Buying Wild Game to Feed Pets

February 10, 2011

Question: We have two new puppies and want to start them out right. Many commercial feeds are full of fillers and additives but while looking online I read about the natural hormone-free “prey model” diet. It’s based on a natural wild game diet like Mother Nature’s been feeding wild carnivores for generations. Physiologically, our housepets are virtually identical to wild wolves and small wild cats. Their teeth, stomachs and digestive tracts have been designed by nature to consume natural wild prey. This diet calls for an 80/10/10 ratio of raw meat, bone and organs. I’m considering switching my dogs to this diet but will need a good source of wild game meat. It’s pretty readily available on the Internet from private parties but I’m not sure it’s legal to purchase this way. Can you help? (Kelly B., La Crescenta)

Answer: As far as the nutritional merits of this particular pet food diet, it’s the opinion of DFG Wildlife Veterinarian Ben Gonzales to be very cautious. Today’s dogs and cats are not the same as yesterday’s dogs and cats. For example, unlike their ancestors, many cannot eat and process bones as part of their regular diets. Bones with sharp points (such as T-bones) and bones that the dog can shatter (such as rib bones and chicken bones) can fatally perforate the intestine. Surgery for relieving intestinal obstruction resulting from ingestion of bones is a common procedure in small animal practice. In addition, exposure to tapeworm from various species, trichinosis from bear meat and bacterial intestinal infections from improperly kept raw meat are all risks. These problems may occur once in a while, but when they happen to your pet friend, they can be very serious.

And from the legal standpoint, attempting to buy, sell or trade wild game meat, bones or organs in California and over the Internet is illegal, with a few exceptions.

I wouldn't mind them going back to sea Lion meat. We had a processing plant, for exactly that close to Port San Luis.