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Raw meat diet can be dangerous for your pets.
#1
There has been a lot of talk about the benefits of a raw meat diet for cats and dogs. There are now commercial products available that make it easy to feed raw meat.  But is it safe to feed raw meat?

Some veterinarians are warning people that there are dangers.

http://time.com/5101066/raw-meat-pet-dangers/

I can see why a commercial product would be dangerous. Before it reaches the consumer it passes through many hands.
Once we get it home we are less careful because it is a commercial product. We all know that raw meat must be carefully handled. Of course in spite of warnings many people do not handle raw meat safely anyhow. 

I doubt the raw meat that goes into dog and cat food is the best parts of the animal. It would be odd bits and byproducts of the human market.
If you were really committed to a raw meat diet you could by good quality meat and prepare it yourself. That would probably be safe.
The next question that comes to mind is whether raw meat is a complete diet for a dog and cat.
I don't think we know for sure yet. Studies are still being done. Raw meat has not been shown to be a super food that makes a pet well. The whole idea of raw food diet needs some rethinking.
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Catherine

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#2
Yes there are bound to be health issues, especially for humans when dealing with raw meat. Some people don't know the basic hygiene rules. And even when they do, there are still risks from being distracted while preparing food...using a cloth to wipe hands....washing the meat.....not scrubbing a chopping board properly....etc.

Dogs are basically omnivores. That means they can eat, and really should eat, other things besides meat. Vegetables for instance, and some fruits in moderation.
Cats do not need all those extra things. They are "obligate carnivores", so adding carrots/greens etc to a cat's food is a waste of time and may upset digestion and take up space where the meat should be!t If a cat feels it needs extra fibre, it will chew on some grass, which won't harm it. The things put into kibble for both cats and dogs, but especially cats -are a lot of bulk which can't be properly assimilated.

I honestly don't see the harm in cooking meat for cats and dogs (and fish), and wonder if an exclusively raw diet is the best or not.  I gave both Misty and my other dog Toby cooked meat and they both lived to 14 and 15 super-healthy until the last couple of weeks.

(By the way, offal -which humans shun nowadays, but which they used to eat happily -is perfectly alright for cats and dogs. That includes, liver, heart, kidneys, and especially things like tripe etc.)
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#3
Very good post, Tobi. I agree with what you have written, 100% (or 200% - but that's not possible logically - haha!)

Our dog, Forgy, joined us after three months in a dog refuge. We immediately noticed on his arrival that he had extremely irritated paws, which he would chew until they were red. He would whine sometimes out of frustration at the irritation in his paws. He also had very dark coloured hair where he used to lick and bite himself - which the vet said was caused by poor quality dry dog food (called "kibble" in the USA/Canada).

We experimented with different foods and eventually found out that he had an allergy to yeast. I then decided to cook him his own food myself, using human-grade beef (minced in a machine) mixed with a range of vegetables and a small amount of chopped fruit. He also has fish sometimes, too. The irritation stopped and he has never looked back.

I didn't even consider raw meat, as I was worried about worms and worm eggs (almost invisible to the naked eye). So the meat is always thoroughly cooked.

He was on a very good canned vegan dog food (with all the necessary vitamins, enzymes and minerals added), but sadly that did not work for him, as it had a yeast source of vitamin B12 and this caused his allergy to return. So the cooked beef and vegetables menu is now a standard feature for him. I "batch cook" it and then freeze it, just as Tobi did when she had dogs.

Some dog people do swear by raw meat, but I don't like the idea for three reasons:

The serious risk of parasites (worms and - even worse - fluke);
The risk of bacteria being in the raw meat, even prior to purchase,
The need for an omnivore diet, not a meat-only one.

"Just my two cents", as the Americans love to say.....
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#4
You are both right on. We have to feed our pets what they need. Yeast would not be natural for a dog and fruits, veggies and grains would not be natural for a cat. However since our pets are not killing and eating their own fresh raw meat it seems an unnecessary risk to feed raw. Cats and dogs seem quite happy to eat their food cooked.

The parasite risk is very real. That is why we cook our own food. You know I feed snakes and they need mice and they have to be raw. I use frozen, defrosted mice because it is safer for the snakes. I would never use a wild caught mouse. It is too dangerous.
You wouldn't stop and pick up road kill for you dog or cat. I hope no one would do that. 

Handling raw meat is tricky. It is one thing to cook it and clean up and quite another to be serving it raw. Putting it in a dish on the floor invites flies and in the hot weather there would be maggots.

I am sure Forgy loves his stew and you can tailor it to his special needs. I am glad his skin issues have cleared up.
There are a number of brands of dog food here that produce special diets without grains or certain meats. It is being recognized that dogs get skin irritations from foods.


Quote:(By the way, offal -which humans shun nowadays, but which they used to eat happily -is perfectly alright for cats and dogs. That includes, liver, heart, kidneys, and especially things like tripe etc.)
These things are not shunned any more. They are usually quite expensive. 


I have special tools and dishes for my reptiles and I don't wash them with my own dishes or even in the same sink.
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Catherine

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#5
I hope what I say isn't upsetting....but many a time I did stop to pick up road kill for Misty. There are many Rabbits, Hares and Pheasants where we live and miles around. They often meet their end on the road. I would always check to see it was fresh and healthy looking with no disease like Myxomatosis. If flies were already on it I would leave it.
But I never fed that raw (even though I am certain a dog's digestion could cope.) I always prepared it properly and cooked it with vegetables, then put into freezer bags for the week.
I would always say a thanks to the creature for helping my Misty to be strong for a few more days.
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#6
I am thinking of our city road kill which is usually a raccoon or squirrel that was run over by several cars and a bus and is covered in city road dirt.

The fresh killed rabbits and pheasants that you would find would be alright. My mother ate a road killed pheasant during the war. It was hit on an English country road and it was more meat than they had seen in a long time. They weren't going to waste it.

You cooked the meat you brought home. That makes a big difference.  Cooking up a hearty stew with meat and veggies is a healthy way to feed your dog. I am sure Misty loved it.
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Catherine

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