"I'm confused. You post that dogs do not get sick from raw meat but then you post about a recall for salmonella. Which is it?"
Very good question, anon! The recall in question is the recent Diamond brand recall including Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover's Soul.
Salmonella recalls are mainly for the safety of humans. It is possible for dogs to get sick from salmonella but it seems very rare. I can't find a single statistic about how many dogs get sick from it. Many seemingly healthy dogs have it in their system, perhaps even naturally.
When commercial dog food is recalled due to salmonella it's because when people handle contaminated food they can get sick.
For example, there was an outbreak in 2006-2007 from dry dog food in which 70 cases of human salmonella infection were identified across 19 states.
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| Note: "S. Schwarzengrund" is the specific strain of salmonella. www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5719a4.htm |
There you have it. That is why they ("they" being the FDA) recall dry dog food for salmonella. Because it makes people sick. I don't recommend feeding anything that has been recalled. Your dog might be ok, or they might get very sick and possibly die. A recall is a recall. I respect the recall and personally wouldn't feed any product recalled due to salmonella. It is a good idea to keep food bags and cans for a few months just in case there is a recall (for many things, not just salmonella). When a recall is issued the specific product information, expiration date, and other identifying numbers are released. If you don't have the bag or can you're not going to know if you're feeding recalled food.
Basically everything I have found about salmonella and dogs is that many seemingly healthy dogs have salmonella- sometimes more than 30% of dogs in the study. I can't find good comparison studies of raw vs kibble, but you can probably assume the dogs are fed kibble unless otherwise noted.
Whether you feed commercial food or raw you should always wash your hands well for about 20-30 seconds with warm water and soap after feeding your dog, or after scooping the yard. If you feed raw you should also clean any surfaces the meat was on or near, and if necessary also clean your dog's face, paws, or other areas that touched meat. I also don't allow dogs to give me kisses or lick me for several hours after they eat whether commercial or raw fed. You should also wash your hands after giving treats or chews as these too may have salmonella or other bacteria.
Basically everything I have found about salmonella and dogs is that many seemingly healthy dogs have salmonella- sometimes more than 30% of dogs in the study. I can't find good comparison studies of raw vs kibble, but you can probably assume the dogs are fed kibble unless otherwise noted.
Whether you feed commercial food or raw you should always wash your hands well for about 20-30 seconds with warm water and soap after feeding your dog, or after scooping the yard. If you feed raw you should also clean any surfaces the meat was on or near, and if necessary also clean your dog's face, paws, or other areas that touched meat. I also don't allow dogs to give me kisses or lick me for several hours after they eat whether commercial or raw fed. You should also wash your hands after giving treats or chews as these too may have salmonella or other bacteria.
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