If we had a nickel for every time we are asked about recommendations for raw food for dogs and cats…
There are many, many different brands and offerings out there, so we get it; picking the best option for your animal, particularly if you’re new to raw, can be overwhelming.
So, today we’re getting back to the basics with lots of tips and advice on how to find the best food for your pet, as well as how to add value to that dinner plate no matter what you’re feeding!
Raw Food for Dogs and Cats: The Basics
When you’re looking for commercial raw food for your pet, you always want to start with the basics.
When you’re evaluating raw foods, start with the 3 basics. Any raw food you choose so have at least these 3 things:
1. High-quality Meat: Look for fresh, whole meat from high-quality sources, with protein content ideally between 14 and 19%. The ingredient and nutritional analysis can tell you a lot about the meat, whether it’s organic, grass-fed, etc., as well as the fat content and whether lean muscle meat makes up the bulk of the food (you want it to). Depending on the protein source, the fat content could be anywhere from 2 to 13%. If it’s much more than this, it may be mostly (or even completely) trim. Trim is what’s left when lean cuts are removed, and it’s usually high in fat.
2. Organs: You also want to make sure the blend contains organ meat. That’s most often liver and kidney, but it could be a wide variety – everything from the brain to eyeballs. These “bits” provide important nutrients that are important for overall health, including CoQ10, B complex vitamins, minerals like iron, copper, zinc and chromium, vitamins E and K2, amino acids. Organ meats also provide collagen, elastin, and keratin. Organ meats should make up between 5 to 10% of your animal’s diet.
3. Bones: Bones provide calcium, which is essential for strong bones and teeth. A good balance between meat and bone is essential. The food you choose should have bone in it. Without it, your pet could face calcium and other trace mineral deficiencies. In raw diets, bones are often ground into very small pieces or even a powder to provide needed calcium. That said, if you find a brand that you like that’s boneless, feed different raw meaty bones to supplement. There’s more on feeding raw bones at this post.
That’s a good basic food. And if you’ve found a food you trust that covers those 3 basics, amazing! The rest you can add on your own. But, some blends will also contain these:
4. Vegetables and Fruits: Ideally you want very little carbohydrate content in the food, but if you choose a blend with fruits and vegetables you will have a little – and that’s good. Vegetables are a great source of whole food fibre, vitamins, and minerals. They also contain valuable phytochemicals like polyphenols, flavonoids, and carotenoids. For dogs, make sure these are part of the diet. For cats, you can also add them, if they’ll eat them. Cats are obligate carnivores, so technically they don’t need them, but they’re going to bring the same benefits to your kitty that they do to your pup!
5. Supplements: Some companies that make raw food for dogs and cats will add supplements to their blends, and that can be very helpful. Common ones are omegas or apple cider vinegar, and they’ll be clearly listed on the packaging. But, always look for whole food-based supplements rather than synthetic vitamins and minerals. You want natural sources, and things you understand easily what they are. These supplements can have a range of benefits.
These things (whether 3 or all 5) are the foundation for a quality raw food. Reading carefully through the ingredient list and nutritional analysis will help you determine which food is best for your animal.
Next Steps
Ok, so you’ve found what you think is a good food. You’ve read through the ingredients, checked the nutritional profile and analysis. Now what?
Well, you can take your research ever further a number of ways:
- Visit the company’s website. Are they transparent? Do they give you the opportunity to reach out with questions? Do they provide a lot of information on their site?
- Speak to the owner of the store where you’re buying the food. Most will have a great level of knowledge about all of the food they sell, especially if it’s a store that sells primarily raw. If they can’t answer your questions, maybe reconsider the store or ask for someone more knowledgeable.
- Ask in raw feeding communities online. Join a community like our Adored Beast Collective for recommendations in your area.
- Get your vet’s advice. If you know your vet is holistic or integrative, ask if they have any recommendations. Of course, many conventional vets are open-minded as well and may be able to offer suggestions.
- Read reviews, whether they’re on the company’s website, on Google, or on social media. Pet parents will share their experiences and you can take a lot from these.
Diversity
There’s one other important point when it comes to what you feed your animal: diversity.
How would you feel if you had to eat the same plate of steak and salad every.single.day? You might be eating a nutritionally balanced meal, but it’s going to get pretty darn boring. Plus, while balanced, you’re forgetting about all the other amazing things you could be eating that offer other benefits. We change up what we eat for diversity. And the same should hold true for our animals.
If you’re only feeding one type of food, be it raw, cooked, kibble, dehydrated, etc., you’re only getting the nutrients from that food. So, try switching things up, or adding to the diet:
- Rotate between different protein sources – if you’ve chosen a beef blend, consider rotating in something like rabbit, duck or turkey (just be sure to consider any allergies or sensitivities your pet might have)
- Add different fruits and vegetables – even if your food contains fruits and vegetables, add others for variety. Feed with the seasons, as in what’s in season in a particular month. Look for organic when you can. And go fine with these, rather than large chunks – the smaller the pieces, the easier they are to digest.
- Eggs are great! Eggs are whole food nutrition that easily add variety. Once or twice a week, crack a raw egg on top of your pet’s food, and don’t forget to peel off the inner layer of the shell (the membrane) and feed that too!
- Bone broth is a superfood that’s really easy – and inexpensive – to make. It’s full of vitamins and minerals like iron, vitamins A and K, fatty acids, selenium, zinc, and manganese. Here’s how we make it.
- Probiotic foods like goat milk, kefir, or fermented vegetables all give the gut that added boost!
**NOTE: These additions apply to all diets – not just raw! They can easily add nutrients to kibble, dehydrated, cooked, etc.
Can All Pets Eat Raw Food?
Sometimes the pressure to make the move to raw food for dogs and cats can be overpowering. So let’s address that first. Every pet parent is on their own journey, and you need to do what works (and is comfortable) for you and your animal. Don’t let the peer pressure get to you.
And in some cases, what works isn’t raw food. Some pets do better on home-cooked/gently cooked food. In some cases, cooked might be recommended for a health condition, or even if an animal is recovering from a temporary illness. In other cases, finances might be a limiting factor. And let’s be honest, some animals are picky and just don’t like raw and kibble is the only thing they’ll eat. And that’s OK! Thankfully, there are lots of other ways to add value to that dinner plate without raw food – just take a look at the list above!
Over the last 10 years, there has been a growing acknowledgement of the benefits of raw food for dogs and cats, and many pet parents have made the switch with amazing results. If you’re considering switching, or are just looking for a new brand, these tips will help you find one that you’re comfortable with. And even if you’re not switching, but just want to make your current food even better (no matter what it is), they’ll help with that too. Happy feeding!
