# raw meat myth



## Dogg (Jan 9, 2008)

At the dog park the other day, I was chatting with an owner of a great dane and the topic inevitably led to dog food. New to the world of the raw meat diet, I was eager to share my new found knowledge. 

I did get an immediate reaction from the man but not the kind I was hoping for. He looked at me funny and said something like, "I don't feed my dog raw meat because I have two small children."

At first I didn't get it but then it dawned on me. He was under the impression that feeding your dog raw meat would make the animal vicious and it would "crave" blood. 

I thought this was amusing and tried to explain to him that this is not the case. He didn't buy it and it became an "agree to disagree" point. 


Is this a common misconception? Has anyone ever heard this before?


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## BernerMax (Mar 15, 2013)

That is hilarious. But yes, I was feeding my usu raw snack at breakfast to my schnauzer girl, and my friend was like, thats going to make her worse! (She is a high energy, rambunctious girl that loves testing me)...


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## Little Wise Owl (Nov 12, 2011)

Yes, this is nothing but a myth. It's kind of hilarious how many people actually believe this too.


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## RonE (Feb 3, 2007)

It's a little disturbing that a dad would confuse his two small children with raw meat.

Or think that his dog would.


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## Shell (Oct 19, 2009)

Oh no!! I eat raw fish and meat* sometimes. Am I going to become a flesh eating zombie soon? 


*sashimi, sushi, rare steak, Ethiopian kitfo etc


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## packetsmom (Mar 21, 2013)

Yikes!

Growing up, our dogs ate raw meat all the time. Anything we didn't feel like eating, went to the dogs. If someone hunted, any parts of the animal we weren't going ot use...went to the dogs. They almost always had some kind of bone and probably ate raw meat nearly daily.

Miraculously, I grew up as a young child around these dogs and they did not once confuse me with random deer or chicken parts. If you think about how long humans and dogs have lived together versus how long kibble has existed, it is a wonder the human race ever survived!



Shell said:


> Oh no!! I eat raw fish and meat* sometimes. Am I going to become a flesh eating zombie soon?
> 
> 
> *sashimi, sushi, rare steak, Ethiopian kitfo etc


Are you sure you aren't already?


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## Shell (Oct 19, 2009)

packetsmom said:


> Are you sure you aren't already?


Good question. I am drinking a glass of red wine that looks very much like blood so maybe I'm already "craving" blood like all those raw fed dogs.... better go eat some kibble to balance things out 

I gotta say that plenty of people are worried about feeding raw around children in terms of bacteria and such, which I can sort of understand since it takes a little more prep work than kibble (which also requires hand washing after handling) but thinking it will turn a dog into vicious animal is something of a new one to me (in terms of first hand conversations, I've heard it online before). Not that it surprises me in the least though.


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## lil_fuzzy (Aug 16, 2010)

Are you sure that was his reason? If I had small kids, I would worry more about the dogs eating raw meat and then licking the kids, and thus putting bacteria from the meat onto the kids.


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## sassafras (Jun 22, 2010)

lil_fuzzy said:


> Are you sure that was his reason? If I had small kids, I would worry more about the dogs eating raw meat and then licking the kids, and thus putting bacteria from the meat onto the kids.


That's what I was thinking, too. If I had little kids, too little to rely on having good hand hygiene consistently, I wouldn't feed raw either for food safety issues. (Yes, I'm aware there have been kibble recalls for salmonella, but the relative risk is still much, much higher with raw meat.)


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## WonderBreadDots (Jun 26, 2012)

lil_fuzzy said:


> Are you sure that was his reason? If I had small kids, I would worry more about the dogs eating raw meat and then licking the kids, and thus putting bacteria from the meat onto the kids.


 I feed raw half the time and my kids have made it to the teenage years. Maybe the kids are healthier because I feed raw.Lol


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## lil_fuzzy (Aug 16, 2010)

WonderBreadDots said:


> I feed raw half the time and my kids have made it to the teenage years. Maybe the kids are healthier because I feed raw.Lol


Hah maybe  Not saying I wouldn't feed raw if I had kids, just saying it would be a concern. But ultimate I think germs are good for kids.


