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<p>Not true, dogs can develop problems from eating raw meat, including getting salmonella.</p>
<p>Been feeding an all raw diet to my pup for many years with no problems. I believe it is a species appropriate diet. I have never seen a dog get salmonella from raw meat.</p>
<p>emmom: I know many people feed their dogs raw food without any problems. I know that it could kill my dog since her bowel is compromised by her IBD.</p>
<p>All that said, I would argue that dogs are different from wolves in that they evolved a symbiotic relationship with humans–and humans eat cooked food. IMHO (and I can’t cite sources on this), dogs are adapted to eat cooked food.</p>
<p>^^^^^My dog was fed a raw diet by his breeder. She highly recommends it, but I wasn’t going to go there as we already had another dog quite acclimated to a life of kibble. I’m sure dogs eat raw meat they could kill in the wild, but it would be fresh raw. I don’t know, it seems like you could get into trouble if the supplier didn’t have pretty perfect conditions.</p>
<p>I would encourage anyone considering the benefits of feeding a raw diet to actually do the research and not just listen to the vet. Vets can give really bad advice. A lot of times they promote kibble that is not good for the dog. I have dealt with vets a lot, since I have had all kinds of animals (have three right now). It is incredibly hard to find one that actually knows what he or she is talking about when it comes to diet (that does not just go for dogs, by the way).</p>
<p>Again, if you are considering it, do you own research and see what you think. Actually talk to people who have done it for extended periods of time. Read about the pros and cons. Ask lost of questions. There are a lot of assumptions about animal food/care that are completely incorrect. Most dog food on the market is complete junk. Don’t let other people, on the internet or even in real life, make the decision for you.</p>
<p>If you do stick with kibble, the best brands are Orijen, Innova Evo, Wellness, and a few other ones. The overwhelming majority of the other ones are really bad.</p>
<p>I would like to add that even if you do choose to cook and even add some products that may be not be necessary, etc., it is still 1,000 times better than feeding the junk that’s in most dog foods, so definitely go for it!</p>
<p>^^salmonella is the least of your worries when you deal with raw meat. A friend of mine works in the food testing industry designing PCR assays for food-borne pathogens. There is so much lurking in that meat (yup, organic meats included!) that if I tell you the details, you and your dogs will verrrry quickly become vegans :)</p>
<p>If you choose to feed your dog raw meats, do not let him lick your face, sleep on your bed and make sure you wash you hands really well after playing with your pooch. It is for your own safety. </p>
<p>I would not trust vets who are sponsored by Purina either.</p>
<p>Acollegestudent: while I think there are a very few vets who promote unhealthy dog food, all of the vets I know are primarily concerned with the health and well-being of the animals they care for. Perhaps I am unusually fortunate. Of course, the vets I know are agility competitors.</p>
<p>The raw diets are often nutritionally excellent. I use several of them as backup food–I just cook them lightly.</p>
<p>dmd77, I think what you say about cooking them lightly definitely makes sense depending on the source. </p>
<p>As for the vets, I am sure that a lot of them mean well, but I have found that, like with a lot of human doctors (who may overprescribe medication, just as an example), you still have to do your research. I will admit that my view may be skewed because my other two pets (aside from my dog) are guinea pigs, and it’s almost impossible to find a good exotic vet that has even HEARD of good food brands, never mind the right medication, etc. Unfortunately, I have had a similar experience with some dog vets. I guess I just always feel now that I have to be cautious and verify whatever I am being told before actually agreeing to/trying anything. Even if you look at the food/drug industries for humans, there are a lot of harmful stuff out there. I tend to believe that animal ones are a lot worse regulated and there is a lot more to watch out for.</p>
<p>Another opinion on raw diets and why they might not be a good idea for your dog:
[Delta</a> Society - Raw Protein Diet Policy](<a href=“http://www.deltasociety.org/Page.aspx?pid=638]Delta”>http://www.deltasociety.org/Page.aspx?pid=638)</p>
<p>we feed our dog a special diet of human food. She gets chicken and rice with mixed veggies or a special meatloaf with the veggies purried in them. We useually make big batches then freeze it.</p>
<p>She’s allergic to dog food and it causes her to have seizures so we asked her vet what we could do and this was his suggestion. </p>
<p>That was 5 years ago and she is a strong 12 year old toy poodle who loves to pick on others and chase the squirrles.</p>