Do you know the pathogens you’re bringing into your home?
For years, alternative pet foods have been on the rise, mostly as a result of the popularity of pet content on social media. Now, most local pet stores have a sizable section of frozen, fresh, freeze dried, and dehydrated raw food and treats. But just because it’s easily accessible, doesn’t mean the risks of a raw diet have disappeared. Currently, the Public Health Agency of Canada does not recommend feeding your pets raw food or treats because of the increased risk it poses to animal and human health.
What is raw pet food?
As the name suggests, raw pet food is food that has not gone through a cooking process. It is most recognized as raw meat, fish, eggs (with or without shell), and milk. However, few are aware that dehydrated, freeze dried, and raw hide treats also qualify as “raw food”, and they are processed by removing moisture, not cooking. While this less processed alternative to kibble and cans is appealing to many pet owners, its raw nature is the same reason it has increased risk for pathogens (microorganisms which can make you sick).
Why is raw pet food a risk?
Raw pet food, whether commercially or homemade, has the same risks that come with the raw meat you buy to cook at home. The most common pathogens related to raw meat are: salmonella, listeria, and campylobacter. The bacteria, which naturally occurs in the intestines of animals, can contaminate meat during the butchering process. Animal stool can also spread bacteria by contaminating unpasteurized milk, raw eggs, and untreated water. Freezing, freeze drying, and dehydrating raw products keeps pathogens from multiplying, but does not kill the ones present. The only way to eliminate bacteria in raw meat is by cooking it to an appropriate internal temperature.
Handling Risk
A single drop of meat juice has the potential to make you sick, making handling such products risky. Contamination risk starts in the fridge, as storing raw pet food and other uncooked meat above other foods greatly increases the chance of raw meat juices dripping onto other items.
For example, imagine this scenario. You take a pack or raw pet food from your freezer to defrost in the fridge. You place it on the top level, above the level where you store lettuce, and leftover pasta. The position of the pet food increases the risk that meat juices drip into the food below, contaminating several items in your fridge. Later, when you go to make a salad to eat with your leftover pasta, you may use the raw lettuce and heat up your pasta to be slightly warm. Under normal circumstances this would be alright, however, if the food is contaminated and is not brought to the proper kill temperature, items that would not normally make you sick can become the source of food poisoning.
The risk continues once the pet food leaves the fridge and is set on the counter. Items or surfaces that come into contact with the raw food may contaminate other items around the kitchen if they are reused for other tasks. If you place the raw food on a cutting board, open the package with a knife or pair of scissors, portion it with a spoon, and place the dirty utensils on the counter, all the items and surfaces have the potential to transfer pathogens to other areas if reused before cleaning. Additionally, some items are not so easily cleaned. Older utensils and cutting boards, especially ones made from wood, can gain wear and grooves that can trap food particles and make effective washing impossible.
Hand washing is one of the easiest and most effective ways to prevent the spread of pathogens. However, skipping steps or not using the right supplies can keep bacteria on your hands and increase the risk of spread. To start, liquid soap from a dispenser is generally more hygienic than bar soap. If bar soap is used, it must be kept in a well draining dish to prevent excessive moisture which can harbor bacteria. Hand washing should be done for at least 20 seconds, lathering soap around the entire hand, including the thumbs, fingers, palms, and wrists. Long or fake fingernails easily trap dirt and other matter, which can trap bacteria if not properly cleaned.
Using gloves between hand washing or nail brushes to remove stuck material is effective, but the items must be available beforehand. If you dry your hands with a reusable cloth, it’s important to keep that cloth separate from other tasks, such as wiping the counter, to avoid re-contaminating your clean hands.
Carrying Risk
Some individuals who become infected by pathogens do not present as ‘sick’, yet the bacteria can multiply within the host and can be spread to others. This person becomes a ‘carrier’. You should know that pets can become carriers for many pathogens that can infect humans.
For the three diseases of focus, salmonella, listeria, and campylobacter, noticeable symptoms mostly occur in pets who have a weakened immune system, either from age or underlying conditions. Healthy pets who eat contaminated food may behave the same while carrying and shedding the bacteria through their saliva and stool.
While it is generally common knowledge to wash your hands after picking up after dogs or cleaning the litter box, pets can spread diseases in other ways. Accidental vomiting, bathroom use, or hair balls around the house may urge owners to clean up quickly rather than carefully. With dogs, some breeds are more likely to drool and drop saliva on surfaces. And while there’s not much better than a dog giving kisses when it’s happy to see you, licks on the face are a very quick way for pathogens from a carrying pet to infect you.
