mesaana
November 15th, 2005, 04:54 AM
Hello!
Here's info on contamination levels in raw food (not looking to start a fight, just thought I'd share the info so people make an informed decision, whatever it may be...) :)
Raw food diets pose risk for pets and people: Advocates claim raw meat can prevent or cure chronic diseases such as arthritis
November 14, 2005
The Vancouver Sun
Dr. Moe Milstein, who runs the Blueridge-Cove Animal Hospital in North Vancouver, says that food fights are taken seriously in the pet industry.
On one side are the traditional pet food products—a meal in a bag or a can.
On the other are the raw food advocates who argue passionately about the benefits of feeding raw meat and bones to dogs and cats—benefits such as better skin and coat, elimination of mouth and body odor, and the vague, but ever-popular, enhanced immune function.
Advocates even claim that raw meat can prevent or cure chronic diseases such as arthritis and diabetes and the skin diseases that bedevil veterinarians. Recipes for home made raw diets abound on the Internet, and an increasing number of entrepreneurs are offering commercial versions.
Milstein says that regardless of the merits of these claims, a recent study published in the Canadian Veterinary Journal has raised concern about the dangers of raw meat diets—danger not only for animals but for people as well.
The University of Guelph study found that every one of the commercial raw food diets they tested was contaminated with potentially disease-producing bacteria.
The researchers, Weese, Rousseau and Arroyo, tested 25 diets from eight different manufacturers in the Kitchener-Waterloo area. Every sample tested contained fecal coliform bacteria. The average level of contamination was 800 times higher than the maximum allowable level set by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. Sixty four per cent of the coliforms were E. coli.
The kind of meat in the diets did not seem to matter. Beef, chicken, and lamb were the most common meat source. Some were more exotic—quail, goose, buffalo, rabbit or venison—but all harbored potential pathogens.
In addition to the coliforms, they also found salmonella in 20 per cent of the diets. A number of other disease-producing bacteria were detected, including Clostridium difficile, the organism that was present in antibiotic-resistant outbreaks in Quebec hospitals earlier this year.
Although raw food advocates will argue that dogs and cats are resistant to these bacteria, there is no evidence to support this view. There is lots of evidence, however, that shows that dogs and cats do fall ill when they ingest contaminated food.
Milstein adds that people handling and preparing the food also come into contact with the potentially harmful bacteria. Most commercially available raw diets are sold as frozen portions. In the process of thawing, preparing and feeding, the raw food can contaminate hands, utensils, counters and food bowls.
Some animals can become carriers, shed the bacteria in their stool, and pass it on to other pets or people. An earlier Canadian study found that the salmonella present in raw pet food prepared by pet owners in their own kitchens showed up in the feces of their dogs.
Here's info on contamination levels in raw food (not looking to start a fight, just thought I'd share the info so people make an informed decision, whatever it may be...) :)
Raw food diets pose risk for pets and people: Advocates claim raw meat can prevent or cure chronic diseases such as arthritis
November 14, 2005
The Vancouver Sun
Dr. Moe Milstein, who runs the Blueridge-Cove Animal Hospital in North Vancouver, says that food fights are taken seriously in the pet industry.
On one side are the traditional pet food products—a meal in a bag or a can.
On the other are the raw food advocates who argue passionately about the benefits of feeding raw meat and bones to dogs and cats—benefits such as better skin and coat, elimination of mouth and body odor, and the vague, but ever-popular, enhanced immune function.
Advocates even claim that raw meat can prevent or cure chronic diseases such as arthritis and diabetes and the skin diseases that bedevil veterinarians. Recipes for home made raw diets abound on the Internet, and an increasing number of entrepreneurs are offering commercial versions.
Milstein says that regardless of the merits of these claims, a recent study published in the Canadian Veterinary Journal has raised concern about the dangers of raw meat diets—danger not only for animals but for people as well.
The University of Guelph study found that every one of the commercial raw food diets they tested was contaminated with potentially disease-producing bacteria.
The researchers, Weese, Rousseau and Arroyo, tested 25 diets from eight different manufacturers in the Kitchener-Waterloo area. Every sample tested contained fecal coliform bacteria. The average level of contamination was 800 times higher than the maximum allowable level set by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. Sixty four per cent of the coliforms were E. coli.
The kind of meat in the diets did not seem to matter. Beef, chicken, and lamb were the most common meat source. Some were more exotic—quail, goose, buffalo, rabbit or venison—but all harbored potential pathogens.
In addition to the coliforms, they also found salmonella in 20 per cent of the diets. A number of other disease-producing bacteria were detected, including Clostridium difficile, the organism that was present in antibiotic-resistant outbreaks in Quebec hospitals earlier this year.
Although raw food advocates will argue that dogs and cats are resistant to these bacteria, there is no evidence to support this view. There is lots of evidence, however, that shows that dogs and cats do fall ill when they ingest contaminated food.
Milstein adds that people handling and preparing the food also come into contact with the potentially harmful bacteria. Most commercially available raw diets are sold as frozen portions. In the process of thawing, preparing and feeding, the raw food can contaminate hands, utensils, counters and food bowls.
Some animals can become carriers, shed the bacteria in their stool, and pass it on to other pets or people. An earlier Canadian study found that the salmonella present in raw pet food prepared by pet owners in their own kitchens showed up in the feces of their dogs.