RAW food safety recommendations
Raw feeding is increasing in popularity, with owners feeding a raw food diet, rather than feeding a commercially prepared food. Is it possible to feed this way safely? Here are some top tips from our veterinary team.
What is Raw feeding
Raw feeding is a diet of raw food for a dog or a cat, that is made up of offal, raw meat, raw bone, fruit and vegetables, seeds nuts and oil. These diets are increasing in popularity in the UK, with a growing number of owners home preparing the raw food diet, rather than feeding a commercially prepared diet.
Raw feeding can be either:
- Home prepared.
- Commercially prepared.
Home prepared raw diets
As an owner you will need to source the raw ingredient and put them together yourself. There is always a concern with any home prepared diets, that they may not have the correct amount of nutrients in the right quantities, particularly vitamins and minerals.
Commercial raw diet
Commercially prepared diets are available as
- ‘complementary’ which require feeding together with another food source,
- ‘complete’ which have been specifically prepared to provide a cat or dog with the nutrients they need, this may also have insufficient vitamins and minerals.
Vets advise that a commercially prepared raw diet that is complete, is preferred over a home prepared diet. This will need to be fed, according to your pets age and weight, to provide them with the nutrients they need to stay healthy.
As with all commercially prepared food manufacturers, raw food manufacturers must adhere to certain hygiene standards, and are also subject to strict legislations that require various tests to ensure the food they produce is safe. This minimises the risk to humans and pets of food- borne contamination
Here is a link to food manufacturers offering raw feeding that is commercially prepared and complete:
UK Pet Food’s raw pet food manufacturers.
Raw feeding is increasing in popularity, with owners feeding a raw food diet, rather than feeding a commercially prepared food. Is it possible to feed this way safely? Here are some top tips from our veterinary team.
What is Raw feeding
Raw feeding is a diet of raw food for a dog or a cat, that is made up of offal, raw meat, raw bone, fruit and vegetables, seeds nuts and oil. These diets are increasing in popularity in the UK, with a growing number of owners home preparing the raw food diet, rather than feeding a commercially prepared diet.
Raw feeding can be either:
- Home prepared.
- Commercially prepared.
Home prepared raw diets
As an owner you will need to source the raw ingredient and put them together yourself. There is always a concern with any home prepared diets, that they may not have the correct amount of nutrients in the right quantities, particularly vitamins and minerals.
Commercial raw diet
Commercially prepared diets are available as
- ‘complementary’ which require feeding together with another food source,
- ‘complete’ which have been specifically prepared to provide a cat or dog with the nutrients they need, this may also have insufficient vitamins and minerals.
Vets advise that a commercially prepared raw diet that is complete, is preferred over a home prepared diet. This will need to be fed, according to your pets age and weight, to provide them with the nutrients they need to stay healthy.
As with all commercially prepared food manufacturers, raw food manufacturers must adhere to certain hygiene standards, and are also subject to strict legislations that require various tests to ensure the food they produce is safe. This minimises the risk to humans and pets of food- borne contamination
Here is a link to food manufacturers offering raw feeding that is commercially prepared and complete:
UK Pet Food’s raw pet food manufacturers.
