Raw pet food, made from uncooked meat, organs, bones, and select fruits and vegetables, is one of the healthiest diets you can feed your dog or cat. A raw diet can improve internal factors like digestive efficiency and nutrient absorption, which lead to improvements in external factors like weight management, skin condition, reduced stool volume, less gassiness/indigestion, and better dental health. Over time feeding raw is likely to result in a healthier, happier, and longer life for your dog or cat.

Dogs and cats’ digestive systems have evolved over thousands of years specifically to process an uncooked animal-based diet of meats, fats, bone, and organ meat. The natural enzymes found in raw meats and fats actually aid in digestion and improve nutritional outcomes for your dog or cat. These naturally occurring enzymes are eliminated when a food is cooked, thereby neutralizing any advantage they may bring. Cooking food also diminishes the potency of the naturally occurring vitamins and minerals. In in cooked pet foods synthetic vitamins are often added to replace the missing nutrients. With most raw diets vitamins and minerals are present in their naturally occurring state.

On top of that, the raw diet does not contain the large volumes of starchy ingredients like rice, oats, or potatoes, that are found in dry kibble. Those ingredients are harder for your dog or cat to digest and bring little added nutritional value. With raw, none of your pet’s energy is wasted trying to process empty calories. Because of that, dogs and cats on the raw diet typically get much better nutrition from a significantly lower volume of food. That translates directly into better body weight management and smaller and less stinky stool.

Also, because the starchy ingredients (which break down into sugars as they are digested) are non-existent in the raw diet, dogs and cats who eat it usually have much better dental health and breath. If you include natural raw bones, turkey necks, chicken backs, etc as part of your pet’s diet, dental health will be even better.

When it comes to skin issues, allergies, and other similar problems, the raw diet can help too. Often times inadequate nutrition can be the root of the problem. Feeding a natural, unprocessed, and easy to digest raw diet clear up these issues. If it ever seems like nothing is solving your dog or cat’s skin issue, you should consider trying the raw diet.

So why isn’t everyone feeding raw? For one, not everyone knows about the raw diet. But there are also several misconceptions about raw. Many so-called problems really are not problems at all.

One common misconception is that food needs to be cooked to kill bacteria that could harm your dog or cat. In reality commercially available raw foods are made in extremely hygienic environments and are frozen before any degradation of the food can occur. On top of that, your dog or cat’s digestive system can handle significantly higher amounts of harmful bacteria than a human can without ill effect. We are not advocating poor food handling practices, but it is important to point out that even if you did leave raw food out a little too long the odds of it hurting your pet are very low. Also, keep in mind that E. Coli outbreaks and other health issues have occurred in many dry kibbles over the years. You should wash your hands and your pet’s bowl after handling any food to practice true safety.

Another misconception is that raw food is inconvenient to feed. The reality is that it’s fairly easy to manage. Raw food can be stored in the refrigerator thawed out for several days in a sealed container. The easiest way to manage it is to thaw a few portions out at a time and replenish as needed. Then feeding it is as easy as taking some food out of the fridge and putting it in your pet’s bowl. Pretty simple.

One challenge about the raw food diet is that it can be more expensive than traditional, kibble-based diets. We offer a variety of brands and formulas to accommodate needs across many different budgets, but we understand that not everyone can feed all raw all the time. If an all-raw diet is not for you, supplementing with it or using it as a food topper will still confer many benefits over a kibble-only diet. We even offer freeze dried raw foods which are a shelf stable food that can be used as a topper or as a primary meal as well.

If you’re thinking about incorporating raw into your dog or cat’s diet the easiest way to start is by visiting your local pet store and picking up a small bag. Most raw pet food brands have satisfaction guarantees enabling you to experiment with different flavors and formulas until you find one that works best for your pet. Here at Chaar we offer a wide range of different raw foods and our staff is happy to help guide you in the search for the ones that are right for you and your dog or cat.

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