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Cat Forum / Health and Behavior / December 2003BARF Health Risks
SOURCE: PRNewswire, 12/11/03 Study Finds Raw Food Diets Too Risky for Pets, Owners Popular Pet Diet May Pose Significant Health Risks for You and Your Pet Raw food diets are a growing trend among pet owners hoping to improve their pet's health. However, a study published in the November/December 2003 issue of the "Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association" found that these diets may cause a potentially fatal Salmonella infection. "While raw food diets are becoming increasingly popular among pet owners, there is a growing body of information showing that these diets pose a health risk not only for the pets that consume them but to their owners as well," says Link Welborn, DVM, AAHA president. Shane L. Stiver, DVM, Kendall S. Frazier, DVM, Michael J. Mauel, PhD, and Eloise L. Styer, PhD, from the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine conducted a case study of two cats that developed salmonellosis (Salmonella infection) as a result of a raw meat-based diet. The salmonellosis caused gastrointestinal upset, weight loss and anorexia that resulted in the death of both cats. Salmonella in tissue cultures isolated from one of the cats was identical to cultures from the raw beef used in the cat's home-prepared diet, and the resulting infection was confirmed as the cause of death in both cases. The report is the first to describe the occurrence of salmonellosis in cats as a result of feeding a raw meat-based diet. The "JAAHA" study also found that while most human cases of salmonellosis result from direct exposure to contaminated food, there are documented cases of infection due to direct and indirect contact with infected pets. In cats and humans, the very young and very old, as well as those with an immune-compromised state, have the highest risk of infection. Since people often spend a great deal of time in close proximity to their pets, there are many opportunities for exposure to disease causing organisms, such as Salmonella, through petting, grooming, food preparation, water bowls and litter boxes. The study concluded that cats fed raw meat contaminated with Salmonella are at risk for development of salmonellosis and may pose a disease risk to their owners and handlers. Feeding of raw meat contaminated by Salmonella and recovery of Salmonella from the feces of sled dogs and greyhounds has been documented, suggesting a risk of human infection from contact with infected dogs as well as cats. Due to these risks, AAHA recommends that pet owners not feed their pets a raw-meat based diet and encourages owners to ask their veterinarian for advice regarding a nutritionally balanced diet that is appropriate for their pet's age and lifestyle. "A substantial body of science-based nutritional data has contributed to the longer life span that our companion animals currently enjoy," says Dr. Welborn. "Your veterinarian uses these resources to provide nutritional recommendations that will help your pet live a long and healthy life." The American Animal Hospital Association is an international organization of more than 29,000 veterinary care providers who treat companion animals. Established in 1933, the association is well known among veterinarians for its high standards for hospitals and pet health care. For pet care information or a referral to an AAHA hospital, pet owners can visit the AAHA website at www.healthypet.com . Very interesting read.... Carrie > SOURCE: PRNewswire, 12/11/03 > [quoted text clipped - 60 lines] > hospital, pet owners can visit the AAHA website at www.healthypet.com > . Here's another one.... Source: Joffe DJ, Schlesinger DP. Preliminary assessment of the risk of Salmonella infection in dogs fed raw chicken diets. Can Vet J. 2002: 43:441-442 "In the study, meal-sized samples of foods prepared by clients that regularly fed a BARF diet to their dogs as well as fecal samples from the dogs and similar samples from dogs fed commercial foods, were analyzed for Salmonella spp. All food and fecal samples from dogs fed the commercial foods were negative for Salmonella. Eight of the 10 food samples and three of the 10 fecal samples from the BARF-fed dogs tested positive for Salmonella. These results provide evidence that dogs fed a BARF diet are more likely to shed Salmonella in their stools. This may be of particular concern to pet owners with small children and those with aged or immune-compromised people in the household." ...and this came from a Purina Research