This question is for any folks who have experience in BARF and Prey diets for their dogs. I've been researching the subject since I've never used it before. A couple of coworkers told me about the general concept, and when I do get a dog again, I believe I would prefer a BARF diet vs. store bought kibble. Hopefully the dog would prefer it as well. My question is about the use of chicken. I've been reading too much info from the 'net and I'd rather hear from people who actually use BARF and Prey diets in real life. Simply put: Is chicken safe? My concern comes from the reports of salmonella. Some reports today suggest that as much at 20% of consumer grade chicken is infected with some form of salmonella. Obviously, my GI tract isn't the same as a dog's, so while I wouldn't eat chicken raw, I understand that doesn't mean the same thing for a dog. Again, the flip side being, fowl that a canine hunts in the wild would not likely come from a chicken coop, so there's less likelihood it'd have the bacteria. I see from many of the post on here, and from some of the links, chicken is very much part of these diets. Obviously then, if it was harmful to the dogs, no one would be using it. Just looking for some clarification in the matter!

Thanks all!

-Chris

This is a very interesting thread. I have for years fed a BARF diet alongside kibble. I have fed chicken to all my dogs over the years and always raw. I generally quartered a chicken and each adult got a quarter. I fed wings to the pups and drumsticks to the older pups. In the last 2 or 3 years I have noticed that raw chicken caused problems. Quite often they would have runny stools. Not suspecting the chicken I carried on until one day I was chatting with a member of the Department for the Environment (food dept) and he told me that almost all chicken nowdays carries the salmonella virus, and that one should always cook it and never feed raw. He said that this was not always the case but is these days. I guess that is why I never had any trouble with it in the past but am now. I now buy breast and cook it thoroughly. Sadly the bones and skin that did them a lot of good in the old days raw I can no longer give as you cant feed cooked bones of any description. Since feeding my pups cooked chicken everyone has been fine. I wont be feeding raw meat of any description again sadly. I do give raw bones though to everyone to chew and play with. You do have to be careful here too as very hard bones can and do damage the teeth permanently.
My dogs have had bones since pups and some of them now have very worn down teeth and some broken so take care with that. By hard I mean the marrow bones. I dont give them to mine anymore just the smaller ones that they can crunch up and eat.

I feed Riker, my Canadian Eskimo Dog on halved chicken and turkey legs and he has never suffered with any bacterial infection or upset stomach.
Although he has also chipped his tooth on a marrow bone so i don't give them to my dogs anymore.
He is quite skinny and leggy now at almost 9 months old and a friend recommended raw green tripe and although I can't find a local supplier of the green stuff I have just bought a couple a freezer bags full of the cleaned stuff to help make Riker fat, only started him on it the day before yesterday so don't know if it works yet.

Dogs are sensitive to the bacteria, same as people.

I have fed Ayasca raw chicken since he was four months old (he's 3 now), and we switched Mischa to raw as soon as we got her. Neither have had any problems. From what I have read, dogs have a different digestive system which means the food moves through more quickly so doesnt lie around long enough to cause problems. Obviously their digestive juices must be much stronger too as they can process bone, which presumably would kill off bacteria. They are scavengers after all.

I believe some can have allergies to chicken which would obviously upset their stomach. But that's not to do with salmonella.

We feed Dash raw chicken wings, quarters, thighs all bought from the supermarket, no problems so far.

What if you poured boiling water over the raw chicken? Would that kill the salmonella or is thorough cooking necessary?

Yes it is true that much of the poultry in the human food supply is contaminated with salmonella. But for the dog who is completely on a raw food diet, the transit time of raw is so short, that bacteria such as salmonella or E Coli rarely presents a problem.

Issues arise most frequently when the dog is fed a diet of raw mixed with or supplemented by kibble or other difficult to digest foods such as grains or unpulped veggies. In these cases the food sits there long enough for bacterial colonies to multiply and produce GI symptoms.

My dogs (2 Tamaskans, a Bouvier, 3 cats, 6 Havanese and 3 Havanese puppies) are 100% raw fed. While I try to vary their proteins as much as possible, poultry is pretty much a staple. Readily available and easy to digest, I start all of my puppies on chicken liver and then move up to chicken wings and necks as the teeth come in. I have never had a problem.

Reggie

mine are fed raw chicken, I do buy fresh from a chicken farm and have had no problems.

Yes in the wild the birds are not coop reared, but if you see what mine pick up and eat while out walking it would really turn your stomach. They will eat rotted and decayed birds, rabbits and fish. Don't know how their stomachs deal with it

My dogs get a complete fresh food meal but without he chicken. Just meat, and no pig either.

I fed my big boy (Bodie) raw chicken for 13 years, as well as raw turkey legs, raw eggs etc

He ate them from when he was a young puppy up until his hind legs gave up on him in may this year. He grew into a big strong boy.

There have been many times I have had concerns on what he has eaten through the years but raw chicken was not one of them

concerns when he has caught a rabbit with myxomatosis then running off and devouring the lot

concerns when catching grouse or pheasant and eating the lot "including claws"

concerns when he came across a large dead salmon on the banks of the river Tay which an otter had decided to take a chunk out then discard only for my malamute to clean up the rest of the feast.

concerns when they burry food, turkey legs or what ever then dig them up a few days later and feast on

the following day you would find a pile of rubbery bones, fur etc that has been brought up from the previous meal but again I have had no concerns with raw food.

Your dog also has a defence system (its called his nose) you will be suprised on what he decides is good and what he/she will walk away from

we should be more concerned with the additives put in dry foods.

and remember a vet is only a phone call away for advice

.