Though dog meat consumption is based on choice, but in Nigeria, it is believed that the Ibibio and Efik tribes located in Calabar and Akwa Ibom eats dog meat than the rest of other tribes in Nigeria.

Several people eat dog meat for so many reasons best known to them. Some eat dog meat because of several myths surrounding its consumption without considering the health risk. Many of the dog meat eaters believe that it gives them strength and is a form of aphrodisiac for the men.

Some believe it enables the eater to have the ability to perceive danger from a far distance. While some said that, because dogs have good sense machnisms and perceives the unknown, eating the meat will improve their sixth sense. Some of the above myths regarding dog eating are culturally initiated.

The truth about the so called benefits is that, it have no scientific prove. Only that it is a source of protein and rich in fatty oil. The health risk surrounding dog eating is far outweighs the so called benefits.

Anyways the health risks involved in dog eating, i would say far outweighs the so-called benefits.

Rabies virus is a very dangerous pathogens found in the nervous tissue and saliva of an infected animals like dog. So many years back, some human deaths has been traced to come from eating dog meat due to rabbies. They were not bitten by dogs, but was infected with the disease through eating the meat and was already in fatal stage before it was discovered.

This is said to be a zoonotic parasite that is transferable from dog meat consumption to humans. This parasite can cause inflammation in blood vessels that can lead to hemorrhaging in the eyes and nail beds when they are in the human body. Trichinellosis can result to death if not properly treated.

3. Many people have died from hypervitaminosis A, because of eating too much vitamin A-rich dog liver. Therefore consuming too much of one particular part of dog meat can also be risky.

There are some dogs that lives in a very dirty environment, some are kept in dustbins and then killed for human consumption. Many eateries are guilty of uncleaned meals. A dog meat that is not properly cooked could infect the consumer with the following bacteria; hepatitis, brucellosis, leptospirosis and anthrax which causes skin ulceration.

Please let's help in sharing this information to other people who has little or no knowledge about the health risk of eating dog meat.

Let's know your opinion about this in the comments section.