Report--NOT a Hill's source, btw! ;) >From: rosebrook@sbcglobal.net (Steve Crane) >SOURCE: PRNewswire, 12/11/03 > >Study Finds Raw Food Diets Too Risky for Pets, Owners Hmm...seems you failed to include this part: Here's a pertinent paragraph that the news report (and the vets interviewed) failed to include: "Healthy adult cats appear to have high immunological resistance to the development of clinical salmonellosis. In one study, experimental infection of healthy cats required inoculation of infectious organisms in numbers far exceeding those likely encountered in natural infection.3 Susceptibility to and severity of Salmonella infection is dependent on multiple factors, including inherited virulence factors of the pathogen, infectious dose, and host resistance factors. Host resistance to Salmonella in cats may be influenced by a number of variables, including age, immunocompetence, hospitalization, cage confinement, multicat environments (e.g., multicat households, animal shelters, catteries), medical or surgical procedures, chemotherapy, administration of exogenous glucocorticoid therapy, gestational status, prior or concurrent disease, and possibly prior immunization.3,6–9,11 Both of these cases originated in the same multicat household, and the affected animals were either very young (10 weeks) or very old (14.7 years), suggesting possible environmental stress, altered immune status, or both. Additionally, case no. 2 had concurrent respiratory infection with Bordetella bronchiseptica, incurring additional immunological and physiological stress with compromise to local pulmonary defense mechanisms. A recent report described a possible association between an outbreak of fatal salmonellosis among cattery-raised kittens and their earlier vaccination with a high-titer modified-live panleukopenia vaccine.11 Case no. 2 also had a history of recent vaccination for feline panleukopenia." So yeah, one of the two cats was a) a very young kitten, b) already sick with a respiratory infection, c) vaccinated for feline distemper, which according to the paragraph above has been associated with fatal salmonellanosis. Also: "Additional information regarding the storage and preparation of the home-prepared diet would be of interest in these cases. Unfortunately, this information was unavailable." Yeah, I'd say that would be extremely important. Since this study is based on only *2* cats from the *same* household, it would be of great interest to know how the meat was handled and stored, etc. What I find of interest is that in the over 1,000 members on my raw diet list, we have yet in the almost 4 years I've been on the list, encountered not one single case of salmonella infection. I have had cats get sick from commercial diets though. As wiith any food preparation, common sense must prevail. Wash surfaces, wash hands, etc., store meat properly as you would for yourself. Lauren ________ See my cats: http://community.webshots.com/album/56955940rWhxAe Raw Diet Info: http://www.holisticat.com/drjletter.html http://www.geocities.com/rawfeeders/ForCatsOnly.html Declawing Info: http://www.wholecat.com/articles/claws.htm on 12 Dec 2003: > Hmm...seems you failed to include this part: Lauren, him posting that was a clear troll tactic. I'd ignore it. lol  SignatureCheryl "I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something. I will not refuse to do the something I can do." - Helen Keller Worldwide Candle Lighting in Memory of all Children, Dec 14, 2003 7pm in all time zones http://thecompassionatefriends.org/2003_WWCL/2003_wcl.htm http://thecompassionatefriends.org/2003_WWCL/senres.htm -this in memory of my Eric- >From: Cheryl jlhshadow@NOSPAMhotmail.com >on 12 Dec 2003: > >> Hmm...seems you failed to include this part: > >Lauren, him posting that was a clear troll tactic. I'd ignore it. lol I know you're right for sure. I don't expect anything less from a Hill's sales rep, LOL. I wasn't going to reply but I just wanted people to know what kind of "study" this was and to see the parts Steve omitted. Lauren ________ See my cats: http://community.webshots.com/album/56955940rWhxAe Raw Diet Info: http://www.holisticat.com/drjletter.html http://www.geocities.com/rawfeeders/ForCatsOnly.html Declawing Info: http://www.wholecat.com/articles/claws.htm >From: darnit7@aol.comnolitter (PawsForThought) >I know you're right for sure. I don't expect anything less from a Hill's >sales >rep, LOL. I wasn't going to reply but I just wanted people to know what kind >of "study" this was and to see the parts Steve omitted. That's funny. You don't like it when