Summary
Main objectives of this study were to monitor dog bite occurrence in game meat and to evaluate the damage caused. For this purpose, a total of 526 animals were evaluated: 337 red deer (Cervus elaphus), 142 wild boar (Sus scrofa), 29 fallow deer (Dama dama), and 18 mouflon (Ovis musimon), in hunting zones located in the county Idanha-a-Nova (lat 39° 55’N: long 7° 14’W). A total of 100 (19.01%) of the analysed animals had suffered from dog bites. Of those, 64 were classified as level 1, 20 as level 2 (i.e. removal of affected tissues necessary) and 16 as level 3 (i.e. necessitating total rejection of the carcass). Apart from the animal welfare issue this study emphasises the hygienic, microbiological and economic relevance of this problem in the game meat production chain. The necessity of improving dog behaviour during drive hunting so as to avoid meat rejection, promote animal welfare and game meat hygiene and quality.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsReferences
Codex Alimentarius, 1994. Carne y productos carnicol – Codigo internacional recomendado para la inspeccion ante-mortem y post-mortem de animales de matanza y para el dictamen ante-mortem y post-mortem sobre animales de matanza y carnes. CAC/RCP 41-1993. Vol. 10. Segunda Edicion 241 pp.
Coye, M.J., 1992. Guidelines for the treatment, investigation, and control of animal bites. The State of California Health and Welfare Agency Department of Health Services, USA, 71 pp.
EC (European Commission), 2004. Regulation (EC) 853/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 april 2004 laying down specific hygiene rules for on the hygiene of foodstuffs. O.J. L 139/55.
El-Ghareeb, W.R., Smulders, F.J.M., Morshdy, A.M.A., Winkelmayer, R. and Paulsen, P., 2009. Microbiological condition and shelf life of meat from hunted game birds. Eur. J. Wildl. Res. 55(4), 317-323.
Gill, C.O., 2007. Microbiological conditions of meats from large game animals and birds. Meat Sci. 77, 149-160.
Griffin, G.M. and Holt, D.E., 2001. Dog-bite wounds: bacteriology and treatment outcome in 37 cases. J. Am. Hosp. Assoc. 37(5), 453-460.
Kelly, P.J., Mason, P.R., Els, J. and Matthewman, L.A., 1992. Pathogens in dog bite wounds in dogs in Harare, Zimbabwe. Vet. Rec. 131, 464-466.
Meyers, B., Schoeman, J.P., Goddard, A. and Picard, J., 2008. The bacteriology and antimicrobial susceptibility of infected and non-infected dog bite wounds: Fifty cases. Vet. Microbiol. 127, 360-368.
Moreno, B., 2003. Higiene e Inpección de Carnes- vol II. Ediciones Díaz de Santos, S. A. Madrid, Spain, 137 pp.
Talan, D.A., Moran, G.J., Abrahamian, F., Winer, M.R., Citron, D.M. and Goldstein, E.J.C. 1996. The bacteriology of infected cat and dog bite wounds. Acad. Emerg. Med. 3, 536.
Vieira-Pinto, M.M., Martins, C., Santos, C., Perestrelo-Vieira, R. and Perestrelo-Vieira, H., 2005. Inspecção Higio-Sanitária de Caça Selvagem. Epidemiologia de algumas doenças. Ciência e Vida Publicações, Odivelas, Portugal, 130 pp.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2011 Wageningen Academic Publishers
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Alberto, J.R., Serejo, J.P., Vieira-Pinto, M. (2011). Dog bites in hunted large game: a hygienic and economical problem for game meat production. In: Paulsen, P., Bauer, A., Vodnansky, M., Winkelmayer, R., Smulders, F.J.M. (eds) Game meat hygiene in focus. Wageningen Academic Publishers, Wageningen. https://doi.org/10.3920/978-90-8686-723-3_5
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3920/978-90-8686-723-3_5
Publisher Name: Wageningen Academic Publishers, Wageningen
Online ISBN: 978-90-8686-723-3
eBook Packages: Biomedical and Life SciencesBiomedical and Life Sciences (R0)