Grooming question for raw feeders

[richards6402]

I have a dumb question for all the raw feeders. I have started topping Macy's kibble with some Primal lamb at night.

Do you clean your furbaby's beard after they eat? I know she has lamb all over her face and beard because her face was buried in her bowl.

I have read that I need to be careful handling raw and cleaning her bowl after she is done but I have never read anything about if you need to clean the face and beard after eating.

What are you supposed to do?

[tokipoki]

When I fed premade raw, I'd just use a warm washcloth to wipe off the mouth/beard area.

[richards6402]

OK, that was my first thought on what to do but I didn't know for sure.

One thing I was surprised was her breath didn't smell bad. I thought it would, but it actually smells better than when she eats straight kibble. It's just her face that I think needs to be wiped off.

Thanks.

[brezofleur]

That's one of the perks of raw - no more stinky breath (or farts lol). Zeus has short hair so it doesn't get nasty. But I would also wipe with a warm cloth.

[Wylie's Mom]

We've never cleaned ours afterward, and it's always been fine. But there's no down side to cleaning them if it feels better to do so. The breath thing is nice, isn't it? Also, their poos don't really smell w/ raw.

[richards6402]

She has been on raw for about 3 days using only as a topper for dinner until I see if she can tolerate raw. The last time I tried to switch to raw I did it cold turkey and she didn't handle it well.

Just in 3 days I notice her breath doesnt smell and her poopies are so much smaller and they don't smell at all. I'm still trying to get used to the idea of her eating raw but she gobbles it down and whines for more. So..... if she loves it and I can stomach it, we are switching.

[ladyjane]

Ok, call me stupid, but isn't that a high risk for people in your home? Warm washcloth is not going to kill salomonella. I guess if you all have been lucky and not gotten it, I should keep my mouth shut here....but it just jumped out at me. I had salmonella once and it was so dreadful that I felt I should just post/ask.

[Cherie6446]

I have been feeding raw for almost 2 1/2 years now. I am very careful with the handling of the meat - wash, wash and wash. There was a time when Zoey's beard smelled terrible and I would clean her beard everyday after eating but I haven't noticed any smell for months and months now. I haven't washed her beard and there hasn't been a problem. I feed Nature's Variety and vary the meats but I don't feed the rabbit as it comes from China. All the other meats come from USA or New Zealand.

[AprilLove]

I don't clean their beards afterward, unless there is an obvious clump of food stuck in their beard, which rarely happens. No problems here. I think whatever you feel comfortable with is fine.

[ladyjane]

I guess. I just don't understand that it is important to clean the bowl but not the face. Oh well...does not apply to me anyway as it is not within my comfort level at all...just caught my eye.

[tjdmom]

Originally Posted by ladyjane

I had salmonella once and it was so dreadful that I felt I should just post/ask.

Just curious, how did you get salmonella?
A lot of people don't realize, that really salmonella is pretty much everywhere. And our bodies handle small doses of it all the time. It's when there is an overabundance of it that it creates a problem for us humans.....

[ladyjane]

Originally Posted by tjdmom

Just curious, how did you get salmonella?
A lot of people don't realize, that really salmonella is pretty much everywhere. And our bodies handle small doses of it all the time. It's when there is an overabundance of it that it creates a problem for us humans.....

There was an outbreak .. a meat packaging company. Poor handling obviously. Something I will never forget....it was the sickest I have ever been in my life.

There are many types of bacteria that are all around, but there also are ways to minimize risk. That is what I don't understand about washing food bowls and not faces of the pups. If it is so important that soap and water be used on the bowls, why not the faces?

As for the topic of salmonella, the source is either raw meat, eggs, egg products, meat products, unpasteurized milk, or other unpasteurized dairy products and it is there due to improper cooking and/or handling. I hear people swear it is in all bags of kibble...the bottom line is that, if it is in kibble, it is there due to improper cooking and/or handling.

[mimimomo]

I think people are more likely to get salmonella from handling kibble...just bc some don't wash their hands after handling it. It sure doesn't say it on the bag loll. When Mimi was eating NV raw, I never had to wipe her mouth. But I do have to wash it everyday now that she's eating honest kitchen. It's just different textures, THK being the messier...I never found premade raw to be messy. She'll be back on it next summer, silly girl doesn't want to eat anything cold right now!

[tjdmom]

I don't really wash the dishes to get rid of salmonella but to clean it out period. I wouldn't want flies etc to be attracted to the dirty dishes it just sounds gross to me. I don't worry about washing my dogs faces either. After all, these are dogs, they lick their butts and even eat poop on occasion. I just try to make sure they are relatively clean and if they had dog food stuck to their face I might wipe it but I don't think that has actually ever happened.....

[ladyjane]

Originally Posted by mimimomo

I think people are more likely to get salmonella from handling kibble...just bc some don't wash their hands after handling it. It sure doesn't say it on the bag loll. When Mimi was eating NV raw, I never had to wipe her mouth. But I do have to wash it everyday now that she's eating honest kitchen. It's just different textures, THK being the messier...I never found premade raw to be messy. She'll be back on it next summer, silly girl doesn't want to eat anything cold right now!

Ok, this is confusing. Why would you think that? Raw food is a source of salmonella.....kibble is not. Now, I am not saying that kibble cannot have any in it, but less likely in that it is not raw.