For cats, who often sit on several surfaces to observe their owners, stool remanence on their feet and fur can contaminate counters and tables in ways people cannot see. Touching a cat’s fur where they just groomed, as well as getting licked by your cat are also ways you can become contaminated by lighter interactions with your pets.
Pathogens of Raw Pet Food
Salmonella
Dogs:
Symptoms usually do not occur in healthy dogs, with puppies and dogs with weakened immune systems being at higher risk. Sudden diarrhea, vomiting, lethargy, fever, and dehydration are all possible symptoms of salmonella in dogs. Healthy dogs can become carriers, shedding the bacteria through their saliva and stool.
Cats:
Symptoms usually do not occur in healthy cats, with kittens and cats with weakened immune systems being at higher risk. Diarrhea, vomiting, mucus in stool, distended abdomen, fever, weight loss, lethargy, elevated heart rate, and dehydration are all possible symptoms of salmonella in cats. Healthy cats can become carriers, shedding the bacteria through their saliva and stool.
Humans:
Symptoms of salmonella can present in humans as early as 6 hours, and as late as 6 days after exposure. It can present as diarrhea, fever, stomach pain, headache, and nausea, lasting up to a week. Usual bowel function can take months to return to normal. Older, younger, and individuals with weakened immune systems are more at risk, and can experience severe symptoms and potentially hospitalization. As the bacteria is able to spread from person to person, it is recommended that those who work in food handling, health care, or day care do not work 48 hours after their last bout of vomiting or diarrhea.
Listeria
Dogs:
Dogs affected by listeria can be asymptomatic, experience light symptoms, or become very ill. Carrying dogs can shed the bacteria through their stool, which can infect humans. Light symptoms include vomiting and diarrhea. Severe symptoms may include breathing problems, muscle pain, fever, and miscarriage in pregnant dogs.
Cats:
Immuno-compromised and pregnant cats are more at risk of a listeria infection than healthy cats. Those with little to no symptoms can still shed the bacteria through their stool, making litter box cleaning riskier. Symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, fever, lethargy, uncoordinated walking, head tilting, paralysis, convulsions, and miscarriage in pregnant cats.
Humans:
Within humans, listeria can present in several different ways. Gastrointestinal symptoms, such as diarrhea and vomiting, occur within the day of eating contaminated food and can last for several days. Within two weeks, more serious symptoms, such as fever, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and seizures, can manifest. In rare cases, these symptoms can take 2 months to appear. The consequences of listeria are especially dire for pregnant people, as while the person carrying may experience light symptoms, that infection may cause the baby to miscarry or be born sick with the infection.
Campylobacter
Dogs:
Most dogs experience zero to light symptoms when infected with campylobacter but are able to shed it through their stool. Symptoms include mucus in stool, diarrhea, straining, abdominal pain, lethargy, and fever. Diarrhea may last for a week before suddenly improving as the dog recovers.
Cats:
Campylobacter mostly affects kittens, who have a weakened immune system. It is estimated that 45% of stray cats are infected with the bacteria, which can create an additional infection source if your cat encounters contaminated stool outside. Infected cats may show symptoms such as fever, vomiting, and lack of appetite.
Humans:
Humans experience symptoms of campylobacter around 2-5 days after exposure, which includes diarrhea, stomach cramping, fever, vomiting, and dehydration. These symptoms usually last for about a week. As the bacteria is able to spread from person to person, it is recommended that those who work in food handling, health care, or day care do not work until all of their symptoms, including diarrhea, are cleared.
Prevention
The best way to avoid the risk of raw pet food is to choose safer options, especially if you are or live with someone who is pregnant, has a compromised immune system, is over 65 years of age, or have children. Additionally, if your pet is young or a senior, or has any health conditions that compromises their immune system, a raw diet may do them more harm than good.
If, knowing the risks to your health and your pet’s, you choose to feed a raw diet, it is essential that you follow the necessary food safety tips to lower the risk of contamination.
Purchasing and storage
If purchasing raw food online, it is important to do your research and choose reputable and transparent businesses to ensure they source meat properly and manage food borne risks during their production. Detailed about sections and clear ways to contact the business are positive signs. Upon receiving your order, if the cooling element within the box is faulty or your food packs are unusually thawed, the items should not be used, and you should contact customer support to correct the order.
