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Fresh, Frozen and Raw Pet Foods

Fresh, Frozen and Raw Pet Foods

Updated on July 18, 2024
Reviewer Profile Photo
Reviewed by Dr. Whitney Miller
DVM, MBA, DACVPM
Cat eating from bowl

Commercially available fresh, frozen and raw pet foods are becoming popular choices for many pet parents. At first glance, it's not hard to see why. After all, our own physicians and nutritionists have long been advising us to incorporate fresh foods into our diets and to stay away from preservatives and processed foods when we can. But is commercially prepared fresh, frozen or raw pet food a better choice for your canine or feline family member? And how do you ensure it is a safe choice? Read on to learn more about the pros and cons.

Commercially prepared fresh, frozen and raw pet food

When considering switching your dog’s or cat’s diet to commercially prepared fresh, frozen or raw pet food, it is important to understand both the potential benefits and risks. Additionally, be sure to consult your vet before making any changes to your pet's food.

The benefits

There are some definite pluses to feeding a fresh, frozen or raw pet food diet, including:

  • Fresh food diets are less processed, which helps maintain the integrity of the nutrients in the food. They’re often referred to as “minimally processed” on food packaging.
  • Since they are often found frozen, refrigerated or freeze-dried, minimally processed foods often contain fewer preservatives or none at all, a characteristic many pet parents can get behind. 
  • They often look—and smell—great to our pets, making them potentially more appealing to choosy dogs and cats. This can help increase meal palatability, whether you decide to fully feed a minimally processed diet or use it as a meal topper.

The drawbacks

Although those may all seem like great reasons to try a nontraditional pet food for your dog or cat, be aware that there are some potential downsides to consider, including:

  • With fewer preservatives, minimally processed food has a shorter shelf life than kibble or canned wet food. While this may not be a problem for some pet parents, it is something to consider when you think about your storage options and how much food you want on hand at any given time. Fresh or raw food has a longer life while still frozen but, once defrosted, typically must be fed within about seven days (depending on the product and how it is labeled). On the other hand, options like freeze-dried raw food are shelf-stable outside of coolers or freezers.
  • Fresh, frozen and raw diets are currently a niche market, so the companies that make them tend to be (but aren't always) small and less established. Keep in mind that this could mean that a new, small brand might not yet be able to employ a veterinary nutritionist or conduct comprehensive feeding trials like more established companies that have been around for decades can. This makes it imperative to carefully read labels and purchase from a reputable company that takes the time to scrutinize their food sources. Research the brand to ensure it meets Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) standards on its label (to show that it's complete and balanced) and has a strong industry reputation. 
  • While fresh, frozen and raw diets are often prepared in a manner that helps reduce bacteria, the risk of food-borne illness from Salmonella, Campylobacter, E. coli or other bacteria contamination is still a concern. Although our furry family members may be less susceptible to developing clinical signs of illness after exposure to food-borne illness, dogs and cats can still become quite sick, especially if they are very young, elderly, pregnant or immunocompromised in some way. Human exposure to these bacteria is another concern, whether through direct contact with the raw meat products, surfaces raw meat has touched or through bacterial shedding in the feces of a pet who eats a raw diet. Be sure to read the label carefully to understand how long food can be kept in the fridge or out for your pet to eat before it spoils and be sure to thoroughly wash your pets bowl after each meal in addition to any surfaces or utensils used in their meal preparation. 

How to make fresh dog food and cat food

While making dog food at home may be an increasingly popular trend with pet parents, it may not be the best or safest option for your pet. 

If you have decided you'd like to try your hand at creating your pet's dinner, you might be on the hunt for fresh cat food recipes or raw dog food diets. However, keep in mind that while there may be many recipes available that feature fresh and healthy ingredients, it is critical that you maintain the right balance of nutrients to contribute to your pet's long-term health and many diets posted online will not appropriately meet the needs of your pet.

Use the following steps to make fresh food for your furry family member.

