FAQS about Raw Pet Food

This article originally appeared in Pets in the City Magazine

Owning a raw pet food store, every single day I am answering questions about why a raw food diet is superior to your average dry pet food. So I was thrilled when Pets in the City Magazine asked me to write a Q&A about the most common raw pet food questions I get from day to day. Here goes!

Q: What is a raw diet?

1. A raw diet is a diet for cats or dogs that is primarily raw meat, including muscle, organ, and bone, that is nutritionally balanced and species appropriate. It may or may not have additional vegetables, fruits, and supplements.

Q. How is raw different from kibble?

1. Dry food was only invented about sixty years ago, and it does not fit well with the way dogs and cats digest food. Because of how hard it is to digest, a lot of health problems can follow. A raw diet is rich in moisture, is biologically appropriate, and it is easier to digest and has important nutrients and enzymes you can’t get naturally in dry food.

Q. Isn’t raw pet food filled with bacteria?

1. Not usually. If you are buying a commercially prepared raw diet, they have been tested thoroughly and are held to much higher standards than kibble or even the human meats you find at the grocery store. If you are mixing in your own raw meat, your pet’s extremely acidic digestive tract keeps them safe from bacteria. As long as you practice the same food-safety techniques you would when handling raw meat for yourself, there is virtually no risk.

Q. My vet says raw diets aren’t balanced.

1. It is possible when doing a home-prepared raw diet that you can miss crucial nutrients that can lead to health problems. But if you are doing at least half of a commercial diet, the work is done for you. All commercial diets say on their packaging whether they meet AAFCO standards, just like a kibble you would buy at the grocery store.

Q. Dogs aren’t wolves. Why would I feed them based on the idea that they are?

1. It is true, your basset hound would make a pretty sad wolf. But dogs share 99.5% of the same DNA and their digestive tracts are still virtually identical, so imitating the way wolves eat makes sense. The same for cats and their larger wild counterparts like lions and jaguars.

Q. Don’t we need the kibble to clean my pet’s teeth?

1. This is a common misconception. Actually, the high carbohydrate count in dry food is doing more damage than good, because dogs and cats don’t produce amylase (the digestive enzyme that breaks down carbohydrates) in their mouths, which means dry food actually sticks to teeth more than a raw diet does. A raw bone from the butcher will do more to keep your dog’s teeth clean than kibble. And dry food is why so many cats suffer from stomatitis and need expensive surgery to have their teeth removed. Cats on a raw diet have much lower rates of stomatitis (and renal failure, and cancer, and…)

Q. What differences will I see if I start feeding my pets a raw diet?

1. Many pet parents see weight loss, shinier, softer coats, cleaner teeth, smaller, less stinky poop, less diarrhea, more energy, lower rates of allergies, and less chronic illness.

Q. What illnesses can be avoided or improved with a raw diet?

1. Obesity, diabetes, allergies, pancreatitis, renal failure, cancer, IBD and gastric issues, and more can often be improved with a raw diet. I have seen dogs with severe allergies become healthy and happy, and fat, sick kitties lose half their body weight and start climbing trees. The number of things the right nutrition can help is simply staggering.

Q. What if I can’t afford a raw diet?

1. Cost is one of the main reasons people don’t do a raw diet, but there are things anyone can do to improve their pet’s diet. Adding water and a digestive enzyme supplement can go far in making kibble easier on your pet. Dehydrated brands are human-grade, rich in moisture, and better quality than most kibbles. They run about the same as higher-quality kibble brands and veterinary diets, but are much healthier. There are mixes that allow you to balance a meal just adding your own meat you can get cheap from Sam’s Club or Costco. 

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Even just mixing in a little ground beef to your kibble or raw chicken when you are cooking for your own family can help your dog or cat stay healthier. Another thing to consider is that many dogs and cats on raw diets avoid numerous health problems that can lead to expensive veterinary bills. So consider what you could save on vet bills when considering whether you can afford it. Many people do dry or dehydrated diets and mix in whatever raw they can afford with good results.

There is a reason I have made it my career to spread the word about raw diets. I saw my own terrier Baxter go from a little old man at six to a young pup again, and at 11 today his whitening hair is the only evidence of his advancing age. There is a reason raw pet food is the fastest-growing segment of the pet food industry. Because it really does make a difference. ​