Beware raw chicken and chicken necks

[Caro]

I was just listening to the radio, and a veterinary neurologist was on to discuss research just uncovered by the university of Melbourne. I'll post a link to the podcast when it becomes available.

The research found that a significant number of dogs being fed raw chicken developed a neurological condition, which they think is caused by the campylobacter bacteria in the chicken. It is more often found in small dogs, which he hypothesised was because small dogs are more likely to be fed raw chicken necks.

Bit of a shock. I've taken mine off chicken because Deska doesn't seem to do all that well with some chicken(not all though), and I stopped giving them chicken necks because of this, even though raw chicken necks are Tully's fave.

I'll keep you posted when I find more on the research, but I thought I'd post it asap.

 

[ghggp]

Thanks so much Caro for posting this! What a wake-up call for us all!

 

[Chris]

I just don't do raw. I know many folks swear by it, but I'm just not comfortable with raw food.

 

[Ann]

I just don't do raw. I know many folks swear by it, but I'm just not comfortable with raw food.

Thanks for posting this, Caro. I agree with Chris.

 

[Pam]

I have been trying to get behind the idea of raw, but wasn't there yet. So not sure I want to do it. Now I will not give the occasional chicken backs I gave.

 

[Piper's mom]

here's the link to the study. I find it odd that chicken necks are more likely to have the bacteria that the chicken backs and I also wonder if it's a problem only in Australia...I don't know if same study has been done elsewhere. I will continue to feed chicken backs and I'll save the necks for making broth (I buy 5 kilo boxes of necks and backs). Thanks for the info Caro.

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jvim.15030/pdf

 

[Margi]

I slogged thru the whole paper. Thanks for the link, Piper's mom. There's a whole lot of "iffin" going on there, with a very small study sample. Plus they never tested the chicken the dogs ate. I'm not going to worry about it for the dogs or myself.

 

[Caro]

Thanks for finding that, I'm laid up atm so wasn't able to fiind it. From the interview the disease has the highest prevalence in Australia because of the high prevalence of feeding raw chicken necks. We don't use backs here but most dogs I know are fed chicken necks, hence why an Australian study wouldn't discuss backs. I've been looking at other research and it seems the theory's been around for ages that this particular bacteria caused it, no one had done a study tho. But the problem of the bacteria stands regardless of the source of raw chicken. As my two age they become more sensitive so I don't want to risk it, Tully does just fine without a couple of necks ever day.

 

[Piper's mom]

I slogged thru the whole paper. Thanks for the link, Piper's mom. There's a whole lot of "iffin" going on there, with a very small study sample. Plus they never tested the chicken the dogs ate. I'm not going to worry about it for the dogs or myself.

I gotta agree with you Margi plus I couldn't find any other study like it. I'm going to continue to feed the backs to my boys as well.

 

[sable]

Yes thanks for posting the info for those who feed raw. I don't just because I don't feel comfortable with
raw either. Its just like I posted on the canned dog food, never fed that either to my dogs.