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Can dogs eat Roadkill?

can dogs eat roadkillCaution

Overview

dog-food-safety-information

Yes, but with extreme caution. Feeding roadkill to dogs comes with health risks if the dead animal is infected with bacteria and parasites or contaminated with poisons and toxins. These can make dogs very ill, especially if they have a weak immune system.

Benefits

health-benefits
  • Some raw feeders find some benefit in feeding roadkill to dogs. They argue that harvesting and freezing roadkill that has been decaying for less than 12 hours provides nutritional benefits comparable to or better than store-bought raw meat as they are not tainted with antibiotics.

Risks

health-risks
  • Although dogs can eat roadkill, it's generally not safe for them as the dead animal may be infected with diseases that may be transmitted to dogs.
  • Roadkill may have mold, roundworm, bacteria, and other parasites that can cause dogs to vomit, develop mild to severe diarrhea, have blood in stool, or become sick with tremors. In some cases, eating roadkill can lead to botulism, which can cause paralysis in dogs.
  • Roadkill or dead animals may have been poisoned or exposed to cyanide before being hit by a vehicle. This could be dangerous for dogs if they consumed the poisoned animal as the toxin may still get passed on to dogs. The effect of the toxins depends on how much are still active in the dead animal's system as well as the size of the dog.
  • Dead badgers, foxes, and other carnivores pose some health risks as their liver may be toxic. The livers of these animals can accumulate high levels of toxins, which can be harmful to dogs if ingested.
  • Road kills are not recommended for puppies and dogs with a weak or impaired immune system.
health-risks-dog

Servings

serving-suggestions
  • It's not recommended to feed your dog any roadkill because of the health risks it poses.

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