somebody points out your omissions, yet here you are doing the same thing. I don't think he is in sales, btw. >From: Cheryl jlhshadow@NOSPAMhotmail.com >Lauren, him posting that was a clear troll tactic. I'd ignore it. lol Yeah, nothing like posting studies that might be of some interest and that are on topic in a forum like this. You just don't like the message and so you try to discredit him. Typical of people like you. >From: darnit7@aol.comnolitter (PawsForThought) >What I find of interest is that in the over 1,000 members on my raw diet >list, >we have yet in the almost 4 years I've been on the list, encountered not one >single case of salmonella infection. I have had cats get sick from >commercial >diets though. Oh really? Which toxins were in the "commercial" (wink, wink) diet? Myotoxins, etc?? FWIW, I've seen examples of people that are raw fanatics and then when one of their pets gets sick or dies because of the diet, they get "kicked out of the group" when they bring it up. They are told that, "they are doing it wrong". Perhaps your little group is the same? I knew there would be missing pieces!! Also, most of the time, when a study is "published", rarely do we get the important details of how it was conducted. Elaine > >From: rosebrook@sbcglobal.net (Steve Crane) > [quoted text clipped - 61 lines] > http://www.geocities.com/rawfeeders/ForCatsOnly.html > Declawing Info: http://www.wholecat.com/articles/claws.htm >From: "ChakaShiva" chakashiva@yahoo.ca >I knew there would be missing pieces!! LOL, was there ever any doubt? :) Also, most of the time, when a study >is "published", rarely do we get the important details of how it was >conducted. Exactly. Especially since this "study" was only of 2 cats from the same household. Who knows how these people stored their meat or kept their household. ________ See my cats: http://community.webshots.com/album/56955940rWhxAe Raw Diet Info: http://www.holisticat.com/drjletter.html http://www.geocities.com/rawfeeders/ForCatsOnly.html Declawing Info: http://www.wholecat.com/articles/claws.htm > >From: rosebrook@sbcglobal.net (Steve Crane) > [quoted text clipped - 39 lines] > distemper, which according to the paragraph above has been associated > with fatal salmonellanosis. OK, so you are agreeing then that only HEALTHY animals, ADULT animals and animals that have not been recently VACCINATED should ever be fed this diet I guess? >OK, so you are agreeing then that only HEALTHY animals, ADULT animals >and animals that have not been recently VACCINATED should ever be fed >this diet I guess? Actually, one of the most important points in the article was the danger to the humans in the household, since Salmonella gets shed in feces. It's therefore important to be sure that no humans in the household are chronically ill or immunocomprimised. > >OK, so you are agreeing then that only HEALTHY animals, ADULT animals > >and animals that have not been recently VACCINATED should ever be fed [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > feces. It's therefore important to be sure that no humans in the > household are chronically ill or immunocomprimised. Salmonella isn't shed only in the feces.... Bacteria that survive the stomach's acidity can eventually reach the bloodstream. The bacteria can reach any organ in the body from the bloodstream and eventually the saliva. Since cats are notorious groomers their fur can be easily contaminated with salmonellae which can then contaminate the environment. Phil > Salmonella isn't shed only in the feces.... Bacteria that survive the > stomach's acidity can eventually reach the bloodstream. The bacteria can [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > Phil Even people need a certain "dose" of salmonella to become sick and how big the required dose is depends on the immune status of the person. Furthermore, people who have been exposed to small amounts of salmonella a few times have a much higher resistance to the organism than people who have not. I would bet every single person in this newsgroup has been exposed more than just a few times but the amount was never enough to make them sick. BTW, cats also shed the bacteria for tetanus in their feces so should we stop having cats? Maybe people who are immune-compromised should not have pets and should live a more reclusive life. You get tens of times more diseases from another human than from a pet. I have fed raw for 25 years and if somebody tells me their pet was poisoned by the food, I´d blame the person. The person was either not careful about where they bought the meat or they