Healthy, raw-fed dogs and cats have fantastic digestive/immune systems that are able to manage and destroy bacteria that are harmful to humans without any problems. Risks are basically non-existent to healthy adult animals and mainly only affect pets with the following characteristics: Severely ill, stressed or have compromised immune systems due to an immune disorder or taking immuno-suppressive drugs (like steroids). It is not recommended that animals with any of these risk factors be fed a raw meat diet. It is recommended that every pet take a digestive enzyme with probiotics for at least 2 weeks before starting a raw food diet. This promotes friendly bacteria to colonize in the intestines and help build a stronger immune system before embarking on a raw food diet.

Consider first, that when animals (and people!) switch to a more balanced, nutritious diet, they may experience some negative symptoms at the beginning. For animals, these symptoms and include runny eyes, itchy skin, rashes or pimples, bad breath, and/or smelly ears. This is more often than not due to them mobilizing toxins which have been stored in the cells of their bodies. The symptoms should pass usually within a few days. However, if you are ever concerned, it is best to consult with your vet or a professional.

Like A LOT of wide-spread information, this is just a myth or 'old wives tale'. Dogs and cats are carnivores and have the jaw structure to rip, tear and swallow their prey. They have short digestive tracts that create harsh gastric juices, which are meant to digest whole raw meat and bone. So really, feeding our pets raw food is not quite feeding them "human food", but rather feeding them the appropriate diet for their species, similar to what they would get when eating an animal of prey. However, pets should NEVER eat cooked bones (such as the ones leftover from our meals) as this can be fatal!