Health and Hygiene with Raw Dog Food

As raw dog food is a relatively new phenomenon, it is often subject to high levels of scrutiny and criticism. Compared to kibble, serving dogs uncooked meat is quite the jump and lack of understanding has bred a degree of fear and squeamishness. Health and hygiene is often cited as a key reason to feed dogs with kibble or canned diets rather than raw, but this does not stand up to scrutiny. Following basic health and hygiene guidelines goes a long way and – in our view – mitigates much of the low-level risk associated with feeding a raw diet.

If you are receiving your pet or working dog’s raw feed frozen, then it is very important to follow the manufacturer’s storage instructions to the finest detail. Couriers are able to transport frozen feeds which remains in a safe temperature range, but not for indefinite time periods. Thawed raw food should never be refrozen once it has risen above 6ºC , and doing so can be a health risk as well as result in product degradation. If in doubt, a simple temperature check with a specially designated thermometer is recommended. Raw products are best stored separately from human food items, and kept in dedicated containers with clear markings.

At Rawgeous, we use Woolcool in our packaging which ensures that our products remain frozen for a period of 48 hours. Our designated courier also provides full tracking, and delivery estimate times which are accurate within the hour. This can help you better plan your day when expecting a delivery and ensure that any food is frozen immediately on arrival.

Within your home and kitchen, the same hygiene principles applied to handling and serving meat for human consumption stand for raw dog feeds. Hands should be thoroughly washed with hot and soapy water before and after preparing or serving raw foods, and all surfaces and utensils involved should be disinfected with antibacterial cleaning products. Plates and bowls raw food are served from should be immediately washed with hot and soapy water, ideally away from utensils used by humans.

 Additional information and advice on handling raw pet foods can be found on the British Government’s website. If in doubt, though, we always advise extra caution and washing.