The relation between a raw meat diet for dogs and a patent infection with Sarcocystis spp., Isospora spp. and Neospora caninum in dogs in the Netherlands and Belgium.
Summary
By reading discussion forums on internet, pet owners become more interested in an alternative way of feeding their dogs besides commercially available dog food. Based on the life cycle of Neospora caninum, Sarcocystis spp. and Isospora spp., eating of a paratenic host or an intermediate host is an additional risk of getting an infection. In this study, research was done to see whether a relationship exists between feeding dogs raw meat and the development of a patent infection with N. caninum, Sarcocystis sp. and Isospora sp. in the dog. For this study owners in the Netherlands were asked to participate voluntarly, and send in faeces samples every month. The faecal samples have been processed using centrifuge sedimentation flotation method with sucrose (1,27-1,30 kg/dm3) as flotation medium (4). The slides were examined microscopically for oöcysts of Isospora spp Sarcocystis spp. and N. caninum. Also examination was don for eggs of Toxocara canis, Strongyle (Uncinaria), Trichuris spp., Capillaria spp. and Tenia spp..
A significant association was found between dogs that did eat raw meat, fresh or frozen and a patent Sarcocystis sp. infection. Fresh raw meat was defined in this study as meat that had not been frozen before being fed to the dog. The origin of the meat is probably of great importance. No difference was found between dogs that ate raw meat from intensive livestock farming and meat from organic/ free range animal husbandry. In one sample small oöcysts in the size of N. caninum was found. No significant association between dogs that did eat raw meat and a patent Isospora spp. infection has been found. Neither dogs that did eat raw meat from intensively kept meat producing animals and free-range meat producing animals nor the group that has been fed with fresh meat versus frozen meat and patent infection with Isospora ssp. was found.