Raw Diet for Puppy: 19 Types of Meats Dissected (Full Guide)
The primary ingredient in a dog’s diet is meat, and until your puppy’s ancestors hung around with humans, that meat was raw and included bones.
Vegetables and fruits are necessary to provide some nutrients, but raw meat is a natural provider of your puppy’s essential nutrients.
Balanced Diet for Healthy Puppy Growth
Your puppy needs a balanced diet with the correct levels of protein, fats, carbohydrates, electrolytes, vitamins, minerals, and micronutrients to promote growth.
Depending on the breed, your puppy grows rapidly until it matures by two years of age. At that stage, your dog needs a maintenance diet with a different nutrient balance.
When your puppy becomes a senior dog (around seven years), the necessary balance of nutrients changes to reduce the protein element in the diet.
You can opt to feed your puppy an entirely natural diet with raw meat providing the bulk of the necessary nutrients.
Alternatively, you can use a commercial puppy food, confident in the knowledge that it offers a complete range of nutrients, and substitute the occasional meal (or part) with raw meat and other natural foods to add variety to your puppy’s diet.
Introducing Raw Meat
When you bring your puppy home, it is best to gradually make any dietary changes to avoid upsetting your puppy’s stomach.
Ensure you know what foods your puppy is currently eating so you can manage the transition to your preferred diet without gastric upset.
Although your puppy grows rapidly, it has a small stomach, and between 6 weeks and 12 weeks, the meals need to be small and frequent – expect to feed your puppy three to four meals a day.
Between four and ten months, you can drop to two meals and then choose to stay with two meals a day or a daily dinner for your adult dog.
The size of the meat pieces must be appropriate to your puppy – puppies don’t chew their food, and a small puppy needs smaller meat chunks.
Typically, a younger puppy will eat a blended meal, and the chunk size increases as the puppy matures.
Your puppy needs more fat in its diet than an adult dog – not too much extra fat, but fattier cuts of meat, cod liver oil, and the occasional raw egg.
Does the Breed Matter?
The breed size determines how rapidly your puppy grows and matures.
Small breeds like Pekinese need more food as a percentage of their body weight than a larger breed like a Doberman Pincer. The larger breeds need to grow more slowly to avoid stressing their developing bones, and they reach adulthood closer to the two-year stage.
Every day your puppy needs to eat between 5% (larger breeds like Great Danes) and 8% (smaller breeds like Chihuahua) of its body weight split across the day’s meals.
The meal balance divides 80-90% meat, with the rest comprising vegetables, fruits, and other ingredients.
Typically, you cook the vegetable elements because your puppy finds raw vegetables indigestible.
The exact percentage of food to bodyweight necessary for your puppy will vary depending on the individual puppy and the breed.
No one likes to think that their puppy may be hungry, but some breeds like Labradors will clear their plates every time, even when they get full.
Regular puppy weigh-ins and ensuring your puppy has some dried food available with water can keep you on the right track for keeping your puppy growing and not hungry.
Dalmatians as a breed do better on white meats with a lower purine level than on red meat.
Your vet can advise on breed-specific diet quirks when you explore raw meat options for your puppy.
Why Feed Raw Meat to Your Puppy?
Your options for feeding your puppy include:
- Dried kibble.
- Cooked processed meals.
- Freshly prepared raw meals.
- DIY home-prepared meals – cooked and raw.
You don’t need to stick exclusively to one category, and you can mix and match. The essential point is to ensure that your puppy gets its daily nutrition in the proportions necessary for optimal growth.
Fresh foods promote well-being for your puppy in the same way that a diet high in fresh, natural foods improves your health.
You can prepare your own raw food or buy it from a reputable supplier.
The main issue with raw food for your puppy is that you need to maintain exceptional hygiene and food handling because of the risk of bacterial infection.
Plus, you want to buy meat that is human health graded for safe consumption.
When Not to Feed Raw Meat?
There are some circumstances when a raw meat diet for your puppy is not the best option for you or your puppy:
- Health issues for the puppy or a human family member – although the additional risks are minor with raw meat, you may prefer to eliminate them by avoiding a raw meat diet.
- Budget constraints – commercially dried foods are appreciably more affordable than a natural diet.
- Time pressures – you need to work hard to provide balanced nutrients, but you can use commercially prepared raw meals.
- Allergies – some puppies are allergic to some raw meats, and you may prefer a vet-approved hypoallergic diet for your puppy.
