Here's an interesting web site that someone else posted on another forum I am on about this topic:
http://www.wholedognews.com/
http://www.wholedognews.com/
Delta Society bans raw fed animals
- Thread starter Phebe*DD
- Start date
Completely random question: How can they tell if your dog is fed raw? I didn't read the article, but surely it's more trouble than it's worth to go through a long drawn out process of trying to decide what a dog eats as to whether or not it should be certified.
If you feed your dog Kibbles 'n Bits or raw...what business is it of theirs?
People in the dog world need to seriously get a grip. They pick the wrong fights. They really do. I don't feed raw, but I certainly don't understand why a dog would not be considered for something simply based on whether or not it is fed raw.
If you feed your dog Kibbles 'n Bits or raw...what business is it of theirs?
People in the dog world need to seriously get a grip. They pick the wrong fights. They really do. I don't feed raw, but I certainly don't understand why a dog would not be considered for something simply based on whether or not it is fed raw.
ClantyreSheltie
Forums Sage
I guess they ask. Many people who feed raw have a "don't ask, don't tell" policy with their vets for just this reason.
Germ-o-phobes are everywhere, and people have different thresholds of icky-ness, whether it's rational or not. How many times do I hear "my _____ (insert relative here) won't let me feed raw in the house". The Delta Society people just pick and choose which germs are OK (MRSA, for example) and which germs are bad and scary. As a private organization, they are free to do that, and as a dog owner I can choose to not do business with them.
Emmasmom
Forums Sage
I was reading the article where it mentioned that it was not recommended to test for Strep A, C-Diff, VRE, and MRSA unless the animal had been in contact with a know carrier. (I think this is what I understood.)
Working in the human health field, we have seen an increase in these organims affecting humans. Unfortunately, not everyone who is exposed, is affected, or is a carrier is aware of the fact. And with something like MRSA, the saying is once MRSA always MRSA. There has been an increase in the community acquired MRSA rather than just hospital-acquired MRSA.
I can somewhat see their rationale but each of these organisms can be devastating for the people involved. I would not want to be the one who had a dog carrying these organisms and then passing them on to a human, particularly someone who is already in compressed health. Granted one cannot test for everything but these organisms I would certainly consider having my dog tested for if I were to have a therapy dog, not wanting to be the one who passed it on.
Working in the human health field, we have seen an increase in these organims affecting humans. Unfortunately, not everyone who is exposed, is affected, or is a carrier is aware of the fact. And with something like MRSA, the saying is once MRSA always MRSA. There has been an increase in the community acquired MRSA rather than just hospital-acquired MRSA.
I can somewhat see their rationale but each of these organisms can be devastating for the people involved. I would not want to be the one who had a dog carrying these organisms and then passing them on to a human, particularly someone who is already in compressed health. Granted one cannot test for everything but these organisms I would certainly consider having my dog tested for if I were to have a therapy dog, not wanting to be the one who passed it on.
danisgoat
Moderator
As the former owner (Cedar passed away in 12/08) of a Delta Society AAT (animal assisted therapy) dog, who spent many many hours on the critical care unit of a pediatric hospital. I totally agree with this plan. My dog got his mouth washed out with Listerine, paws dipped in disinfectant, and completely wiped down before entering the unit. In addition, I would have to take my dog to get his mouth "swabbed" before a visit. I cannot remember the time period before that we needed to do this...or what it was for. But I completely understood why they would want to do it.
NEVER would I EVER even think to consider risking the health of these critically ill children. If the slightest bit of a bacteria could be on my dog, I would NOT under my own conscience, let him in that unit. How could I live with myself if a child got sick, because I was too self righteous to be careful??? As a side note.. I am far from a germ-o-phobe. But if one of my children was immune compromised.....I sure as hell would become one and rightfully so.
I also have absolutely NO respect for ANYONE who would not be truthful with their answers and not tell the truth if their animals are fed raw. I personally believe that behaviour like that is just plain arrogant. Completely opposite the actual ideals of someone who wants to participate in AAT. AAT dogs are there to help the patients get better, not to make them get sick. If you do not feel like the rules are fair, then don't join them. Feed your dog Raw and belong to TDI or Bright and Beautiful.
This is quite frankly not a debate as to whether or not a dog is healthier while being fed a raw diet. This is a fact, that when dogs are fed raw, there may be a higher chance of the dog shedding e. coli and salmonella in their feces. The bacteria could be stuck on the hair and be transferred to these immune suppressed patients.