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## Dogg (Jan 9, 2008)

I'm pretty sure he meant that the dog would become vicious. He made a comment that implied that his dog (great dane) could do some serious damage in the blink of an eye and that he doesn't want to make matters worse by feeding him raw meat.


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## taquitos (Oct 18, 2012)

Yeah that's a very common myth lol. That's why there are Tibetan monks that feed cooked meat to the tigers that live in their temples in Thailand and whatnot.

As for the bacteria, their saliva breaks down a lot of the bacteria, so I wouldn't worry too much about it... I'd feed raw to my dogs even if I had kids. I dunno *shrugs*


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## sassafras (Jun 22, 2010)

taquitos said:


> As for the bacteria, their saliva breaks down a lot of the bacteria, so I wouldn't worry too much about it... I'd feed raw to my dogs even if I had kids. I dunno *shrugs*


To me it's more of a food handling issue than the children coming in contact with the dog itself. People can't even feed themselves _cooked_ meat without millions of cases of food borne illness each year due to improperly handled meat, and multiply that by multiple raw food meals a day, every day. Even _with_ proper handling, nobody's perfect enough to wipe up every drop of every spill. Is it a low risk? Absolutely, but I think food safety is a valid concern to at least consider when there are small children in a home, especially those of an age where they're always sticking their hands in their mouths. 

But everyone's risk/benefit analysis is different. To me the benefits of the diet wouldn't outweigh the risks unless I had a dog with a specific health problem. I'm not anti-kibble like many raw feeders, though. *shrugs*


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## taquitos (Oct 18, 2012)

sassafras said:


> To me it's more of a food handling issue than the children coming in contact with the dog itself. People can't even feed themselves _cooked_ meat without millions of cases of food borne illness each year due to improperly handled meat, and multiply that by multiple raw food meals a day, every day. Even _with_ proper handling, nobody's perfect enough to wipe up every drop of every spill. Is it a low risk? Absolutely, but I think food safety is a valid concern to at least consider when there are small children in a home, especially those of an age where they're always sticking their hands in their mouths.
> 
> But everyone's risk/benefit analysis is different. To me the benefits of the diet wouldn't outweigh the risks unless I had a dog with a specific health problem. I'm not anti-kibble like many raw feeders, though. *shrugs*


Yeah I completely understand. I can see it being a problem if the dog is going around putting the raw hunk of meat everywhere, or touching it with his feet and then going back to the kid. I guess I'm not as hesitant since I don't have children, and haven't been around many of them so I don't realize how fragile they are.

All of the meat that I handle stays on the counter, and if it's not on the counter, it is in the crate, or the dog bed (I put a towel over the dog bed). So if I were to feed raw, I would just practice extra caution (block off an area where I feed so the kid can't get to the food, wipe down the dog's snout/paws after meals, etc.). I clean up after my animals after they're fed raw the way I would do for myself if I were handling raw meat (disinfect everything, etc.) so I don't see how there would be enough harmful bacteria to harm a child, but there is always a risk, yes.


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## KBLover (Sep 9, 2008)

Dogg said:


> At first I didn't get it but then it dawned on me. He was under the impression that feeding your dog raw meat would make the animal vicious and it would "crave" blood.


Don't know how common, but I've heard it for "bad breeds" like Dobermans or Pits. 

"That's how they get them so vicious" is the basic premise.


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## Willowy (Dec 10, 2007)

Ugh, I got the worst food poisoning EVAR from deli turkey. So now I don't trust prepared meats (haven't touched deli meat since!), but I'm fairly casual about raw meat handling . I suppose if raw meat ever got me sick I'd learn to be more careful.

Hmm, I don't really get the reasoning behind any ideas like that---do they KNOW what's in commercial food? If they don't want their pet eating random body parts or blood, I think they need to look into kibble/canned food ingredients. Why would cooking it make a difference? Wouldn't that make the dog want to eat you after you get out of a hot bath, or after you burn yourself?  I don't think reasoning skills are their strong suit.


