For Pet owners, their animals are often viewed as family members. It is then only natural for them to want what is best for their pet. A new trend for feeding cats and dogs raw meat is on the rise. The ideas behind such a trend surrounds the need to feed pets the most natural food as possible. Furthermore, it is an attempt to avoid supposed harmful ingredients in regular dog food like additives and processing.
Raw Meat Doesn’t Really Benefit Dogs
Although pet owners may have good intentions, the trend of using raw meat for pet fire is facing heavy criticism, with researchers stating that they have found no clear evidence of any health benefits. Interestingly, researchers are suggesting that such a diet is in fact carries more harm to pets than benefits.
Potential Health Threat
Raw meat diets could potentially lead to dental and gut injuries. There is also the danger of growth problems due to a lack of nutrients, which is a problem with home-made raw meat diets.
Bacteria and pathogens are a further cause for concern. Raw meat is infected with such micro-organisms and because they aren’t cooked, they will remain present and could infect animals. During a study, tests on the meat revealed that 23% of the products tested contained a type of E coli that can cause renal failure in humans, while 80% of products across seven brands contained antibiotic-resistant E-coli.
Finding multiple versions of drug resistant bacteria in commercially available meats is extremely concerning. For pets, such infections could be potentially life threatening. There is also the risk of cross contamination into human food, if proper hygiene aren’t taken into account.
Owners Need to be Aware of the Risk of Raw Meat
Vets should discuss the risks involved with raw meat diets to pet owners. The precautions aren’t widely known and although owners may believe that they are doing the best for their pet, they may be harming them instead.