Talking to Your Vet About Raw Pet Food

We recognize and appreciate the hard work our veterinarians do to ensure the health and happiness of our cats and dogs. If your vet has concerns about raw feeding or you aren't comfortable sharing that this is your pet food of choice, we have some tips to help drive an open discussion! Here are some of the most common reasons your vet may not openly support raw feeding:

Raw Food Safety Concerns

Feeding your pet raw food is no more risky than preparing meat for your own family's dinner! Handle your pet's raw food with the same safety measures as raw meat for humans: Wash hands before and after handling, keep the food at a safe temperature, and clean any dishes, bowls, or surfaces the food comes into contact with.

• Food safety starts at the very beginning, which is why we exclusively source our ingredients from human-quality, USDA-inspected farms. All meats and goat milk undergo pathogen testing before even entering our manufacturing process, adding an extra layer of scrutiny.
• We use HPP (high-pressure processing) on all our foods. This process effectively eliminates harmful bacteria and pathogens.
• Every batch of food is tested for pathogens such as salmonella, e. coli, and listeria to ensure the absence of harmful bacteria.
  
• All products are held after pathogen testing until results are cleared before being sold to the public.

Nutritional Imbalances

This concern stems from pet parents making their own raw diets for their pets without proper research or consulting a professional that may lack important or balanced nutrients.

• All our diets are formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by AAFCO Dog and Cat Nutrient Profiles for All Life Stages.
• A PhD Animal Nutritionist reviews our formulas.
• A complete nutrient and caloric analysis for each diet is available on our website.

Lack of Carbohydrates

• AAFCO does not have any nutritional required levels for carbohydrates.
• Our Biologically Appropriate Raw Food (BARF) diets contain beneficial carbs in the form of fruits and vegetables, which provide your cat or dog with fiber without inflammatory fillers.

Studies on the Benefits of Raw Pet Food

• Between 2020-2023, almost 8 million pounds of dry food was recalled for bacteria, making up 98% of all bacteria pet food recalls. Raw food only accounted for 0.3% of all the bacteria recalls. This is likely due to higher quality sourcing and higher standards.
• Dogs that eat raw food for more than a year have better health markers than those that do not.
• Raw meat diets increase the diversity of the faecal microbiome.
  
• Puppies that eat a raw diet have less gastrointestinal issues than puppies that eat kibble.
  

Now you have the information needed to respond to your vet's concerns! It's important to recognize differing opinions and encourage an open and receptive dialogue. You can also print the information page below about Steve's Real Food and bring it to your next vet appointment.