Raw food should be kept frozen until planned to be used. The safest way to defrost is to place the package in a food safe container and place it at the lowest level of your fridge, ensuring no non-hazardous or cooked items are beneath it. While defrosting in the sink is an option, it has a higher risk leaking and spreading meat juices to other areas of your kitchen. Open raw food packages should be stored in sealed, food safe containers on the lowest level of the fridge and used or disposed of within 3 to 4 days.
Handling
When handling and preparing raw pet food, it is important to prevent the spread of meat juices to unintended surfaces. To start, keep fingernails short to avoid trapping materials or use disposable gloves. When opening and packages and portioning food, use tools which are food safe, non-porous, and in good condition. Worn cutting boards, silicon spatulas, and wooden utensils that have the risk of holding bacteria in grooves should be disposed of. Single use plastic or wooden cutlery should not be cleaned or attempted to reuse. If switching tasks, hand washing should be performed, even after removing gloves. Single use gloves should not be reused. All handling of raw meat should be done over a non-porous, finished surface to allow for proper cleaning, such as intact food safe laminate or granite.
Cleaning and Sanitizing
Cleaning is the act of physically removing dirt, grease, and stains with the use of soap, water, and external friction. Sanitizing is the act of chemically lowering the number of microorganisms to a safe level. Cleaning should be done before sanitizing to allow the most surface area and allow the active ingredients of the sanitizer to work properly. Sanitizing can also be done with boiling water.
If you have a dishwasher with a sanitizing rinse, you can use it to clean and sanitize the contaminated items you used to handle the pet food. If there is heavier debris, rinse the items before adding them to the dish washer. Pet food bowls should also be cleaned in this manner. Hand washing should be performed after loading the dishwasher.
If washing by hand, all the contaminated items should be cleaned with soap and water and rinsed thoroughly, as soap can affect the strength of sanitizing ingredients. To chemically sanitize at home, mix 1 tablespoon of unscented bleach with 4 liters of cool water. Submerge the clean object fully for 1 minute and allow to air dry. Rinsing the solution off the item before drying will not allow for proper sanitization. If using heat, boil water to at least 76 C and submerge items for 30 seconds. Chlorine test strips, thermometers, and timers should be used to ensure proper sanitizing measures and times.
For counters, floors, and other large contaminated items, start by cleaning the surface to remove all physical barriers. This can be done with soap and water, or a cleaning solution, before being wiped. Dispose of soiled paper towels or single use wash cloths. Kitchen towels used to clean should be removed after one task to be washed.
To sanitize, use a solution of ¼ teaspoon of bleach mixed with 2 cups of water in a spray bottle, thoroughly spray the cleaned surface, and let sit for 1 minute before wiping dry. Bleach solutions degrade quickly from environmental factors, so a new solution should be made each day of use. Pre-mixed or concentrated surface sanitizers are convenient to use on clean surfaces, but you should take care to read the manufacturing label to determine if it is appropriate for the task, how to use the product, and what protective equipment or first aid may be needed.
Safe Pet Handling
Knowing that pets can appear healthy but be carriers to the bacteria common in raw food, further precautions should be taken to protect yourself or your family from being affected. Handwashing should follow most pet interactions, such as petting, feeding treats, and close contact play. Licks, especially on the face, should be avoided and cleaned promptly. Adults should remind children to wash their hands and skin after interacting with pets and be assisted if needed. Other pet care, such as filling food and water bowls, picking up stool, cleaning litter boxes, giving medication and brushing teeth should also be followed by hand washing.
As your pet’s owner, you spend the most time with them and can best understand their baseline. This is important when monitoring their health, especially if you need to consult a veterinarian. Loose stool may be a common occurrence if your pet has food sensitivities. The same symptom may be a sign of a food borne infection if it is not usual for your pet. Paying attention and understanding what is ‘normal’ for your pet is the best measure for whether they are well and may be the difference between them needing little to no vet care or treating a more serious issue down the line.
The same is true for monitoring your own health and your family’s. If you suspect that you are experiencing gastrointestinal symptoms as a result of feeding your pet a raw diet, speak to your health care provider to discuss testing and care plans. If caring for young children, restlessness, crying without being able to be soothed, and loose or unusual stool may be signs of an infection and should be assessed by a health care professional.
