Abstract
BACKGROUND: New trends in raw based diets are putting people at a higher risk for becoming ill from pathogens. An outbreak investigation of pig ears containing Salmonella found over 50% of the tested pig ears were positive for the bacteria and 38% of pet treats contained Salmonella. At the time of the outbreak, pet owners became ill with Salmonella which was believed to be from handling the pig ears or from their ill pets that were carrying the bacteria. An outbreak in Italy involving kibble demonstrates there is a risk when feeding raw and non-raw diets. METHODS: An online survey was conducted through Reddit and QR codes to assess some of the pet owner's hygiene practices and attitudes. Participants self -identified as feeding either raw or non-raw based diets. Statistical analysis was conducted through NCSS software to perform Chi-Square Tests. RESULTS: The raw group statistically washed their pet's bowl once a day or more compared to the non-raw group (p≥0.0000). There was an association (p≥0.0000) between how often people washed their hands before and after feeding their pet compared to which diet they fed their pet. Majority (90%) of the raw group washed their hands every time or most times after feeding their pet, compared to 63% of the non-raw group. Additionally, 15% of the non-raw group said they hardly ever washed their hands after feeding their pet. Many of the raw group (82%) experienced gastrointestinal illness 2 times or less in the last 2 years compared to 59% of the non-raw group experienced it more than 2 times in the last 2 years. CONCLUSION: To protect pet owners from becoming ill, proper hand and dish hygiene is important. Pet owners should be educated on the risks each diet has and where proper hygiene is most important.