  1. Start with talking with your veterinarian and asking for a referral to a board-certified veterinary nutritionist. There are numerous considerations to consider when making homemade pet food. First, they can help you determine whether your pet is a good candidate for a homemade diet. For example, a dog or cat with an underlying health concern may need to eat a highly specialized diet. In this case, a prescription diet might be better than a homemade recipe. Additionally, a board-certified veterinary nutritionist can help you learn more about the wide array of nutrients your pet needs and ensure the recipe you follow includes necessary levels of critical nutrients.
  2. Measure carefully. When cooking for your dog or cat, it is important to follow the recipe from your board-certified veterinary nutritionist exactly, without modifications or substitutions. Even minor changes or inaccurate measuring of ingredients can make a diet become imbalanced which may lead to a wide range of health concerns. Following their instructions exactly can help ensure that you are meeting your pet's nutritional requirements and are not overdoing or underdoing the total calories, vitamin, and minerals within a serving.
  3. Store your food appropriately. Remember, a homemade diet is not shelf stable. Be sure to take note of how long your pet's food will be safe to consume. This may lead you to wonder, can you freeze fresh dog food and cat food? While the answer to that question is yes, you can freeze extra food, once you defrost the food, it will need to be eaten on a timeline based on the ingredient that expires the quickest.
  4. Serve the correct portion sizes. When making your own pet food, you may want to know: how much fresh food to feed a dog or cat? The portion size for your pet will depend on their age, weight and lifestyle, as well as the recipe you are using. Be sure to consult your board-certified veterinary nutritionist when determining how much food to feed your pet.

What are the risks of a homemade fresh or raw diet?

While many pet parents may be considering cooking their own pet food at home, keep in mind that this practice does have risks. At Petco, we do not recommend homemade raw diets and do not consider them safe due to:

  • Nutritional imbalances: A major advantage of commercial pet food from an established manufacturer is that the food must meet strict quality-control standards. This helps ensure that the food is nutritionally complete and balanced for your pet. A large percentage of home-cooked or raw pet food recipes on the internet are NOT nutritionally complete or balanced. They are often deficient in or have an unhealthy abundance of specific vitamins and minerals. This can be a problem for dogs and cats, as dietary deficiencies or overdose can lead to serious health problems that can be very difficult to diagnose by your veterinarian.
  • Risk of foodborne illness: With homemade diets and especially raw meat diets, the risk of food-borne illness from Salmonella, Campylobacter, E. coli or other bacteria contamination is always a concern. Although our furry family members may be less susceptible to developing clinical signs of illness after exposure to food-borne illness, dogs and cats can still become quite sick, especially if they are very young, elderly, pregnant or immunocompromised in some way. Human exposure to these bacteria is another concern, whether through direct contact with the raw meat products, surfaces raw meat has touched or through bacterial shedding in the feces of a pet who eats a raw diet. Talk with your board-certified veterinary nutritionist to better understand how long food can be kept in the fridge or out for your pet to eat before it spoils and be sure to thoroughly wash your pets bowl after each meal in addition to any surfaces or utensils used in their meal preparation. 

Key considerations when choosing a minimally processed diet

If you're considering this type of diet for your pet, here's some advice to help keep everyone safe:

  • For raw meat diets, always use good sanitation practices when touching, handling and preparing your pet's meals. Only use ingredients from brands that use High-Pressure Pasteurization (HPP) or another FDA approved microbial kill step to help reduce overall bacteria load. All food products sold at Petco meet this standard.
  • If you're considering a commercially prepared fresh, frozen or raw diet, research the company's formulation process and quality-control standards. Look to see if they have a veterinary nutritionist on staff and if they perform feeding trials with their diets to ensure that they provide adequate nutrition. And, of course, always confirm it meets AAFCO standards.
  • To help make the most informed choice for your pet's specific needs, always consult your pet's regular veterinarian before making any diet changes.

If you think minimally processed food may be right for your cat or dog, we have made it easier to find the best fresh dog food and the best fresh cat food for you by ensuring all our foods meet the three points above. When you're ready to try a new diet, you can be sure to find the right one for your pet at Petco. If you're still looking for the perfect option, try our right food finder for dogs or for cats.

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