Risk of Feeding Raw Meat - Page 2

The intent of this post was to inform you so you could take measures in the safe handling of raw meat so YOU don't get sick!  

Matthews---did you read the article?  It has NOTHING to do with a dog food company doing research.  It is letting us know that OUR food supply puts us at risk.  And, BTW bacteria are prokaryotic cells so they do NOT have a nucleus.  

zdog--only about 1% of all bacteria are pathogens; 99% are harmless, but those that are pathogens can be killers.  Bacteria mutate at a rate that we cannot keep up with in regards to developing antiobiotics to kill them.  Believe it or not, they can live on surfaces such as your kitchen countertop longer than you think; they are very well adapted to survive long enough to infect you.  

Bunk I tell you.  I have been around e-coli and worse for years ( i worked at a dairy farm.....) I have gotten cow poo in my eyes, mouth etc. Calves with scours have shot salmonella laden shit into open wounds on my arms and such.  i handle raw meat with my hands, drink raw milk etc.  In my 40's i am health as a horse.  WHY??? because I am exposed to rediculas amount of bacteria on a daily basis.  I think I may have even eaten a cookie that fell on the floor once or twice...You just wipe of the dog hair... People who get sick often have lower immune issues, asthma etc. I don't bleach my counters, and definately do not have ANY anti-bacteria soaps around.  I do bleach my kennels. Think about food poisoning who usually gets it... young children and older people. Why?  Lower immunity

I think the point is the practice of injecting our food animals with a preventive antibiotic, is the problem. It is creating the breeding ground for MRSA's besides the known problem associated with hospitals.

Support your local, organic meat farmers.  

And yes, use separate cutting boards for meats and veggies. Always guard against cross contamination. 

Hmm.  I guess the years I spent studying and getting a degree in medical technology as well as biology should have been spent at a dairy farm?  Why did I even bother to take PATHOGENIC BACTERIOLOGY as a graduate course?  Not to mention the years I spent working as a lab supervisor at a PATHOLOGY lab, as well as my current job teaching biology.  Wow, I could have saved myself time and money then I too could be so "knowledgable" about bacteria and immunity!  NOT!

To those who are interested, safe handling of raw meat includes thorough washing of the surfaces that you place the raw meat on and washing your hands (make sure you scrub them well).  A good disinfectant like Lysol is sufficient for hard surfaces.  You do not have to wash your hands with anti bacterial soap because the action of scrubbing is enough.  Why play Russian roulette with bacteria that can make you very sick or worse?  Some people do have stronger immune systems, but even they get sick sometimes.  And, everyone's immune system weakens as they age.  Ignorance is not bliss, it puts lives in danger.  

LOL brynjulf

I agree, except for the fallen cookie. Usually it's the 5 second rule.  LOL

 

You make good points GGturner. I always wipe down my counter real well with Lysol wipes after preparing the food for the dogs- actually I do it in the garage, not my kitchen. There was someone on another board that got sick when feeding deer meat to her dogs. The dogs were fine, but she became quite ill.

Why are "raw food" feeders against cooking the food before feeding it to their animals? Are there any studies that show cooking food changes the chemical properties to such a manner that , make the food significantly less nutritious? I have also heard about the dangers of sharp bones, specifically  poultry bones. I have fed my dogs over the years a variety of different cooked bones on a regular basis and have never had any issues with cooked bones. Is the potential risk from cooked bones about as high as a dog getting sick from pathogens from uncooked meat? Would puppies with compromised immune systems have a greater risk of becoming sick from these pathogens?

I know it is hard sometimes to read tone, by why does it seem people are so defensive agaist GTurners post. The risk of handling raw food rather it be for your dogs or human family are the same. Wash your hands, dishes, and counters.  While your unclean practices might have built up your defense through exposure, you might not be healthy as a horse everyday or always, and also look out for your family and friends who might be over for dinner or you might shake hands with

Because cooking kills the majority of "good bacterias" as well as the bad guys!
A dog's stomach acid is able to kill a lot more harmful bacterias than a human's.
I haven't found one dog yet that would prefer cooked versus raw meat - give it a try. What dry kibble producers don't want to tell you that kibble can contain a high amount of salmonella and other - mainly for humans harmful - bacteria, fungi and protozoe that, if not handled properly can cause serious harm to dog owners. Just because it's dehydrated doesn't mean there isn't bacteria.
Food processing requires basic hygenic guidelines that everyone preparing food should follow - no matter if it's for dogs and humans. I prepare raw food for my dogs for nearly 35 years now and never had any issues.

Jamesfountain--they are defensive because they think I'm attacking raw feeding and I'm not.  I was actually trying to help them because the Staph strain that was found in almost 50% of all meat in grocery stores is antibiotic resistant and could harm/kill.   I guess this is the last time I will try to help raw feeders on this site!

 We KNOW there is bacteria, WE Know to be cautious. But the REALITY is that very few people get sick from food preparation. The alarmist mentality of the scientific community drives me a bit batty.  Do some people get sick and DIE ..Yes they do. I have a friend who was almost killed in the Jack In the Box fiasco.  My issue is that raw feeders know the risks, we do not need to be reminded. Raw feeders in general tend to be people who research, research research. My other point is that if your going to get sick it is more likely caused from being overly clean than once in a while slipping your hands into raw meat.(  there is tons of research material on this very subject)   Tingiesandtails is bang on with the dangers concealled in kibble.  I have a feeling that my point was missed entirely by GG.......The CDC states that 1 in 6 people each year get sick due to improper food prep.  Seriously I call BS........Anyhow I'm not telling anyone how to prepare their foods.  I don't have a degree in microbiology ........