Raw Food Series Part 1 - What is Raw Pet Food?
Raw food is uncooked, minimally-processed food that contains high amounts of nutrients and enzymes.
Raw food is formulated with fresh cuts of high-quality meat and organs. Many raw foods include ground-up bone, fruits, and vegetables to provide a full spectrum of vitamins and minerals. Raw doesn’t go through the denaturation process that traditional kibble goes through (in addition to being highly processed and cooked at high temperatures!), and is more easily digested than kibble and other cooked foods.
What else sets raw food apart? Good question!
- Raw food contains naturally-occurring enzymes that help break down food in the digestional tract.
- These enzymes and the high nutrition level increase nutrient bioavailability, contributing to your pet’s overall health and energy.
- Raw food is available frozen or freeze-dried in a variety of options, so there’s something for everyone!
- Picky pets love raw food! Some prefer raw frozen food while others enjoy freeze-dried food that’s rehydrated. Many picky pets even love freeze-dried food just as it is (dry) but broken up into small pieces.
Raw Food Mimics Canine and Feline Ancestral Diets
It’s hard to believe that our sweet, domesticated companions used to be fierce hunters! Given their relatively recent domestication (8,000-15,000 years ago), their bodies still require biologically appropriate food to live a long and healthy life.
Raw food is biologically optimal for your dog or cat, making it more easily absorbed and processed by your pet’s digestive system than cooked and highly-processed pet foods.
Raw food options include fresh fruits and vegetables for our omnivorous canine friends.
- Options for our obligate carnivore felines are made simply of whole-cut meat with nutrient-rich organs.
Learn more about why you should go raw! Check out our various Raw Food Series articles linked down below.