- Lack of availability and variety – a successful raw meat diet for your puppy needs a varied selection of clean and healthy meat.
Your dietary habits probably include a mixture of freshly prepared and convenience food because modern living is time-pressured.
You may find it easier to adopt the same feeding approach with your puppy – mist meals are ready to go with a few unique dishes or treats for variety.
Your vet is your best partner to help you design the optimum diet for your puppy, incorporating raw meat as appropriate.
Safe Handling of Raw Meat
Handling raw meat for your puppy is the same process as handling raw meat for you and your family:
- Wash and dry hands before and after handling raw meat.
- Store raw meat in the fridge below cooked meats and vegetables.
- Use dedicated chopping boards.
- Defrost in refrigerator or microwave.
- Don’t store at room temperature as this encourages bacterial growth.
- Use ground meats within two days of purchase if refrigerated.
- Use whole cuts within three to five days.
- Freeze suitable raw meat on the day of purchase.
- Store in leak-proof packaging or containers.
Treat the meat you feed your puppy with the same care and respect you use in preparing your food, and you will have fewer potential issues with food poisoning bacteria.
Wash your puppy’s dishes in hot soapy water after every meal.
Keep the utensils and dishes for your puppy separate from your dishes.
What Type of Raw Meat Can You Feed Your Puppy?
Your puppy’s wild ancestors ate mainly land-based animals – muscle meat, offal, bones, and stomach contents.
In addition, the ancestral wild dog foraged for eggs, small rodents and had access to vegetation and some fish. These wild foods had parasites and bacteria, and the life of a wild dog is far shorter than a pet one.
Your puppy benefits from sharing the human food chain with better hygiene and can eat almost any meat you deem suitable for your consumption.
1. Raw Eggs
Raw eggs are controversial because of the risk of bacteria in the food chain and other potential issues.
Whole raw eggs (yolk and egg white) are nutritionally dense and an excellent complete protein source.
Additionally, whole raw eggs provide Vitamin A, Folate (Vitamin B), riboflavin (Vitamin B), iron, Vitamin B12, selenium, lutein, zeaxanthin, and fatty acids. Cooking your eggs reduces some of the nutritional content.
Buy the best quality eggs you can (organic, free-range) and store them correctly at low temperatures to reduce the risk of salmonella.
Plus, use your eggs while they are fresh, as older eggs may build up harmful bacteria levels as they go off. Only feed your puppy eggs that are safe for you to consume.
Egg whites contain an enzyme (avidin) that inhibits the take-up of biotin (an essential vitamin for your puppy), but your puppy would need to overdose on eggs for this to have an impact.
The egg yolk is rich in biotin, and so is raw meat.
If you want to be cautious, restrict your puppy’s diet to the egg yolk rather than the entire egg.
Feeding eggshells to your puppy is not the best way to increase calcium in the diet, as the eggshells contain a largely indigestible calcium source.
Eggshells for adult dogs can be beneficial but not for your puppy with its higher demand for calcium and phosphorus.
Some puppies can be allergic to eggs, so the first time you introduce eggs to your puppy, watch for signs of itchiness or stomach upset.
Quail’s eggs, duck eggs, goose eggs, and any other bird egg are a valuable raw food source for your puppy, provided the egg-laying bird is healthy and the eggs are fresh.
Your puppy can eat ostrich eggs but think about the size in relation to your tiny puppy. If you enjoy ostrich eggs, a little of the beaten egg in your puppy’s dish is more appropriate than the whole egg.
Adding a beaten raw egg to puppy kibble moistens the dry food and makes it easier for your puppy to digest.
You can serve the beaten raw egg in combination with another ingredient or by itself.
Eggs are not suitable as a daily ingredient in your puppy’s diet, but weekly is okay.
A Newfoundland may enjoy a whole goose egg or a couple of hens eggs, but a smaller toy breed like a Pomeranian is better with a smaller egg or part of a beaten egg.
2. Raw Mince Meat
When your puppy is small, putting meat through a mincer is an excellent idea. It makes it easier for your puppy to eat, and it allows you to mix more than one meat.
You can buy pork, chicken, turkey, beef, and lamb ready minced in most supermarkets, or you can grind your own and include appropriate bones and offal.
Freezing the ground meat in puppy-sized portions gives you plenty of meat to keep your puppy fed.
Buy meat fit for human consumption rather than pet mince.
If you are handling raw meat in your kitchen, you want to ensure the meat is fit to eat and minimize cross-contamination between your food and the puppy meal.
