Raw vs. cooked meat

Question
Hello Marcus,

My puppy is roughly 6 months old and is a dutch shepherd/husky mix.  I've been reading some of what you've been telling others about what to feed their dogs.  

Here's what I want to know: is it bad to give your puppies raw meat of any type?  I know that pigs carry a lot of parasites in uncooked meat, so I know that any pig meat should be cooked before given to my puppy.  However, what about ground beef, or chicken?  Does that need to be cooked or can it be given raw?

I've been giving my puppy some cooked chicken and ground beef about once or so a week--only a small amount, because I don't want him to turn from the kibble we feed him.  He always has to work for the fresh stuff much harder than the tricks we have him do before feeding him the kibble.  Would it be bad for him to eat any uncooked ground beef or chicken?  

I've noticed that since I've been giving him some fresh meat along with the kibble, his coat seems shinier and he seems healthier overall.  That might just be me seeing what I want to see, though.  

Thanks,

Shauna

Answer
All raw meat can contain (and often does contain) some bacteria, and some carry parasites.  However, most of the warnings you hear on eating raw or undercooked meat are in reference to the human digestive system.  In humans (omnivores), the digestive system is designed to process and breakdown plant food (fruits, vegetables, grains, etc.) which take longer than breaking down meats.  In this case, things sit in our system longer, and have more opportunity to cause illness.  In carnivores though (dogs/wolves), the digestive system is shorter, and food moves through it more quickly, often not giving bacteria any chance to cause issues to the animal.

My general suggestion is that high quality, fresh, uncooked meat is often very safe for dogs (I stick to beef and chicken overall).  Usually small portions, but it works out well.  For more info, you may want to search for BARF diets (Bones And Raw Food) - there are several groups out there with a lot of information on it.  I use the raw meat as a treat and occasional nutritional supplement.

Oh, and it does often help with coat development.