Is there a risk of worms when feeding BARF?

[ludo]

I've been reading up on the BARF diet on here and cannot find any discussion about the risk of worms though I could have missed it    I don't want Dax to get tape worm or other kinds of worm owing to being fed raw meat  - I worm him with Milbemax once a month and have just received an order of Neem chews which apparently is a natural wormer

Is there a high risk of worms?

Also, is it advisable to freeze all the meat before giving it to the dog?  Up to press I haven't been doing this with chicken wings or rabbit or lamb - I have given one pork rib then read that there is a disease which can be caught by the dog unless the pork ribs are frozen then defrosted before feeding so have put the pork ribs into the freezer.   

[Cob-Web]

There are a lot of different opinions about the issue of worms, and pork - I'm not sure there is a definitive answer 

I tend to freeze meat for convenience - and I do worm my dogs more frequently due to their raw meat diet - particularly because they eat wild rabbit, which carries a higher risk of parasites than the sanitised, human grade meat from the supermarket 

[bluegirl]

There is a risk of worms whether you feed raw or not. Mine are all fed human grade meat and I don't have problems.

[Joules]

Coco is wormed every 3 months - more because of her poo eating habit than BARF though.  I do tend to freeze her meat first too esp pork and chicken but that is mainly for convenience and she has had the odd unfrozen meal with no probs. 

As has been said, dogs can get worms whether or not they are fed BARF but I am not aware that Coco has ever had any 

[sunningwell]

The only thing I've specifically read about BARF and worms is for unfrozen pork. I have given Leo fresh pork ribs but human grade only. Mostly his food has been frozen though.

I agree that worms are more likely to come from drinking puddles and eating undesirables out on walks.

Isn't Milbemax supposed to be once every 3 months? Once monthly sounds like a lot to me?

[SimonandMandy]

It may depend on where your meat comes from, growing up on a farm all home kill lamb had to frozen before feeding to the working dogs.

[ludo]

Thank you that is re-assuring - will check with the vet on the Milbemax 

[ladylola]

I freeze all my meat before feeding it to the dogs, for at least 24hrs. I only use human grade meats freezing kills parasites as does cooking. I worm my dogs with milbemax every 3 months.

[Helen]

more risk from worms if your dog eats other dogs or other species poo IMHO....

[minstrel99]

Hi, I've been raw feeding for 3 years now and have actually had less of a worm problem though I have never found my lot to be that wormy anyway. Mine get garlic 2 - 3 times a week which can help as a natural defence against many paracites anyway including fleas etc. Hope this helps
Lindaxx

[ludo]

Thanks all