3. Raw Red Meat
Raw read meat is a staple of the raw food diet for puppies and dogs.
Typically, the raw red meats include beef, lamb, venison, and pigeon.
You can use small pieces of raw red meat as a tasty addition to puppy kibble or as a treat food available to your puppy when cooking for yourself.
Although your puppy needs some fat in its diet, don’t feel tempted only to feed the fat from your meat to your puppy.
Your puppy derives the most benefit from lean meat.
Remove any small bones – raw bones are suitable for your puppy as a source of calcium and dental health but must be larger bones without the risk of choking or rubbery bones that your puppy can break up with its teeth.
4. Raw Beef
Beef-producing cattle are a staple of the western diet.
You can buy beef as:
- Minced or ground beef.
- Raw steak – T-bone, rump, sirloin, porterhouse, entrecôte.
- Other cuts – chuck, brisket, shin, silverside, flank, and rib.
- Offal – liver, kidney, tongue, brain, hearts, and sweetbreads.
A mature cow gives beef cuts, whereas a young calf gives veal. Veal tends to be more expensive than beef.
Brains are no longer on the menu since BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy) highlighted the risks of eating diseased meat from animals.
Some cuts of beef are more expensive than others, and unless you are feeding a tiny puppy with a small portion, you are unlikely to consider these.
Plus, your puppy needs the beef in small pieces, and minced or ground beef is the best way to introduce your puppy to raw beef.
Offal, while not as popular with humans, is super nutritious but very rich.
You can feed beef offal to your puppy, and if you have access to a butcher, you can often pick up fresh offal at a bargain price.
It would be best if you minced offal for a puppy, and offal must form a small part (less than 20%) of the meat element of the puppy dinner.
A mixture of ground beef and offal is a delicious treat for your puppy, and you can freeze your puppy beef and offal mix in puppy portions.
However, beef is among the top ten possible allergens for your puppy, so when you first offer your puppy a beef product be aware of a potential allergic reaction.
5. Raw Hamburger Meat
Hamburger meat frequently comes ready seasoned and may contain toxic (for your puppy) ingredients like diced onion and garlic.
Unless your hamburger meat is 100% pure beef with no added ingredients, it is best to avoid it and choose plain ground beef.
6. Raw Bacon, Raw Sausages and Raw Hotdogs
Raw bacon and gammon come from pigs reared to produce bacon rather than pork. Raw bacon is as a minimum cured in brine and may be smoked to increase its shelf life.
Raw bacon is too salty for your puppy and best avoided.
Sausage recipes vary, but raw sausages contain seasonings (salt, pepper, and herbs) and other ingredients like bread, onions, and leek, depending on the brand.
It is best to avoid feeding processed raw sausages to your puppy as some ingredients may be poisonous, and too much salt in the diet can damage your puppy’s immature kidneys.
Raw hotdogs, frankfurters, and wieners are processed pork products.
A significant part of the curing process involves salt, making the iconic hotdog a no-go ingredient for your puppy meals.
7. Raw Bones, Marrow Bones
Raw meaty bones are an essential part of your puppy’s adult life and aid dental health.
The rules to introducing your puppy to a raw bone are:
- Always choose larger meaty bones – at least as big as your puppy’s muzzle.
- Supervise your puppy while gnawing on the bone – around fifteen minutes to access the meat.
- Not a daily treat – monthly while a pup is fine, weekly as an adult.
- Remove the marrow before giving the bone to your puppy.
Your puppy may instinctively try to bury the bone as a cache for the future.
Healthwise, you don’t want your puppy digging up and eating old bones, and these buried bones may attract wild animals to your garden.
Supervising your puppy’s time with a bone means the bone stays relatively clean, and you can watch for any issues.
Marrowfat is delicious, nutritious, and too rich for your puppy’s digestion if your puppy eats all the marrow out of a large bone. You can add a teaspoonful of the marrow fat to your puppy’s food bowl as a treat.
Most vets recommend that you wash the bones before giving them to your puppy to minimize the potential of food poisoning.
Some vets recommend that you briefly (a few seconds at most) dip the bone in boiling water to part sterilize it. Not long enough to cook the bone because cooked bones are harmful to puppies but enough to clean the outside of potential bacteria.
How much you need to worry about cleanliness depends on the bone’s freshness and the trust you have in your supplier.
The bone is a raw meat product, and you need to store it in the refrigerator.
