Raw Diets & Bacterial Contamination

[greytdog]

I have been feeding my pup on a puppy loaf and Supacoat dry since i got him and have been thinking of changing to raw meat but still mixing it with the supacoat. this being so cause i was alwasy told that the dry foods helps keep their teeth gums and jaw muscles healthy as they need to crunch and chew it.

Am I wrong in thinking this?

yep, wrong. dry foods have sugar in them, will cause tooth decay more then their chewing them with prevent it.

bones are far better for their tooth and jaw health.

and as CDM said, it is important not to ever mix Dry and raw in the same meal.

Can someone please expand on this a bit further?....this is a new one to me, so I'd like to learn more. I feed raw and kibble together, so what is it that is happening that is wrong here?

[pebbles]

Yep, me too - been feeding raw and dry together for years and have only recently read that this is wrong, still doing it though. What problems can it cause?

[Crysti_Lei]

raw food had bacteria in it, and a dog is defended against this bacteria in two ways, 1) a very acidic stomach enviroment and 2) a short digestive tract (so what bacteria enters, and makes it past the stomach, doesn't have the time it needs to populate to dangerous levels.)

Raw food should pass though in about 6 hours, as it is natural and is what the stomach has evolved to digest. Dry food, however, is not natural and have a heap of reains and undigestable material, and therefore can take over 12 hours to pass though.

so feeding raw food with dry food, you are keeping that raw food in the dog gut for a lot longer than normal and allowing any bacteria to populate to dangerous levels, and potential cause food poisioning. it is rare for gots to get it, but this would cause it if they do.

[greytdog]

raw food had bacteria in it, and a dog is defended against this bacteria in two ways, 1) a very acidic stomach enviroment and 2) a short digestive tract (so what bacteria enters, and makes it past the stomach, doesn't have the time it needs to populate to dangerous levels.)

Raw food should pass though in about 6 hours, as it is natural and is what the stomach has evolved to digest. Dry food, however, is not natural and have a heap of reains and undigestable material, and therefore can take over 12 hours to pass though.

so feeding raw food with dry food, you are keeping that raw food in the dog gut for a lot longer than normal and allowing any bacteria to populate to dangerous levels, and potential cause food poisioning. it is rare for gots to get it, but this would cause it if they do.

I now feed a chicken frame in the morning with a 2x4 dog bikkie when I go to work, then raw and kibble at night. From what you're saying, I would be better to change this around to put the frame with the raw at night, and feed the kibble in the morning (with the bikkie)?

[Crysti_Lei]

raw food had bacteria in it, and a dog is defended against this bacteria in two ways, 1) a very acidic stomach enviroment and 2) a short digestive tract (so what bacteria enters, and makes it past the stomach, doesn't have the time it needs to populate to dangerous levels.)

Raw food should pass though in about 6 hours, as it is natural and is what the stomach has evolved to digest. Dry food, however, is not natural and have a heap of reains and undigestable material, and therefore can take over 12 hours to pass though.

so feeding raw food with dry food, you are keeping that raw food in the dog gut for a lot longer than normal and allowing any bacteria to populate to dangerous levels, and potential cause food poisioning. it is rare for gots to get it, but this would cause it if they do.

I now feed a chicken frame in the morning with a 2x4 dog bikkie when I go to work, then raw and kibble at night. From what you're saying, I would be better to change this around to put the frame with the raw at night, and feed the kibble in the morning (with the bikkie)?

yep, just swap it around. the dog wont care.

[Steve]

Yep, me too - been feeding raw and dry together for years and have only recently read that this is wrong, still doing it though. What problems can it cause?

Theoretically its not real posh because of the time each food takes to move through the digestive tract. Raw meat is out of there much quicker normally than commercial food so any bacteria doesnt get time to brew and cause problems - remember that a dog's digestive tract is shorter than a human's and this [ in the main ] is why they dont suffer the same fate as we do if we eat this much bacteria.When its combined with commercial the risk is that it will stay in the gut longer and therefore potentially cause a problem where it wouldnt if its eaten as it would be in the wild.

[Steve]

raw food had bacteria in it, and a dog is defended against this bacteria in two ways, 1) a very acidic stomach enviroment and 2) a short digestive tract (so what bacteria enters, and makes it past the stomach, doesn't have the time it needs to populate to dangerous levels.)

Raw food should pass though in about 6 hours, as it is natural and is what the stomach has evolved to digest. Dry food, however, is not natural and have a heap of reains and undigestable material, and therefore can take over 12 hours to pass though.

so feeding raw food with dry food, you are keeping that raw food in the dog gut for a lot longer than normal and allowing any bacteria to populate to dangerous levels, and potential cause food poisioning. it is rare for gots to get it, but this would cause it if they do.

I now feed a chicken frame in the morning with a 2x4 dog bikkie when I go to work, then raw and kibble at night. From what you're saying, I would be better to change this around to put the frame with the raw at night, and feed the kibble in the morning (with the bikkie)?

yep, just swap it around. the dog wont care.

Sorry I didnt see this but I agree with crysti_lei

Edited September 9, 2008 by Steve

[Vixn00]

thanks for all the feed back. I never realised what problems i could cause.

I will continue to feed his kibble for breakfast and just give him raw at night.