A question I often get asked is “isn’t raw food dangerous and what about the salmonella risk?”

I have been using Paleopet Pure for the past 10 years and my pets have never been ill from food. I believe this is because of their stringent food safety production facility that is Certified Food Safe and that they do not substitute ingredients or use heads, feet, intestines or other high bacteria products.

Maybe more importantly, No-one in our family has been ill from handling our pets food.

I have been following the work of Dr Karen Shaw Bekker and read her fascinating book THE FOREVER DOG, co-authored by Rodney Habib as well as subscribing to Bark & Whiskers Newsletter. I am intrigued to learn the fact that most dogs and cats have salmonella in their system; it is part of their gastrointestinal flora (GI), regardless of the diet they consume. Pets also naturally shed salmonella in their saliva and faeces as well.

In the human body, however, salmonella is problematic; it’s a common cause of food poisoning, infecting millions every year.  Although some people can recover without any treatments, others, especially young children, the elderly or those with compromised immune systems, can experience uncomfortable symptoms like diarrhoea, abdominal cramps and fever. In some cases, the diarrhoea is so severe that it requires hospitalization.

I was also intrigued to learn that the majority of recalls involving pathogenic bacteria in the last few years actually involve kibble? Historically, pathogen contamination has been a problem attributed to processed diets, and not fresh pet food.

Many pet parents who choose to feed kibble prefer it because of its convenience — they can buy it in bulk and just pour it into their pet’s food bowl during mealtimes. But the fact is that dry food, no matter how shelf-stable it is, doesn’t store well.

When you open a bag of kibble, important dietary fats in the food immediately start to go rancid. Consuming these rancid fats on a long-term basis can negatively impact your pet’s health. What’s more, aside from salmonella, other opportunistic bacteria and mycotoxins can grow in dry pet food; the longer it’s stored, the greater the risk to your pet and anyone in the family who handles the food.

Since kibble is processed multiple times and at extremely high temperatures, all the nutrition in the food is eradicated; to compensate, manufacturers spray on a nutrient mix composed of cheap vitamins that further speed up the oxidation of the product.

While most kibble is formulated to meet the basic nutritional requirements of dogs and cats, it certainly doesn’t provide optimal nourishment for the long haul. Ingredients used in kibble are also from meat and bone meal often from dubious sources; for example, cow and other livestock by-products, diseased animals and even roadkill.

Ironically, dry kibble poses a greater risk of salmonella contamination. Historical data shows kibble is responsible for about 80% of pet food recalls, with pathogenic bacteria like salmonella being the leading cause of these recalls since 2012

Instead of feeding kibble, refrain from feeding dry food and make the switch to a nutritionally balanced, species-appropriate diet; not only is it safer, but it also provides high-quality animal protein, moisture, healthy fats and fibre, with low to no starch content. The best choice is a raw or very gently cooked homemade diet, made with fresh foods that feature a variety of nutrition, flavours and textures taking care to give in the appropriate balance needed by your pet.

In addition, it’s best to keep these safety measures in mind to prevent contamination of salmonella for you, your family members and your pets: