As the popularity of raw-meat diets for dogs has increased, so have their levels of dangerous bacteria. When researchers in the Netherlands tested 60 raw-meat products intended for dogs, more than half of them had levels of bacteria such as Salmonella and Campylobacter that exceeded the maximum threshold set by the European Union. The products were made in Scandinavia, Germany, and the United Kingdom, all of which have hygiene standards comparable to ours. E coli, found in about a third of the samples, can cause serious illnesses, and even death in some cases.
Why risk it? Live bacteria in raw dog food can also end up infecting the people in the household, especially the young, old, and those who are sick or otherwise have compromised immune systems. Go with cooked meat for your pet to insure that any bacteria it may be harboring are killed.