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## reynosa_k9's (Dec 14, 2007)

Just last week while at Tractor Supply someone asked me for help in selecting a good food for his dog (i guess he figured i would know since i had 250lbs on my flat bed cart. lol). I told him about a raw diet. One of his first questions was about is it true a raw diet makes dogs blood thirsty. I couldn't help but start laughing right there. I went on to explain to him how that's a myth, etc. etc.....
In the end he did thank me and seemed genuinely appreciative of the info. I have hope he will go raw.

Anyway, that's one myth that I don't think will ever die.


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## gingerkid (Jul 11, 2012)

Willowy said:


> Ugh, I got the worst food poisoning EVAR from deli turkey. So now I don't trust prepared meats (haven't touched deli meat since!), but I'm fairly casual about raw meat handling . I suppose if raw meat ever got me sick I'd learn to be more careful.
> 
> Hmm, I don't really get the reasoning behind any ideas like that---do they KNOW what's in commercial food? If they don't want their pet eating random body parts or blood, I think they need to look into kibble/canned food ingredients. Why would cooking it make a difference? Wouldn't that make the dog want to eat you after you get out of a hot bath, or after you burn yourself?  I don't think reasoning skills are their strong suit.


Processed meat is also more likely to contain things like listeria, which doesn't show up in raw meat that often, so you're less likely to have been exposed to it. Where as _E. coli_ and _Salmonella spp._... that stuff's on everything, and only certain strains of it generally make people sick.

Even though it really doesn't, the ridiculousness of stuff some people believe never ceases to amaze me.


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## sassafras (Jun 22, 2010)

taquitos said:


> Yeah I completely understand. I can see it being a problem if the dog is going around putting the raw hunk of meat everywhere, or touching it with his feet and then going back to the kid. I guess I'm not as hesitant since I don't have children, and haven't been around many of them so I don't realize how fragile they are.
> 
> All of the meat that I handle stays on the counter, and if it's not on the counter, it is in the crate, or the dog bed (I put a towel over the dog bed). So if I were to feed raw, I would just practice extra caution (block off an area where I feed so the kid can't get to the food, wipe down the dog's snout/paws after meals, etc.). I clean up after my animals after they're fed raw the way I would do for myself if I were handling raw meat (disinfect everything, etc.) so I don't see how there would be enough harmful bacteria to harm a child, but there is always a risk, yes.


I guess either I'm not making my point well or you're not understanding it. I don't think children are fragile. And I understand the concept of proper meat handling and cleaning up. But at some point, with multiple raw meals a day every day there comes a point where the probability of missing a spot wiping up or the kid wandering by and sticking their hand in something when you're distracted, or something similar gets pretty high IMO. And for me, I think most dogs can do perfectly well on kibble for the duration of the toddler years making it an unnecessary risk no matter how small.


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## Curbside Prophet (Apr 28, 2006)

This is reason #9 why I don't visit dog parks often - the morans. Just below reasons 1-8, the morons.


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## gingerkid (Jul 11, 2012)

Curbside Prophet said:


> This is reason #9 why I don't visit dog parks often - the morans. Just below reasons 1-8, the morons.


Interesting... the same reason(s) I dislike going out in public.


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## prntmkr (Jan 17, 2009)

sassafras said:


> I guess either I'm not making my point well or you're not understanding it. I don't think children are fragile. And I understand the concept of proper meat handling and cleaning up. But at some point, with multiple raw meals a day every day there comes a point where the probability of missing a spot wiping up or the kid wandering by and sticking their hand in something when you're distracted, or something similar gets pretty high IMO. And for me, I think most dogs can do perfectly well on kibble for the duration of the toddler years making it an unnecessary risk no matter how small


I don't want to get caught up in the raw debate, as it's obviously a very touchy subject, almost like a religion, for those involved. But yes ... I would agree completely, sassa.

