Be very careful if you feed your dogs RAW

[DMikeM]

. Apparently I was not careful enough yesterday while sorting and cutting the chicken I just got yesterday. I think I contaminated my own meal somehow and was up all night with stomach problems and am still dealing with it now. Learn from my mistake and I will not have to hear yours.​

 

[angelbears]

Sorry to hear about your problems Mike. I do want to make clear though for those who are thinking about feeding raw or those who are saying "see I told you so", as long as you use proper hygiene, the same you would use if you were putting food up for yourself there shouldn't be a problem.

I have gotten the shits from improper food prep long before I started feeding raw. Actually, I think I'm subconsciously more careful now and haven't had a problem since we started feeding raw. LOL

 

[danielleconn]

So I have a stupid question....when you all say raw, it's raw meat correct? Or is it cooked? How would you establish "proper hygiene" if it's raw?

 

[angelbears]

Totally raw! The same way I safely prepare raw food to cook for my family.

 

[DMikeM]

I was prepping RAW chicken and set down paper bags on my cutting board for easier clean up. After I was done I disposed of the bags and I think I forgot to wash the board afterwards. I had a microwave dinner but I heated a couple tortillas to go with it and set them on the board so I could put some butter on them. I am pretty sure this is where I messed up. Unless the microwave dinner was bad.
This is the first time it's happened in maybe 10 years of feeding this way.

 

[musicdeb]

I've been feeding raw for 2 years and haven't gotten sick but I'm pretty anal about cleaning, not only with prepping his food but anal about all cleaning.

 

[ruthcatrin]

Totally raw meat.

As for hygene, its just like when you pre-pare raw meat for cooking for yourself. You wash hands and all utensils and cutting boards/surfaces used before touching anything else. Its not hard.

Look at it this way Mike, at least you hopefully learned your lesson!

 

[DennasMom]

OOPS!
Nothing like a good 'clean-out', eh?? Hope you're feeling better! Down some probiotics - they might help crowd out the bad bugs.

I'm terrible with "proper hygiene"... but I do make sure I put the dirty cutting boards in the sink as soon as I'm done with raw meats - mine or the dog's. They may sit in the sink for a few days until they make it to the dishwasher, but at least I've tagged them as "dirty", so I don't use them for my own raw veggies at dinner.

As for what "proper hygiene" when feeding raw is supposed to look like - it means you wash up when you're done - same as you would after prepping your own meals.

I know, they now say 'don't wash that chicken' before cooking, to lessen the potential for bacteria splattering all over the kitchen, but I'm not going to feed the antibacterial "dip" that they wash chickens in to me or my dog. All the food in my house gets rinsed before cooked and/or eaten. Period. Even that 'pre-washed' salad stuff gets washed again.

 

[danielleconn]

Thanks for clarifying...it amazes me that dogs don't get sick from the same bacteria in raw meat that would affect us...

 

[ruthcatrin]

Dogs are carnivores, they're designed for it.

I've been feeding raw since Apollo was 9months old, he's now 3.5yrs old, and he's never been sick from it. Arty's been eating raw since he was 7.5 weeks old, and he's never had any bacteria problems either!

 

[ruthcatrin]

The next usual question when it comes to raw: yes they're allowed to lick us, and no, we've never been sick from it either. If someone in the house had a comprimised immune system I might not allow it, but if they have a comprimised immune system they're at risk from the bacterias carried by kibble too, which are MORE likely to be stronger, "badder", bacteria anyway!

 

[danielleconn]

I don't think I would have even thought about the licking thing...I love my kisses too much to worry about it. If they lick their privates & I can overlook that...well...

Yeah I can imagine kibble being bacteria ridden....I mean FDA does little for our food supply...

 

[danielleconn]

You know what my next thought was actually....considering the antibiotics, hormones and steroids in our food supply, if it builds any resistance in our dogs like it can with us....antibiotics related anyway. It was just a wandering thought...

 

[ruthcatrin]

I don't think I would have even thought about the licking thing...I love my kisses too much to worry about it. If they lick their privates & I can overlook that...well...

Yah, thats the other comparison I sometimes use lol, but yah, salmonella contamination is probly THE most common cause of kibble recalls actually.....

You know what my next thought was actually....considering the antibiotics, hormones and steroids in our food supply, if it builds any resistance in our dogs like it can with us....antibiotics related anyway. It was just a wandering thought...

Its hard to say but I don't think that processing it for kibble would change any of that to be honest (actually, I KNOW it sometimes doesn't, because antibiotics and other drugs HAVE shown up in testing of kibbles on occasion). I DO know raw feeders who go out of their way to get as much organic meats as possible, or who raise poultry or rabbits for the majority of their dog's food, partially because its convient and partially for that reason. I know I've considered raising my own on several occasion. But not only would I have to keep my dogs out of the pens, but ALSO the local wildlife who think my yard is their yard....

 

[danielleconn]

Yes in my ideal world...and hopefully before I die...I would like to have my own animals to raise and ultimately eat. Right now we hardly have a back yard for my dog...but in due time. I am young and this is our first home, I don't expect miracles yet! But I will work hard to get there one day! Thanks for your input...it's interesting to pick other people's minds....

 

[ruthcatrin]

welcome!

 

[Penny1960]

Have any of you killed a chicken? And skinned one.i have chickens for eggs and one time we did kills some for food but I hate the killing part?and how many chicken a year for one dog do u need?

 

[ruthcatrin]

I've never personally slaughtered a chicken no, I've helped cleaned deer though.

How many you'd need would depend on the dog and the size of the chicken. Apollo averages about 2lbs of food a day if that helps.