[matthew b]

Hello when it is in season I plan to get some squirrels. Just starting out my dogs on a raw meat diet. I have one 10 pound terrier and one 30 pound mutt, would the bones in the squirrel be ok for them? Right now I just have them on chicken wings and necks. Thank you for any advice.

[haleycookie]

Shouldn’t be much of a problems. But you know your dogs chewing habits the best so just watch them while they eat it. I follow a lady on insta who gives whole rabbits to her four dogs once a month with no ill effects. However since the squirrels will be wild I’d freeze them for at least a month. Also degut them. Only the intestine and stomach. Keep liver, kidneys, heart etc.

• This reply was modified 6 years, 9 months ago by haleycookie.

[matthew b]

Thank you Haley!

[aimee]

Keep in mind squirrels can carry tularemia. People are at higher risk for infection then dogs. The infection can be life threatening. Why risk your health?

[anonymous]

I hope this post helps someone, even if it is just one person, to make the right decision regarding feeding their pets.

http://skeptvet.com/Blog/2018/02/yet-another-study-shows-the-real-dangers-of-raw-diets-for-dogs/ excerpt below click on link for full article and comments

“Proponents of raw diets will certainly argue that the risk is small compared to the benefits. Unfortunately, no scientific evidence yet exists to show any benefits, and personal anecdotes or theories about the natural history of dogs are not sufficient reason to ignore the robust scientific evidence of the harm that raw diets can cause. Unless some reliable research evidence emerges to show meaningful health benefits from raw feeding, there is no good reason for pet owners to participate in this dangerous fad”.

http://skeptvet.com/Blog/2018/02/actually-raw-chicken-likely-does-lead-to-paralysis-in-dogs/ excerpt below, click on link for full article and comments

Actually, Raw Chicken Likely Can Lead to Paralysis in Dogs.
Posted on February 11, 2018 by skeptvet
I recently reported on a study out of Australia that found an association between feeding raw chicken, infection with the bacterium Campylobacter, and a serious neurologic disease call Acute Polyradiculoneuritis (APN). Not surprisingly, advocates of raw diets are desperate to find ways to dismiss this study so they can continue to claim raw diets are as safe, or safer than commercial cooked pet foods. Cognitive dissonance, the discomfort that one feels when confronted with evidence that one’s beliefs about something may be wrong, is a powerful force, and it can lead even smart, educated people to engage in extreme mental gymnastics to dismiss such evidence and preserve cherished beliefs.

[Sloane K]

@anon101, let me refer to this point in that article:
“APN was also associated with feeding raw chicken. 96% of APN dogs were fed raw chicken while only 26% of control dogs were. Only 1 APN case was not fed raw chicken, and this dog had daily contact with live poultry.”

Where in this information does it state that APN was associated with raw chicken? Those numbers don’t make sense. Further, dogs with APN being fed raw chicken does not conclude a causal relationship.

[Author]

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