There is no amount of anecdotal "evidence" that would lead me to believe that this is completely safe, _especially when there are young children involved_. On a more personal note, this is especially true when one has a very large, very hairy, bearded dog. And for the record, yes ... we did experiment with raw, albeit very briefly, and my prior concerns with sanitation and safety were only (re)affirmed _regarding our dog_.

I do understand that my dog may not be adversely affected by things like salmonella. But even if it were possible to feed him outside or in a clean locked room (which, for us, is not), it is both impractical and realistically impossible to believe that one could completely and safely disinfect beard, legs and feet, not to mention the carpeting, tiles and hardwood flooring, each and every time he eats. 

I am not a germophobe, but feeding raw with a Black Russian Terrier (and a young grandchild visiting so often) seems like playing Russian roulette.

And, having said all that, back at the original posting ...



lil_fuzzy said:


> Are you sure that was his reason? If I had small kids, I would worry more about the dogs eating raw meat and then licking the kids, and thus putting bacteria from the meat onto the kids.


That's the first (and only) thing that came to mind.


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## packetsmom (Mar 21, 2013)

I figure...I already handle raw meat in my kitchen, so I'm rather use to handling it and the care needed to sanitize areas after. Growing up, every dog I've ever had or been around was fed at least some raw meat and we were often licked immediately afterwards as a thank you. No one died or was even seriously sick.

I'd have no reservations feeding raw, even with small children in the home, but I would feed the dogs someplace a very small child could not get to until after I'd cleaned up. Now that my kids are bigger, I'd probably have them feed the dog whenever possible.


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## Willowy (Dec 10, 2007)

I've also talked to people that truly, seriously believe that giving their dog a distemper vaccine (or rabies; I've heard both) will make the dog friendlier/less aggressive/etc.! So I shouldn't be surprised when they have wacky ideas about raw meat. Thinking has apparently gone out of style .


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## taquitos (Oct 18, 2012)

sassafras said:


> I guess either I'm not making my point well or you're not understanding it. I don't think children are fragile. And I understand the concept of proper meat handling and cleaning up. But at some point, with multiple raw meals a day every day there comes a point where the probability of missing a spot wiping up or the kid wandering by and sticking their hand in something when you're distracted, or something similar gets pretty high IMO. And for me, I think most dogs can do perfectly well on kibble for the duration of the toddler years making it an unnecessary risk no matter how small.


Oh, no, I understood. It wasn't a rebuttal, just making my point. To me, it doesn't seem as high of a risk. But again, I don't have kids, I don't plan on having kids, I haven't been around kids. You can't deny that infants and toddlers do have a much less developed immune system, which is what I meant by them being more of a concern (I also think this is what everyone thinks here). Like I said, I completely understand where you are coming from. If I had children, maybe I would think differently.


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## gingerkid (Jul 11, 2012)

taquitos said:


> Oh, no, I understood. It wasn't a rebuttal, just making my point. To me, it doesn't seem as high of a risk. But again, I don't have kids, I don't plan on having kids, I haven't been around kids. You can't deny that infants and toddlers do have a much less developed immune system, which is what I meant by them being more of a concern (I also think this is what everyone thinks here). Like I said, I completely understand where you are coming from. If I had children, maybe I would think differently.


I kind of feel like you're both using the same points to argue opposite viewpoints.


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## Sibe (Nov 21, 2010)

I would have thought he was making a comment about the bacteria. Kibble is loaded with bacteria anyway and people get sick from that! I'm not a fan of licking anyway, but I don't let my girls lick me at all for at least a couple hours after eating and I always wash my hands after giving treats too.


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## taquitos (Oct 18, 2012)

gingerkid said:


> I kind of feel like you're both using the same points to argue opposite viewpoints.


Yeah I think the only difference in opinion here between sassafras and I is that sassafras believes that it's just not worth the risk, while I don't believe it poses much of a risk. That's pretty much the only thing we are disagreeing on from what I can tell lol.

I don't know if kibble is any better than raw in terms of how much bacteria there is... isn't that why there are recalls on kibble most of the time? Because there are salmonella contaminations that can affect people, but not their dogs? ETA: Not saying that the recalls are a normal occurrence or whatever... Just saying that kibble does still contain bacteria and whatnot. I just don't know if it's safer.


