# Need reassurance...



## Kat (Jul 12, 2011)

My sister accidently let it slip to my friend how Im feeding Ruby raw, and my friend is VERY against raw feeding. She went on a rant saying that there are a lot of "super bugs" on chicken right now, even the organic kinds which can kill Ruby. She was saying how she doesnt want to see me kill my dog cause she would feel really bad, etc. But, I freeze the meat before I give it to Ruby aswell, and isnt dogs stomach acid stronger and can kill bacteria? Also, my friend is saying how Ruby can get e.coli or salmonella and die quickly, saying "im playing with fire" and that she would never risk that with her animals. Im slightly scared, but reading this forum eases my worries, but I just need more reassurances lol.


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## hcdoxies (Sep 22, 2010)

A healthy dog's digestive system is beyond capable of handling "super bugs".

Rest assured 

Link her to this forum... Maybe we can help ease her fears


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## Kat (Jul 12, 2011)

That's what I said, and she said not yet since shes new to raw. Iv researched like crazy for the past hour and have not read any horror stories in regards of the superbugs and raw fed dogs. I dont like how bluntly she said it, saying my dog is going to die. I was never one for raw, and since Ruby has been on it for two weeks now, she's doing amazingly well. She's had a few softer formed poops, but no diarrhea or digestive upsets of any kind. I do a rotation for bone-in, which is one meal is bone-in and the next three are not, and its working very well. Im introing her to turkey on Sunday aswell. And then she was saying how my whole house is now contaminated with germs because Ruby is walking around with raw meat in her saliva and on her mouth. But Ruby is a clean eater, which I think is shocking for a pug, and only the corners of her mouth touch the meat, and she licks her mouth right after shes done and she doesnt touch the meat with her paws. I also clean her face everyday. Thanks for the reassurance hcdoxies  I really needed it!


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## Scarlett_O' (May 19, 2011)

Its ok....there are LOTS of misinformed and unknowing people!:smile:

As Molly said, dogs-healthy dogs-can TOTALLY handle raw meats!!:thumb:

I also have a friend who is VERY against raw..well she is more of a "friend"..and she blabbers on about all this bs of stuff that just isnt true....so I have told her unless she has researched it as much as I have that I will NOT talk dog food with her if she is going to make up and repeat lies!:wink:


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## Northwoods10 (Nov 22, 2010)

I'd ask her what these super bugs are?? Why hasn't the general population been warned about "super bugs" and undercooking chicken? 

Don't worry about it. When dogs digestive system changes to accept cooked meats and are so susceptable to "super bugs" then I'll worry. :wink:


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

Running into paranoid people is normal...comes with the territory of raw feeding. You'll learn in time that there really isn't anything to fear when it comes to raw feeding and you know what you are doing. It's all a process. 

Just tell your friend that you refuse to live a paranoid lifestyle.


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## Kat (Jul 12, 2011)

You are all so awesome! Thanks so much for the reassurances. Ruby is healthy, she had a full blood panel done in June, and she got a clean bill of health. Her only issues are with allergies, which developed around April when she was vaccinated, because she had an allergic reaction to the vaccine. And like with most pugs, she cant handle fruits, veggies and grains, it just goes right through her lol


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## Scarlett_O' (May 19, 2011)

Kat said:


> You are all so awesome! Thanks so much for the reassurances. Ruby is healthy, she had a full blood panel done in June, and she got a clean bill of health. Her only issues are with allergies, which developed around April when she was vaccinated, because *she had an allergic reaction to the vaccine. *And like with most pugs, she cant handle fruits, veggies and grains, it just goes right through her lol


Did she swell up to the size of a foot ball field??!!
My Brody did last year! SOOOOOOOOOOO scary!!!


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## Northwoods10 (Nov 22, 2010)

Kat said:


> You are all so awesome! Thanks so much for the reassurances. Ruby is healthy, she had a full blood panel done in June, and she got a clean bill of health. Her only issues are with allergies, which developed around April when she was vaccinated, because she had an allergic reaction to the vaccine. And like with most pugs, she cant handle fruits, veggies and grains, it just goes right through her lol


Well see then! You have nothing to worry about. Ruby is healthy, you said it yourself. And when in doubt, look at your dog. I bet she has a certain glow to her....an unmistakable glow!! :smile:


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## cprcheetah (Jul 14, 2010)

I am feeding 1 VERY immune compromised pup raw food, and have been for a year, she has had NO ill effects from it, has had 2 clean fecals (no bugs) and is healthier than EVER, my vet who has been practicing for 40+ years is in full agreement with how awesome raw feeding is.


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## sozzle (May 18, 2011)

Poor you I can imagine she put the fear of god into you, and then you questioning yourself whether or not you are doing the right thing for your dog.
Tell your friend to build a bridge and get over it!
Sorry but I'm sure she means well but is obviously talking bollocks!
My dog has been raw fed since April and his coat is now so shiny and soft, he put on 2kg, all muscle and he really enjoys his food.
Just wait until you get more replies from others who have been raw feeding for a long time and they'll soon tell you if their dogs have suddenly got sick or dropped dead from 'raw meat and bones'.
ps. and I'd just like to say if your sister did 'accidentally let slip' how you are feeding your dog that it is nobody's business but yours and you shouldn't have to hide the fact.
I'll shut up now.


