# Raw food with kibble?



## Barbarian_Ridgeback (May 10, 2010)

I am currently feeding my dog a raw diet but want to move to Wellness kibble, I just don't trust the sanitization of raw around my newborn. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to accomplish this? I've heard something about how you shouldn't mix kibble and raw together because the dog processes at different rates, which could cause the bacteria from the raw to form. Has anyone else heard this? Thank you.


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## kerplunk105 (Mar 5, 2008)

Yes, I've heard that you should only ever feed raw and kibble in two separate meals and then at least 8 hours apart.

If you are going 100% to kibble, I would just do it cold turkey personally.


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## Bordermom (Apr 28, 2010)

As for the raw and kibble, I do it. My one dog just does not keep any weight on otherwise, so he gets a cup of kibble with his raw, have done it for a year now, no issues. That's raw and kibble in the same meal. It may cause problems for some dogs but I haven't found that at all.

For infants and bacteria.... honestly I didn't worry much about it. The dogs get fed in another room, or when they ate in the kitchen, I just washed the bowls afterwards. It's no different than having raw meat in the house for the humans, and dogs will eat a lot of questionable things outside too regardless of their diet - dog poop is not sanitary, nor are dead birds, bugs, you name it. Use common sense, don't let the baby play with raw meat or bones, but otherwise they aren't going to come into contact with enough bacteria to do any harm.

Unless, of course you plan to spray down the dog, the baby, yourself, the walls, floors, all the toys and so on with a bleach solution ten times a day - which would make your kid sick too.

I have fed raw for years, two kids later, they are the healthiest kids I know of (apart from my son's heart defect/murmur - he was in the hospital for the first three weeks, open heart surgery...). I think they've both had one ear infection each with antibiotics, and lived through swine flu. They play on the floor, climb on the counters, carry the cat around, kiss the dogs, dig in the dirt and have a good time doing so 

Personally I'm more grossed out when they try to handle dog food at someone else's house and play in that, more if it's the cheap 'fruit loop' kibble...

Lana


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## phoebespeople (May 27, 2009)

We have been feeding Phoebe RAW for 2 years now. We just had a baby boy 8 weeks ago. We fed RAW all through the pregnancy, we continued to feed RAW when the baby came along. No problem. 
After cutting up raw chicken, I clean everything with a sink full of hot soapy water. The knife, the cutting board, the counter... just hot water and dish washing liquid in the sink, wiping things down with a washcloth. Then, after I take the chicken out of the oven and we finish dinner, I sometimes cut up RAW chicken, turkey, beef and pork to put in to freezer bags for Phoebe. Then I clean up the same way I did before.
My point is, we make Thanksgiving turkey, chicken wings, and hamburgers for ourselves without worrying about sanitation and salmonella. Why would it make a difference if we put the meat in to a dog bowl instead of the oven? 
Of course, we don't let Phoebe lick the baby right after she eats. And the whole argument about "shedding" salmonella is completely ridiculous, all dog poop is full of bacteria, don't touch it, and everyone should be washing their hand often anyways.
If you're already feeding RAW, your doing a great thing for the health of your dog. I would suggest that there is no need to worry about sanitation issues. I know the commercial dog food companies try to scare us with warnings of bacterial contamination from RAW food, but those really are just bogus scare tactics to persuade people to buy their kibble.


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## chrisn6104 (Jun 8, 2009)

Babies are sanitary? 
They are vomit, pee, and diarrhea machines. 
How do you handle raw meat before you cook and eat it? Unless you're vegetarian. 
Really odd how people are so paranoid about their kids. If it was sanitary enough for the dogs to eat raw before the kid should be just fine after the kid is born.


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## Bordermom (Apr 28, 2010)

phoebespeople said:


> I know the commercial dog food companies try to scare us with warnings of bacterial contamination from RAW food, but those really are just bogus scare tactics to persuade people to buy their kibble.


I remember going to some store and the kibble rep tried to tell me that my dog's poop would be loaded with bacteria because I fed raw and how that was a huge risk to the health and safety of my kids....

