Raw Mince And Toxoplasmosis

Erinlinkcappy

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So a few months ago my Cat ( Link) was very sick with toxoplasmosis. He recovered but it was recommended he not eat raw mince again because of the risk of infection. Previously we had been giving him a lot of raw mince.

Link loves raw mince and goes mad when we are cooking it to make spaghetti etc. and sometimes I’m tempted to give him a little but I don’t.

I guess I’m confused about the overall reasoning behind the mince ban. I know he caught the parasite from the mince. I know most cats don’t have symptoms from toxoplasmosis and it may be likely my other cat got it and was not affected. So did Link just get a very strong version of the infection or is his body particularly susceptible for some reason? Is giving him a small amount of mince very dangerous??
 

4horses

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Why not cook the meat first? I'm not a proponent of feeding cats raw because of the risk of infection.

The problem with raw meat is due to factory farming and how meat is processed. For example ground beef is the meat from several hundred cows mixed together (from the machines mixing it together). This means any supermarket meat is contaminated usually with several different pathogenic bacteria.

My cats love cooked meat! i do not ever feed raw unless it is a live mouse the cats catch themselves.
 

mrsgreenjeens

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Whenever I served GROUND raw to my guys, I always bought it specifically from an organization that ground it for dogs and cats and never from a grocery store. It usually already included some organs and bones in it too, so was nutritionally complete. Do you have that option? Not sure where you live (country) or I might could advise you of places to purchase. Otherwise, you could buy whole meats and grind your own, that way you don't risk having pathogens in it, or you could cook it, as 4horses 4horses suggested.
 

LTS3

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Ground meat from the supermarket is also ground using grinders that may not be cleaned and sanitized thoroughly or properly. This is why ground meat from the supermarket is not recommended to be fed raw to pets. Only buy whole cuts of meat and chop or grind it yourself at home.
 

Tiggerbugsmom

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I have to i myself and from my research I thought once you have it, you have it...your body learns to deal with it and usually it kind of lies dormant unless something traumatic cause immune system to drop and then parasite or viruses can cause symptoms again?

If that is in fact true then would it matter if exposed to toxo again?
 

Catmom1234567890

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So a few months ago my Cat ( Link) was very sick with toxoplasmosis. He recovered but it was recommended he not eat raw mince again because of the risk of infection. Previously we had been giving him a lot of raw mince.

Link loves raw mince and goes mad when we are cooking it to make spaghetti etc. and sometimes I’m tempted to give him a little but I don’t.

I guess I’m confused about the overall reasoning behind the mince ban. I know he caught the parasite from the mince. I know most cats don’t have symptoms from toxoplasmosis and it may be likely my other cat got it and was not affected. So did Link just get a very strong version of the infection or is his body particularly susceptible for some reason? Is giving him a small amount of mince very dangerous??
Hello, my baby died from toxoplasmosis from raw diet. It affected her lungs and ultimately died of liver failure. I do not recommend raw diet. Most cats may do well on raw but the risk of parasites do not outweigh nutritional benefits of raw. Here's a info on feline toxoplasmosis:
Toxoplasmosis in Cats

You are very lucky you cat survived but unfortunately my cat did not.
 

Maurey

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Toxoplasmosis doesn't survive freezing. If you buy your meat from reliable sources (either a local butcher you trust, or a pet raw organisation, for example HareToday), and freeze for at least 3 days at -10C or under (14F, average freezer temp is around 0F if memory serves), you should be in the clear. Here is a direct quote from this scientific review article from 2018:

Freezing of meat at −10°C for 3 days or at −20°C for 2 days killed parasite and cysts could not recover.
Inactivation of T gondii tissue cysts was achieved by freezing at −7°C for 4 days.

All the raw meat I feed my cat is generally frozen for at least a week before she's fed, and she's never had any issues from it, despite being raw fed since weaning.
 

ScaryGoblin

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Hello, my baby died from toxoplasmosis from raw diet. It affected her lungs and ultimately died of liver failure. I do not recommend raw diet. Most cats may do well on raw but the risk of parasites do not outweigh nutritional benefits of raw. Here's a info on feline toxoplasmosis:
Toxoplasmosis in Cats

You are very lucky you cat survived but unfortunately my cat did not.
I am so sorry for your loss 🥺
 

sophie1

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So sorry to hear about that Catmom. Reliable sourcing is something we raw feeders all have to take seriously. I am very hesitant about using meat from the grocery for all sorts of reasons.

Another inducement to ordering online: suppliers like Hare Today have boneless chunks and things like chicken parts and beef marrow bones. They're not *technically* human grade, but...they are much cheaper than the skyrocketing grocery store prices, and a whole lot fresher. Just sayin'.
 
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