No Bad Dogs Podcast E335-What the Dog Food Industry Doesn’t Want Dog Owners to Know | Dr. Ian Billinghurst
Jan 9, 2026
Dr. Ian Billinghurst, an Australian veterinarian and pioneer of biologically appropriate raw feeding (BARF), shares his insights on canine nutrition. He discusses the detrimental effects of ultra-processed pet foods, linking them to allergies and chronic diseases. Billinghurst critiques traditional veterinary training and reveals how pet food companies influence veterinary advice. He explains the benefits of a raw, meaty-bone diet, emphasizing its role in improving health and hydration in dogs. His practical tips for transitioning pets to a raw diet are invaluable for dog owners.
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Processed Food Correlates With Declining Pet Health
- Ian Billinghurst realized processed pet foods coincided with a rise in new health problems in pets he treated.
- He traced improvements to returning dogs to whole, raw foods that mimicked evolutionary diets.
Question Packaged Food Claims
- When veterinarians teach nutrition they typically recommend AFCO-approved processed diets.
- If you want healthier pets, question packet claims and consider biologically appropriate raw alternatives.
Feed Evolutionary Fuel, Not Factory Diets
- Billinghurst frames raw feeding as giving dogs the evolutionary fuel their genome expects.
- He argues deviation toward processed, starch-heavy diets accelerates degenerative disease.
