25-03-2025
- Health
- National Geographic
Why raw pet food isn't worth the risk
And in light of the growing raw pet food trend, the American Veterinary Medical Association, the World Small Animal Veterinary Association, the FDA, and the Centers for Disease Control have all issued statements advising against raw diets.
What's wrong with a raw food diet for your pet?
'What is very evident are the possible disadvantages and risks, for the pet and the owner,' Varcasia says.
Pets that eat a raw food diet can be exposed to parasitic infections—like Toxoplasma gondii, the leading cause of death from foodborne illness in the U.S., and Echinococcus granulosus, a tapeworm that can cause gastrointestinal issues and may be fatal if spread to humans, which can happen through direct contact with food or via contaminated surfaces. Bacterial contamination can occur too, since Salmonella, E. coli, and Listeria are commonly found in raw meat and can cause severe gastrointestinal illness in animals and humans. A 2023 Salmonella outbreak in humans was linked to handling raw dog food, and a 2017 E. coli outbreak in humans was tied to dogs that were fed a raw diet.
Now, bird flu joins the list of possible germs that can get into raw pet food, likely due to infected chickens being used as an ingredient (on farms, bird flu killed over 20 million chickens in 2024). 'Cats and dogs can be infected if they eat sick or dead infected wild birds, drink unpasteurized milk or cream from infected cows, or eat undercooked or raw meat from infected ducks and chickens,' says Iowa State University veterinary pathologist Silvia Carnaccini.
How to protect your pets (and yourself)
