive follow up appointments.

The results below are taken from a study by Dr Jean Dodds that involved over 200 dogs of various breeds fed a raw diet for a minimum of 9 months before collecting the blood samples.

The results of the laboratory tests were compared to healthy dogs fed dry kibble diet.

Most of the readings are comparable apart from those BELOW.

Below is further information.

• Hematocrit

Hematocrit is the measurement of the percentage of red blood cells in whole blood. Decreased Hematocrit (anemia) can be caused by poor nutrition, parasites or chronic disease including cancer and liver disease. Increased values (dehydration) are more of a concern with the dry kibbled fed dog than the raw fed dog because of the lack of moisture of the diet. Raw fed dogs are also more likely to get adequate iron and vitamin B from their higher quality protein diets.

• BUN

Blood Urea Nitrogen is a waste product derived from protein breakdown in the liver. Low levels are most commonly due to inadequate protein intake, malabsorption, or liver damage. Increased levels can be caused by kidney damage, certain drugs, low fluid intake, intestinal bleeding, exercise, heart failure or decreased digestive enzyme production by the pancreas. Raw fed dogs typically have higher BUN levels because they consume more protein.

• Creatinine

Creatinine is also a protein breakdown product. Its level is a reflection of the body’s muscle mass. Low levels are commonly seen with inadequate protein intake, liver disease, kidney damage or pregnancy. Elevated levels are generally reflective of kidney damage and need to be monitored carefully.

Keep this chart at the ready to discuss it with your vet.