There was quite a few people around at the time and I couldn't resist, I just replyed that we don't normally pick up poop with our bare hands, but would be sure to wash our hands from now on if we got dog poop on them.

Really! Reminds me of the whole thing with parents and soothers. With your first, the soother falls on the floor, you have a replacement ready and the one on the floor goes home to be boiled for five minutes after being washed in hot soapy water. With your second, you replace it or rinse it off if you have to. With your third, you wipe it on your pants to get the dirt off and pop it back in their mouth!

As I write this my toddler just brought me a dirty dishrag out of the laundry. In her mouth of course..... guess I should pop her in boiling water! My inlaws liked that joke, used to tell them it was just easier to boil the kid instead of everything else in the house..... Kidding of course, we don't even use antibacterial soap around here...

Lana


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## Barbarian_Ridgeback (May 10, 2010)

Actually what worries me is that my dog likes to play with his food. He'll pull out the chicken and toss it on the floor, roll around in it a bit, and then finally eat it. I feed him in a separate room and sanitize, the bowl and the rooms. I don't have the time to hand feed him and ensure he eats like a proper gentlemen. We have friends who had a similar issue with their dog and their 4 year old got salmonella poisoning. Could the child have gotten poisoned from something else, sure, but I'm not taking a chance. I'm a big fan of the raw diet but not over any possible health concerns with my child. I feel that there are good alternatives out there that don't have the risk of raw meat.


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## LazyGRanch713 (Jul 22, 2009)

Barbarian_Ridgeback said:


> *I am currently feeding my dog a raw diet but want to move to Wellness kibble*, I just don't trust the sanitization of raw around my newborn. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to accomplish this? I've heard something about how you shouldn't mix kibble and raw together because the dog processes at different rates, which could cause the bacteria from the raw to form. Has anyone else heard this? Thank you.


I would go cold turkey, personally. I've mixed raw and kibble before, but not long term. (If anything, wellness makes good canned food that might make the switch from raw to dry easier. Some of the canned food is 95% meat, which a formerly raw fed dog might enjoy).


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## Nallah06 (Nov 26, 2008)

If you're going to switch, just switch. my girls have had no problem going back and forth between the two. We are completely Raw now. 

But yes, never feed them together in the same meal, try to space them out 8 hrs.


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## Linz (Feb 7, 2010)

Thinking about how the GI tract works (unless it's a complete 180 from humans) there is no problem feeding RAW and kibble together. Winnie (who has a sensitive stomach) has absolutely no problem eating them together, same meal. I'll feed her RAW with kibble, kibble and canned, just kibble, etc. Food doesn't "ferment" in the stomach, unless your dog has some major motility problems. It should be just fine.


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## Bordermom (Apr 28, 2010)

Can you feed him outside, or in a crate? That way the mess is contained, and you can just keep the kiddo out of the crate. Outside, use a dog run if you're really worried, so there's no issue with your kiddo going into that area. I generally feed my guys in the mudroom, crated, or if they have bones they're in the dog run. It just solves both the issue of having to wash down walls, and worry about kids getting in the way. I trust my dogs, but would rather teach my kids not to be around when they're eating bones, because not everyone's dogs are going to behave.

I think it takes a teaspoon or something like that of meat to actually cause poisoning in people - so it would mean your friend's son would have had to get an actual chunk of meat to cause a problem, unless he has health issues. But bacteria is EVERYWHERE, veggies, fruit, milk, yogurt.... unless everything that comes into your house gets bleached of course. I remember seeing a show where there was an outbreak and they figured out it was apple juice.

The cat too, if she's got anything raw, eats in a crate for that meal. She's had a few thawed mice, and she makes a big production out of eating and 'killing' them...

Lana


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## MagicRe (Jan 8, 2010)

we keep a steamer in the kitchen where we feed our dogs during bad weather. they are fed on the grass during the sunny season.

as soon as they are finished....i clean the floor..takes about a minute....a little vinegar which hurts no one and the steamer.


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## Michiyo-Fir (Jul 25, 2009)

It's not a problem to some dogs. Some dogs have a problem. The sled dogs that do Iditarod, the toughest sled dog race on Earth eat kibble and raw in the same meal without problems.


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