Experts Warn Giving Dogs Raw Meat Ups Risk of Antibiotic-Resistant E. coli

Experts have warned that giving your dog raw meat ups the risk of being exposed to antibiotic-resistant E. coli.

E. coli is a type of bacteria that can make humans very unwell. It is one of the leading causes of food poisoning, urinary tract infections and bloodstream infections. In some cases, it can lead to life-threatening illnesses such as sepsis. However, it can usually be treated with the antibiotic ciprofloxacin. But some strains of the bacteria have become resistant to the drug.

A new study published in the journal One Health, by researchers at the University of Bristol in the U.K., analyzed the presence of antibiotic-resistant E. coli in the intestines of 600 healthy dogs. The dog owners also provided details on each dog's diet, environment, and whether it had been treated with antibiotics.

They discovered a strong link between ciprofloxacin-resistant E. coli and the dogs that were fed a raw diet. Feeding dogs a raw diet was the only significant risk factor associated with the resistant bacteria.

As the dogs will then excrete this bacteria in their feces, it means the owner also has a greater change of becoming exposed.

Once E. coli is swallowed, the bacteria can remain in the intestines for years before it makes a person unwell. Antibiotic-resistant E coli is of particular concern as it makes these infections harder to treat, increasing the chance that they will become more serious and lead to hospitalizations.

"This species of bacteria causes a high percentage of urinary tract infections in dogs. These infections will mainly come from the dog's own fecal bacteria. Whilst such infections are less common in dogs than they are in humans, and less likely to cause a serious systemic infection such as urosepsis than in humans, they are nonetheless seen by vets on a regular basis," Matthew Avison, professor of molecular bacteriology at the School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine at the University of Bristol, who led the study, told Newsweek.

Ciprofloxacin is a type of fluoroquinolone and one of the most important antibiotics, classed by the World Health Organization. It is used to treat a wide range of bacterial infections. Once certain strains of E. coli started to become resistant to the antibiotics, doctors reduced its use. This lead to a decrease in resistant strains.

However it still remains a danger, as the antibiotic is still used widely across the globe.

"Whilst fluoroquinolones should only be used in more complicated urinary tract infections in dogs, e.g. in male dogs where there is potentially a reservoir of bacteria in the prostate, treatment failure due to fluoroquinolone resistance would result in greater client cost and animal welfare issues," Avison said.

However, the main danger remains to humans who are exposed to the bacteria.

Many dog owners choose to feed their dog a raw diet. It can provide a dog with all of its nutritional requirements, but it remains controversial. Those who practice raw feeding claim it's important for the dog's health and well-being, however this is not backed up by science, according to a 2013 study published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association.

"People should make their own decision. I do not feed my dogs raw meat. There are now numerous peer-reviewed studies that show dogs fed raw meat are more likely to excrete resistant bacteria, and potential acute diarrhea causing pathogens," Avison said. "On the counter balance, the supposed benefits of raw feeding have not been supported by anything more than anecdotal evidence. My view is that if companies are making money selling raw meat the onus should be on them to test the meat and certify that it is free of these potentially harmful bacteria. Then the balance might swing in their favor."