Wha???
I would love to hear some science or proof behind this comment, because all the literature and research that I have ever read would beg otherwise. I grant you can make a nutritionally sound BARF diet for a dog, but other than waxing philosophic, have yet to see it be in any way superior to some of the commercially available diets.
I'm a little disappointed that a vet would not at least acknowledge the potential benefits of a raw food diet. Where is the literature you're reading coming from? I find this Wikipedia article has some good references to read through:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raw_feeding
Grains are common source of allergy for dogs, and the very reason that sensible companies like Natural Balance and Solid Gold put of grain free and limited ingredient diet foods. I've not done a TON of research on the subject, but what I have read was enough to show me that feeding a dog or cat the big name brand foods is not a good idea. I stick with Natural Balance for the bulk of the food and supplement a few times a week with some tasty treats like raw marrow bones, raw beef, the occasional raw egg (shell and all), and some fresh veggies. My vet knows this and not only approves but supports it.
Think about it, we haven't forced dogs to get use to the food we feed them now through evolution. We've only started feeding our dogs the processed food available no for 60-ish years. Until the advent of commercial dog food the dogs got the meat bones/scraps and leftover veggies, which is what they were used to eating in the wild before we domesticated the wolf.
I've personally known many dogs that were eating bigger name brands dog foods that had bad allergies and once they switched over to limited ingredients food (no soy, wheat, barley, oats, etc) they allergies cleared right up. Dogs just aren't mean to eat and process things, like grains.
I'm not going to tell you to not feed your dog these treats, but if you notice the excessive scratching/itchiness, sores, weepy eyes, among others, then you may not want to feed these treat to your dog. As always, check with your vet when making big changes in your pet's diet!