didn´t handle the meat properly. Last but not least, there are hundreds of outbreaks of food poisoning yearly due to vegetables and fruits. So should researchers go around telling people not to eat vegetables and fruits or should they inform people about good hygiene? >From: c864320@yahoo.com (Liz) > You get tens of times more diseases from another human >than from a pet. I have fed raw for 25 years and if somebody tells me >their pet was poisoned by the food, I´d blame the person. Well, of course you would. Your fanatical, cultist thought process would never allow for the facts to get in the way! It couldn't be the diet or nature itself, it must be the person's fault! >The person >was either not careful about where they bought the meat or they didn´t >handle the meat properly. Due to the bacteria in the ingredients that is harmful? >Last but not least, there are hundreds of >outbreaks of food poisoning yearly due to vegetables and fruits. ...due to bacteria on/in the ingredients. >From: c864320@yahoo.com (Liz) >> Salmonella isn't shed only in the feces.... Bacteria that survive the >> stomach's acidity can eventually reach the bloodstream. The bacteria can [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] >> >> Phil Salmonella can be cultured even from animals fed commercial food. I think the main thing here is safe handling of food, no matter if it's homemade or commercial. As to cats having salmonella on their fur, does this mean we shouldn't kiss our cats? :) >Even people need a certain "dose" of salmonella to become sick and how >big the required dose is depends on the immune status of the person. [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] >was either not careful about where they bought the meat or they didn´t >handle the meat properly. Well gee, Liz, this "study" was from 2 cats. Don't you think that's enough evidence to warrant not feeding a homemade raw diet? It couldn't have anything to do with the fact that one of the cats, a kitten, already had a respitory infection and God knows what other problems. Or, it couldn't have anything to do with how these 2 cats from *1* household handled or stored the meat. I mean don't you know, you can leave meat sit out on the counter all day and not have to worry. Oh, and don't worry about washing hands when handling raw meat, or *any* food for that matter. Geez...........LOL Last but not least, there are hundreds of >outbreaks of food poisoning yearly due to vegetables and fruits. So >should researchers go around telling people not to eat vegetables and >fruits or should they inform people about good hygiene? I heard that a full 20% of our kitchen sponges contain salmonella - What are they going to do about THAT? It's also well known many salmonella infections originate in pre-washed lettuce! I posted another thread about Fruits & Vegetables and the stats regarding salmonella and bacteria found in them. Much more salmonella there than in these 2 cats! Here's the link for the fruits and vegetables, and also one for vacuum cleaner bags. Guess we have an excuse now not to do any housework <g> www.gov.on.ca/OMAFRA/english/food/inspection/fruitveg/ risk_assessment_pdf/apple/7a_appendix.pdf http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/EID/vol9no1/pdfs/02-0214.pdf Lauren ________ See my cats: http://community.webshots.com/album/56955940rWhxAe Raw Diet Info: http://www.holisticat.com/drjletter.html http://www.geocities.com/rawfeeders/ForCatsOnly.html Declawing Info: http://www.wholecat.com/articles/claws.htm > Well gee, Liz, this "study" was from 2 cats. Don't you think that's enough > evidence to warrant not feeding a homemade raw diet? Then we are the ones with the scare tactics. LOL > It couldn't have anything to do with the fact that one of the cats, a > kitten, already had a respitory infection and God knows what other > problems. I´d still think the person was the pig. Remember the last 4 kittens I rescued? All of them were well undernourished, all of them had a respiratory infection, and all of them were under 6 weeks old. Yet, as soon as I trapped them, I started feeding them raw and it didn´t do them any harm. Quite the opposite, they recovered from their respiratory infection and put on weight without the need for medication. Antibodies are needed to fight infections. Antibodies are proteins. The more protein one eats and the better quality of this protein, the better one will fight any infection. I think of high quality raw (not denatured) protein as a better medicine than any medicine available in a drugstore. Nutrition is the key to good