Dogs’ raw meat diet increases risk of drug-resistant E. coli

Dogs who eat raw meat are more likely to shed antibiotic-resistant E. coli, a new study shows

Raw diet is a significant risk factor associated with drug-resistant E. coli found in dog feces

Cooking meat and practicing good hand hygiene can reduce risk to owners

THURSDAY, Nov. 22, 2023 (HealthDay News) — Raw diets are all the rage among dog lovers, but this attempt to improve your pet’s nutrition could put you at risk of contracting an antibiotic-resistant colon, a new study warns Bacillus risk. Researchers at the University of Bristol in the UK say feeding raw meat to dogs increases their risk of shedding a variant of E. coli that cannot be killed by ciprofloxacin, a commonly used antibiotic. E. coli may cause food poisoning, say researchers at the University of Bristol in the UK. It is also a common cause of urinary tract infections and blood poisoning, researchers say. “Raw meat, whether cooked for human consumption or sold as dog food, can be contaminated with antibiotic-resistant E. coli,” researcher Matthew Iveson, professor of molecular bacteriology, said in a university news release. “Cooking kills bacteria, and good hand hygiene reduces the direct risk of these bacteria being ingested and reaching the human gut.” Choosing to feed dogs raw meat means people will almost certainly handle it, he said. “Our research clearly shows that eating raw food also means pet owners may interact with pets carrying resistant E. coli,” adds Avison. In the study, researchers looked for ciprofloxacin-resistant E. coli in the intestines of 600 healthy domestic dogs. They also asked owners to answer questions about the dog’s diet, where it was walked and the antibiotics it received. The analysis showed that feeding raw meat to dogs was the only significant risk factor associated with the shedding of antibiotic-resistant E. coli in feces. The World Health Organization (WHO) ranks ciprofloxacin and fluoroquinolones as the most important antibiotics. Researchers noted that British doctors have reduced their use of ciprofloxacin and farmers have stopped using fluoroquinolones to treat livestock. These actions resulted in a decrease in E. coli resistance to ciprofloxacin. However, fluoroquinolone use and resistance remain high globally. “As part of our response to the emerging antibiotic ciprofloxacin resistance crisis, there should be greater incentives for companies joining the raw dog food industry to source meat from farms with appropriate antibiotic use policies and to test the meat for Contains drug-resistant bacteria,” Iveson said. “There should be stricter limits on the number of bacteria allowed in meat eaten raw rather than in meat cooked before consumption.” E. coli is commonly found in the intestines of humans and animals. Once a person ingests E. coli, the bacteria can remain in the intestines for years before causing an infection, the researchers said. The new research was recently published in the journal One Health. More information The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more information about E. coli.Source: University of Bristol, press release, 22 November 2023

What this means for you People should cook any meat they give to their dogs to reduce the risk of exposure to E. coli, whether from the meat or the dog’s feces.