Why someone would want to risk the life of an immune-suppressed child is basically incomprehensible to me.
If you feel that feeding RAW is best for your dog, then by all means do it.
But, do not intentionally lie on a questionnaire, that could potentially cause a child to become ill.
As Clantyresheltie says
http://www.deltasociety.org/Document.Doc?id=669
http://www.therapydogs.org/documents/What_the_CDC_says_about_Raw_Food_Diet.pdf
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1716752/
http://www.canismajor.com/dog/barf.html
http://www.ext.colostate.edu/safefood/newsltr/v14n1s07.html
NEVER would I EVER even think to consider risking the health of these critically ill children. If the slightest bit of a bacteria could be on my dog, I would NOT under my own conscience, let him in that unit. How could I live with myself if a child got sick, because I was too self righteous to be careful??? As a side note.. I am far from a germ-o-phobe. But if one of my children was immune compromised.....I sure as hell would become one and rightfully so.
I also have absolutely NO respect for ANYONE who would not be truthful with their answers and not tell the truth if their animals are fed raw. I personally believe that behaviour like that is just plain arrogant. Completely opposite the actual ideals of someone who wants to participate in AAT. AAT dogs are there to help the patients get better, not to make them get sick. If you do not feel like the rules are fair, then don't join them. Feed your dog Raw and belong to TDI or Bright and Beautiful.
This is quite frankly not a debate as to whether or not a dog is healthier while being fed a raw diet. This is a fact, that when dogs are fed raw, there may be a higher chance of the dog shedding e. coli and salmonella in their feces. The bacteria could be stuck on the hair and be transferred to these immune suppressed patients.
Why someone would want to risk the life of an immune-suppressed child is basically incomprehensible to me.
If you feel that feeding RAW is best for your dog, then by all means do it.
But, do not intentionally lie on a questionnaire, that could potentially cause a child to become ill.
As Clantyresheltie says
http://www.deltasociety.org/Document.Doc?id=669
http://www.therapydogs.org/documents/What_the_CDC_says_about_Raw_Food_Diet.pdf
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1716752/
http://www.canismajor.com/dog/barf.html
http://www.ext.colostate.edu/safefood/newsltr/v14n1s07.html
ClantyreSheltie
Forums Sage
And this procedure only works on kibble-fed dogs? I assume any dog going into a critical care until would get the same treatment, regardless of being raw fed, kibble fed, or having eaten rabbit turds on the way in.
All dogs have bacteria, all people have bacteria. We have created MRSA in our need to rid ourselves of it. It should never be assumed that anything is bacteria free.
I would agree, and nobody here is advocating lying. "Don't ask, don't tell" is very different. *If* I am under no obligation to volunteer my dogs diet, then I won't. Making an application to an organization to be certified creates an obligation, and I would expect people to be truthful.
). I completely forgot that therapy dogs went into hospitals or places where being completely clean is mandatory.Also, I hope everybody understands that I was in no way suggesting that anybody lie about what they feed their dog. 
I commit the unforgivable sin on the forums and admit to feeding kibble and sometimes food that is not grain free. 
I've very open about what I feed my dogs (whether you agree with me on my chioce of foods or not - I don't lie).
I just thought I'd throw that out there, because I didn't want anybody to think I was implying that somebody lie.
I commit the unforgivable sin on the forums and admit to feeding kibble and sometimes food that is not grain free. I've very open about what I feed my dogs (whether you agree with me on my chioce of foods or not - I don't lie).I just thought I'd throw that out there, because I didn't want anybody to think I was implying that somebody lie.
Emmasmom
Forums Sage
Just a thought reading how animals have to be so clean and germ-free to go into hospitals etc. But what can they pick up there and take out of the hospitals, etc.?
danisgoat
Moderator
Yeah....this was a stupid thing to say. Of course all dogs and people have bacteria on them. I wrote to fast and didn't explain myself to the fullest.
What I should have said is, I would never cut up a raw chicken and then without washing my hands go and feed my 11 month old child cheerios from my hand.
In the same sense, I would not give my dog a chicken back for breakfast and then that afternoon take him to the hospital to go play with immune suppressed children.
This was more, what I was trying to get at. And...exactly what Delta Society is trying to avoid.