Is Raw Food Safe for Dogs and Cats?

cat with raw fish - is raw food safe for pets

There’s a truly satisfying feeling when your furry friend finishes their meal and comes over for pets or a cuddle session. When our pets eat well, all is right in the world. But, does “eating well” include raw food? And is raw pet food safe for dogs and cats to consume?

Let’s dive in and get your questions answered.

Is raw meat good for dogs and cats?

Since our pets descend from wild animals, it makes sense that they would benefit from a raw diet. You might even be tempted to head to the grocery store for raw meat and bones, but that is a risky choice.

Raw meat from the grocery store has been produced in a way that assumes humans will cook it to safe temperatures before they eat it. If you feed your pet that same meat raw, they might be exposed to bacteria like Salmonella.

But, what about leftover bones? Cats and dogs snack on these in cartoons, but in real life, they’re not 100% safe because cooking makes them more brittle and prone to breaking. These shards can be very sharp and injure your pet when consumed.

Long story short, raw human food isn’t safe for dogs and cats. But, there’s good news: well-made raw pet food intended for your companion is extremely safe and beneficial to their health.

Why is raw pet food safer than normal raw human food?

The raw food from your grocery store is processed, sent to a distributor, shipped to the store, sometimes inconsistently repackaged and then sits in a cooler for a set period. This isn’t always a problem for humans, as we cook the food and kill potential bacteria. But, you’ll want to protect your companion by feeding them raw food produced with a special process that locks in nutrients and prevents contamination.

Vital Essentials raw pet food is carefully processed from wholesome ingredients in-house at our dedicated facilities. There are no middlemen or external processing plants, so we can control food safety and ensure freshness. Our products are also packaged at the height of freshness!

Here are five safety facts about our food that’ll give you true peace of mind!

  1. Our pet food uses USDA-inspected animal protein proudly made and packaged right here in America’s Heartland.
  2. Some of our pet food does include superfood fruits and veggies, but all our foods are pea-, lentil- and potato-free as well as low-carb.
  3. Our food has no artificial preservatives or coloring, no rendered by-products, no added fillers or flavorings and no synthetic vitamins or minerals. That’s a lot of nos that make our food an easy yes for you!
  4. We are a GFSI – FSSSC-2200 and EU certified pet food facility with a comprehensive HACCP Food Safety Program developed in collaboration with Kansas State University. All those words and acronyms really mean that our food is carefully created and inspected to meet strict safety regulations.
  5. Our employees are trained on FDA Good Manufacturing Processes or (GMPs) to adhere to best practices so we can continue to make safe, quality pet food for our best fur-iends. They’re pet lovers and parents too! Our employees are dedicated to crafting sensational and safe raw pet food.

What are the ingredients in raw pet food?

Our top-quality pet food is based on the ALPHA Prey-Model diet and consists of premium meat, organs and bone for a nutrient packed dinner that any carnivore will love. We do mix fresh fruit and veggies in some of our products for an extra nutrition boost. For instance, our FUSION Dinner Patties have superfoods like apples, squash, carrots, blueberries and broccoli!

 Ready to go raw? Learn more about switching from kibble to high-quality raw in our feeding tips and mistakes article. Next, shop for our pet food, treats and supplements in a store near you or online!

And, while you’re brushing up on pet safety, check out our pet fire and emergency safety guide!


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