Hi everyone:

We're getting a puppy, and the breeder feeds her dogs raw food. I want to change to dry food. I know that this sounds odd. But, I'm not sure about raw food and having children around (germs). I know that I would be neurotic about it, which wouldn't lead to a good situation. My question is that I know I should be giving raw(old) and dry food(new) for awhile, then just go to dry food. But, the reading I've done says that raw food with dry food causes problems for digestion since raw food is digested quickly so bacteria doesn't accummulate. But the dry food slows down the digestion process causing problems. Can I go right to the dry food? Should I feed dry food in the day, then raw food in the evening?

Please help,
Thanks,
Bluebell

I really would continue to feed what the breeder feeds. Even if it is raw food you can still be hygenic about it. Have a seperate chopping board and knives etc, keep the food in plastic containers on the bottom shelf of the fridge, wsh your hands throughly and squirt around with dettox in the worktops afterwards. Wash up with anti bacterial wash up liquid and I dont see how there could be a problem as long as the ingredients you use are fresh or freshly de frosted.
Puppies brought up on a raw diet will find it difficult and stressful to go onto a complete diet I would think, if you are going to change I think you should definately feed the puppy 100% what its used to for at least 2 weeks and then take at least 2 weeks to change and be prepared to revert to raw feeding if the pup has tummy upsets.
I am afraid puppies are not the most hygenic of creatures, if you are so worried about this, how will you manage the poo ? Do discuss your worries with the breeder, maybe she will make up some frozen portions for you to last a week or two if you offer to pay for them.

Thanks!

It's not the germs per se, but the licking of the kids' mouths and hands after having had raw chicken in his/her mouth. Salmonella is what worries me. Nobody's had any problems with kids getting sick i.e. stomach flu or whatever from being "kissed" by a puppy? The raw food that she feeds would be pretty easy - she buys this packaged stuff from a place in my city. I know that the dog's stomach and system can handle the raw food, but the stuff on the puppy's lips and tongue would not be killed by the strong stomach acids. Am I being paranoid.

No really, I won't mind all the other stuff. Just this issue bothers me. I really would like to feed the way the breeder does, but I don't want my kids sick. It makes sense to me that raw food would be better for the dog, but, so far, I can't get past the idea of my kids getting salmonella food poisoning.

Thanks, Bluebell

I think you should really think again about having a puppy, if you are so worried about your children, getting germs from the pup.

Hi:

I just got in touch with a vet in my city who feeds raw food. She says she's never heard of a case where kids get sick from salmonella. I'm just the type who likes to think everything through. What I really wanted was someone to say "Oh, you're being foolish, raw food is just fine." :D :D So it's nice to be supported by the vet. The vet is a little out of the way (not too bad) so I think that I will go with this vet since she has fed raw food to her dogs for 20 years.

Thanks,
Bluebell

Hi Bluebell,
In all honesty, your children are far more likely to catch something from other people than they are from a dog. I can honestly say that in my whole life with dogs (from before I can remember) I have, hand on heart, never caught anything from a dog.

Latest studies (reported widely in the press a couple of months ago) show that children who have pets, especially dogs, and those children living on farms with a lot of livestock, have a much higher developed immune system than those without, and have far fewer days off school through illness.

If you keep the dog routinely wormed and de-fleaed (sp?) your children will ebnefit from the presence of a dog, both mentally and physically. But unless you can relax, you won't be happy, and then nobody else will. I hope this helps. :)