Feeding raw meat to dogs may expose owners to the risk of superbugs

Dog eating raw meat diet

The topic of feeding raw meat to pets, particularly dogs, has been previously debated. A recent trend involves feeding dogs raw meat, which may increase the risk of owners being exposed to antibiotic-resistant bacteria, as indicated by a study. Researchers discovered E. coli in 13 out of 15 raw meat samples, with a high …

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Study does NOT PROVE a causal link between cats and schizophrenia in the cats’ owners

Family with their domestic cat companion

This is a cross post. I feel obliged to try and make sure that cat owners understand the conclusions of a study referred to by many online newspapers. The study comes from Australia where arguably there is a strained relationship between domestic and feral cats and the population. Particularly feral cats which are denigrated …

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Can cats get toxoplasmosis from drinking unpasteurized milk?

Farm cat about to drink some unpasteurised cow's milk which might expose them to a T. gondii infection

Yes, cats can get toxoplasmosis from drinking unpasteurised milk. This is interesting because it still remains the case that in many countries people think that the domestic cat will enjoy a saucer of milk and sometimes it will be unpasteurised. Cow’s milk is not ideal for domestic cats as estimates suggest that a significant …

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Fact check ‘humans are more likely to get toxoplasmosis from eating raw foods than from cat feces’

Cross contamination and possible infection by T. gondii oocysts

RELATED: Captive Pallas’s cats die of toxoplasmosis The fact in the title is true. Humans are indeed more likely to get toxoplasmosis from eating raw foods than from cat feces. Here’s why: Prevalence in raw meat: The parasite that causes toxoplasmosis, Toxoplasma gondii, forms cysts in the muscle tissue of infected animals. Consuming undercooked …

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Fact Check on “horror antibiotic-resistant superbugs” jumping from pets to people

Zoonoses are being exaggerated by the news media for clickbait

The purpose of this article is to ‘fact check’ or put some sensible reality into what I would consider to be sensationalist headlines in the news media about a study (which I can’t find sadly on the Internet) which according to the news media states that antibiotic-resistant superbugs are jumping from cats and dogs …

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Mail Online’s clickbait title about domestic cat zoonoses is irresponsible

Mail Online clickbait article gets it wrong on zoonoses affecting domestic cats

I like the Mail Online because they do have some good cat articles to encourage me to write but this one from the deputy health editor in America, Alexa Lardieri, is irresponsible and should not have been written. The title states that pet cats are a ‘major harborer of deadly diseases’ and that cats …

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