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Questions
- How to feed raw dog food
- How to store raw dog food
- How long can raw dog food be left out?
- Is raw dog food dangerous to humans?
Feeding raw has become increasingly popular over the past few years, initially with working dogs and now with your pampered pooch too! Some pet parents are still hesitant to switch out their pup’s regular diet and may be concerned over the safety aspect, however with good management there is little risk involved. Raw food for dogs is a great way to introduce a natural, highly digestible and super tasty mealtime for your pet. And guess what? Raw food is safe for dogs, it all just hinges on thorough hygiene practice and appropriate storage! Read on to find out how to feed your dog raw food, how to store it and how to ensure this diet is as safe as possible.
How to feed raw dog food
Feeding raw food to your canine companion may look a little different to alternate diets, but it’s fairly simple to understand once you know what you’re doing. If you’re used to feeding a commercial diet of dry dog food, you store it in an air-tight container to stop it from losing its freshness. Raw food is similar, except it needs to be kept frozen instead to lock in all of the nutrients. Once you get the hang of it, it can become the new normal and takes very little effort.
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How to defrost raw dog food
You may wonder how to defrost raw dog food. There are a few different ways, but by far the easiest is to pull out what you need for the next day or two and store it in the fridge overnight to defrost. If you’re in the habit of doing this on a daily basis, it becomes second nature, and you develop a rhythm that’s easy to keep up with. It’s recommended to keep defrosted raw food in the fridge for no longer than 48 hours, though the shorter the time between defrosting and feeding, the better. Taking out little and often means you feed at the optimal freshness and you don’t have a large quantity of raw food just sitting in your fridge.
Alternatively, if you forget to defrost their food the night before, you can leave a packet in a bowl of water for a few hours, which should help it gradually defrost. You want to avoid the food thawing too quickly, which is why the water is helpful in the process. Leaving the food out on the side is another option but if it gets too warm, bacteria can start to grow inside, and you can risk your pup getting poorly.
Can you defrost raw dog food in the microwave?
Defrosting meat in a microwave is not an exact science; it can come out undercooked or if you leave it in slightly too long it turns into rubber. Most pooches will still gobble down their overcooked rubber but if you feed a raw diet that contains bones, microwaving them can make them hard and brittle so they can splinter off and injure your pooch.
It’s best to avoid microwaving your pup’s raw meals.     Â
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Can you mix raw and cooked dog food?
Mixing raw food with a dry diet can be a really good way to give your pup all the benefits of raw feeding without breaking the bank. If you have a fussy eater on your hands, even as much as 20% of their diet being raw can help them gain the benefits of the raw diet while at the same time enticing them to gobble up their grub!
The only real drawback of mixing two different diets together is working out the nutrition and caloric intake. While you can combine two complete meals so you know they contain everything your dog needs, feeding less or more of each might make your pup’s diet a little imbalanced, so there’s some maths involved.  If you do choose to introduce some raw food to your pup’s diet, be sure to introduce it gradually so you don’t shock their digestive system with such a rich addition.
Mixing food is safe, however the main concerns around it are because of how a dog’s body digests the food differently at different rates. Your canine’s stomach is naturally acidic which breaks down bones, and kibble or wet food lowers this acid level, making breaking down bones harder for them. It’s recommended that if you do mixed feeding, to keep bone to a minimum.
We’ve got an entire guide on how to gradually move your dog on to another diet here.
Do you have to cook raw dog food?
Raw dog food is made to be fed uncooked so there’s no preparation required! The process of cooking the food would reduce the quality of the ingredients and if you’re feeding a diet that contains bone, it can make these hard and brittle so they become dangerous to your dog.
Some diets like Nutriment Boneless Beef Formula can be cooked because it has no bone in it, but if you want your pooch to get the most out of a raw diet, it is best served uncooked. Â
How to store raw dog food
Raw food should always be kept in the freezer until you’re ready to take it out to defrost. Making sure it’s sat around for as little time as possible is key to keeping it fresh and healthy for your pet. Ideally, you want to aim for no more than 48 hours outside of the freezer before it’s consumed. When raw meat starts to spoil, it grows bacteria that can upset your pup’s stomach.
How long can raw dog food be left out?
When you feed your pup, their food should be picked up after no more than 30 minutes to avoid bacteria growth. If left much longer, then you risk a stomach upset. Most pooches who are fed a raw diet will eat it right away, even if they’re picky eaters, so it shouldn’t need to be left out for long periods of time.
At room temperature and unsealed, raw meat grows bacteria quickly. This becomes even more important if you have children in the house. While we understand the need to clean surfaces that have come into contact with raw meat, children aren’t quite so savvy and risk getting too close if left out.
If you’re choosing to defrost your meals at room temperature, a 400g pack like Natures Menu Frozen Turkey can take 2 to 4 hours to defrost fully. Any longer than that and it can get too warm and become a risk to your pup. It can be a good way to defrost food quickly but only if you remember it’s there and don’t leave it any longer.
Is raw dog food dangerous to humans?
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Humans can catch salmonella poisoning if the meat is contaminated, however most pups can eat contaminated food and not suffer from any symptoms. As pet parents, it’s important to handle raw food properly. As long as you wipe down surfaces, clean bowls after meal times and thoroughly wash anything you’ve used to prepare their meals, you should have no issues.
Dogs have evolved to eat lots of different food so it should go without saying that while raw food is perfectly safe for your pooch, you probably shouldn’t try sampling it as our stomachs are much more delicate!
Now that some of the mysteries and safety precautions have been explored, hopefully you can feel more confident about raw feeding. If you want to treat your pooch to a new and exciting diet that’s safe, take a look at our extensive range of raw dog food for your beloved canine companion.
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