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Wild relative of domesticated dogs and cats flourish on raw flesh , but a so - called " raw " diet for pets carries risks of their pic to parasites and bacterium , a fresh study finds .
What ’s more , a pet ’s raw diet may put human at risk for these infections , too .
Raw ingredients in pet foods can carry a health risk for animals — and people.
Pet foods and treats that include raw meat , electric organ or meaty bone have been found to let in parasites such asToxoplasmaand tapeworm , as well as the bacteriaEscherichia coli , Listeria monocytogenes , Brucella suisandSalmonella , harmonise to a survey recently conducted in the Netherlands . introduce these pathogens into homes through foul favourite intellectual nourishment present the possibility that they could also sicken multitude , the study authors reported . [ These 7 Foods Cause the Most Pet Deaths ]
Pet proprietor who prefer to feed their creature with a raw meat - based dieting ( RMDB ) may guess that they ’re offering their pooches or felid a healthy selection . But no study show that these dieting provide wellness benefits — if anything , anterior research has documented that the opposite is unfeigned , the scientist explained in the subject area . RMDB eating was linked to intestinal flu and diarrhea in dogs , and to a lethal type ofSalmonellainfection in cats , according to the field of study .
Previous findings also note that RMBDs can miss important nutrients , which can go to health problem — particularly in young animals . These diet have contributed to pets developinghyperthyroidism(an overactive thyroid gland gland ) , and have even ensue in injuries such as fractured teeth and gut perforations , the scientists report .
Since dogs diverged from their Hugo Wolf antecedent more than 10,000 years ago , hereditary dispute have also go forth that have provide dogs better equipped to handle a dieting that includes starches as well as meat . Dogs have more copies of a factor that produces amylase — an enzyme that bust down starches — than wolves do , and this gene is 28 meter more active in dogs than in wolves , researchersreportedin 2013 .
Currently , as many as 1 million Dutch households provide their pets with a dieting that includes raw inwardness or raw by - intersection , the researcher indite in the study . To see what microorganisms might be lurking in the food , they test 35 products contain different type of raw sum and nitty-gritty by - products , include poulet , beef , lamb , duck , rabbit , horse and Meleagris gallopavo .
They foundE. coliin 86 percent of the products , while 54 percent includedL. monocytogenesand 20 pct heldSalmonella . Parasite DNA was detected in 29 percent of the sample , the scientist chance on .
In oecumenical , the microbial grounds that the research worker gathered from their sample distribution fell within acceptable limits for commercially produce pet products in the Netherlands . But the amount ofE. coliin 40 percent of the RMDBs surpass the threshold for secure human consumption , and a mortal could become taint with the bacteria through contactwith the pet food ; with contaminated surfaces ; or with an septic pet , the researchers report .
AndSalmonellaspeciesanalyzed in the study salute another unpleasant surprise — they were insubordinate to antibiotics , which would make infections difficult to treat .
" It is important to further cognisance of the potential risks associated with feeding RMBDs to comrade creature , and pet owners should be educated about personal hygiene and proper manipulation of RMBDs , " the study authors concluded .
The determination were published online yesterday ( Jan. 11 ) in the journalVeterinary Record .
Original article onLive Science .
