The Public Health Agency of Canada has released a public notice regarding an Extensively Drug Resistant (XDR) Salmonella outbreak linked to raw food diets.

Feeding pets raw meat diets has always been a controversial issue with strong opinions on both sides. At Canada West, we request that the dog food left with our patients be cooked. As harmful bacteria such as Salmonella and E. Coli strains have been found in homemade and commercially prepared raw pet food/treats and because healthy pets can also shed them, we also recommend feeding cooked food during recovery periods or if a patient’s immune system is compromised (by disease or medication to suppress autoimmune diseases).

Otherwise, we leave all diet-related discussions to the family veterinarians involved in our patients’ care. 

Whether families choose to feed their pets raw food or not, we always recommend following the recommendations of the government of Canada in the handling of raw diets and considerations of all members of the household.  

The Government of Canada’s notice can be found here:

 https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/public-health-notices/2023/outbreak-salmonella-infections-under-investigation.html
More information about raw diets and their associated risks (and how to mitigate them) is also available on the Worms & Germs Resources – Pets page.