Safety of raw diet

[stephcil]

Hi! I'm new here and just posted to the regular nutrition forum about my 7 mo siberian kitten w/ loose stool issues.

When he first came home, I was giving him the frozen raw medallions (nature's variety) about once a day. When speaking w/ the vet, she did not back up the raw diet (of course.. they want to feed Hills Science). She scared me w/ telling me that there is a chance the cat could spread salmonella to my family through it's feces. As soon as I heard that I stopped (esp since Zak gets some poop on his butt fur and sometimes paws).

I've been battling his loose stool for a while. Once he was off Wellness dry , and on decent quality canned food, his stool started to form (this was May).. However, still on canned, (weruva/fussie cat/ merrick), he has had loose stool. (if you read my other post I had worked w/ vet w/ stool sample, meds, etc in May).

On another note.. he has been chewing on some of the kids toys.. so not sure if this could contribute...

I'm wondering if raw is then answer for him... but a little worried about safety... thanks!!

Stephanie

 

[catmom2wires]

Well, I can recall at least 2 pet food recalls involving kibble that was contaminated with salmonella. I've fed raw for 3 years now, without incident. I make my own from meat from the grocery store. No cats or humans have become ill during this time.

I think you'll just have to weigh the benefits/risks on your own to make the decision. Good luck.

 

[auntie crazy]

The potential for a cat to spread Salmonella via the digestive system is no greater on raw than it is on kibble... and may, considering the higher percentage of kibble Salmonella recalls, be higher on kibble-fed cats.

Hundreds of thousands of cat owners all over the world have been feeding their cats a raw diet, and I've not heard of a single instance of an illness because of it.

I have never been concerned with this type of warning, even when my daughter and very young granddaughter lived with me.

AC

 

[carolina]

I don't think there is a very valid point there IMHO.
You do have to be careful as you are, after all, dealing with raw meat, but it is the same as when you are preparing meat for yourself I guess - just be careful with food contamination.
The issue for me with raw (for me, personally) is that you need to do a lot of research and be very careful to serve balanced meals - if you don't do that, you can harm the health of your kitty.
Make sure you read a lot, research a lot so you serve your baby a complete and balanced diet. Good luck

 

[ducman69]

The American, Canadian, and British Veterinary Association's official position is that the benefits of raw feeding have not been scientifically proven and there is a higher risk of salmonella exposure to humans in preparation and via their stools: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti...tool=pmcentrez

The US government has stated that a significant portion of poultry is contaminated with salmonella, and while this is destroyed in the process of cooking, cats and dogs are exposed to it when fed raw: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/08/dining/08well.html

However, the Veterinarian Associations are heavily lobbied by the pet food industry, who sponsors their limited nutritional training. Raw food diets are difficult to commercialize, and so there is concern of bias.

Proponents claim that a raw diet is most closely related to the natural prey diet the cats and dogs evolved to live on, it does not suffer from nutrient loss that is unavoidable in food processing, and that tendons and bones are beneficial for dental health. I have not seen scientific studies to support this, but it is logical, and there have been diets that demonstrate that exclusive commercial wet diets contribute to dental disease. Raw feeding has also gained popularity as the public has lost faith in the safety of commercial processed food, with numerous recalls that have resulted in the deaths of cats and dogs.

There is consensus IMO about the below concerns:
1) Cross contamination: you are handling raw meat on a regular basis, so make a consistent habit of washing hands/utensils/cutting boards appropriately.

2) Complete diet: you are responsible for ensuring that your cat has a balanced diet. this means researching the proper amount of heart/liver/meat (including proper types)/etc to feed to ensure all nutritional needs are met.

3) Proper preparation: grinding the meat and exposing it to the air can destroy the taurine necessary in the cat's diet. Heating the meat is also not an option for the same reason, plus cooked bones are a health hazard since they are more prone to shatter.

 

[stephcil]

Thanks for all the replies.. I read the link about the study done on dogs.... it was interesting and definitely supports the thought of my vet. The study was small, but salmonella was found in 30% of stool samples.

If I did raw diet.. it would not be homemade. It would be either the frozen option, or the freeze dried. I'm wondering if it's best to stay away from chicken types.. though I would assume any meat could have contamination.

I also realize commericial foood can be tainted too. I just really want to try to get this kitten's stool normal!

Thanks!

 

[furryfriends50]

Don't eat cat poop, and don't play in their litterbox. Best way to avoid getting sick from your cats stools - no matter what they eat

 

[goingpostal]

Honestly I don't really worry about it, I feed my iguana "raw" veggies, which are often contaminated with salmonella, and lizards themselves usually carry it as well. I breed mice, also carriers of salmonella. So feeding the cat and ferrets raw didn't scare me in the least, especially considering the number of recalls on commercial foods and treats for salmonella. There seems to be a lot of hype about the safety of raw although I've yet to hear of anyone actually getting sick on any of my pet forums, from reptiles to dogs/cats/ferrets. I assume most people have the sense to not handle raw meat or poop and then stick their fingers in their mouths.

 

[kaikrishna1111]

I think the bottom line is whatever you are comfortable with. I used to have a bearded dragon, but when I had a baby I was too concerned about salmonella and rehomed it. It didn't really matter to what extent the threat was real, just that it freaked me out and I couldn't be comfortable with it. It is probably fine, but it always ups the possibility of salmonella having raw meat around. So if you think it is going to cause anxiety I would say just use one of the high quality cooked foods around.