First, what is raw feeding? It is a specific diet of dogs and cats, where the meals are structured in a balanced way and include:
- raw meat
- raw organs (offal)
- raw bones
- fruits
- vegetables
- oils
- + other nutrients (according to the raw feeding method/philosophy)
There are, of course, a few concerns when feeding your dog or cat with a raw diet:
- providing all the required nutrients in right proportions for your specific dog,
- food safety & hygiene with handling raw meats.
If you have enough knowledge on dog nutrition and specific dietary needs of your dog, you can design your dog´s meals yourself. If you don´t have enough knowledge, and/or prefer convenience, there are several quality brands of already prepared raw meals available (at least in Slovenia).
Already prepared raw meals: usually available in frozen or freeze-dried form. As with dry or wet dog food, the meals can be “complete” or complimentary”.
“Complete meals are specially formulated to provide the nutritional balance a cat or dog needs in their daily diet, whilst a complementary pet food will need to be fed alongside another food source.” (FEDIAF)
Food safety: already prepared raw meals are subject to very stringent EU legislation and require several tests, to make sure the meat is safe. If you will be sourcing your own meat, make sure that you are getting it from a safe and reliable source (that way you can be sure that all the regulations were taken into account and the ingredients were tested).
Hygiene with handling raw meats: hygiene is of course important whenever we prepare any sort of meals. In the case of raw feeding, this is even more important.
- make sure to purchase quality meats, that come in a safe packaging (no visible signs of damage),
- after handling raw meat, always wash your hands with hot water and soap (the same goes for freeze-dried meat!),
- wash all surfaces that have been in contact with raw meat,
- wash your dog or cat´s bowls after each use, as well as any dishes or utensils that you might have used in the preparation of the meal. Again, use hot water and detergent, rinse properly and dry before next use,
- in case of open packaging, make sure to seal it properly, to limit any possible cross-contamination,
- when you are storing raw meat in the fridge, make sure that is is stored at the bottom,
- in case of bought, already-made raw meals, strictly follow the instructions on the label and packaging.
Defrosting raw meat: this part of the process is very important, but somehow many people skip it or don´t even know about it.
- make sure to defrost frozen raw meat in a sealed container (e.g. tupperware), you can also use your dog´s bowl, but make sure it is covered,
- defrost frozen raw meat in the fridge (usually overnight), or at room temperature (in case you will be using it the same day),
- once the raw meat has been defrosted, don´t freeze it again!
Another tip: don´t discard the “juice” that will appear when you defrost the frozen raw meat. it contains essential nutrients that are beneficial to your dog or cat.