Raw diets continue to be popular as nutrition that is easier to digest and closer to a dog’s natural food. Many people believe that dogs have a natural resistance to the bacterial contamination that comes with raw foods.
It is true that some proteins are denatured by the cooking process and therefore harder to digest. But a dog’s natural food (whatever that is) would be killed and eaten fresh. It would not be processed, packaged and stored. It is this fact that makes the bacterial load of raw diets much higher than “natural” food.
Dogs can be affected by this increased bacterial content. They are not immune, as some people believe. Dogs can get diarrhea from Campylobacter, Salmonella and E. coli, just as you and I can.
And speaking of you and I, these diets also pose a risk to the pet owner. Failure to properly sanitize after handling these diets can transfer infection to you and the rest of your family as well. In my opinion, this is not a health risk worth taking.
For further information or to schedule an appointment, contact Hudson Veterinary Hospital at (330)650-2929.