Just like us, our pets deserve the freshest foods. The curated range of fresh raw meat available at EcoPet is specially formulated for your pet’s optimal health. However, when it comes to handling and serving raw meat, there are specific guidelines that you will need to follow!

#1. Keep Everything Clean 

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Let me ask you one thing. When you prepare a delicious meal for yourself, do you usually cook in a dirty and messed up kitchen? Of course not! Instead, you always make sure that all your food preparation surfaces and utensils are clean. The same should also apply when cooking for your pet!

Below you will find quote from T. J. Dunn Jr, an expert in veterinary medicine, who explains why cleanliness is required when dealing with raw pet food:

“Almost all the raw pet foods you purchase have bacteria present on or in them. Only specific strains of specific bacteria have the potential to cause disease and then only when their numbers develop to fairly high levels. But if pathogenic bacteria are present when the consumer purchased the raw food and the consumer ignores safe handling procedures, those organisms may proliferate to a point where their numbers may cause disease. The organisms may also proliferate on utensils, containers, cutting boards, washcloths, anywhere there is organic material upon which to grow.”

As a result, experts recommend washing your hands before and after touching the raw meat. It is also essential to clean your pet’s food bowls (either before or after their meals) and all the dishes, cutting boards, and other utensils used in the meat preparation process with hot soapy water.

#2. Portion Control

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How do you know how much raw meat to feed to your pet? This is one of the most asked questions and I would say it’s a very important one too. Why? Because overweight dogs don’t live as long as dogs with balanced weight.

According to some experts, one crucial pet feeding guideline is to aim to feed your pet 3-4 % of its ideal body weight, split into two meals per day. However, there are other vital factors that need to be considered. For instance, for pets that need to put on weight or those that have higher nutritional needs, you will have to increase each meal’s amount, while for those that need to lose weight, the amount per day will have to be reduced.

You can also go scientific and use a feeding calculator. In this way, you will be able to plan your pet’s meals beforehand.

#3. Storing the raw meat

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Suppose you bought a huge amount of fresh raw meat for your dog at EcoPet. It is evident that you cannot feed all the meat to your pet in one day. So, you will need to store it properly.

Now, when it comes to your fancy steaks and gourmet chicken breasts, you tend to keep them in the fridge until you decide to cook them and the same applies to your pet raw food.

Until you decide to feed the raw meat to your dog, you will have to keep it frozen. For example, you can take the EcoPet raw meat, put it in secure packaging like a covered plastic container and store it in your freezer. This will prevent bacterial growth and reduce the chances of spoiling. Moreover, when the raw meat is being kept at a consistent temperature of 0 °F, it will prevent microbial growth, including yeast and mould.

But, always remember, if you are going to serve the food to your pet, make sure to serve it fully thawed.

So, now that you are aware of the safe handling techniques, you can go ahead and choose one of the finest fresh raw meats available at EcoPet!