Does raw feeding increase the risk of salmonella?

Quick takeaways about salmonella and raw feeding

• Salmonella bacteria live anywhere in the environment.
• The bacteria can be picked up from contaminated water and food and animal poo, including humans and dogs.
• The risk of salmonella infection from, and to healthy, raw-fed dogs is low, providing good hygiene measures are in place.

Salmonellas are a group of common bacteria that – depending on the type – can cause salmonellosis. This common bacterial infection affects the intestinal tract and is also known as food poisoning, salmonella infection, or just salmonella.

It lives in the intestines of humans and animals and is ejected from the body via poo. That means dogs can pick it up from lots of different places – including animal poo and contaminated water.

It can also be picked up from contaminated food , including raw or undercooked food. So, understandably, many pet parents considering a raw food diet want to know if there’s a risk of their dog getting salmonella.

The good news is that in healthy dogs, the risk is minimal, partly down to your dog’s handy natural defences. “The healthy dog’s stomach acid will have a pH of one or two , which will kill off salmonella,” explains veterinary surgeon Dr Bella O’Connell, who uses nutrition as her primary therapy.

“It’s why the risk that salmonella poses to healthy dogs is low and why we, as vets, don’t see many cases of it. And when we do, it’s not necessarily in raw-fed dogs at all – something that’s backed up by research.”

What is salmonellosis?

Salmonellosis is a bacterial infection and the symptoms include diarrhea, fever and stomach pains. Humans and animals – including dogs – can get it from various places.

“There are more than 2,500 types of salmonella”, explains Dr Bella. “It's all over the world, not just in food. It's in the soil, it can be found on plants, and it’s on animals – from our dogs and cats to hedgehogs and reptiles.

“If you handle any animal and it's got poo on its coat, which is highly likely, you’re going to be exposed to salmonella almost on a daily basis.”

Thankfully for healthy humans and animals, salmonella infection is predominantly self-limiting, which means it clears up on its own, without the need for medical treatment. Plus, practising good food and hand hygiene is an effective way of preventing the spread.

Can my dog get salmonella from eating raw food?

Cooking meat to a high temperature can kill salmonella. Bacteria can remain in raw meat, including chicken.

The key to preventing illness when preparing raw food at home is practising good hygiene habits at home like washing your hands regularly and avoiding cross-contamination of raw and cooked food – just as you would when handling raw meat for yourself.

The Food Standards Agency has some helpful guidance for the safe handling of raw pet food, and we’ve created a guide to storing and serving Natures Menu raw food.

Can my dog get salmonella from eating dry food?

Salmonella can also be contracted from dry pet food, according to Dr Bella. And because pet owners don’t necessarily apply the same stringent hygiene measures as they would when preparing raw food, the risk could be higher.

“Owners usually store dry food in big bags, leaving them open to the air for months on end,” says Dr Bella. “And often the dry food is left in a bowl on the floor all day.”

“Because it’s not raw, pet owners feeding dry food don’t necessarily think to wash their hands or take the same precautions as a raw feeder – like cleaning the bowl thoroughly. And then we’re talking about a higher risk of salmonella and lots of other potential bacteria.

“Only recently, there was a recall in America for salmonella infections in people due to a dry dog food brand, so it’s important that people don’t fixate on raw food.”

Can raw feeding protect dogs against infection?

What your dog eats plays a crucial role in maintaining a healthy gut pH – and a healthy gut will actually lower the risk of salmonella infection.

“Eating an ultra-processed diet can affect your pH level, making it less acidic (more alkaline),” explains Dr Bella. “This type of diet can also cause quite an unhealthy gut lining, opening you up to all sorts of issues.”

“A healthy dog will have a much lower pH, and salmonella can’t really survive below 3.8 pH. Because of this, I would argue that if you have a healthy, raw-fed dog and good hygiene measures are in place, they’re probably less at risk than a dog fed a high-carbohydrate, ultra-processed kibble.”

Can salmonella be passed to humans?

Without good hygiene measures, there’s a risk that dogs can pass salmonella to humans. “Dogs can be carriers of salmonella, even though they look healthy on the outside”, confirms Dr Bella.

The symptoms of salmonella infection can be problematic for babies and toddlers, people with health conditions and older people, so good hygiene is vital.

“But, studies have shown that confirmed salmonella transmission from raw meat-based diets to humans appear to be rare,” says Dr Bella.

As a raw feeder, how can I reduce the risks of salmonella?

Always follow the same hygiene procedures for handling raw meat as you would when preparing your own food, like a roast dinner. That includes:

• Frequent hand washing
• Cleaning all bowls and utensils in hot, soapy water or the dishwasher
• Using different cleaning utensils for pet food than for the rest of the household
• Using separate, sealed containers for food storage
• Storing food at the correct temperature and defrosting appropriately

Never leave raw food lying around – if it’s not eaten within 30 minutes, bin it.

Always buy from a reputable food source with trusted ingredients and accreditation, and read up on your chosen brand’s safety measures.

Collect and dispose of your dog’s poo as soon as possible. And last but not least, have a healthy dog! Feeding a species-appropriate complete and balanced diet will ensure your dog’s gut health and pH level are optimal to fight off bacteria like salmonella.

Pre-prepared raw food makes staying on top of hygiene standards at home much easier. This is why we’ve created the raw food chunks, designed to be mess-free, and you don’t need to touch the food to serve.

About Dr Bella

Dr Bella has been a veterinary surgeon for 23 years. She has always been passionate about pet nutrition and focuses on good nutrition to both prevent and treat disease. contact@thenutritionvet.co.uk.