Transcript of 7 Most Common Questions About Raw Feeding Answered

the concept of feeding raw brings on so many questions i asked a few pet owners what questions come to their mind regarding the raw diet and in this video i'll be going over the seven most common questions i received number one is raw meat susceptible to parasites parasites are one of the main concerns people new to raw feeding tend to have yes there can be parasites in certain raw meat but if you're getting raw cuts from sources selling for human consumption the risk factor is pretty much zero trichinella is a parasite found in swine trichoniolosis the disease caused by trichanela used to be more common however infection nowadays is relatively rare the number of cases has decreased because of legislation and forcing more control over domesticated swine's diet however it can still be found in wild boar wild boar can be a host of other diseases and in my opinion just shouldn't be fed another common parasite people worry about are tinia or tapeworms if you're sourcing human grade usda inspected meats this is not a cause for concern if your dog or cat has tapeworms it's often caused by ingesting fleas the only time you need to worry about parasites is if you're feeding the digestive tract of an animal or feeding wild game or fish in general the digestive tract shouldn't be fed but if you're feeding wild whole prey or fish it should be froze for at least a month liver flukes are something that can be found in the liver of wild venison and is freeze resistant so i would advise to refrain from feeding the liver unless you're aware of what to look out for number two can my pet get salmonella from eating raw meat salmonella is one of those scary words associated with raw meat it's a bacteria often found in raw poultry and the digestive tract of many animals salmonella and other bacteria might be a risk to your pet if they already have an immunocompromised system or underlying health issues however dogs cats and ferrets are well equipped to deal with bacteria their saliva has antibacterial properties one being lysozyme which is an enzyme that lyses and destroys harmful bacteria their short digestive tract is designed to push food through quickly without giving bacteria time to colonize and on top of this they have a highly acidic environment in the gut which prevents bacteria from growing can salmonella be found in their stool yes even kibble-fed pets shed salmonella in their stool how do you deal with this wash your hands if you're ever having to touch your pet's feces and of course don't eat it good thing you practice these measures already right number three do you have to wash the meat before feeding it you don't washing meat actually increases the spread of bacteria and increases the risk of cross-contamination there's absolutely no reason you need to wash raw meat the blood or the myoglobin which is the red juice you often see in red meat and organ containers holds a lot of nutrients for your raw fed pets and shouldn't be tossed or washed off number four how much time does it take to prepare raw meals this depends on how you're preparing their meals if you put all the necessary cuts in the fridge for the week and prep the day off this may take you five or so minutes a day to prepare of course be sure that the meats you have in the fridge aren't going bad before feeding if you prep out a week or a few weeks worth of meals at once and then freeze them until the day of feeding the initial prep may take you around 45 minutes or so and just a minute or less the day of it's all relative to how you prep and prepare i personally prep a week's worth of meals each week sometimes more if i have enough stuff left over and this way i don't have to prep a meal every day but i'm not spending half the day preparing a month's worth of meals in the end it's what works best for you number five how do you source ethically raised meat most raw cuts you can find at grocery stores asian markets and butchers but it's hard to know where they come from and it's often assumed that they're from a plant that mass produces their animals if you want ethically raised meats your best bet is through local farmers hunters and online retailers that specialize in providing pasture raised and grass-fed and finished meats for raw feeding i personally try and source from my local farmers and hunters because i luckily have a lot in my area i've built a relationship with my local farmers and often get a lot of off cuts for free so this is something i really encourage people to do if they have a local farmers market number six will my pet have a bad reaction when switching to raw if you switch them cold turkey most likely even switching to a different kibble suddenly can cause some issues so it's best to start very slow and work your way up while still feeding the kibble start with adding in light meat then work your way up to lean raw meaty bone it would also be beneficial to add in a probiotic supplement for digestion or a dark leafy green blend for some fiber you can then start incorporating new proteins slowly and finish off with adding in organ meats number seven can feeding a raw diet cause aggression does feeding raw meat trigger a predator-like behavior making them bloodthirsty for you and other animals no many animals have food aggression and resource guarding behaviors as well as prey drive regardless of what they're fed however the only time feeding a raw diet will actually make your pet show behavioral changes is if you feed an unbalanced diet lacking in the amino acid tryptophan which does have an impact on serotonin in the brain and serotonin is what regulates anxiety happiness and overall mood if you feed a variety of proteins and do your research on balancing your pet's meals or get help from a certified nutritionist or holistic vet you should have no issue with this sort of deficiency if your pet is showing resource guarding behaviors this has to do with how your pet is feeling in the situation that they're in not what's being fed and should be worked on with a reputable trainer i hope this answered some of your questions on the raw diet there's no such thing as a dumb question especially when it comes to your pet's health if you're wanting a closer look at the raw diet check these videos out