health. I will also add that four litters of cats were born here and I started feeding them raw as soon as they started eating (at around 2 weeks of age). They develop way better than the kittens I see in books about cats. At 8 weeks they look like 10-week-old kittens. They have much better developed bones looking more like a puppy than like these kittens with "thin legs" that we usually see in these books. Needless to say their mothers were also fed raw. And they grow up to be very robust and big cats. > Or, it couldn't have anything to > do with how these 2 cats from *1* household handled or stored the meat. > I mean don't you know, you can leave meat sit out on the counter all > day and not have to worry. Oh, and don't worry about washing hands when > handling raw meat, or *any* food for that matter. Geez...........LOL It´s interesting that these people who published the study did not ask the person who brought the sick cats in any questions about how the meat was handled. > Last but not least, there are hundreds of > >outbreaks of food poisoning yearly due to vegetables and fruits. So [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > I heard that a full 20% of our kitchen sponges contain > salmonella - What are they going to do about THAT? The big problem is that people are usually not aware that a pathogen alone does not cause disease. Disease is a combination of factors and the most critical factor is immune status and immune status is directly affected by nutrition and emotional stresses. > Guess we have an excuse now not to do any housework <g> Perhaps we should all live in a sterile bubble? ;) >From: c864320@yahoo.com (Liz) >Then we are the ones with the scare tactics. LOL For once, you got it right! >> It couldn't have anything to do with the fact that one of the cats, a >> kitten, already had a respitory infection and God knows what other >> problems. > >I´d still think the person was the pig. ?? Do pigs feed cats? Aren't pigs very clean animals? ?? >Remember the last 4 kittens I >rescued? All of them were well undernourished, all of them had a >respiratory infection, and all of them were under 6 weeks old. Yet, as >soon as I trapped them, I started feeding them raw and it didn´t do >them any harm. >Quite the opposite, they recovered from their >respiratory infection and put on weight without the need for >medication. The same thing could be said for feeding a good commercial diet if you had started feeding that! > >Quite the opposite, they recovered from their > >respiratory infection and put on weight without the need for > >medication. > > The same thing could be said for feeding a good commercial diet if you had > started feeding that! What I always see in this forum is people rushing to the vet and giving antibiotics and other medication for respiratory infections. Now how do you know that the same could be achieved if the kittens were fed a good commercial diet? > The big problem is that people are usually not aware that a pathogen > alone does not cause disease. Disease is a combination of factors and > the most critical factor is immune status and immune status is > directly affected by nutrition and emotional stresses. Please tell me this is not what you meant to say right? The next time you are bitten by a rabid animal or eat a food contaminated with clostridial botulism I'm sure you will rely solely upon good nutrition and immune status. To say that pathogens are only applicable to individuals with low immune status for whatever reason is simply absurd and unsupportable. > > The big problem is that people are usually not aware that a pathogen > > alone does not cause disease. Disease is a combination of factors and [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > clostridial botulism I'm sure you will rely solely upon good nutrition > and immune status. No, I did not say that all diseases can be cured or prevented by proper nutrition or excellent immune system. I said that diseases are a combination of factors and the most critical factor is immune status. I will give you some examples: I know a family of Dutch people who moved to Brazil. They had never been vaccinated against polio and one of the members of the family acquired polio and became paralyzed from neck to toe. The other members did not acquire the disease. This happened about 30 years ago when there was no preventive treatment for viral diseases. Botulism intoxication happens most often by consuming canned products. Every time there is a botulism outbreak, only a few people get sick. What happened to all other people who ate