Why can animals eat chciken and pork raw.....

[osprey]

without feeling ill, whereas if humans eat raw chicken they could contract samonella or camopylobacter and trichinosis from eating raw or undercooked pork? Is it something to do with a bacteria they have in their mouths or stomachs or is there some other reason. Thank you.

[Clanad]

Many veterinarians and knowledgeable dog breeders have been advocating for years to return dogs and cats to thier natural diet of raw foods, especially various meats. One publication states "...The fact that a human's digestive system is quite different to a dogs is largely why we need to keep this in mind (return to raw foods). The dog's digestive system was built to cope with levels of bacteria to suit their scavenging nature and the digestive tract is much shorter to accommodate this. Infact, I'll go as far as to say that dogs love bones that have had a few hours in the sun to 'mature' and I see no ill effects afterwards even if I think they're disgusting. Now, I believe that our dogs may be more adjusted to eating these varied bacteria that are supposed to be deadly and I also believe that to some degree our dogs have a natural ability to cope well with them as this would be passed down from the mother who has often consumed these bacteria - it's often what's new to the system that can have devastating effects?similar to when we travel abroad and get ill with the different water we drink..."
(Golden Gate Boston Terrier Club)

[Noweia]

Animals that eat raw meat will develop an immunity, in most cases, to harmful pathogens found in the meat. However animals with access to such meat can die of salmonellosis and campylobacteriosis, jut like we can!

Animals can't eat raw meat without the chance of picking up parasites - dogs and cats may become infected with parasites if they are given access to it. For example, the tapeworms Taenia hydatigena and Taenia ovis are parasites of the dog, but need sheep to complete their lifecycle. Dogs are infected by eating raw lamb or mutton. Both these parasites are very common in abattoirs - one reason not to feed dogs raw meat as this continues the lifecycle of the parasite!

Another example is Neospora, which is passed from cattle to dogs, by dogs eating raw meat. This can cause disease in the dog, and if it's a female, serious problems and even death for her next litter of pups.

Dogs and cats may also pick up Trichinella species from raw meat - same as us.

I guess the answer to your question is that if we all ate raw meat from an early age we would develop some immunity to these pathogens - however, we would all be parasite ridden and could possibly pick up a fatal dose of bacteria along the way!

[Clanad]

Well, gee, I started to edit a lengthy disagreement with Noweia... I intended to discuss the fact that while parasites are always a possibility, the fact is wild dogs, coyotes (herein the western U.S.), fox, wolves (recently reintroduced to the wild here) as well as feral cats seem to have very little problem with them. I was going to say that if you let Fluffy the cat or Boopsy the in-bred, high strung, yappy minature whatever outside and they encountered a ripe road kill whatsit, they would first, roll in it and then eat some of it and then bury the rest, returning, if able, later to dig it up and devour the remainder. I was also going to expound on the contents of commercial pet foods, including that BHA, BHT and ethoxyquin that are found in many pet foods... but I thought better of it and simply enclose this quote from William Pollak D.V.M. :

"Dogs, cats and other animals live for years on foods that come out of bags, cans and boxes. But do these foods promote health? If they did, our companion animals would enjoy long, happy lives free of arthritis, hip dysplasia, eye problems, ear problems, fleas and other parasites, gum disease, lick granulomas, thyroid imbalances, skin and coat problems, personality disorders, birth defects, breeding problems, diabetes, cancer and other major and minor illnesses. Before World War II, most North Americans fed their pets raw bones and table scraps. Today, everyone uses convenience foods, and pet food companies are industry giants. Diet isn't the only thing that has changed. So has life expectancy, with the life span of many breeds now less than half what it was two or three decades ago. Skin and coat problems are so common that we accept them as unavoidable, and today's vets routinely treat conditions that used to be unusual or even rare."

[Noweia]

Clanad, here in the UK, parasites such as T. ovis and T. hydatigena are a persistent cause of condemnation of animal carcases in abattoirs. Many of these parasites require dogs in their lifecycles at one point or another - it is only through dogs eating raw meat that the cycle is maintained. While the dogs do not show much pathology with infection of these parasites, there is an enormous cost to the farmer when his animals and rejected at slaughter. Part of the control measures in place in the UK is to limit the access of dogs to raw meat and raw meat products.

With regards to the quote from W. Pollak: While the conditions he lists may have causes attributable to nutrition, most have a genetic and environmental influence. Arthritis and hip dysplasia are common in giant breed dogs, with hip dysplasia being especially notable in the German Shepherd. Eye and ear problems are common in breeds with folded skin around the face and breeds with long, drooping ears respectively. Fleas are an evironmental problem - not food associated. Lick granulomas are usually the product of a bored collie or labrador - which may be remedied by alterations in diet, but in which exercise and lifestyle must also be taken into account. Thyroid disease is usually genetic in origin.

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[Noweia]

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Skin and coat problems often have breed associations - labradors are prone to allergies and bull terriers are prone to skin disorders. I would put a lot of cases of canine 'personality disorders' down to improper training and socialisation of the dog early in life, and the breed temperament of a particular dog - it is rare that a poor diet would cause bad behaviour on its won, usually more factors are involved. Birth defects have numerous causes, as do breeding and reproductive problems. Diabetes is more common in dogs nowadays due to more dogs being overweight and obese than before - and this is most often due to overfeeding and not enough exercise than to a serious problem with the food being given. Cancer has always been there, but with pets living longer this is becoming more of a problem. Also, diagnostic techniques are constantly improving so cancer is more often diagnosed, where before it may have been missed.

Gum disease is one problem which is caused by food - but not solely by processed foods. Animals eating a lot of wet food will tend to have a greater buildup of plaque around their teeth than animals on dry food - this applies equally well to dogs and cats, which is why dried foods are sometimes recommended to owners of animals with periodontal disease.

[Snappy]

Freeze raw meat then defrost before feeding, this kills the bacteria