Raw Food is Good for Pets- A New Study Finds
Pet owners are divided on the idea whether raw food is good for pets, most especially those who agree that raw food conditions could lead to the spread of infection not just in pets but among household members as well.
This fear may have also been bolstered by talks of the risk of bacterial infections due to perceived contamination of raw pet food, albeit anecdotal, which could cause your pet to require medical attention at any animal hospital Virginia Beach.
In fact, a large percentage of pet owners in the US, the Netherlands, and Australia have been feeding their pets with raw food and even consider it healthy.
To date, there has been no report coming from any animal hospital regarding an officially documented case of poisoning due to raw food consumption.
Why is Raw Food for Pets an Issue?
For one, the debate has stemmed from perceptions that raw food consumption is linked to some unhealthy feeding practices ranging from the belief that raw food is less digestible, could predispose the occurrence of kidney stones, and result in a leaky gut, just to name a few.
However, as mentioned before there has been no solid proof such as cases reported in any animal hospital Virginia Beach.
So, Is Raw Food Safe for Pets?
A multinational internet-based survey taken from around 16,500 households in 81 countries around the world revealed that around 74{ab34f00c4d1a18f999f49fba32f86c8c4aab447c1e38452b03399f6a28bc2347} of the respondents have been feeding their pet dogs with raw food, and around 20{ab34f00c4d1a18f999f49fba32f86c8c4aab447c1e38452b03399f6a28bc2347} feed both dogs and cats the same way.
The survey revealed that the majority of pet owners have no history of human infection due to contamination from raw pet food.
Only 39 respondents or 0.24{ab34f00c4d1a18f999f49fba32f86c8c4aab447c1e38452b03399f6a28bc2347} of the total survey population reported some sort of infection caused by a specific pathogen found on laboratory findings of human food samples, which were not conclusive enough to indicate that it was caused by raw pet food.
Among the most frequent pathogens identified in the laboratory results included Campylobacteria, and Salmonella, Escherichia coli, Clostridium, Toxoplasma, and Yersinia.
The results of the survey pointed to the following health benefits in feeding raw food to pets such as shinier coats, healthier skin, better dental health, smaller stools, and increased energy and vitality.
How to Ensure The Safe Preparation of Pet Food
Make sure the meat or proteins are fresh. Meat or proteins thawed or left at room temperature for a period of time becomes a breeding ground for microbes or bacteria that can be potentially harmful or deadly for pets.
Avoid contamination by practicing proper sanitation and hygiene. Immediately serve the food to your pet before it gathers too many microorganisms.
Make sure to apportion food accordingly. Avoid overfilling your pet’s food trays to prevent having leftovers. Just make sure to estimate food portions that are enough for your pet to consume completely and not leave anything on the food bowl or dish.