A: It’s common knowledge that raw meat is likely to be contaminated with bacteria; it’s not sterile by any means. Even USDA-inspected, “human grade” meat is not free of bacterial contamination. Some of the commonly-known pathogens that can be present in meat include Salmonella, E. coli, and Campylobacter. Other pathogens that may contaminate raw meat include Toxoplasma gondii (the parasite that causes toxoplasmosis), Cryptosporidium, Echinococcus, Clostridium, Neospora and Sarcocystis.1-4 The same applies to raw meat fed to pets. If the raw food isn’t adequately treated to eliminate pathogens, you could be feeding your pet potentially harmful pathogens that could cause illness in your pets and/or your family.
The biggest difference is that raw meat is cooked (which kills the bacteria) before it is fed to your family, but the meat is not cooked prior to being fed to a raw-fed pet. When you feed meat to your family, precautions should be taken to store, handle and prepare the meat in order to prevent foodborne illness. Therefore, your family’s risk of infection with these bacteria is low when the appropriate precautions are taken, but the risk of your pet being exposed to and infected with the bacteria is higher because the food isn’t cooked to kill the bacteria.
Scientific studies have confirmed that pets fed raw diets contaminated with Salmonella can become Salmonella carriers; this means that they don’t develop any illness, but the Salmonella bacteria are shed in the pet’s feces (stool) and can contaminate the environment and potentially infect people with the bacteria.
For example:
•Salmonella has caused illness in dogs fed raw diets.5
•Salmonella has been found in the stool of sled dogs and racing greyhounds fed raw diets.6-8
•An outbreak of Salmonella associated with raw feeding caused illness in 27 puppies from 8 litters at a Greyhound breeding facility. Ten of the affected puppies (37%) died. Salmonella was cultured from the raw diet and the environment. Salmonella was cultured from 57 of 61 (93%) stool samples.9
•Salmonella organisms were isolated from 8 of 10 samples (80%) of homemade raw diets. The bacteria were also found in the stool of 3 of 10 dogs fed homemade raw diets, but in none that were fed commercial diets. While 3/10 may seem like a low number, actual number infected may be significantly higher. It is well known that Salmonella is shed intermittently, therefore others may have been infected but not shedding at the time the stool samples were tested.10
•Five of 7 dogs shed Salmonella after consuming a raw diet, and the type of Salmonella was identical to that cultured from the raw food. Healthy dogs became infected with Salmonella after a single meal.11
•Salmonella was recovered from the stool of 6 of 42 dogs (14.3%) fed raw meat, versus 0 of 49 dogs that were not on raw meat diets.12
•Salmonella cultured from the gut and lungs of two cats that died from salmonellosis was identical to the Salmonella cultured from the raw diet they were fed.13
In a 1999 study,14 indoor-only cats fed raw meat in addition to a home-cooked or commercial diet were significantly more likely (19.1% vs. 2.2%) to be positive for antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii (indicating exposure and infection); outdoor cats fed raw meat were almost twice as likely to test positive for antibodies to T. gondii (30.3% vs 18.4%) than those fed only home-cooked or commercial diets. Another study in 2008 determined that cats fed raw or undercooked viscera (organs) or meat were more than twice as likely (53.5% vs 22.9%) to be antibody-positive for T. gondii.15
In addition, some raw diets may not be nutritionally balanced for pets. This can result in deficiencies or imbalances, particularly of vitamins and minerals, that can be harmful.16 This can be particularly problematic in puppies and kittens, because calcium/phosphorus imbalances can lead to bone deformities and growth problems. If you choose to feed raw foods, consult with a veterinarian or veterinary nutritionist to develop a diet that meets your pet’s nutritional needs. The high protein levels in raw meat-based diets can be harmful to pets with liver or kidney disease.
Bones or bone fragments in some raw diets can result in intestinal obstruction or perforation, gastroenteritis and fractured teeth.16
Salmonella has been cultured from raw diets in several studies,16-18 underscoring the need to adequately treat the diets to eliminate pathogens. In contrast, commercially prepared diets – kibble or canned – are considered adulterated and unfit for consumption if they test positive for bacteria.
Salmonella infections have certainly been associated with commercially prepared kibble diets, but there have been no studies to determine the relative risks associated with raw vs. kibble diets. Keep in mind that raw pet foods account for about 1% of the total pet food market, which makes accurate risk comparisons difficult.
We have two that just turned 16 months old - Tri and red merle with white points. Best breed ever as long as you channel the smarts and drive in a positive direction. Best of luck to you!