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## luv mi pets (Feb 5, 2012)

Yes, some people get funny ideas and feeling about such things. I have heard that before about raw diets turning dogs into blood-thirsty hounds. Haha. I know of farmers who will not feed their dogs such a diet because they do not want the dogs killing the chickens or calves or sheep for the next meal. 

On the bacteria- I know studies are lurking out there that show raw fed dogs do have a higher bacteria count not only in their saliva but also their feces too. This is one reason the Delta society have excluded raw fed dogs from participating in their program. Or does anyone know if that policy has changed? My kids are grown now but I know when they were younger not germ phobe mom so to say. I did worry about lack of hand washing from my son so that was the main reason he did not get the iguana or the snake he so badly wanted. I do know that an infants death was caused by an iguana. I too agree with Sass and would be worried more with infants and toddlers in the household on the family dog eating a raw diet compared to a kibble. Kibble plants have numerous testers and I have no testers in my kitchen. It is scary to read how many chickens in the store test positive for bacteria. Probably why I cook the heck out of pork and chicken, almost to the point of cajun style.


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## gingerkid (Jul 11, 2012)

luv mi pets said:


> It is scary to read how many chickens in the store test positive for bacteria.


All of them...


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## Kathyy (Jun 15, 2008)

Then again a poster on another forum had fun with a bacteria culture kit. Meat had very little bacteria, plant foods a lot and surfaces touched often had the most.

This isn't about zero bacteria being ideal. We need to be exposed to bacteria to develop and keep the immune system strong. There is just a particular level it needs to be for a given immune level's development. Children need to be exposed to lower levels than adults, not zero not high levels. Boy do they work at getting exposed too. Those mud pies? Self medicating I call it!

As for raw being more dangerous than kibble? Here is a Lew Olsen article on that. http://www.b-naturals.com/newsletter/is-a-raw-diet-dangerous/ 

I know I wash surfaces more when dealing with wet fresh food than with dry stuff, my kitchen might be cleaner now than when I fed kibble. Your children licking out a kibble bowl that is rarely washed is going to be exposed to bacteria, toxins from the plant products, mites and other bugs and their excrement that might contaminate the bagged food and so on. A bowl with raw stuff would have been picked up as soon as it was emptied most likely, the floor wiped up and the dog chased down and mouth wiped dry. Either scenario is unlikely to make a child ill. 

Back to the original post. Here is some actual scientific research and other articles on the relationship of diet to aggression. Max never was bloodthirsty in the slightest but is much less anxious now than when he was on kibble. http://www.b-naturals.com/newsletter/can-diet-cause-aggression-in-dogs/


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## Willowy (Dec 10, 2007)

gingerkid said:


> All of them...


Consumer Reports did a thing on food-borne illnesses, and I think 70% of the grocery-store chicken they tested came back positive for salmonella or campylobacter. Beef was a lot cleaner, not sure if they did pork. I'll have to try to find the article. . . 

But what's it mean in practical terms? I don't know.


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## Kayota (Aug 14, 2009)

gingerkid said:


> Interesting... the same reason(s) I dislike going out in public.


This... hahaha.


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## sassafras (Jun 22, 2010)

Kathyy said:


> This isn't about zero bacteria being ideal.


Well I don't think anyone has said that. I'm not a germaphobe at all and if I had kids they'd be playing in the dirt... but they wouldn't need me to feed my dogs a raw diet in order to expose them to enough bacteria to give their immune system a workout, either. I wouldn't feed my kids rare hamburgers, either. 

And as I already stated about kibble - yes, there have been kibble recalls (some for "potential" contamination which is the whole point of a surveillance system for food safety, human or pet), but by and large the chance of any given meal of raw vs kibble, the raw is going to have a higher probability of containing concerning numbers of pathogenic bacteria. 

