Hi Gray Goat, you little ol' devil you!
I previously wrote this:
Hi Guys. I`ve raised Shetland Sheepdogs in pairs (siblings) ever since I was a kid. I`m a dog lover from way back.
My concerns with raw chicken is with salmonella, campylobacter, and e.coli. There are other bacteria and microorganisms to be concerned with also. Allow me to remind you what this stuff does; it put me in the hospital.
My first question is WHY would you want to feed RAW chicken to anyone or any animal? Heck, my Shelties are just furry children. Why would I feed them raw chicken?
Perhaps we should remind ourselves that now, MOST chicken in the USA is infected with salmonella bacteria when you open the package from the grocery store. Salmonella bacteria from raw and undercooked chicken leads to a condition called salmonellosis. If infected, you'll probably experience symptoms within 6 to 72 hours after consuming the contaminated food. Symptoms are typically related to your gastrointestinal tract. You might suffer from severe diarrhea, abdominal cramps, nausea and possibly vomiting. Headaches, chills, fatigue and fever are also often associated with salmonellosis.
We should also remember that in minced or comminuted meat, the problems with spreading the pathogenic bacteria only increase due to the exposure of so many new surfaces as the meat is cut. In just a few short hours, the bacterial count increases dramatically.
Symptoms usually resolve within four to seven days, but your body will have lost a large amount of fluid. Staying well-hydrated is essential. Pregnant women may be especially sensitive to pathogenic bacteria from raw chicken. In some instances the body is not always able to recover from the symptoms and consuming undercooked or raw chicken can even be fatal. Cross-contamination is also a major factor in spreading Salmonella bacteria. When chicken is raw or undercooked, any surfaces it touches will become contaminated. Be sure to wash all utensils and cutting boards.
My advice? Please COOK IT!
Best Wishes,
Chuckwagon
Gray Goat, you wrote:
Dogs have a very different GI tract that allows them to eat many things that would put us down for the count. Extra care is needed when handling, but no more then when making sausage. Their bowls are cleaned every day and we haven't had any problems so far. After seeing test results of what is in some of the popular kibble products, going raw was an easy decision to make
Okay pal, I hate to cloud up and rain all over you, but Salmonellosis, caused by the Salmonella bacteria, may indeed be found in cats and dogs. Check with any bacteriologist. It often leads to disorders, including gastroenteritis, spontaneous abortions, and septicemia. This bacterial disease is also zoonotic. It can be transmitted to humans and there are more than 2,000 different types of this Gram-negative enterobacteria. Typically, a host animal carrying the disease will have two or more different microorganisms or types of Salmonellae bacteria that cause this disease. Risk factors include the dog's age, with younger and older animals most at risk due to their underdeveloped and/or compromised immune systems. Similarly, dogs with weak immune systems or immature gastrointestinal tracts are at risk. The severity of the disease will often determine the signs and symptoms that are overtly present in the dog. Symptoms commonly seen in dogs with salmonellosis include fever, shock, lethargy, diarrhea, vomiting, anorexia, weight loss, dehydration, skin disease, mucus in stool, and an abnormally fast heart rate. The dog may also display swollen lymph nodes, an abnormal vaginal discharge, and even miscarriage or spontaneous abortion. Chronic forms of salmonellosis may include fever, weight loss, loss of blood, intermittent diarrhea lasting three or four weeks, and non-intestinal infections.
My concern yet lies in the fact that today`s chicken found at your local supermarket is, more often than not, contaminated with solmanellae bacteria. The genus belongs to the same family as Escherichia, which includes the species E.coli. From only two species of Salmonella,
Salmonella bongori and
Salmonella enterica, there are
six subspecies but they have
innumerable serotypes. One of them even causes typhoid fever!
I still say, cook raw chicken! Please don't risk the health of those beautiful dogs.
Best Wishes,
Chuckwagon
