Rebecca's Veterinary Nutrition

Raw meat diets (RMD) for dogs are an increasingly popular alternative pet food choice, however studies worldwide have demonstrated them to be contaminated with zoonotic and antimicrobial resistant (AMR) bacteria, including bacteria resistant to critically important antibiotics. Despite this, few data exist surrounding the presence of these bacteria in RMD in the United Kingdom.

The present study aimed to identify the most commonly selected RMD and non-raw diets (NRMD) by United Kingdom dog owners. Additionally, it investigated the presence of AMR-Enterobacteriaceae in samples of pre-prepared RMD and cooked commercial kibble dog foods. An online survey investigating diet preferences of United Kingdom dog owners was open for 6 weeks between February–March 2020. From this, the top 10 brands of pre-prepared raw and cooked kibble diets were ascertained and 134 samples purchased (110 RMD, 24 kibble) and subjected to microbiological testing.

Bacterial enumeration of E. coli and other Enterobacteriaceae was undertaken, and the presence of Salmonella spp. and AMR-E. coli within samples determined. Whole genome sequencing was undertaken on Salmonella spp. and third-generation cephalosporin-resistant 3GCR-E. coli isolates. Pre-prepared RMD was most commonly selected by dog owners who fed RMD, and cooked commercial complete dry food was most frequently fed by owners who fed NRMD. Damaged and leaking packaging was observed in samples of RMD, alongside variability in information provided surrounding product traceability.

➡️Counts of E. coli and other Enterobacteriaceae exceeding >5,000 CFU/g were identified in samples of RMD. AMR-, extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing and 3GCR-E. coli was isolated from 39, 14 and 16% of RMD samples, respectively. Multiple antimicrobial resistance genes were identified in 3GCR-E. coli isolates. Of the ESBL encoding genes, blaCTX-M-15 was most commonly identified. S. enterica was isolated from 5% of RMD samples.

➡️No Enterobacteriaceae were isolated from any of the cooked kibble samples.

➡️The present study suggests that pre-prepared RMD available for dogs in the United Kingdom can be contaminated with zoonotic and AMR-Enterobacteriaceae. RMDs, therefore, are potentially an important One Health concern. Veterinary and medical professionals, pet food retailers and pet owners should be aware of these risks; and stringent hygiene measures should be practiced if owners choose to feed RMD.

Read in full below 👇

https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2023.1301841/full

Tip: Get everyone in the practice to measure from the same places.
We measure the neck placing the tape behind the ears. The chest, with tape placed into the armpit. The waist, with tape pushed up into the back legs/groin.

I ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ this guy.
If only I had the time & patience to trawl the many pet related nutrition vids. To be honest I try to avoid them as it makes me sad and frustrated 😔

TikTok · Dr Idz (MBBS, MRes, Dip IBLM) 26.8K likes, 916 comments. “ ❗️ENRICHED RICE MAKES YOU FAT!! 😱❌🍚”

After 18 years they still amaze me.
Bought in to practice yesterday. Couldn't use back legs, very grubby, very thin. Blood glucose low. After some fluids and 3 small meals he was walking around shouting at me. 😍

My 1st Faecal Microbial T.

Right.. no reply from Meta , I will try again. Not using the word tran$p1@nt, as I think that may have been the issue 😞. I have also not included direct links to my sources in case this caused issues too. But have described them at the end.

We had a puppy

Vegan Cats and Dogs: Are they healthier?

Back in April 2022, a study made the headlines, after a peer-reviewed analysis of around 2,500 pets found that vegan dogs visit the vet less often and require fewer medications. This week, we have another, with the Guardian stating ‘Cats may get health benefits from vegan diet, study suggests’ and ‘Owners who fed their pet a plant-based diet reported fewer visits to the vet and less medication use’.

It certainly sounds amazing - a diet that is healthier for cats and dogs, while also saving the environment, and resulting in fewer vet visits and less medication. However, journalism like this must be taken with extreme caution, as it is so difficult for owners to be able to break down wordy and complex literature to understand the bias and limitations behind them. These studies make it look as if vegan cats and dogs’ foods are the way forward, when in actual fact they should only be undertaken with some serious considerations.