that same batch of cans or to the other members of the family who also ate from that same can and did not get sick? Can anybody state for a fact that every person or animal on the planet who was ever been bitten by a rabid animal became sick? There are people who live in tribes in the middle of nowhere and have never seen a physician. Nobody can state that being bitten by a rabid animal will necessarily cause disease but anybody who has access to treatment will get preventive treatment just to be safe. I know I definitively would. > To say that pathogens are only applicable to > individuals with low immune status for whatever reason is simply > absurd and unsupportable. I said that disease is a combination of factors, not only one as you understood. I also said that the most critical of these factors is immune status and not that immune status is the only factor. The immune system is so powerful it can kill you within seconds (e.g., anaphylactic shock). The immune system also learns through exposure. Therefore, even a high load of a highly virulent pathogen may not cause disease at all if the immune system has been previously exposed to that specific pathogen or to a very similar one (this is why vaccines exist but vaccines are not the only route of exposure). For example, every time you cut your skin or eat something you are being exposed to everything that is in the food or that was left on your skin. Every time you enter a crowded place you are being exposed to hundreds of microorganisms, many of them pathogenic. To live is to be exposed continuously. Exposure (immune system experience) is also taken into account when talking about immune status. In general, infants and young children are more prone to disease than adults because their immune system is inexperienced. The elderly are more prone to disease than adults because they do not absorb nutrients as well as they did when they were younger. Many organisms in your body also defend your body against other microorganisms. So even if your immune status is excellent, taking an antibiotic can disrupt your defenses enough to make you sick. Taking steroids will disrupt it even further because it will act directly on your immune system. So again, immune status is only one of the factors but definitively the most critical one. > Can anybody state for a fact that every person or animal on the planet > who was ever been bitten by a rabid animal became sick? Interesting question.... Lets conduct a field study....beginning with you... > >From: c864320@yahoo.com (Liz) > Well gee, Liz, this "study" was from 2 cats. Don't you think that's enough > evidence to warrant not feeding a homemade raw diet? It couldn't have anything [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > to worry. Oh, and don't worry about washing hands when handling raw meat, or > *any* food for that matter. I can see that the point of the study just went right over your head. The Barfistas have been making consistant wild claims that cats cannot and do not succumb to salmonella because the "acidity" of the stomach is too high or some other silly nonsense. The Barfistas also denigrated the FDA and USDA's recommendations not to feed raw foods to cats because of the possible contamination of humans in the same household. The Barfistas laughed and derided the statement because of course the cat's overly acidic stomach acid suppposedly "killed" all such nasty bugs. This study was one of several that have very clearly demostrated some inherent dangers and unequivocally proved cats can and will die of exposure to salmonella. > >From: c864320@yahoo.com (Liz) > [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > >> > >> Phil As to cats having salmonella on their fur, does this mean we > shouldn't kiss our cats? ; No... It means we shouldn't feed raw meat to our cats.... > > Salmonella isn't shed only in the feces.... Bacteria that survive the > > stomach's acidity can eventually reach the bloodstream. The bacteria can [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > > Even people need a certain "dose" of salmonella You can have my dose.... Bon appetite.... > SOURCE: PRNewswire, 12/11/03 > [quoted text clipped - 59 lines] > health care. For pet care information or a referral to an AAHA > hospital, pet owners can visit the AAHA website at www.healthypet.com Here're a few more: Raw meat poses risks to pets and owners. Lister SA. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 1997 Sep 15;211(6):698. Database: CAB Abstracts Veterinary Journal. 1984. 61 (8). 