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 "The practice of feeding raw meat-based diets to dogs has increased
in popularity in recent years," Ingrid Hansson of the Swedish
University of Agricultural Sciences in Uppsala, Sweden told Reuters
Health. "There are different opinions about the advantages and
disadvantages."
Supporters say the diet is a healthier, more natural alternative to
commercial feeds. Critics say there are risks involved, especially
regarding the microbiological load in the raw foods.
As reported in the journal Veterinary Record, Hansson and colleagues
tested frozen raw dog food samples from 60 packs produced by 10 pet
food manufacturers. The packs contained uncooked meat, edible bones
or organs and originated from Sweden, Norway, Finland, Germany and
the UK.
Many of the samples contained levels of bacteria that exceeded
official hygiene limits.
"Exceeding the limit does not mean that the feed is harmful for
animals," but it does imply that harm is a possibility, the
researchers write in their report.
"Dogs in families with infants, elderly people, or immunocompromised
individuals should not be fed these diets, as these groups are more
susceptible to infections," Hansson said.
Overall, most of the bacteria in the samples would be harmless for
consumers, but some can lead to illness and may be resistant to
antibiotics, said Joost Hordijk of Utrecht University in The
Netherlands. Hordijk, who wasn't involved with this study, has
researched bacteria found in pets' fecal matter, as well as the
potential antibacterial resistance of that bacteria.
Hansson's team found Enterobacteriaceae bacteria in all 60 samples.
Half of the samples exceeded 5,000 bacteria per gram, the threshold
for microbial hygiene under European Union regulations.
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Clostridium perfringens bacteria were found in 18 samples, and two
samples exceeded the 5,000/gram maximum permitted by Swedish
guidelines.
The researchers also found Salmonella in four samples and
Campylobacter in three samples.
"Studies have shown that direct contact with pets plays a major role
in human salmonellosis and direct transmission has been reported
frequently," Paul Overgaauw of Utrecht University in The Netherlands
told Reuters Health by email.
For instance, "vacuum cleaner waste from households with raw
meat-based diet-fed dogs has also been shown to be more frequently
contaminated with Salmonella species than waste from other
households," said Overgaauw, who has researched bacteria and
parasites in raw meat-based foods for cats and dogs but wasn't
involved in this study.
When feeding a raw meat-based diet to dogs, pet owners should be
careful about separating human food from pet food in the kitchen and
use different bowls and utensils to prevent the spread of bacteria
to other foods and surfaces, Hansson and colleagues advise.
"Another great opportunity for dogs to transfer potential pathogenic
and antimicrobial-resistant bacteria to humans is by 'kissing'
people in the face immediately after they have eaten," Hansson said.
SOURCE: http://bit.ly/2CgbNnG Veterinary Record, online March 4,
2019.
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