It just would be a line in the sand for me for toddler age kids. It's funny because in general I am very risk tolerant but this is just something I wouldn't budge from (maybe I've taken too many courses in food borne illness). 99.9% of the time it would probably be fine, but living with my kid getting complications from E coli O157 or salmonella isn't something I personally would want to take a chance of no matter how small. Everyone's risk tolerance varies.


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## Willowy (Dec 10, 2007)

Here's the Consumer Reports article--better than I remembered; maybe I saw the 2007 report: http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/2012/05/how-safe-is-that-chicken/index.htm

Campylobacter in 62%, salmonella in 14%, both in 9%. 34% free of either. Some brands better than others, organic and air-chilled better than not.


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## luv mi pets (Feb 5, 2012)

sassafras said:


> I wouldn't feed my kids rare hamburgers, either.
> 
> It just would be a line in the sand for me for toddler age kids. It's funny because in general I am very risk tolerant but this is just something I wouldn't budge from (maybe I've taken too many courses in food borne illness). 99.9% of the time it would probably be fine, but living with my kid getting complications from E coli O157 or salmonella isn't something I personally would want to take a chance of no matter how small. Everyone's risk tolerance varies.


Where is that darn like button. I would just feel bad if my kids had gotten sick because of the choice of feeding raw. I too have attended conferences/courses where you learn about the potential of this happening. Nope was not taking the chance. Now it is my husband's immune problems that stop me from doing this type of feeding. He spends enough time in the hospital. I do not need to put him there any more than he already is.


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## Dogg (Jan 9, 2008)

I'm thinking we need to have a forum heading labelled "Things heard at the dog park". 

I was there again today. There was a rather rambunctious lab running around and bullying/playing rough with my pup and another guy's dog. The lab wasn't fighting or anything, just very high energy. I wasn't overly concerned but the guy with the other dog stated rather matter of factly that the dog (lab) could not be a "pure lab" and that there must be a mix of something else for it to act that way. I told him there is more to it than just the breed but once again, my argument fell on deaf ears. 

Good times at the dog park!


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## AkCrimson (Oct 12, 2011)

I feed my guy inside the kennel and that's it. It's a plastic bottom kennel. They eat in there and after all I need to do is wipe down the kennel. It's no different than cutting meat for our dinner on the counter, and being sure that is wiped down after you're done. Personally, if I had kids I'd be much more worried about crap like the food I am feeding my kids harming them. GMO's and pesticides and over processed junk. 

Anyway, the OPs original post, and similar topics, makes me wary of dog parks. I'm pretty isolated from any kind of dog community here (animals are treated very 3rd world). I hope I don't run into too many idiots like that when we are stateside again.

*Edit* Oh man, and I just have to add. There have been SO many recalls on kibble for salmonella and toxins... Just something worth noting


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## PackMomma (Sep 26, 2011)

There will always be an ongoing debate about children or immuno-compromised beings in a household with raw fed dogs. I completely respect anyone's choices in these matters, and it really shouldn't be a debate. to each their own. I personally believe that kibble has just as likely as risk of making a child ill as raw meat. Kids like to help feed the dog or stick their hands and have a taste of the dog food every now and then, and with the salmonella contamination in dog foods these days its not something I would be comfortable with, either. Dogs eat their own poop, too, then lick a childs face.. I imagine that happens almost on a daily basis. Don't tell me there isn't risk involved with that...Most households prepare raw meat on a daily basis for human consumption, whether the family dog is raw fed or not, raw meat is handled on a regular basis in households, there is also no denying there is risk involved with that..If Mom is prepping a raw chicken for dinner and suddenly her toddler falls and starts screaming his head off in the next room you think she's going to wash her hands first? Probably not, instincts would likely tell her to tend to her child first...I'm sure there's many other cases and scenarios that could pose potential risks with this.. You can get salmonella from spinach FFS.. nothing is risk-free or completely safe anymore when it comes to ANY food.. so freaking out that feeding a dog raw meat is going to bring anymore risk than there already is out there for a child is just plain niave to me. There will ALWAYS be risks, sure, we can take necessary steps and precautions to help prevent them but they will always be there. I definitely respect most parent's decisions not to feed dogs raw with little kids around, but again, its a personal preference. If I have kids I certainly wouldn't stop feeding my dogs raw for that reason either, becasuse I would have to be as equally worried and take the exact same precautions with kibble, or them interacting with the dogs period, since dogs get into all sorts of gross stuff, including poo. But one of the many reasons I'm still on the fence with having kids is that I'd be worried all the time about what THEY'RE eating, nevermind the damned dogs. The quality and safety of our food these days is so compromised I'd have a hard time feeding most stuff to a child, especially with so many illnesses and diseases on the rise.. anyway, I'd be worried about a heck of a lot more than just feeding raw meat to my dogs when it comes to kids.. I see what lots of parents feed their kids, and it scares me. Unless I could become fully sustainable and have my own organic vegetable garden and afford or raise my own organic, grass fed meat and restrict my children from eating processed foods on a regular basis then I'd worry all.the.time. .. JMO


