Healing Powers In Raw Food?

Raw food diets have come into vogue for many pet owners. Some swear uncooked meats and vegetables have salubrious powers that improve their dogs' coats, palliate allergies and help chubby animals slim down.

Veterinarians are skeptical, however. Pets are susceptible to the same microbes found in raw meet that can make humans sick, and dogs have been domesticated for so long that the closer-to-nature argument is essentially moot.

Ultra-Premium

Even as the U.S. economy continues to be sluggish, large numbers of affluent pet owners are forking over big bucks for premium pet foods.

This is good news for smaller companies whose market share has steadily increased since the Melamine Recall of 2007.

While high-end options currently comprise only five percent of the $19 billion pet food market, that figure is bound to grow as pets age, trends gain momentum and "pet parents" seek new ways to pamper their four-legged companions.

Read More:

• Raw Food for Dogs: A Risk or Cure-All? (New York Times)
• Are fancy pet foods worth it? (Gadsden Times)
• The environmental impact of pet food (Slate)