[Debbie L]

I’ve only tried faw meat with a dog once, a female Collie, but she had a sensitive stomach and it made her vomit. So if I did not add canned to her dry food I began to add cooked meat again and she was fine. She loved to eat green frogs when she could catch them, but they made her sick and vomit every time. Apparently raw food was not for her.

My concern about feeding raw is the potential for parasites, E.coli, Salmonella, etc. I know in the wild animals (carnivores) have no choice but to eat raw foods. But since dogs are removed from the wild are their systems still geared to handle foods raw? I haven’t tried raw meats on my two males.

On the human aspect, I believe about a year ago I read where the FDA was not as thorough inspecting meats as in the past. That makes our foods not as safe as they once were. So, the bad elements in raw meats could be passed on to dogs and cats as well.

I just don’t feel as safe about feeding pets raw foods as it was say 10 years ago.

[InkedMarie]

It doesn’t bother me. I wash my hands, boards, utensils etc. I’ve never gotten sick.

[Dori]

I agree with Marie. My dogs have been on raw for approx. 2 years maybe longer, I’ve lost track. Anyway, neither my dogs nor myself have ever had an issue. I wash my hands, boards, utensils, etc. just as I do when handling raw meat for my husband and myself. If we eat meat, poultry, fish, etc. at some point its touching my hands, boards, utensils. It’s the same thing with raw food for dogs. Just clean up after preparing. No difference imo. Of course, that’s if you’re buying raw food from a reputable source be it a grocery store, butcher, or commercial raw manufacturer.

[DogFoodie]

Certain species of green frogs can be toxic to a dog if ingested.

I’ve never had a problem with raw, but always clean work spaces, utensils, bowls, etc. thoroughly.

[Corinne M]

Personally, although I feed my dogs raw, I wouldn’t presume to try to convince anyone to do the same. It’s messy – and sometimes it’s just a pain in the neck! When I am busy (or lazy), I buy prepared raw dog food that includes only high quality, human-grade ingredients and I find the warnings and disclaimers about “contamination” slightly hilarious since it’s the same stuff I buy at the butcher’s counter to feed my family. Some of the “cautions” make it sound like I’m bringing a nuclear weapon into my kitchen – when in fact it only contains fresh, ground meat & vegetables.
If you are avoiding a raw diet because the of the safety questions, I can tell you that high quality, fresh, human-grade foods are safe for you to handle & for your pup to eat. If, on the other hand, you are avoiding raw dog food because your pup had a hard time digesting it, I would tell you that there some great resources (this website especially) that can give you some suggestions on how to transition your pup off commercial kibble if that’s your goal. And, if you and your pup find kibble works best for you, there are also some great articles here about how to select an excellent quality dry or freeze dried dog food. In the end, the fact that you are even posting on this site makes me think that you are probably already feeding your pets a lot better than 99% of pet owners out there because you are clearly concerned with nutrition & wellness.
Best of luck in whatever path you decide upon.
Corinne

[Debbie L]

Good info in your responses and thanks. Like others say they do with raw meat, I too wash my hands and everything the meat touches. I was also concerned, not just about the safety factor of handling raw meat to myself, but the possibility of pets getting a bacterial infection such as E. coli, salmonella, etc. from eating it. Over the years there have been recalls off and on for ground beef contaminated with E. coli. Don’t know if dogs and cats could be sickened with that in the same way as humans or not. Then if you remember a few years ago there was the scare of salmonella (I think that’s what it was) in raw eggs.

If you’ve had luck feeding raw then by all means continue it. I believe I sway a little more to the high quality dry and wet foods. Whatever the source of food for our pets, we all share in common wanting to keep them healthy and live long lives.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 5 months ago by Debbie L.

[fey W]

Raw is less wasteful, cheaper and much easier. On raw the dog gets to eat zero carbs and chew on bones to naturally keep teeth clean and possibly sugar levels more stable. It is low in ingredients so perfect for allergy prone dogs.

My dog is currently eating cooked food. I had to cook up a whole chicken and bone it, cook up pork and chop those meats, cook up hamburger and rice and mix together along with a small amount of liver and add in a calcium source, some bits of this and that to balance the diet. Then I had to go back to the original amount of raw ingredients to figure out how many meals that would be and divide accordingly so I won’t over/under feed her pack up in 2 day packets and freeze. On raw I give her boneless red meat and every 2-4 days she gets a bit of raw bony meat plus organ along with the same supplements I have to give her with a cooked diet minus the calcium of course. She loves it all but sure has more enjoyment from the raw.

Never heard that dogs get snappy if taken off raw. Many dogs get possessive of raw bits so practicing trading is a great idea. Many people only find out their dogs can be possessive when some delicious raw bony thing is given, even rawhides, bully sticks don’t have the same value.

My lucky never ever had any parasites from raw feeding or fleas or ticks or contaminated water, Sassy once got a tapeworm from eating a flea. Raw meat from the store is very safe. I have always cooked raw meat and it is very easy to keep juices contained and the kitchen clean, lots of water and soap.

A great primer on raw feeding is here.
http://www.chanceslittlewebsite.com/prey-model-raw.html

[Melissa P]

I cook my dogs’ food. I would not want to feed raw. Sometimes they drop their food out of the bowls and onto the floor. They also lick their paws when their done. My lab likes to wipe her face on the couch and my Brittany wipes his on the carpet. Both of them like to lick their paws when they are done eating. Sounds like a great way to spread salmonella all over the house. There was a small study done by the government that showed the salmonella remained in/on some of the dogs mouths and did not always digest from raw food showing up in their feces. After watching my Mom develop antibiotic resistant salmonella food poisoning, I worry about things like this.

[Author]

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