At 08:12 AM 7/20/98 -0700, you wrote:
>What about the danger of salmonella, etc. from feeding dogs/cats raw
>chickens?

I'll let a cat owner speak about feeding cats...

The standard reply is that since wolves/dogs occupy somewhat of a
scavenging niche in nature, they evolved to handle a bacterial load that
would kill a human. In his book, "The Wolf", Mech tells about seeing a pack
of wolves in early summer working on the carcass of a moose part way out in
a lake. By the presence of its antlers, it was obvious that moose had died
in the late fall or early winter of the previous year. Most raw feeders
will tell you that dogs possess much stronger stomach acid than humans,
though I can't provide a scientific reference for that fact (anyone?)

As one who has fed an ever-increasing amount of raw meat to my dogs in the
last 3-1/2 years (and nothing but since last November), I can tell you that
I've had no problems whatsoever. In contrast, when I was feeding commercial
foods, hardly a week went by that my dog(s) didn't have some kind of GI
upset, as typically evidenced by loose stools, or occasional vomiting. Any
theories on this? In his post on autism, Loren Cordain does discuss the
effects of lectins on intestinal action. Might this apply to dogs on
commercial foods, which are 40% carbs at a minimum?

Having said all this, it is true that some people do elect to lightly cook
their dog's meat.

>What about dangers from giving animals raw pork or beef?

I haven't fed raw pork, but I regularly feed raw chicken, beef, turkey,
heart, liver, and kidney.
>
>Or the dangers of eating raw oneself? (I know this isn't a RAF list but
>this is still on paleo topic.)

I don't eat raw. But does anyone besides me think that our national
practice of eating antacids like candy might be disarming our natural
protective mechanism (stomach acid)? Could this be one explanation for the
apparent increase in food poisoning cases?


Kathy Partridge
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Artworks website: <http://www.borg.com/~atelierk/>
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Atelier Golden Retrievers & Goldens Portrayed
Member GRCA, up in central New York