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## Donna Little (May 31, 2011)

cprcheetah said:


> I am feeding 1 VERY immune compromised pup raw food, and have been for a year, she has had NO ill effects from it, has had 2 clean fecals (no bugs) and is healthier than EVER, my vet who has been practicing for 40+ years is in full agreement with how awesome raw feeding is.


Same here. MY Chihuahua Toby was literally dying before my eyes a few months ago and I didn't know where else to turn. He was on every heart med out there and taking the maximum dose. He has a severe heart murmur, is in congestive heart failure, has asthma, and a bad thyroid. He was coughing for hours a day and could do nothing but lay on my bed and rest. I started him on raw as a last resort. Within a week of switching he had his first "cough free" day. He's been on raw since sometime in May and now when he does cough it surprises me. He has energy he's never had since he's lived with me and is actually playful. He's a totally different dog. I have no misconceptions that he no longer has a heart problem but the quality of life he has now is amazing. The only change was going from kibble to raw. AND, I've been able to slowly cut all his meds in half. If a dog like mine can live through the "dangers of raw" then I can assure your friend a healthy dog will thrive.


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## oddjob (Aug 24, 2011)

I keep fish flex around. It kills most anything.


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## Liz (Sep 27, 2010)

I have weaned my babies from mom straight to raw and they have done fantastically. If a three week old puppy can handle raw most any dog can. They glow with health.


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## cprcheetah (Jul 14, 2010)

Donna Little said:


> Same here. MY Chihuahua Toby was literally dying before my eyes a few months ago and I didn't know where else to turn. He was on every heart med out there and taking the maximum dose. He has a severe heart murmur, is in congestive heart failure, has asthma, and a bad thyroid. He was coughing for hours a day and could do nothing but lay on my bed and rest. I started him on raw as a last resort. Within a week of switching he had his first "cough free" day. He's been on raw since sometime in May and now when he does cough it surprises me. He has energy he's never had since he's lived with me and is actually playful. He's a totally different dog. I have no misconceptions that he no longer has a heart problem but the quality of life he has now is amazing. The only change was going from kibble to raw. AND, I've been able to slowly cut all his meds in half. If a dog like mine can live through the "dangers of raw" then I can assure your friend a healthy dog will thrive.


Zoey is off of all of her meds (7 total) except for 1 the one she takes to help with her Cerebral Spinal Fluid production. She is doing amazing! She has allergies, bladder issues, hydrocephalus, Color Dilution Alopecia, arthritis, bad knees, epilepsy, collapsing trachea....yeah her list could go on and on....but the great thing is, that her episodes this year have been minimal, no more biweekly throat infections....it's been almost a year since her last seizure....I LOVE that Raw has given me my happy, go lucky baby girl back.


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

If you have to hide the fact that you are feeding your dog raw food, maybe she isn't so much of a friend. 

When I first started feeding raw food, I had a friend who told me she couldn't stand to come over to my house because I was killing my dogs and she wouldn't be a party to it. She didn't understand how I could be so ignorant and wrong, wrong wrong and she literally begged me to come to my senses. I finally told her that I wouldn't discuss it and I wouldn't listen to anything she said about it. She has kind of come around; she does come over to my house now but I think she expects them to drop dead any minute.

If your friend told you that the moon is made of blue cheese, she would have about as much proof to back it up as saying there are super bugs in chicken and you are killing your dog. You have to consider the source when you hear stuff like that.

And by the way - I am not a good housekeeper by anyone's standards. If anyone was going to die of salmonella, it would be me. I might barely rinse my hands off and then go touching all the doorknobs in the house. I make very few concessions to the possibility of bacteria.


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## doggoblin (Jun 6, 2011)

You might like to read http://k9joy.com/dogarticles/doghealth01salmonella.pdf I know a couple of people who found it reassuring. 
Another link to look at (includes several other links) is Did Purina Executive Influence Delta Society)

Hope these links can help to reassure.


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## hmbutler (Aug 4, 2011)

I just had a lady yesterday telling me about the dangers of raw food... I've had other people, when I say I've started feeding raw, ask about the dangers of small bones (which I say is actually cooked bones) and uncooked meat, but no one yet to say outright that it is bad. 

I was buying a second hand freezer, and told the lady it was for my dog food haha, and I said I've started feeding him a raw meat and bones diet, and have placed my first big order of meat so needed the freezer before I pick the meat up. The lady had this shocked look on her face when I said raw, so I followed up with something along the lines of not wanting to feed commercial dog food, its all so bad, and she said "oh I totally agree, my dad was a dog trainer for his whole life and he never fed commercial food, but he cooked all the meat so that it kills all the bugs and bacteria, its very dangerous to feed raw meat" (to which I just replied something about feeding human grade meat anyway, its all safe, no bugs etc). then she went on about how her dad added pasta and rice, because it fills them up so well, so he didnt have to feed as much meat

I just smiled and thanked her for the fridge and left lol didn't want to get started

You don't have to hide what you are doing  be proud of it. Just be prepared for a lot of people to disagree, because they haven't researched it properly


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## lozzibear (Sep 13, 2010)

I agree with others. 

