One of the main concerns of feeding a Species Appropriate Raw Food Diet (SARF), is the risk of germs. In so many cases people give the wrong advice and information. The main concern and question asked, “Is my family at risk from bacteria from raw meat”? The fact is that there are as many pathogens found on kibble as there is with a Species Appropriate Raw Food diet. The only difference is that with one of these diets your dog will thrive and particularly if done correctly and if the body isn’t burdened with unnecessary toxins won’t cost you a fortune in vets bills!
This myth has now been touted for some time, it has driven people to feed synthetic foods and has been pushed more recently by media companies, due to the fact that raw feeding is growing at an alarming rate and a £65 billion commercialised pet industry is panicking.
The reason raw feeding is growing so quickly is because people are seeing that their dogs are much healthier, and in most cases where long term health issues have been occurring, with months and even years in some cases of repeat vets visits with ineffective treatments, then after switching to (SARF) Species Appropriate Raw Food diet these issues are improved considerably.
They use the fear of bacteria in many cases to help sell products and control people’s decisions, but this is a myth made possible by our society’s pathological fear of bacteria. Of the millions of bacteria on this earth, it is estimated that less than 1% are harmful. Media and society as a whole have played up bacteria, painting it as an evil nemesis that must be stomped out with disinfectants, antibacterial everything, and unnecessary vaccination.
Raw diet critics tout this myth as a main reason for not feeding raw. Yes, there is bacteria in raw meat. Yes, this bacteria can harm you. Yes, this bacteria is sometimes shed in dogs’ faeces, but this is also the case with synthetic kibble and tinned “foods”. So if a raw-fed dog licks you, are you going to get sick? I suppose all things are possible, but on the whole: no, you will not get sick. This bacteria does not persist in the mouth of a raw-fed canine. Canine saliva contains lysozyme, an enzyme that lyses and destroys bacteria, but more importantly, the absence of plaque means the dog’s mouth is no longer a hospitable place for bacteria to inhabit. A kibble-fed dog’s mouth, however, provides the perfect environment for bacteria growth. People proclaiming this “serious health risk” claim seem to think people are incapable of a) properly feeding their dogs and b) cleaning up after themselves. Use good hygiene practices: clean countertops and utensils used to feed dogs, and wash your hands. We can also use common sense and take food out of the question and ask “what if my dog licks my face after they have been for a walk” sniffing everywhere, with their face in other dogs pee and faeces!! There is no real need to be concerned, if you follow these simple instructions every time you feed your pet, it will prevent any issues. We advise you ONLY use stainless steel or ceramic bowls for your pets food and water bowls, this is due to the fact that plastic does scratch and this then increases the risk of bacteria growing in the crevices . The best way to defrost your pets raw food is using a fridge. This way you can defrost a ‘block’ at a time, slowly. It takes us around 24 hrs. Do not worry if you cannot defrost it in a fridge, it’s okay to leave a block out of the freezer over night or during the day defrosting for your pets next meal time, we do however recommend using a sealed container at all times. Every time you handle any raw food wash your hands with warm soapy water thoroughly. As soon as your pet has finished eating, wash the food bowl with hot soapy water and then wash your hands with warm soapy water. This does not take long and minimises any bacteria being left behind. Wash any preparation area and feeding areas with hot soapy water. Water bowls should also be washed daily with hot soapy water. In changing your pets food from a dried food/kibble or tinned, to SARF there is a little more involved in the preparation in readiness for meal times. But the factual benefits of feeding a SARF diet are priceless.
Benefits of feeding a SARF Diet:
- Meal times are quicker and easier
- Your pet not only enjoys his/her food more, they love it !!
- There will be a lot less poop to pick up
- Your pet will not produce as much faeces (this is because, A, there are no additives, preservatives or chemical fillers and B, their digestive system is specifically designed to process the raw meat, bone and offal in order to extract the minerals/nutrients to feed their body’s cells)
- The stools will be easier to pick up as they will be much firmer
- The stools will be a lot less smelly, due to there being no additives/preservatives
- Feeding a SARF diet generally cost’s much less than kibble
- Vets visits and bills when raw fed correctly will be drastically reduced or made non existent
