Raw Food Diets – Current Concepts – Information, Misinformation

What actually is a “raw food diet”? What are the motivations for feeding one? What are the risks, and how likely are they? Could there actually be some benefits? There is an enormous amount of hyperbole and misinformation from what seems like sides in a debate, and many of us struggle with what to believe. This talk will discuss what veterinarians should be aware of when discussing the topic with owners, so that we can all be sympathetic, informed, and articulate, without hiding behind the partisan statements of some manufacturers like frightened corporate sycophants.Identifying the likely mineral composition of a urolith is the “fork in the road” for every clinician. Choosing the wrong path can lead to unnecessary surgery or failed medical dissolution. We will dive into signalment, radiography, and urinalysis, focusing on the clues that differentiate common stones like struvite and calcium oxalate from each other, and from the more elusive culprits like urate or cystine. This session provides a structured diagnostic roadmap to identify stone types with confidence – before they ever leave the patient.