I once had a neighbour tell me how bad a raw diet is, and said (while she was fussing Jake, who was lapping it up and cuddling into her) that raw meat causes aggression... ah, that old chestnut  She didn't say much when I asked why Jake wasn't aggressive...

She also told me never to feed raw chicken bones, and was shocked when I told her that Jake gets them almost every day... and her face was a picture when I told her Jake eats raw whole fish :biggrin:


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

lozzibear said:


> She also told me never to feed raw chicken bones, and was shocked when I told her that Jake gets them almost every day... and her face was a picture when I told her Jake eats raw whole fish :biggrin:


Before I found this site I thought the same thing - and like her, with no basis to think that. Just what I had been told forever had sunk in until in my head it was a fact.


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## AkCrimson (Aug 26, 2011)

Tell your friend to read this site!! It would clear up a lot of rumors about the raw feeding world and would help ease your mind a little too. 

The Many Myths of Raw Feeding


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## Donna Little (May 31, 2011)

cprcheetah said:


> Zoey is off of all of her meds (7 total) except for 1 the one she takes to help with her Cerebral Spinal Fluid production. She is doing amazing! She has allergies, bladder issues, hydrocephalus, Color Dilution Alopecia, arthritis, bad knees, epilepsy, collapsing trachea....yeah her list could go on and on....but the great thing is, that her episodes this year have been minimal, no more biweekly throat infections....it's been almost a year since her last seizure....I LOVE that Raw has given me my happy, go lucky baby girl back.


Don't ya just love the backyard breeders of the world producing all these babies with no concern for their future. I know there will always be a dog here or there born to a reputable breeder that ends up having health issues but when you have dogs like my Toby that have a mile long list of health issues you know his breeder was just someone looking to make a buck. I always think about all the deserving dogs out there with similar health issues that end up in homes where their owners don't care (like we do) and just take them and either put them to sleep or dump them in the pound at the first sign of health problems. I have no doubt Toby would be dead if he were in another home. He also has a collapsing trachea, terrible knees and teeth but as soon as my vet listened to his heart the first time she said there was no way she'd put him under for even a dental. He's just a little medical train wreck. I am considering taking him off of his meds all together too but am taking it slowly. With him having asthma coupled with CHF the breathing thing can be scary. We'll see what the future holds though and hopefully he'll just continue to improve like your little one has. Raw. Totally. Rocks.


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

recently, there were recalls for kibbles, i can't remember the names of them....and the reason was......wait for it...

salmonella.

there was a child, i believe, who had to be hospitalised for handling......wait for it....

salmonella.

using normal not excessive, not obsessive handwashing techniques, you are fine, your dog has enough acid to melt your counters off....and you're doing great.

stand strong to the naysayers. their dogs won't look or act like yours.


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## cprcheetah (Jul 14, 2010)

Donna Little said:


> Don't ya just love the backyard breeders of the world producing all these babies with no concern for their future. I know there will always be a dog here or there born to a reputable breeder that ends up having health issues but when you have dogs like my Toby that have a mile long list of health issues you know his breeder was just someone looking to make a buck. I always think about all the deserving dogs out there with similar health issues that end up in homes where their owners don't care (like we do) and just take them and either put them to sleep or dump them in the pound at the first sign of health problems. I have no doubt Toby would be dead if he were in another home. He also has a collapsing trachea, terrible knees and teeth but as soon as my vet listened to his heart the first time she said there was no way she'd put him under for even a dental. He's just a little medical train wreck. I am considering taking him off of his meds all together too but am taking it slowly. With him having asthma coupled with CHF the breathing thing can be scary. We'll see what the future holds though and hopefully he'll just continue to improve like your little one has. Raw. Totally. Rocks.


I hate BYB, if I was not Zoey's owner (my father is a Veterinarian) I do not believe she would still be with us due to all her emergencies, I've had to 'bring her back' with CPR more than once. What's sad is my "puppy mill" dog that I rescued from my cousin who bought her from a Petstore is healthier than Zoey whom I drove across the country and paid $1125 bucks for.....I was stupid and didn't know the chihuahua standard as well as I should have and didn't think someone could be as dishonest as her breeder....I failed to mention Zoey's maloclussion....she has no bottom incisors because of overbite, we had to pull them as soon as her adult teeth came in as they were jamming into her top jaw. Anyways....didn't mean to hijack the thread, was just stating the difference Raw has made for my little immune compromised girl.


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## Kat (Jul 12, 2011)

I am again 100% confident with my choice to stick with raw, thanks so much for all your advice and stories. If she brings up negativity towards me feeding raw again Im just going to shut down that topic, since she is too stubborn to listen to the good aspects of raw feeding. Pretty funny though, considering she feeds her dog and cats royal canin, which is mainly just corn and rice.


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