Table 2. Bacteria identified in raw diets [ 13 ].
Bacteria Definition Clinical signs Salmonella
Escherichia coli
A common, non-host-specific bacterium commonly occurring in the intestinal tract of healthy animals. In specific circumstances, it can cause systemic disease. Salmonella is transmitted through ingestion of contaminated food, water or fomites [ 13 ]
A zoonotic bacterium that mainly resides in the intestinal tract but can infect most body systems
Anorexia, diarrhoea, vomiting, abdominal pain, pyrexia [ 13 ]
Vomiting, anorexia, dehydration, diarrhoea, lethargy, weakness, tachycardia
Campylobacter
A zoonotic bacterium affecting the intestinal tract, most commonly spread via undercooked / raw food [ 13 ] Tenesmus, watery / mucoid diarrhoea,
inappetence [ 13 ]
Table 3. Parasites identified in raw diets [ 9, 14 – 18 ].
Parasite Definition Clinical signs Neospora
Toxoplasma gondii
A parasite found in warm-blooded animals, most commonly livestock, with dogs as definitive hosts. It is transmitted through consumption of infected raw meat [ 14 ]
A zoonotic parasite residing in warm-blooded hosts; often spread to dogs through the consumption of infected
[ 15, 16 ] intermediate hosts such as rodents and raw meat
Neurological signs such as ataxia, paresis, paralysis, seizures, muscle atrophy, difficulty breathing and swallowing; pneumonia [ 14 ]
Signs are dependent on the affected tissue. Infection can cause pneumonia, myocarditis, hepatic necrosis, myositis and lymphadenopathy. As a result, fever, coughing, diarrhoea, icterus, dyspnoea and seizures can occur [ 15 ]
Toxocara canis |
A zoonotic roundworm residing in the small intestine [ 17 ] |
Diarrhoea, weakness and abdominal |
|
|
pain; less commonly, coughing and |
|
|
gagging |
Sarcocystis
Hammondia heydorni
A parasite that infects the intestines. Commonly transmitted through the ingestion of infected meat, due to the presence of Sarcocystis cysts in muscle [ 9 ]
An uncommonly seen coccidian parasite, closely related to Neospora and Toxoplasma, found in raw meat. The definitive hosts are known to be dogs and coyotes [ 18 ]
Anorexia, weight loss, anaemia, myositis, abortion, neurological signs [ 9 ]
Diarrhoea, lethargy, anorexia
Bacterial transmission, either directly from a raw diet or from a dog fed a raw diet, pose a risk to the wider population [ 19 ]. Raw diets have been linked to antibiotic-resistant bacteria, with feed ingredients becoming contaminated during slaughter, processing and transportation [ 2 ]. However, contamination with pathogenic bacteria and parasites often goes undetected due to the inability to test meat products at every stage of production and transportation [ 5 ].
The life cycles of numerous parasitic species, including Neospora and Toxoplasma gondii, depend on the ingestion of raw or undercooked food, and these parasites commonly present a zoonotic threat [ 7, 8 ]. Dogs infected through a raw diet serve as definitive hosts, creating an additional source of transmission between domestic and urban environments [ 3 ]. Additionally, contact with raw diets and fomites offers further opportunities for transmission.
Pet owners should acquire knowledge on the safe handling and provision of raw diets, alongside parasitic and pathogenic contamination, from veterinary professionals [ 3 ]. However, to maintain effective discussions and fully support owners, veterinary professionals must have a good understanding of the concepts underlying a raw diet and the risks, which is often not the case.
Morelli et al. [ 5 ] found that only 8 % of participants relied on veterinary staff for support in relation to their pets ' raw diets, with participants remaining unaware of the risks to animals and humans.
38 Veterinary Nursing Journal