References
Septicaemia and thrombocytopenia caused by Salmonella gallinarum in a dog fed a raw meat-based diet
Abstract
In recent years, it has become increasingly popular for pet owners to feed their dogs and cats raw meat as an alternative to processed, manufactured diets. Owners are often unaware of the potential risks this may pose for their animals and for themselves, despite the published literature. This article reports the case of a 5-month-old female French Bulldog referred for investigation of acute vomiting, diarrhoea and pyrexia. She was diagnosed with septicaemia, associated with
There has been a recent trend in developed countries such as the UK, of feeding dogs and cats raw meat-based diets (Waters, 2017). Investigations of the nutritional value of such diets have suggested that they pose the risk of nutrient imbalances and vitamin deficiencies (Freeman and Michel, 2001; Freeman et al, 2013; Lenox et al, 2015). A topic often discussed is the risk to human and animal health from contamination or infection of raw meat with parasites and zoonotic bacteria, including antimicrobial-resistant bacteria.
Surveillance of Salmonella spp. in pet diets by the Animal and Plant Health Agency in the UK has shown that raw meat diets are 20 times more likely to be positive for Salmonella spp. than processed diets (Animals and Plant Health Agency, 2018). In Brazil, dogs fed raw meat-based diets were 30 times more likely to be positive for Salmonella than dogs on processed diets. Some of the serovars that were isolated are commonly associated with human salmonellosis, and 88% of the isolates were resistant to at least one of the seven classes of antimicrobials tested (Viegas et al, 2020).
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