I often hear about pets not wanting to eat their raw don't when it is cold. This is a common issue pet parents run into when switching their pets to a raw diet. But why don't they like it, and how can pet parents help their pet get the food they need?
Why Cold Food Can be Unappetizing
Pets often won't eat cold food because it isn't instinctual to them. In the wild, any prey your pet catches are eaten raw and right away, meaning that the prey is still warm. Even though its raw, cold food doesn't feel natural to eat for your pet.
Keep their Diet Raw and Safe
You want to be sure that the method you use for warming your pet’s raw diet keeps the food raw and safe. Do not microwave or allow food to warm up at room temperature, as this will either cook it or allow bacteria to form.
How to warm raw safely
There are two ways to safely heat your pet’s raw food:
Fill your sink with WARM (not hot!) water. Put a meal sized portion in a stainless-steel bowl and allow the bowl to float. The stainless steel conducts the heat and gently warms your pet’s food.
Add warm water directly into the food. You want to be careful not to dilute it too much or make it too soupy. Aim for a beef stew type consistency.
An Easier Way to Raw Diet
Raw, gently cooked, or freshly frozen raw meals are very nutritious for your pets. Homemade meals can be time consuming and take a lot of balancing of nutrition, but don't fret! There a plenty of great companies that sell gently cooked or freshly frozen raw food for a balanced, nutritious diet even for the busiest pet parents.
