Raw Food Basics
Benefits of Feeding a Raw Diet
Dogs and cats are meat eaters by nature. That's why raw, fresh meat is the most instinctive diet for your pet. A diet consisting primarily of raw meat, organs, bone, and fat reflects what your pet would eat in his natural habitat.
Raw food provides active enzymes, phytochemicals, beneficial bacteria, food-based soluble fibers and antioxidants that are often eliminated or altered in the processing of kibble and canned food.
Raw diets have a higher moisture content than processed kibble and research shows that a higher moisture content may contribute to the long term health of a cat's kidneys and urinary tract.
Raw diets can be a great choice for dogs or cats with allergies and can also help with weight loss. Raw bones are great for keeping teeth and gums healthy.
Why are raw food diets free from pathogens and harmful bacteria
The practice used by companies that specialize in raw pet diets is called High Pressure Processing (HPP). Foods are cold-pressed, using water at pressure equal to that found at the bottom of the ocean (87,000 lbs. per square inch), where harmful bacteria cannot survive. HPP inactivates pathogens and harmful bacteria without high temperatures.
Not for Everyone
When raw food is processed and fed properly, the incidence of illness is almost non-existent. What risks there are fall into two categories: illness from bacteria or parasites in contaminated meat, and intestinal infection and injuries from bones. These risks can be serious, and weak or unhealthy dogs and cats may not be good candidates for raw food.
Safe Handling
You should always practice safe hygene and proper handling just like when preparing meals for yourself or you family. Always clean utinsels and bowls after each usage and be sure to wash your hands.
At Maddie Mae's Pet Pantry we are knowlegeable and happy to help but we are not veternarians. We do extensive research and carefully choose our products but neither our advise nor or our lists of tips and helpful hints should be substitued by a visit to your veterenarian.