Raw fed dogs and vulnerable people - a useful update....

[loveyouradvice]

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/

Dpuppy enjoys cow's lugs and some trachea as a treat. Good for worming. Gradually weaning her off the tripe to just have kibble, it's a slow process though. I appreciate the risks of raw feeding and don't intend to do this after puppyhood.

Have to agree with Veterinari on this topic though, and I wouldn't be taking a raw fed therapy dog near any vulnerable patients, not sure of the wisdom of it at all...so many risks it just wouldn't be worth it.

Given all of this, does it make a difference if a raw-fed dog is fed kibble instead for a day or two before seeing a vulnerable adult- or not?

My completely amateur opinion would be no - if the dog is carrying pathogenic bacteria it could persist for quite a long time?

@loveyouradvice

Given all of this, does it make a difference if a raw-fed dog is fed kibble instead for a day or two before seeing a vulnerable adult- or not?

No it wouldn't

Once the bacteria are established in the gut colony they'll stay there until conditions become inhospitable to them - either outcompeted by normal gut bacteria or they're removed by antibiotics. Infections like campylobacter are a nuisance to shift because the antibiotics we often prescribe almost always cause vomiting as a side effect in dogs.

The only way to know if your dog is infected/shedding pathogenic bacteria would be a pooled faecal screen.

I'm glad that you came back to ask questions @loveyouradvice I hope that you can see now why I was so exasperated to start with. The information you're promoting genuinely is dangerous, and there are good reasons why the GNC and veterinary association guidance is as it is. Dismissing that evidence because you don't like it only puts vulnerable people at risk.

So basically, if a dog is fed raw, then it can volunteer for anything it likes, but the hospital will decide whether it can visit or not. If it isn't fed raw, it can also volunteer but the hospital still decides whether a dog can visit or not? Is there some news here?

Sorry, I have no animals of any description, but with a raw diet, surely the animals must need to eat far more to get their calorific need? Isn't one of the reasons humans can multiply and survive so well because we cook food and so improve the calories we absorb from it? Without cooking we would need far more food produced per human?

Merchant hi ... actually they eat far less because kibble is bulked out with veggies - often 40% or more - which they can't digest ... so poos bigger etc.

Raw is challenging because of the need to ensure variety to get full nutrients but less food and smaller healthier poos.... little left undigested.

Thanks Veti for giving such full feedback