Once your puppy has chewed the bone, dispose of the bone, and don’t save it for later.
Bones are an essential part of the raw food diet for calcium and other nutrients.
Typically, these bones are ground as part of the meal. Most commercial dog food contains ground bone (which is why humans can’t eat dog food) for this reason.
Raw poultry bones, duck, and chicken necks are soft and chewable and excellent for both small and large dogs to chew and consume.
Large meaty bones allow your puppy to strip the meat – not to chew the bone. The bones are dense and can break teeth and splinter.
If your puppy reduces rubber toys to bite-sized pieces, it is an aggressive chewer, and you need to closely supervise its interaction with large meaty bones.
8. Raw Chicken
Raw chicken has a poor reputation because of the risk of bacterial infection.
If you purchase clean chicken from a responsible supplier, you can safely feed your puppy raw chicken as a treat or part of a raw food diet.
Ground chicken is the best form for your puppy’s smaller jaw and delicate digestion.
As your puppy matures, you can increase the chunk size to match its growing abilities.
Raw chicken wings and raw chicken necks are also safe for your puppy when it can cope with bigger chunk sizes.
Cooked chicken bones are brittle and break into potentially lethal shards; raw chicken bones are rubbery and perfectly digestible by your puppy.
Your puppy may take some time to much its way through a whole chicken wing, but it is excellent nutrition and will occupy its attention.
Raw chicken feet are a treat for older dogs but hold off trying them out on your puppy until it is more mature.
Your puppy can eat raw chicken liver, but because of the risk of vitamin A overload, you want to restrict any organ meats in your puppy’s diet.
Don’t make chicken liver the main ingredient in your puppy’s dish; use it as a nutritional boost in small amounts as a supplement.
Chicken is on the list of your puppy’s top ten allergens, so be mindful of potential allergic reactions to chicken products.
9. Raw Duck
Duck is a nutrient-rich alternative to chicken, and if your puppy has allergic reactions to chicken or beef, you may want to consider this as a substitute.
Unfortunately, some puppies can have an allergic reaction to duck, but it is rarer.
Wild duck is less fatty than farmed, but all duck parts are excellent protein for your puppy, including raw duck necks.
Duck hearts are rich in taurine, which is an essential nutrient for your puppy.
You can buy duck meat ground, chunked, and in part for a raw food diet for your puppy from many pet suppliers.
Duck heads, duck frames, duck necks, duck feet, and duck wings are meaty bones. You can add them to your puppy’s diet but pay attention to your pup’s size.
A whole duck frame is only suitable for larger dogs, so a duck wing is probably the best place to start your puppy with a taste of duck.
10. Raw Turkey
Raw turkey has less saturated fat content than beef or chicken. It is available as whole fresh pieces or raw turkey mince.
Ground turkey is more appropriate for your puppy, but you can move to diced meat for a different texture as it matures.
Turkey necks like duck necks are meaty bones and are much larger, so you need to match the amount you give to the size of your puppy.
If you have a toy poodle, a turkey neck is likely to be too much for your pup. You can let it have a chew of a smaller chunk or on the end, but don’t leave the pup unattended and remove the turkey neck after a short time.
If you have a Pyrenees Mountain dog, your puppy will enjoy a turkey neck as a delicious meaty bone treat.
Turkey is affordable and can help feed your puppy a raw meat diet on a budget.
11. Raw Pigeon
Raw pigeon is often obtainable as wild shot bird (pigeons are vermin in many places).
It is advisable to freeze the meat for around three weeks as a game bird to eliminate any bacterial or parasite risk.
Pigeon meat is rich red meat, so feed small amounts in addition to other ground meat for your puppy.
12. Raw Tripe
Tripe is the stomach lining of grass-fed animals and is available in white (bleached) and green tripe.
The green tripe is the better option for your puppy as it classes as a dog superfood.
Raw green tripe has:
- Amino acids (leucine, proline, and aspartic acid),
- A perfect balance of calcium and phosphorus,
- All the essential fatty acids (omega 3 and 6), and
- There are plenty of gut-healthy probiotics and digestive enzymes your puppy needs to break down cellulose from vegetables in its food bowl.
The downside to raw green tripe is the smell, but your puppy will benefit enormously from a small amount of ground tripe in its daily food bowl.
13. Raw Fish
Your puppy can eat raw fish like sardines, salmon, tuna, mackerel, and anything else available.
The issue with feeding raw fish and why many vets do not recommend it for puppies is that fresh fish goes off very quickly.
