Raw food : the dos and don'ts

You just bought raw food or you’re thinking about introducing this food to your pet’s diet? This type of diet is new for your pet? This feeding habit is new to your pet? Thus, it’s important to know some information before you start.

For your pet’s health and well-being, it’s important for us to support you in your first steps with raw food. Because we wish that your pet stays healthy and at its best, here are a few rules to follow when giving them raw food.

Basic rules

What to do:

• Thaw the needed portions in the refrigerator the night before serving them.
• One portion can be kept a maximum of 3 days in the refrigerator once they are thawed.
• Put the portion out of the fridge and leave it at room temperature for about 5 minutes before serving so it is not too cold.
• If your pet has not eaten his whole portion, you may put it back in the refrigerator after 10 minutes.
  Caution: if this portion is not eaten at the second meal, you must imperatively throw it away.
• Use probiotics a few days before the start of the transition until a few days after the end of the full transition.
• Consult your veterinarian immediately if your pet has an abnormal reaction (vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, etc.) after eating raw food.
• Clean all surfaces that have been in contact with raw food (counters, utensils, pet’s bowl), after each use with a broad-spectrum disinfectant and make sure to respect the contact times recommended by the manufacturer.
• Carefully wash your hands after handling raw food.

What not to do :

• Do not defrost directly in the microwave or soak the package in water, to avoid risks of cooking meat and bones.
• Do not leave thawed food more than 15 minutes at room temperature to avoid the growth of bacteria.
• Do not serve frozen patties to prevent risks of thermal shock, digestive problems, vomiting and aversion to this type of diet.
• Never refreeze thawed portions.

Finally, there remains a very important point accompanying your choice for raw food: the transition! It’s very important to follow the transition rules carefully, to make sure that your pet supports it well and especially to avoid any problems related to a drastic change. Do not hesitate to consult our specialists in stores for further information.