Raw pet food trend risks E.coli and Salmonella in owners - new study

The rising popularity of trendy raw meat diets for pets is putting owners at risk of serious diseases such as E.coli, experts have warned.

A new investigation revealed 86 per cent of sampled products carried the potentially deadly pathogen, while Salmonella was detected on 20 per cent, as well as various parasites.

Scientists say dogs and cats fed on raw meat-based diets (RMBD) can pass on the bugs by licking their human companions or simply by brushing up against them.

In recent years increasing numbers of dog and cat owners have turned to raw meat-based diets (RMBD), influenced by books such as The Paleopet Handbook, in the belief they are healthier.

But researchers believe there is no evidence for any benefit compared to mainstream dry or canned pet foods and that RMBD may even be less nutritious.

Published in the journal Vet Record, a British Medical Journal Publication, the study examined 35 RMBD products from eight separate brands.

As well as E Coli and Salmanella, scientists at Utrecht University found Listeria in 15 of the samples, a bacteria which can cause serious complications in pregnant women or in people with weak immune systems.

The team also found evidence the raw meat was carrying antibiotic-resistant bacteria, threatening to build up immunity to drugs in animals and their owners.

Het volledige artikel is verschenen in The Telegraph, 11 januari 2018