Your puppy has an undeveloped digestive system, and raw fish may contain bacteria and parasites that are potentially harmful to both you and your puppy.
You can kill the parasites (roundworms, tapeworms, and flukes) by freezing the fish for at least 24 hours – most sushi relies on previously frozen fish for this reason.
Freezing your fish is essential if feeding any raw fish from the Pacific for a minimum of three weeks, as these carry a potentially fatal parasite for your puppy.
Many people avoid using fish caught in the Pacific for their dogs because they have alternative food sources.
Typically avoid feeding large quantities of predatory fish like tuna, shark, or swordfish because these concentrate heavy metals and toxins in the flesh.
Current advice for humans is that these fish are nutritious but should not dominate your diet for the same reason.
Most people offering a raw food diet including fish use whole fish (including the heads) as a supplement rather than the main ingredient for puppy meals.
You can obtain raw fish from your grocery store (typically limited selection) or a specialist raw food supplier for dogs.
Some puppies may be allergic to some species of fish, like anchovies or sardines.
Some puppies may be allergic to all fish.
14. Raw Shellfish
Raw shrimp contains harmful bacteria – vibriosis, and the shells are a potential choking hazard if you have a small breed puppy like a Yorkshire Terrier.
It is best to serve shrimp steamed to your puppy and start with a half shrimp to check for potential allergic reactions.
Vibriosis risks you and your family, so no one eats raw shrimp as part of their diet. Cooking shrimp eliminates the bacteria.
Shrimps are part of the same family as lobsters, crabs, and crayfish. These are high cholesterol snacks and are best served cooked in moderation as a tiny treat rather than a meal.
The other types of shellfish include bivalves like oysters, mussels, clams, cockles, and scallops. Shellfish like oysters are filter feeders, and in dirty water, this results in a build-up of toxins and microplastics.
The risks from pollution, parasites, and bacterial infection are too significant to feed your puppy raw shellfish.
If you provide cooked shellfish, restrict the portion size to an occasional treat and watch for allergies.
Your puppy can also eat octopus and squid – but not raw.
Squid jerky is a natural chewing treat or lightly steamed if you enjoy cooking octopus or squid for yourself. Restrict the amount given to your puppy to a treat rather than the main ingredient.
Sea urchin and oysters are shellfish that humans consume raw in specialist cuisines, but these carry the typical risks associated with raw shellfish.
Your puppy does not need the nutrients in raw shellfish as it can meet all its needs from other raw meats, so generally, it is safer for you and your puppy to take raw shellfish off the menu.
15. Raw Pork
Raw pork tends to divide opinions with vets and dog owners because, in theory, raw pork from a clean and parasite-free pig is perfectly safe for your puppy to eat.
The issue with pork is the parasite trichinella spiralis larvae which is a severe risk to human health.
Your puppy can get trichinosis, which can cause unpleasant symptoms associated with upset stomachs and potential fever, tiredness, and muscle inflammation.
Trichinosis in humans has a relatively low risk of death, but complications include inflammation of the heart and lungs and impacts your immune system.
Pork is a fatty meat, and the fat is difficult for your puppy to digest, and as well as indigestion can result in inflaming the pancreas.
Miniature breeds like the Miniature Schnauzer are more prone to pancreatitis, and you might want to avoid feeding pork to these puppies to avoid future health issues.
Proponents of a raw food diet for puppies point out that healthy pork for humans is free from parasites.
Trichinosis in the US is less than sixteen cases annually, and typically eating undercooked game meat from a bear, wild boar, or feral pig is the infection’s source.
Freezing the raw pork for several weeks is sufficient to kill the parasites.
Domestic pigs acquire the infection through eating raw meat products, the feeding of pigs for the human food chain is tightly regulated, and the meat is clean and safe for consumption.
Raw pork as ground meat or diced from a trustworthy supplier is parasite-free and a safe raw meat ingredient for your puppy. To be extra safe, you may prefer to freeze your raw pork for your puppy for a minimum of three weeks.
Raw pork bones are large meaty bones, and you need to follow the standard advice of washing, supervising, and restricting the time your puppy spends with the raw pork bone.
16. Raw Kangaroo Meat
Kangaroo meat is a protein and nutrient-rich meat that is highly affordable and suitable for dogs with allergic reactions to other meats.
It is rare for a dog to be allergic to kangaroo meat but not impossible.
Ground kangaroo meat is the best choice for your puppy and larger cubes as your puppy increases in size.
