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Many pet parents worry about the risk of their pets or family members contracting salmonella because they raw feed their dog.
In reality our environment around us is filled with bacteria including salmonella, ecoli, Enterocolitica, Proteus etc. They are spread through faeces of infected birds, rodents, lizards, stray cats and other infected animals. Dogs and cats noses are everywhere. On pavements, trees, grass, soil, other dogs backside and everywhere else these infected animals might have pooped. Therefore dogs and cats are more prone to be infected with these types of bacteria no matter what they are fed. In fact most dogs and cats do get infected at some point in their lifetime however their digestive system is much stronger than ours and most pets show little to no symptoms. Most pet owners never find out their dog or cat has been infected with certain bacteria, others may find out through a faecal test after showing slight symptoms such as mucous or little loose stools.
What treatment is given ?
If little to no symptoms are shown most veterinarians recommend not to give any treatment. Healthy dogs and cat's hydraulic acid and immune system are strong enough to eliminate the bad bacteria. In majority of these cases acute diarrhoea is present and therefore fresh water must always be present to avoid dehydration. Most cats and dogs do remain carriers. The most important thing is to boost their immune system with good probiotics, colostrum and a healthy fresh diet.
If symptoms are severe or if the dog/cat is a puppy or senior the veterinarian might either prescribe antibiotics or may decide to hospitalise the dog / cat and provide intravenous fluid. In very rare cases if a blood infection or sepsis occurs, your dog may need a plasma or blood transfusion. When doing a faecal exam it is always best to discuss your options with both a conventional and a holistic veterinarian. Steroids should be avoided when dogs and cats who are prone to heart disease, and therefore is vitally important to always discuss your pets previous & current medical issues especially if it is a different veterinarian.
Aftercare & Long term care
Fresh diet is always the first step to a healthier pet as it is not processed and it is what dogs and cats were naturally meant to eat. Processed dry or wet food do not produce enough acid in dogs and cats stomach, and therefore makes it harder for them to kill of any bad bacteria including salmonella.
The second step to boost their immune system is to introduce good supplements. Firstly choose a good brand of probiotics preferably soil based. Otherwise add natural probiotics such as goats milk or tripe. Secondly add colostrum to their diet for about three weeks. Last but not least a good source of Omega 3 such as Salmon Oil. When in doubt always follow your veterinarian's advice and seek a second opinion if need be.
Bottom line -
🐾While salmonellosis and other bacteria can be contracted through the consumption of contaminated raw meat, the reality is that the microbe can be found in many places in the environment – including, and mostly in dry food! Yes that is right dry food. As dry food is cooked at very high temperatures, meats that are not used for human consumption is used. This can range from leftovers to diseased carcasses.
Dogs noses are everywhere - dirty, contaminated pavements, garbage bins, other dogs butts, birds poop found on the floor, contaminated trees, soil and plants.
🐾Healthy raw fed dogs and cats can handle salmonella because their digestive systems are more acidic than ours and perfectly designed for tackling salmonella and other bacteria our bodies cannot.
Ask yourself these questions -
What do wild dogs eat and are in fact healthier?
Or what did dogs eat before dry biscuits/ kibble/ dry food/ wet food was invented ?
Dogs were far much healthier before dry food was created.
🐾 Dogs have hydrochloric acid in their stomachs, ten times the acid humans have. Their saliva contains an enzyme known as lysozyme, which breaks the chemical bonds in bacterial cell walls.
🐾 Dogs can eat many foods that humans cannot. The canine digestive system is designed to kill germs and stop them multiplying.
🐾 The canine digestive system provides the dog with a wonderful protection. Any bacteria such as salmonella or E. Coli is not a problem for a healthy dog. These pathogens stay in the powerfully acidic stomach for an extended period, and are killed off quickly before they pass through the small intestine
🐾 Although many dogs today are domesticated their bodies still have the same nutritional requirements for fresh living foods
🐾 Dogs like their ancestors, are designed to eat a fresh diet which includes meat, veg, bones and organs. They are Innately intelligent, and know what their bodies requires to remain in good health.
🐾 Feeding a dog is not complex, good health will come from fresh feeding, - not from dried foods
🐾 Use the same cleaning regime as when you handle raw meat for yourself. Keep surfaces clean and always wash your hands before and after you handle meat.
🐾 No matter what you feed your dog, always wash your dog's bowls , beds and toys. Keep young children away from their bowls, toys and beds. If they play with any of your dogs items make sure you wash their hands immediately.
Here is a fun fact ..
Since 2012, more than 400,621,516 lbs of dry pet food (kibble) has been recalled. The leading cause of these pet food recalls was pathogenic bacteria (Salmonella, Listeria, E.coli), resulting in 154,064,611 lbs of pet food recalled. Kibble and treats made up about 80% of the total pounds of products recalled.
According to the studies, consumers have a 400% higher chance of exposing their family to bacteria from kibble than it has with raw food.
You can see the studies made from the below links ..
Kibble (Dry Food) has been recalled far more than raw ever has. Most raw food companies as per legalities batch test their food which is a more thorough process. Dry Food does not go through batch testing - which is probably why we see so many kibble recalls for not just salmonella but mycotoxins, pentobarbital, vitamin d etc. Although extrusion (high-temperature, high-pressure process that cooks dry food) kills the bacteria, the product can still be recontaminated later, during the process of drying, cooling, application of an oil coating, or packaging.
Veterinarian and natural pet-care advocate Dr. Karen Becker of Bourbonnais, Illinois, states “There are endless sources of Salmonella present in the environment, but most do not cause pathogenic contamination,” meaning the source can test positive but never cause illness. Pools of standing water, unwashed vegetables, buildings that contain rodent populations, open fields where birds fly overhead, the areas around bird feeders and bird houses, and, yes, bags of commercially produced dry kibble – all are potential sources of contamination."
In conclusion, dog's and cat's can become contaminated with salmonella, ecoli and other bacteria no matter what they eat. However how they handle the bacteria determines strongly wether or not they are on a healthy fresh diet.
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