Can't win the raw battle

[jbgsd]

Well basically axel is our families dog and I live with parents and siblings. My friend has his dog on raw diet and he looks great. I suggested to my parents that we switch our 8 month old axel to a raw diet and they were not having it. They think the dog will get salmonella and die. Or bring salmonella and bacteria into the house through his poop. So I need help. I want him to be the healthiest as possible and diet is where it starts. So is there really risk of salmonella through the pre made raw patties. And if I can't do raw what would be the next best thing?
Thanks a lot. I've been asking tons of questions lately. Haha sorry

[Marnie]

I'm not a proponent of raw diets but you might consider that several brands of kibble and dog treats have been recalled recently for salmonella contamination. That's something that you definitely don't want on your hands, counter tops, floors, etc.

[Yoschi's_Pet_Human]

I won the battle by showing how it costs less... if you do it right, don't overfeed and by bulk through co-ops or sale meats it's less than good kibble.

[onyx'girl]

well, your family eats meat, right? That contains the same as what a raw diet would and you use common sense when handling raw meat.
The only issue I ever see is where I feed my dogs, they can drop food on the floor as they eat, and they do want to have their muzzles wiped off after they eat(probably the same as a kibble fed dog?)
If someone has an immune system that is compromised they are going to be subjected to whatever anyway, so taking precautions is necessary. Otherwise, raw feeding is no different than kibble feeding. I've fed raw for over 6 yrs and have had no problems whatsoever.

[Anitsisqua]

Well, I feed my boy outside or in his crate, so that helps limit the places that raw meat can be dropped...

[Marnie]

Originally Posted by Anitsisqua

Well, I feed my boy outside or in his crate, so that helps limit the places that raw meat can be dropped...

The raw meat is all over the dogs muzzle and face. If you feed in the crate and he lays in the crate, the bacteria is all over the dog. Chances are it won't ever have any effect on the dog, but when you pet the dog, the bacteria is all over your hands. That could definitely impact a child or someone with an illness or a problem with their immune system. This is why vets cannot recommend raw feeding. I know I wouldn't want my little nieces to get a nice wet GSD kiss from a raw fed dog.

[Liesje]

People do not understand salmonella and bacteria on raw meat. Just because meat is raw does NOT mean that there is automatically salmonella and e. coli. and other harmful bacterias on it. You get salmonella poisoning by eating food contaminated with feces, it is not something that just naturally occurs on the surface of raw meats. If these bacterias are present then the meat has been *contaminated* and the chances are it has already been recalled and pulled from the butcher before you even get a chance to buy it. I was having this discussion with my husband last week while standing at the butcher counter picking out chicken parts for my dog. Apparently the butcher was eavesdropping because he said "that is absolutely right".

I don't get why people don't just say they are grossed out by raw meat. Making up stuff about how the bacteria is spread or how common it is just perpetuates these myths. It's one thing to be grossed out by raw meat and not want to deal with it, that I can understand, but to think that feeding a dog raw is going to constantly introduce these harmful bacterias is not accurate. If you or your dog gets salmonella you should warn your health department and tell them what meat you bought.

[qbchottu]

Originally Posted by Marnie

The raw meat is all over the dogs muzzle and face. If you feed in the crate and he lays in the crate, the bacteria is all over the dog. Chances are it won't ever have any effect on the dog, but when you pet the dog, the bacteria is all over your hands. That could definitely impact a child or someone with an illness or a problem with their immune system. This is why vets cannot recommend raw feeding. I know I wouldn't want my little nieces to get a nice wet GSD kiss from a raw fed dog.

Yea...cause prepared dog food is SO much safer....
Recalls & Withdrawals

My vet LOVES my raw fed dogs - took my raw fed female into the vet for xrays today and the entire office couldn't stop commenting on her robust appearance. Vet was over the moon about her health. Fed raw to my dogs in India when I was a child (perhaps even at the same age as your little nieces!) and NEVER once had a scare. My physician parents saw nothing wrong with it either FYI.

What exactly do you think is crawling over the feces/urine that dogs get into on a regular basis? Not exactly sanitary pristine conditions out there....yet somehow we aren't all succumbing to deathly illnesses when our dogs interact with us.....

[Lauri & The Gang]

Ok, folks. This isn't a discussion on whether raw is safe or not or better or whatever.

The OP asked for recommendations on the next best thing to raw.

You could look into home cooked. You can still control the ingredients and avoid all the cheap fillers.

[Discoetheque]

The risk of salmonella through the patties would probably be about the same as the risk from getting meat from a clean, trusted source. It will also be horrendously expensive. For example, 6# of Primal in my area is in the ballpark of about $30, average. That amount would last one of my dogs roughly three days. That's probably about $70 to feed my dog for one week. Nearly $300 a month. And she hardly eats a lot compared to some other dogs.
If you're going to go for a kibble, then I would investigate everything. Find a company, look at who owns them. What other companies they own. Where they source from: some companies are very forthcoming about where every ingredient, every meat, every egg in the food comes from. Most are not. Their track record with recalls. Customer reviews. Ingredient lists. Talk to people who feed or have fed the food you're interested in.