A while ago I discovered that a pets as therapy organisation in the USA had stopped owners who raw fed their dogs from contributing to the programme. The cause was cited as the risk of cross infection being too great.
Yesterday there was a letter in the Daily Mail Letters page about raw feeding and therapy dogs which clarifies the situation with Pets as Therapy organisation here in the UK. The writer complains about being prevented from continuing in this voluntary role due to the fact that he or she raw feeds their dog - link.
[i]Raw deal Scottish Daily Mail9 Feb 2018 FOR years, I have been taking my dog to visit a care home so residents can talk to her, make a fuss of her or just ignore her. Most folk love to see her and even those who can’t talk like to stroke her.However, I have resigned from the scheme that organises these visits, as I have been informed that as my dog is given raw meat in her diet, there could be a risk of crossinfection to people. I appreciate such concerns, but when social isolation has become such a problem, surely with a little thought a solution could have been found.
How sad the residents will be denied an uplifting visit from a gentle dog.
Name and address supplied.[/i]
The organisation is not mentioned in the letter but I assumed it was Pets as Therapy (PAT) so checked their website. There is an update (dated February 2018) about raw fed dogs. It appears on their frequently asked questions page under Policies - link.
[i]Pets As Therapy has recently considered the potential risks posed when feeding Raw Meat Based Diets. Raw meat can contain not only parasites, but also the bacteria causing such serious infectious diseases as E-Coli, Salmonella and Listeria which can be extremely dangerous to humans. These bacteria are NOT killed by freezing the meat.In the light of recent scientific and medical advice from a number of veterinary consultants we are updating our guidelines with the aim of minimising any health risks associated with PAT pet visits to the young, the elderly and the immuno-comprised recipients of our service.
An increasing number of NHS Trusts and education authorities now state in their Infection Prevention and Control Policies that they cannot accept visits from therapy dogs fed on raw meat and in order to ensure that PAT dogs are considered safe to visit schools and hospitals in future, it is our duty of care to comply.
Therefore, PAT pets should NOT be fed raw meat – or unpasteurised milk. This will reduce the potential risk of diseases such as E-coli, Salmonella and Listeria being transmitted to humans from our pets.
Safeguarding our clients is our key responsibility, so your understanding and co-operation in this matter is much appreciated.
If you would like further information on RMBDs, you may find the links below useful:
A short article in the Veterinary Record: http://veterinaryrecord.bmj.com/content/182/2/50
An excerpt from the BBC programme Trust Me, I’m A Vet: Trust Me, I'm a Vet: Raw meat trend | Should you feed your pet raw food? The jury's out... but what do you think? | By BBC Two | Facebook
A view from the Food and Drugs Administration in America: https://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/ResourcesforYou/AnimalHealthLiteracy/ucm368730.htm
[/i]
The author of the letter says that ‘…with a little thought a solution could be found’ but doesn’t go on to say what that solution could be. Elderly and ill people often cannot nip to the bathroom to wash their hands so perhaps the volunteer could carry hand gel and ensure the visited person uses it before they leave. Some people raw feed because they don’t like the idea of processed food. Perhaps PAT could have advised re alternatives e.g. home cooking for dogs. Also, there are products on the market such as Butternut Box and Freshpet which might be acceptable. Some wet foods are ‘gently steamed’ and contain ingredients that are similar to the company’s raw diets.
I don’t know if PAT offered support and advice but I hope so.