What about bacteria on toys after eating raw diet??
 

Ok so here is my thought. In the kitchen we are very careful with food, not contaminating surfaces like cutting boards and counters when cooking with raw meats it is pretty standard concept because of salmonella on chicken and egg shells and bacteria on raw pork and what not. So how on earth can we feed dogs a raw diet. After they eat it they then go and mouth all their chew toys and stuffies. These toys go on the couch and all over the floor. Like a ball, wet with salmonella saliva right after a meal, rolls right down the hall....What would be the point of cleaning up in the kitchen. Kids sit on the floor with their own toys then lean with there hands on the floor or touch the dogs toys then go in the kitchen cupboards for a snack then lick there fingers....How can this work without everybody ending up ill? And getting the dog to drink water after isn't going to disinfect their mouths...Feeding raw makes sense to me but how can it be done safely...I don't see a way.

I've been feeding raw about 2 years now and I'm not overly careful, just basic about cleaning up after it. Honestly, I don't care if my boys give me a kiss 5 mins after they eat. It's just never been an issue for us - we've never had a problem w/ us or the boys getting ill from raw. I don't clean their beards or anything either, as they don't get messy.

You just have to find out what is comfortable for you. :)

I agree with Ann.

And, they've had far worse than raw food in their mouths before, so I feel pretty comfortable with this part of feeding raw.

That's a good point. I have a two year old son and that was my husbands first concern. Daisy would take a mouthful of raw and go back to her bed - I had to wash it the first day I tried raw. And today she got diarrhea so we are actually giving up on raw and going back to kibble. The only two times I did feed raw I had to mop the floor, wash a bed, wash her face and keep her in the kitchen for an hour to make sure she washed all the raw down with water before letting my son play with her. It is just not going to work out for us. :(

Keep in mind there are millions (and I literally mean millions) of bacteria in your home, no matter how clean you are. They are a part of our daily lives. In fact, there are more bacterial cells in your body than there are other "human" cells; our digestive system is considered one of the most advanced and complex ecosystems in the universe. We probably track in tons of e.coli and salmonella from our shoes and things like that. I am not trying to freak you out, just make you realize it's not that big of a deal :)

We try our best to disinfect counters, sink faucets, door handles etc. after preparing raw and also keep the dogs in a contained space while they are eating so they do not drag food all over the house. However, besides wiping off their paws and beards with a wet washcloth (we feed prey model so they can get yucky), that's all we do. Just use common sense: clean up after preparing and the dogs eat and then keep an eye out for possible contamination. Everybody should wash their hands before eating and after playing with the dogs. Maybe you can set up a special area for your kids to play where the dogs (and their toys) cannot go? Like others above me said, many people have fed raw for years with no problems of illness.

Great post from Diana :)!

Keep in mind too that kibble has bacteria too, in fact I guess they allow a certain amount of salmonella in every bag of kibble. Stuff like that is true though even for our own food...ie, insect parts are allowed in our spices etcetera. LOL. Yikes.