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## voodookitten (Nov 25, 2012)

PackMomma said:


> There will always be an ongoing debate about children or immuno-compromised beings in a household with raw fed dogs. I completely respect anyone's choices in these matters, and it really shouldn't be a debate. to each their own. I personally believe that kibble has just as likely as risk of making a child ill as raw meat. Kids like to help feed the dog or stick their hands and have a taste of the dog food every now and then, and with the salmonella contamination in dog foods these days its not something I would be comfortable with, either. Dogs eat their own poop, too, then lick a childs face.. I imagine that happens almost on a daily basis. Don't tell me there isn't risk involved with that...Most households prepare raw meat on a daily basis for human consumption, whether the family dog is raw fed or not, raw meat is handled on a regular basis in households, there is also no denying there is risk involved with that..If Mom is prepping a raw chicken for dinner and suddenly her toddler falls and starts screaming his head off in the next room you think she's going to wash her hands first? Probably not, instincts would likely tell her to tend to her child first...I'm sure there's many other cases and scenarios that could pose potential risks with this.. You can get salmonella from spinach FFS.. nothing is risk-free or completely safe anymore when it comes to ANY food.. so freaking out that feeding a dog raw meat is going to bring anymore risk than there already is out there for a child is just plain niave to me. There will ALWAYS be risks, sure, we can take necessary steps and precautions to help prevent them but they will always be there. I definitely respect most parent's decisions not to feed dogs raw with little kids around, but again, its a personal preference. If I have kids I certainly wouldn't stop feeding my dogs raw for that reason either, becasuse I would have to be as equally worried and take the exact same precautions with kibble, or them interacting with the dogs period, since dogs get into all sorts of gross stuff, including poo. But one of the many reasons I'm still on the fence with having kids is that I'd be worried all the time about what THEY'RE eating, nevermind the damned dogs. The quality and safety of our food these days is so compromised I'd have a hard time feeding most stuff to a child, especially with so many illnesses and diseases on the rise.. anyway, I'd be worried about a heck of a lot more than just feeding raw meat to my dogs when it comes to kids.. I see what lots of parents feed their kids, and it scares me. Unless I could become fully sustainable and have my own organic vegetable garden and afford or raise my own organic, grass fed meat and restrict my children from eating processed foods on a regular basis then I'd worry all.the.time. .. JMO


You just said it perfectly. Now I dont have to type! :clap2:

I eat raw meat. Raw steak. In slices - with salt and a touch of lemon. Divine. Yep. My 4 year old loves it too. We dont eat it everyday but at least twice a week. Yes, I know where it comes from etc etc dont worry.

We arent dead. Or sick. Or vampires lol.

The dogs watch us from a distance sometimes salivating. Hilarious. 

Its like anything - be food safe, not paranoid. I see more recalls on kibble around these parts than raw meat.

Oh and PS Packmomma? Get off the fence. Dont have kids. LOL. So much hassle  Then when you have spent 18 or so years turning them into half decent people they up and leave on you. And still want the benefits of living at home. Little buggers.


