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The doghouse

If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

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Original poster

Raw fed dogs and elderly relatives - what would you do?

15 replies

loveyouradvice · 19/02/2021 10:57

What do you do?

Our wee fella has been eating raw for about 4 weeks now - loving it, and I can't see us going back.

My mother dotes on him and used to walk him masses as a pup. She's now in a care home but I imagine they'll be opening up soon and she's keen to see him again.

How worried should I be about his saliva? Yes, he does lick her face and she loves it. (I don't but that's another story)

To be safe should I feed him high quality kibble for a couple of days before or would this make no difference?

OP posts:

Leonberger · 19/02/2021 11:11

Mine are registered pets at therapy and raw feeding is not allowed for registered animals due to the risk of salmonella, e-coli and listeria.
I work with dogs and once picked up campylobacter from a raw fed one. That was not fun!

I wouldn’t have a raw fed dog around children or the elderly/sick for this reason. It’s a personal choice though so I suppose you have to weigh up and research the risks yourself.

AvocadosBeforeMortgages · 19/02/2021 15:16

I choose not to feed raw for a number of practical reasons, one of which is that my dog comes into contact with an elderly relative and will lick her face given a chance. It's not worth the risk IMO.

halfwaythrough2 · 19/02/2021 15:19

Raw feeding is absolutely amazing for the dog though. I have fed all mine (and cats) raw and never caught a thing from them. If you used a reputable brand like natural instinct etc it is human grade (don't eat it though, smalls bones etc) so unless you left it out for ages and then fed it I can't see it being a problem,

My dog used to lick my grandma all the time and never had any problems either.

You will cut down on the vets bills as it's so much better for their insides and also their coats! Cured my dogs dry skin and bad stomach

halfwaythrough2 · 19/02/2021 15:20

My dog used to lick my grandma all the time and never had any problems either.

You will cut down on the vets bills as it's so much better for their insides and also their coats! Cured my dogs dry skin and bad stomach

flaurafona · 19/02/2021 15:52

Tricky one because clearly by being a raw feeder you know the benefits of it... I'd echo the last posters suggestion of using human grade raw meat. Most of my gang are on the heavy duty raw stuff but reluctantly I have a young puppy who is not on raw ATM as the DC are all over him! I'll be switching him as soon as I can! You might have to have a sterner word about the face washing!

YouHadMeAtWoof · 19/02/2021 16:10

I struggle with raw fed because of this. I actually stopped going around my friend’s house pre Covid because she raw fed her puppy and it was right in my face and licking my children’s faces. Also, it is allowed raw chicken etc in the house and it freaks me out because of salmonella. It’s a tough one.

Original poster

loveyouradvice · 19/02/2021 17:01

It is isn't it?

Certainly using human grade meat and ethical suppliers which will of course reduce the risk. But it is still there.....

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YouHadMeAtWoof · 19/02/2021 18:41

I’ve argued with myself for years over it! Does human grade meat really reduce the risk? Food that I buy for us to eat still needs handling and cooking properly to stop illness. Genuine question!

Original poster

loveyouradvice · 19/02/2021 22:16

Reduces it, doesn't eliminate it....

Lots of human grade meat doesn't need cooking - eg raw beef or venison carpaccio. Yes chicken does but not the red meats.

I'm going to need to think really hard about this and do some serious research... or see if Mum is up for not having her face licked, but not sure she can manage that, very early stages dementia

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halfwaythrough2 · 20/02/2021 10:39

Did some research because I was bored haha.
Think it was Denmark did a research thingy and out of 16,000 people 36 people had gotten poorly from the pathogens but they couldn't be ruled out that It wasnt normal food poisoning or something they had eaten themselves.

Pretty good stats the health benefits for dog out weigh the risks normally but also you could try paying a dog trainer so your dog doesn't lick faces anymore. It's not something all dogs do and is the dog re asserting itself within the pack. X

Sitdowncupoftea · 20/02/2021 11:45

Personally in my opinion I would not feed raw. The pet food businesses is big money. Around the time supermarkets cottoned on to lactose intolerance and gluten free dog food producers were not far behind. Dog are not wolves. There is a huge difference and they don't need to hunt animals down to eat.They do not need to feed raw. There's any amount on Google pushing it similar to the grain free and gluten free for dogs. It's like the human food now pushing vegan. People are now pushing plant based food for dogs. There's lots of bacteria picked up from raw dog food and it can be passed to humans . You can buy good quality kibble and you can feed cooked fish etc. Personally I would not have any dog fed raw around children or anyone who's vunerable. The last dog I adopted had to have tests for ecol , salmonella, camphorbacter plus other tests due to being fed raw. His stomach were a nightmare due to being raw fed. The issues are solved now hes on cooked food. I think a lot of this raw is a marketing ploy. Everyone has their own opinion on it but I don't fall for trends and to me that's what it is.

Ihaventgottimeforthis · 20/02/2021 12:05

I don't think the risk of face licking just comes from being raw fed.
If he licks his paws, his sheath or his anus and then your DM's face, is that somehow OK?
I'd just try to stop the face licking.

Ihaventgottimeforthis · 20/02/2021 12:06

(I feed my dog raw, we all appreciate the benefits of no noxious farts & small poos, I just always remind the DC no face licking, & of course hand washing).

Original poster

loveyouradvice · 20/02/2021 13:03

Interesting stuff....

I think one factor is that all dogs actually eat far more revolting stuff than what we feed them - out in the park!

Halfway very interesting - can you post links to your research?

And I remember reading that there's more food poisoning from kibble than raw ... and kibble has often had to be recalled which surprises me.

YES I would adore a dog that didnt lick faces but with both my mother and my daughter keen for it to happen, and both very involved when he was a pup, I knew when I was outgunned.... He knows not to lick mine or DH face and only licks people who encourage it ... a shocking number do! And given he's just a small dachshund all our friends and relatives pick him up for a cuddle ....

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Original poster

loveyouradvice · 20/02/2021 20:28

Well I've posted this separately since it feels so important - but also here for any future readers of this thread....

Now feel confident around my Mum and my wee raw fed dog - a useful day of research and feedback

Well, I've discovered that although PAT dogs cannot be raw fed the other two main organisations - Therapy Dogs Nationwide and Canine Companions - are quite happy to have raw fed dogs working for them. TDN posted the following in their FAQs.

My dog is RAW fed, can they still become a Therapy Dog?

Yes. We allow raw fed dogs to join TDN. There is no evidence to show that raw fed dogs prove a higher infection risk than kibble fed dogs and we believe in feeding your dog a complete balanced species appropriate diet.

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) produced guidelines in 2017 stating that RAW fed dogs should not visit a hospital environment but in practice, many hospitals we visit have made a judgement based on their own experience and have not excluded us from visiting. That said, an establishment may ask that they do not have a RAW fed dog in which case we will respect their decision and help you find an alternative placement.
www.tdn.org.uk/

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