RAW food and antibiotics.

[banger]

Watching Countryfile tonight I was surprised to learn that farmers are routinely giving their animals antibiotics as a preventitive measure.

The worry is that super bugs resistent to anti biotics could get into the human food chain like MRSA and could have an effect with anti biotic resistence. The program also said that MRSA is killed off when cooked or in milk pasturised. But what about dogs that eat Raw food, they will be getting a regular dose of anti biotics, will this render the anti biotics useless that vets hand out for our dogs for infections and such like. This preventitive farmers action worries me.

Food for thought, no pun intended.

Tim

[wildmoor]

saw the programme but nothing new apart from some strains being the same whether bovine or human so looks like they can mutate and cross the species barrier

[zetstaff]

*waves*

My understanding is that community based MRSA is much less of a worry than hospital acquired infection. MRSA = methycillin resistant stapphylococcus aureus

There are several different types of MRSA, some are more resistant to ABs than others, hospital acquired infections are by far the most deadly. My understanding is that if food is ingested that contains mrsa bacteria, it will cause symptoms of food poisoning or similar, but isn't necessarily life threatening. Where this bacteria is most deadly is by entering the body via a wound or sore.

We all carry this bacteria, and others equally if not more deadly, such as streptococcus, or enterococcus. If it gets into a wound, it can be fatal, causing necrotising soft tissue or bone infection, that's the one that eats you from the inside out

There are all sorts of risks with feeding raw, one of the worst must be ecoli, but you can't prevent against every eventuality, if you're that worried, you have to feed dry food

[wildmoor]

It increases the risk of you becoming a carrier, this is a new strain that doesnt show up in standard MRSA tests
New MRSA superbug discovered in cows' milk - health - 03 June 2011 - New Scientist

[zetstaff]

Originally Posted by wildmoor

It increases the risk of you becoming a carrier, this is a new strain that doesnt show up in standard MRSA tests
New MRSA superbug discovered in cows' milk - health - 03 June 2011 - New Scientist

Doubtful really, the percentage is so tiny, and the article does say less risk in UK as our testing is more stringent

[Stuart]

Any risks, if there are any is mainly with Beef, if you dont feed Beef then the risks are much reduced,..,..personaly I feel the risks are very remote

[zetstaff]

Originally Posted by Stuart

I think that Anti biotics are broken down in the animals very fast,..they are short lived, so I doubt that there is much of a risk involved, by the time the animal gets to the dog bowl there will be nothing left of any anti biotics.

Of course if you dont feed Beef then the risks are much reduced, as that is mainly where the risks are,.. if there is a risk

There is a risk in other meats Stuart, but in the big picture, the biggest risk of catching MRSA is through a wound in a hospital environment, not where any of our dogs are likely to be

[wildmoor]

Originally Posted by zetstaff

Doubtful really, the percentage is so tiny, and the article does say less risk in UK as our testing is more stringent

like I said this is a new strain not covered in UK tests

[zetstaff]

Originally Posted by wildmoor

It increases the risk of you becoming a carrier, this is a new strain that doesnt show up in standard MRSA tests
New MRSA superbug discovered in cows' milk - health - 03 June 2011 - New Scientist

Originally Posted by zetstaff

Doubtful really, the percentage is so tiny, and the article does say less risk in UK as our testing is more stringent

Forgot to add, we're all 'carriers' anyway as we all have this bacteria on our body, in nasty little places like nostrils + genitals, so we're all susceptible

[wildmoor]

Originally Posted by zetstaff

There is a risk in other meats Stuart, but in the big picture, the biggest risk of catching MRSA is through a wound in a hospital environment, not where any of our dogs are likely to be

the strain known as the pig strain which is also in poultry and horses is not applicaple to humans - but this new strain is and also the strain tended to be carried in dogs coats is the human strain