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## sassafras (Jun 22, 2010)

PackMomma said:


> I personally believe that kibble has just as likely as risk of making a child ill as raw meat.


I think it's really disingenuous to say kibble as "just as likely" of a risk. There have been a handful of recalls, but the _relative_ risks are very different.



> Most households prepare raw meat on a daily basis for human consumption...[/i]
> 
> On a daily basis? Most households? I'm not sure "most" households can afford that. But in any event, there are already millions of cases of food borne illness related to people handling raw meat for human consumption. So clearly people aren't doing a stellar job of cleanliness as it is.
> 
> ...


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## martini.lab (Apr 11, 2013)

I heard that before, that feeding your dog meat will make them aggressive and vicious animal. And when I did research about it and ask some of my friends who feed their dogs with raw meat, their dogs are doing fine.


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## Dkeighley (Apr 18, 2013)

I just started our Tish on a raw diet, mostly because we have 2 cats and I had such a hard time keeping each out of the other's food. The Natures Variety raw medallions are for dogs AND cats and they all LOVE it. I spoke with the vet and she said as long as we use food handling "common sense" they'll do very well. I use a latex glove when handling the meat, and if its not eaten in 30 minutes, it gets thrown out. They've learned quickly -- eat when Mom puts it down or we won't have anything till tonite!!! The vet also wanted to make sure I wasn't buying Foster Farms and chucking it in a food dish!!! She said they will probably have more energy and I've noticed the cats are definitely more active (one is 14, the other is 12). The dog is just 6 months so she just a bundle of energy anyway. I love the raw diet for them, and they certainly love it. It's a bit pricey ($25 a week) but I can cut out my Starbucks and easily accommodate for my pets.


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## Sibe (Nov 21, 2010)

I'm perfectly fine touching raw meat I cook for myself, and have no problem touching raw with bare hands for my pets. Wash my hands well, and also cutting boards, knives, counters, etc.

I've left food out all day for mine sometimes. Heck, I've left food to thaw in the sink for over 24 hours and it's still icy in the middle. It takes a very long time to start to go bad.

I *wish* I could find organic chicken here for a decent price but until then, I get Foster Farms :/

My fatty cat has lost about 5 lbs since being on raw. My other cat has gained a little (which is good for him) and no longer has greasy fur or dandruff, and no longer has red gums.


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## sundrops (Apr 10, 2012)

My dog Lola is fed various mixtures of raw meat from the butcher for breakfast and dinner, and she's yet to become a blood thirsty savage (in fact, the other day she wolfed down two Brussels sprouts). Even if I had children I would still keep the dog on raw food and just enforce the importance of food safety etc..


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## Dkeighley (Apr 18, 2013)

Mine won't hardly even eat the kibble anymore!!!

I think I use the gloves from my own paranoia. My daughter is on immune suppressing drugs after a kidney transplant (she will be on them for the rest of her life) and my mother is elderly and her immune system isn't as strong. I figure better safe than sorry. They could just as easily become ill from eating out, but I feel better knowing I'm being extra careful.


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## luv mi pets (Feb 5, 2012)

I do not think that feeding animals raw will make them into savages. I am glad to see that so many pets are being fed. A kibble plant has a lot of inspectors constantly checking for contamination at different routes within the plants. If any of these test come back positive than a recall is made. Now if we had those inspectors at our house and we were feeding raw, I feel certain the inspectors would implement a recall. Meat sold in stores are notorius for having bacteria on them. The meat in the store is not packaged to be eaten raw but to be eaten cooked. This is especially true with chicken and pork items. I know there are people who feed raw and so be it. I will not feed raw because of the suppressed immune system my husband has. I will say again I would feel horrible if my husband was to die from a disease that could be linked to me feeding my animals raw. I would probably switch my mind if I could hire an inspector if I was to feed raw.


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## PackMomma (Sep 26, 2011)

sassafras said:


> I think it's really disingenuous to say kibble as "just as likely" of a risk. There have been a handful of recalls, but the _relative_ risks are very different.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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