Let's investigate a few:

1️⃣First thing to note is the conflicts of interest – the researcher that devised and led both peer-reviewed studies, Knight, and the study that was funded by the charity ProVeg – a charity whose aim is to raise awareness of the importance of plant-based food for people, animals, and the planet through their campaigns.

2️⃣ This study is a self-reported survey, rather than an observational study or randomised controlled trial. Surveys have the potential for issues that may result in the inability to draw robust conclusions from data received and analyzed.

3️⃣In the cat group, it is noteworthy that at 6.24 years, the average age of cats in their sample fed vegan diets was nearly two years less than that of those fed meat-based diets, at 8.14 years, and that difference was significant. This is important, because younger cats may have decreased risks of certain health disorders, meaning the cats in the vegan group may have naturally reported less age-related health issues.

4️⃣Another limitation to the study was that these diets were usually not fed exclusively - as might occur within a controlled study in a research institute. The researchers could not rule out the cats obtaining meat through other means, but said that this was unlikely to influence the findings.

5️⃣“Most of the cats on vegan diets were indoor cats,” This is certainly relevant, because while the researchers feel they could rule out vegan cats sneaking unseen meat into their diet, the meat-based cats were more likely to be outdoor cats – which means they might be more likely to need veterinary visits from the injuries and trauma that’s often associated with their outdoor lifestyle.

6️⃣We know that certain ideologies around human health can make people less likely to visit a doctor or less likely to access conventional medicine and experience poorer patient outcomes – and this can be seen in their animals too.

▶️ Read our article in full to understand exactly why we may not be jumping straight on the 'vegan cat' bandwagon, and why some veterinary professionals will still not be advising this diet choice for more 'healthy' cats.

https://www.vetvoices.co.uk/post/vegan-diets-are-healthier-and-safer-for-cats-and-dogs-or-are-they

I wrote a long, researched post on faecal microbiome transplant. However, Facebook thinks it's a cybersecurity threat, so I'm waiting for it to be reviewed....
Here is the faecal concoction ready for use just to tease you 😆💩😆.
I really hope Facebook pulls through & don't need to re-write it 🤞

Who's dentition is this?

🧐They are flat, with diamond shaped ridges to grind food, so this is going to be a herbivore.
🧐They have one molar set per quadrant.
🧐These teeth are hypsodont, so continue to grow (this species must need to chew a lot).
🧐Interestingly they develop from the back of the mouth to the front, unlike our teeth that grow upwards. The old, worn set breaks off at the front and the root is absorbed. You can see this wear on the photo, with shallower ridges at the front.
🧐This species will grow 6 sets of molars, the final set appearing at around 40-50 years old.
..
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Finally, not seen in the picture are two modified, enlarged, incisors called tusks.
Yes it's an elephant!
Asian and African elephants have differing shaped molars. The picture is of an African elephant- having a diamond shaped ridge pattern. Asian elephants 'diamonds' are compressed into long oval shapes.

Sharks have teeth which are continuously replaced (polyphyodonty). Teeth are easily damaged when hunting, so need to be replaced. Some species have many rows of teeth waiting to replace losses.

In some species female sharks have larger teeth than male sharks (heterodonty), as they are generally larger and take larger prey.

Depending on their prey different species have differently shaped teeth. They may be dense and flattened if they feed on shelled creatures such as crabs that need to be crunched. Needle-like teeth allow good grip of small or narrow fish. Triangular/serrated teeth to cut large prey into pieces. Some species have a mixture of these making up their dentition.
Non-functional teeth are found in filter feeders such as whale sharks.

If you really want the nitty gritty of how teeth re-grow this really gets into it 🥵https://academic.oup.com/icb/article/60/3/644/5869800?login=false

If you want to see the variety between species: https://fossillady.com/category/shark-teeth-fossils/