Why Are Veterinarians Often Against Raw Dog Food?

And is a raw diet safe?

Let's set the record straight right off the bat: when vets say they do not recommend a raw diet, they're referring to homemade recipes and frozen raw dog food companies 99% of the time.

Little Hunter doesn't fall into either category; we're a breed all our own! Keep reading and we’ll address each of their concerns and why they don't apply to Little Hunter freeze-dried raw!

Reason #1: Nutritional imbalance

Dogs not getting the nutrients, vitamins, and minerals they need to thrive is a major concern, especially with homemade diets. Many pup parents simply use recipes passed around the internet; recipes that are often unbalanced, leading to severe malnourishment.

That isn't the case with Little Hunter. Our recipes are formulated by a holistic veterinarian and balanced to meet the nutritional needs of dogs no matter their size, breed, or life stage.

Reason #2: Bacteria and safety concerns

Raw diets, whether homemade or frozen, can expose the entire family to harmful pathogens such as salmonella. Raw meat at room temperature or in the thawing stage creates a bacteria breeding ground. That can lead to unsafe environments, especially for young children.

You can eliminate pathogens by cooking the food, but you'll also eliminate essential nutrients. So how can you feed truly raw food without bacteria and safety risks? Little Hunter freeze-dried raw!

Our rigorous four-step process produces bacteria-free meals that meet our high safety standards. Here's a quick overview:

1. It all starts with high-quality meat. Human-grade USDA meats and wild-caught fish naturally have fewer bacteria. So that's exactly what we use.
2. Next, we remove moisture. We drop our food down to inhospitable temperatures. Remember that bacteria breeding ground we mentioned earlier? A lot of that has to do with moisture. By eliminating moisture, we eliminate much of that risk. 
3. Then, we flash-pasteurize. Using short bursts of heat, we kill any remaining pathogens. For certain proteins, like chicken, we even add an extra flash pasteurization step. Learn more about flash pasteurization and how it successfully eliminates pathogens but retains nutrition here. 
4. Final testing! Every single batch of food goes through final pathogen testing and inspection. 

Plus, we deep clean our facilities daily and put them through intense monthly inspections. 

Reason #3: Choking hazards

Raw bones are fantastic for dogs, as they're nutrient-rich with calcium, fiber, glucosamine and more from the bones, marrow, tendons & ligaments. However, cooked bones splinter easy and can be a choking hazard, (vets have a lot of experience with this…), so be careful that you only give your pup a raw bone. 

Little Hunter uses raw, finely ground bones - securing all of the nutritional benefits of raw bones without any risk.

Reason #4: Lack of scientific evidence

Veterinarians often cite the lack of scientific evidence supporting raw diets. Scientific studies are expensive, with most financed by big pet food companies. That means there's no motivation to run costly studies that prove there are healthier alternatives to the products they produce.

There is, however, an overwhelming amount of survey and anecdotal evidence from the raw food community, with many reporting: 

• Cleaner teeth and fresher breath
• Healthier skin and coat
• Boosted energy and vitality
• Stronger immune response
• Reduced itchiness and allergies
• Improvements in inflammatory-related diseases
• Digestive health
• Excitement at mealtime

The stories are remarkable. While we’ve only been at it since 2022, you can find plenty of unfiltered reviews from our pup parent community to judge for yourself!

When prepared correctly, raw diets are healthy and safe

We’re grateful more people are discussing raw diet risks and rewards because it means more and more pet parents like you are educating themselves on the health of their pups.

Here at Little Hunter, we constantly review feedback, stay on top of the latest knowledge, and are committed to providing the healthiest, safest diet for pups everywhere, yours included! 

Build Your Custom Raw Plan Today!