Many people ask “Is raw meat safe to feed a dog?” They say "raw feeding is scary"; "it's not good to feed raw meat since bacteria are killed with cooking."
In my training and continued education as a Certified Small Animal Naturopath, I’ve learned about the countless health benefits of a species-specific raw food diet, and as dog breeders, we would never go back to feeding processed food. Not in a million years. Not for a million dollars.
Truth be told, if it hadn't been for a raw diet our first English Shepherd would have spent his life feeling miserable with digestive and skin issues. It was so satisfying to see him glow with vitality and happiness! Every dog since then has been blessed with this ancestral raw diet, too.
A woman at the USDA once told me, after a sarcastic humph, "You know, we never recommend people or pets eat raw poultry." Well, you don't say. I suppose that's why as a human with a brain I don't consume raw poultry. And also why the USDA is not the place I seek nutritional advice on appropriate nutrition for carnivores. Or my family.
Nutrition is the cornerstone of health. All species must eat what they were designed to in order to thrive, not simply survive. As for wild canines, in nature, their food is raw, not a dry extruded product. Why force our companion canines (of felines!) to eat such? Raw is readily bioavailable according to a canine's unique anatomy and biology.
There really is no question as to whether we will raw feed our dogs or not. Rather, the vital question here raised is "What commercial meat is actually safe for anyone to eat?" Several years ago, both of our English Shepherds became very ill from chicken contaminated with a superbug from a well-known nationwide wholesale store. It was certified organic by the USDA. Sounds “safe”, right? Food safety these days is relative.
This scenario is rather like the canary in the coal mine. Regardless of bacteria being killed during cooking, I still wouldn't want to knowingly eat contaminated meat. Would you? And what about people who may not get it cooked thoroughly enough? What is the "correct" temperature for killing superbugs anyway? I have yet to meet someone with a sterilized kitchen, before or after cooking. What about the bacteria that could get picked up through cross-contamination? No indeed, there isn't only one question involved, but many.
We produce as much healthy food as possible for ourselves and the dogs. Otherwise, we buy local from small producers with whom we establish a relationship, see their methods of husbandry and processing.
All of these factors play a part in a delicious, truly safe product for your family and raw-fed companion animals.