273-274. LG English. IT Journal article. AB In 1982 and 1983 the Salmonella Reference Laboratory serotyped 11,198 and 11,817 Salmonella isolates belonging to 176 and 179 different serotypes. The most common isolates from animal sources (cattle, buffalo, swine, sheep, chicken and raw meat) and from man are listed. Totals of 959 and 661 isolates of E. coli belonging to a wide range of O serogroups were received in 1982 and 1983, sources being cattle, swine and poultry. DS Bacterial-diseases. Meat-hygiene. Public-health. DISEASE-SURVEYS. SN 0005-0423. AN 852253310. J Small Anim Pract 1995 Jun;36(6):279-81 Chronic carriage of multidrug resistant Salmonella typhimurium in a cat Keep animals healthy--proper nutrition, no raw meat, and vaccinate for other infectious diseases Dow SW, Jones RL, Henik RA, Husted PW. Clinical features of salmonellosis in cats.. J Am Vet Med Assoc 1989;194:1464-1466. "Most cases of feline salmonellosis can be prevented, however, by maintaining a high level of household hygiene, by not feeding raw or undercooked meat to cats" Patrick L. McDonough, M.S.,Ph.D., Professor of Microbiology and Assistant Director of the Microbiology/Mycology Section, Diagnostic Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University Database: CAB Abstracts Searches: 1) (RAW ADJ MEAT) AND DISEASE TI The cat as a carrier for cyst forming coccidia. PA Heydorn-A-O. SO Berliner und Munchener Tierarztliche Wochenschrift. 1979. 92 (11). 214-220. LG German. IT Journal article. AB A short review is given of the 15 species of coccidia which occur in cats. They belong to the genera Isospora, Toxoplasma, Besnoitia, Hammondia and Sarcocystis. Cats serve as a source of infection for many other animals including man. They should not be given raw meat to eat. DS reviews. cat-diseases. Protozoal-infections. Disease-transmission. parasites. SN 0005-9366. AN 790858542. "Cats can become infected by eating or being fed raw or undercooked meat" Division of Parasitic Diseases National Center for Infectious Diseases Centers for Disease Control and Prevention " "Most cases of campylobacteriosis are associated with handling raw poultry or eating raw or undercooked poultry meat. A very small number of Campylobacter organisms (fewer than 500) can cause illness in humans. Even one drop of juice from raw chicken meat can infect a person. Animals can also be infected, and some people have acquired their infection from contact with the infected stool of an ill dog or cat." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Center for Infectious Diseases, Division of Bacterial & Mycotic Diseases, Atlanta, GA 30333 Updated September 1, 1999 "Toxoplasmosis Cats are symptomatic more commonly than dogs. No breed predilections. . In one study, mean age of infection in cats was 4 years, with a range from 2 weeks to 16 years. More male cats have been reported with the disease than females." PREVENTION/AVOIDANCE *Prevent cats from eating raw meat, bones, viscera, or unpasteurized milk (especially goat milk), or from eating mechanical vectors (flies, cockroaches). Meat may be eaten if well-cooked. *Prevent cats from free roaming to hunt prey (birds, rodents) or to enter buildings where food-producing animals are housed. Dubey JP, Greene CE, Lappin MR. Toxoplasmosis. In: Greene CE, ed. Infectious diseases of the dog and cat. Philadelphia: WB Saunders, 1990. Dubey JP, Carpenter JL. Histologically confirmed clinical toxoplasmosis in cats: 100 cases. J Am Vet Med Assoc 1993;203:1556-1566. Dubey JP. Toxoplasmosis. J Am Vet Med Assoc 1994;205:1593-1598. "Raw meats are commonly fed to cats by breeders and owners. Raw muscle and organ meats are highly palatable, digestible and generally nutritious when supplemented with appropriate vitamins and minerals. Cooking destroys some nutrients and increases the availability of others. A benefit to feeding raw meat to cats has not been documented, and the disadvantages far outweigh any advantages. Raw meat, even when "flash frozen," may contain harmful bacteria (e.g., Salmonella spp and Eschelichia coli) and parasites (e.g., Toxoplasma gondii). Unless supplemented with vitamins and minerals, raw meat is nutritionally incomplete and can lead to nutritional secondary hyperparathyroidism or iodine deficiency Meat mixes composed of large percentages of organ meats may provide excessive levels of vitamin A." (P Jane Armstrong,, DVM, MS, Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (Internal Medicine) Professor, Internal Medicine/Clinical Nutrition, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, St. Paul) |
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