The argument against eating kangaroo meat is that Australia’s indigenous population avoids kangaroo meat because of the potentially high level of bacterial, viral, and parasitic infections.
You can reduce this risk by freezing the meat for three weeks before use in the same manner as for any other wild game.
The Australian government certifies kangaroo meat as safe to eat in its raw form for dogs and human dishes like tartare.
One benefit of kangaroo meat is that it is wild and thus has a low level of added hormones and chemicals compared with farmed meats.
Plus, it may be more environmentally friendly meat as it does not require the destruction of the natural habitat for large-scale farming.
Outside of Australia, you can source raw kangaroo meat through pet suppliers in puppy-friendly portions.
17. Raw Lamb
The edible parts of the lamb include raw lamb meat (shoulder, leg), ground lamb, and lamb offal.
Lamb’s breast is a fatty portion that is probably best avoided, or you can utilize it as a percentage of leaner ground meat.
Your puppy will find ground lamb easier to handle in the early stages.
Raw lamb bones are a meaty treat, and you use them in the same way as other raw bones.
18. Raw Venison
Raw venison is available as wild or farmed in most countries. It is lean meat, but as a typical game product, it is sensible to freeze the meat to kill bacteria or parasites.
Raw venison is low in cholesterol and relatively low in protein compared with beef.
The fundamental approach to feeding your puppy a raw meat diet is to give a variety of meats, so raw venison is not exclusive for your puppy but one of a range.
Your puppy has a higher protein requirement than an adult dog, so an exclusive venison diet may not meet its needs.
You can feed your puppy venison jerky (single source meat with no preservatives) as a chewable treat, ground venison, liver, and hearts.
Breeds like dalmatians can’t eat too much liver, and the general advice for all puppies is that offal meat is an addition of less than 10% to muscle meat.
It is super-healthy but in moderation.
Raw deer antlers are an excellent chew for your puppy, as are raw venison bones, but don’t leave your puppy unattended while it enjoys this treat.
19. Raw Exotic Meats (Ostrich, Rabbit, Alligator, Goat, and Game Birds)
When considering unusual meats for your puppy, the general rule is that if the food is safe for you, it is probably safe for your puppy.
Typically, you eat your exotic meat cooked to remove any issues with bacteria and parasites.
Ostrich steaks are becoming more widely available, but the expense may put you off feeding your pup ostrich meat.
You can get hold of ostrich treats and puppy-appropriate bones from pet food suppliers. If you can get it and it is affordable, ostrich meat is protein-rich and unlikely to provoke an allergic reaction.
Game birds like pheasant and quail are delicious, and your puppy can eat these in the same way as chicken, turkey, or duck.
Rabbit and hare are also suitable for your puppy if available. Remove any small bones to avoid a choking hazard or grind to an acceptable size.
Alligator meat is like a duck in taste and nutrition and becoming more available as a dietary choice for your puppy.
Goat meat has a stronger taste than lamb but is perfectly acceptable to your puppy.
If you can get hold of bison and buffalo, this is also good raw meat like beef.
Last Word: Raw Meat vs. Cooked Meat
Clean parasite-free meat is more nutritious than cooked meat, but humans cook meat before consuming it for some excellent reasons:
- Cooking makes the meat more digestible.
- Cooking kills most bacterial infections and parasites.
- Cooking prolongs the safe shelf life of meat.
Dogs have been eating cooked meat alongside their human companions for centuries and benefiting from an increased lifespan and fewer diseases and infections as a result.
A raw meat diet is the most natural for your puppy, but you need to exercise some cautions:
- Raw meat potentially carries bacteria, and you need exceptional hygiene in handling.
- Freezing meat to kill bacteria and parasites is a sensible safety measure.
Your puppy needs balanced nutrition, which means you need to add fruit and vegetables to the raw meat.
A DIY raw meat diet for your puppy requires you to understand your puppy’s nutritional needs and is more time-consuming than relying on commercially prepared foods.
However, feeding your puppy a raw mat diet is not an all-or-nothing approach.
You have the option to buy in a balanced raw meat diet for your puppy, or you can mix and match with some raw meat meals and some commercial ones.
For centuries, hunters, butchers, and farmers have weaned and fed their puppies a diet rich in raw meats.
If you choose to provide your puppy with raw meat, you can relax in the knowledge that meat produced to human health standards is exceptionally safe for both you and your puppy.
References:
https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/trichinellosis/gen_info/faqs.html