freeze dried

[M Kol]

It seems pretty clear that freeze dried raw is safer than fresh frozen raw for those of us who don't prepare our own raw for our doodles.  Would you agree? 

[M Kol]

(Not to say that raw isn't safe for those who have time and expertise to freshly and safely prepare it - but for I mean for the casual feeding of raw for those who are kind of new to it).

[Shari Becker]

Technically, you might be right. But I think if you are using store bought raw food (like Primal or Stella and Chewy's), and you handle it safely, there's no real issue.  I don't like making my own or chopping up a huge chub because then it starts feeling like I'm contaminating my whole kitchen. (Even though I know it is cheaper.) For cost and ease, I find the Stella and Chewy's largest frozen patties the best bang for my buck. 

[Trudy Harlow]

I don't "prepare" anything. My dog eats the same grocery store meat I do, only he gets to eat the bones (usually) too. If you handle raw meat safely in your kitchen for your household, there's no reason it would become unsafe when you feed it to your dog.

[Shari Becker]

In the beginning, our dog at a raw hamburger and was so sick for the next two days that I stopped giving her grocery meat. I get stressed about how much to give and supplementing with fruits and vegetables, and whether or not the meat was frozen long enough to kill bacteria. I find the prepackaged stuff more manageable. I totally realize I could cut my costs in half if I could figure out the grocery store option, but Lexi can't eat chicken or turkey, which I think are easier to serve than a raw slab of beef...

[M Kol]

Thanks for the valuable info!