What is best for a dog’s digestive system?

A RAW food diet. A dog’s digestive system does not cope with grains, yet they are the major ingredient of many dog food products around the world. Grains are one of the biggest allergy sources in dogs. Many people find that when they switch to a RAW food diet, their dog’s allergies disappear.

Top breeders, caring owners and well educated vets are getting back to basics.
There is undeniable proof that commercial dog diets have caused damage to dog health internationally. While many people know it’s common sense to feed a natural diet to their dogs, a major re-education campaign is now underway to help people “discover” again the fabulous benefits of feeding their dogs a RAW natural diet.

So what about bacteria in a raw pet food diet?  It is not uncommon for pet owners who would like to feed their pets a species appropriate raw diet instead of a commercial dry or wet (canned) food to be concerned about bacteria such as salmonella in raw food. Some vets and, of course, the dry food companies, still tell pet owners that raw food is not safe for their pets. But this is not true. Raw food is just as safe as other pet food on the market. In fact, most recalls of pet food occur in commercial dry foods, not raw foods.

It is true that there are bacteria in raw meat, every raw meat for that matter, not just meat used for pet food. These are the same bacteria as in the meat you buy from the supermarket or the butcher for your meals at home. It all comes down to the proper handling of the meat to prevent these bacteria from becoming harmful.

A few simple and very easy to follow tips to handle any raw pet food:

• Store frozen pet food at -18 °C in your freezer until you need it.  This reduces and slows any possible bacteria growth significantly.
• Only defrost the amount you need and use it up as quickly as possible. This minimizes bacteria growth.
• Use different utensils for your pet food and keep it away from other food in your fridge.
• Wash all surfaces thoroughly after handling raw meat, rinse utensils and surfaces with hot, soapy water. Wash them in a dishwasher after pre-cleaning them with soapy water.
• Wash your hands each time before and after you handle raw meat.
• Don’t let your pet lick your face, especially around your mouth. This is not just because of any bacteria that might exist in the pet’s food but even more because you never know where you pet has sniffed and licked before.
• Wash your hands when your pet has licked them.

From an article on that subject by Dr. Karen Becker, veterinarian, Healthy Pets Mercola:

“It’s important to note that salmonella can be found in up to 36 percent of all healthy dogs and 18 percent of healthy cats regardless of the food they consume. Many pets harbor these bacteria as a part of their normal GI flora and naturally shed salmonella organisms in feces and saliva regardless of what food they eat.

All non-typhoid salmonella species are ubiquitously present in the environment and reside in the GI tracts of many animals, including pets. The fact is the majority of human salmonellosis cases are acquired through ingestion or handling of contaminated dry pet foods and treats – not raw meat. In fact, as I mentioned, there’s no known incidence of human beings being infected with salmonella by raw-fed cats and dogs.”