Is a raw cat food diet safe and healthy?
Original Question: What are your thoughts on raw food for cats? - Winnie
Hi Winnie,
It’s very difficult to recommend the best diet for your pet. In fact, I think it is near impossible because you really need to know how a dog responds to a food to know if it is good for them or not. I have always maintained that a food is good if your dog eats it, has good solid stools, does not become itchy, doesn’t vomit, and maintains an ideal body condition. Any food you select has to have a trial period before knowing whether it is ideal or not. So I feel the same about a raw cat food diet. I have seen many pets do very well on raw food. It’s important to manage it properly since it will increase the bacterial contamination in the kitchen. You have to store it properly and keep in mind that it commonly has high levels of fat and protein in it that can increase the risk of causing pancreatitis. To avoid this risk, I would recommend that you introduce any new food very slowly over the course of 3 weeks. Monitor your cat’s response to it very closely as you switch over to the new diet. If diarrhea or vomiting develops, I would stop it immediately and seek medical attention if it does not resolve right away.
Thanks for your question and good luck.
Dr. Clayton Greenway
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