CHESTERLAND, Ohio — From kibble to canned, fresh or frozen, pet owners know choosing the right diet takes time with some trial and error -- and now there's another choice gaining popularity: Raw.
"It's a full-balanced meal without the starches, carbs or preservatives. So it's an overall healthier way and a full-balanced diet."
Jennifer Kluk is manager at Happy Tails Pet Supply in Chesterland, which stocks its shelves with healthier options.
Kluk helps customers interested in raw, but not sure where to start.
First things first: The raw we are talking about with Kluk isn't just bone and meat. She is going over formulas crafted by raw food manufacturers, which meet nutritional standards set for other kinds of pet foods.
"It is protein, it is supplements, it is organ meat, it is vegetables and sometimes fruit," Kluk said.
"More people are becoming advocates for their dogs and they're finding out that not everything that's recommended is necessarily a fit for them or something that's healthy. So they're kind of questioning it more than I have ever seen," she shared.
Raw devotees cite shinier coats, more energy, better digestion and elimination, among benefits they see.
A drawback can be cost, but Kluk says there are options. Meal toppers or mixers can be added to the kibble your pet is already on.
"There's just different ways to incorporate raw into the food without completely changing your dog's diet, but still giving them the benefits that raw offers," she said.
Kluk goes over freeze dried and frozen options, too. Another possibility: Raw-coated kibbles for dogs who still like that crunch.
"It's an oven-baked kibble. So you're still feeding a kibble base, but there's a raw coating on the outside. So it gives them the benefit of raw without completely changing the consistency of what they're eating," Kluk added.
Many veterinarians are cautious about raw, and rightfully so with the explosion of the industry, lack of long-term studies and extra care that must be used when dealing with any raw meat.
At Tremont Animal Clinic, veterinarian Bob Litkovitz is seeing a few more clients turn to raw. Overall, they've done well he says. But he does remind anyone considering this diet -- those precautions are a must.
"Obviously practice good hygiene for yourself as well. Treat it like you would treat you when you're cooking chicken. So the concern there would be does your dog get some sort of GI illness from this and or do they get a subclinical infection? You can carry salmonella, pass it on to others," Dr. Litkovitz said.
For those who feed raw, Dr. Litkovitz recommends -- in addition to practicing good hygiene -- skip raw if anyone in your home has an immunosuppressed condition, or if small children are present. He also recommends looking for brands with longer, most established track records.
No matter what kind of diet you choose for your pet, the best advice is to select a well-balanced option, have a grasp on ingredients and watch portion size to ensure joints and organs remain healthy for years to come.
Editor's note: Video in the player above was originally published in a previous story on Jan. 25, 2023.