Raw feeding: the records to keep and the conversation to have with your vet
If your pet eats raw food, give your veterinarian an accurate account of the diet and ask about safer, nutritionally suitable options. Records cannot remove contamination or nutritional risks.
THE DRIYU JOURNAL
Records & Paperwork
In this reading
Quick answer: record the exact products or recipe, amounts, sources, supplements, batch details and observed changes. Discuss them with your veterinarian, who can advise on nutrition support and any tests needed. Do not assume raw products lack nutritional-adequacy labeling or that a yearly panel makes the diet safe.
A note about veterinary care
This article is for organization and general education only. It is not veterinary advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always ask your veterinarian about your pet's health, medications, vaccinations, weight, symptoms, or care plan.
Understand the risks
CDC does not recommend raw pet food or treats for dogs and cats because of risks to animals and people. A balanced recipe and careful handling do not eliminate pathogens. This guide helps prepare a veterinary conversation, not certify a raw diet as safe.
Records to keep
- What the animal actually eats, including all ingredients, quantities and supplements; this is a history, not a suggested recipe.
- Sources: butcher, supplier, freezer batch, country of origin.
- Dates of product or ingredient changes, without treating rotation as a requirement.
- Dated weights and observations using the veterinarian’s recommended plan.
- Stool log: consistency, frequency.
- Existing test results and the veterinarian’s actual monitoring instructions, not a self-selected laboratory panel.
Why records matter
The complete feeding history helps the veterinarian assess nutritional adequacy and decide whether specialist advice is needed. Do not add minerals or supplements to correct a suspected deficiency without guidance.
Retain product and lot information so it can be checked against an official recall notice.
Food safety
Follow public-health food-handling advice and keep raw products away from vulnerable people. Consult your veterinarian about safer feeding; a physician’s consultation does not make a raw product free of pathogens.
Frozen does not equal sterile.
Talk to a veterinary nutritionist
Ask your veterinarian for a referral to a qualified veterinary nutrition specialist when appropriate. Confirm credentials and the service offered rather than relying on a website or recipe tool alone.
- ACVN directory — acvn.org
- A professionally reviewed diet plan appropriate for the individual pet
- WSAVA Global Nutrition Guidelines
What to skip
Do not use an internet recipe, supplement list or bones as a substitute for an assessed feeding plan. Ask about an appropriate complete diet, especially for growing animals or pets with medical needs.
How Driyu fits
Driyu’s Nutrition tools, when available, can hold feeding details for authorized account members. They do not automatically give every veterinarian or sitter access or validate a recipe. Share relevant private history directly and keep medical monitoring in the appropriate private records.
Related reads from Driyu
- How to read a pet food label: a plain-language guide
- Switching pet foods: plan the transition with your veterinarian
- Prescription diets for pets: the records to keep at home
Sources and further reading
- American College of Veterinary Nutrition (ACVN/DACVN)
- WSAVA Global Nutrition Guidelines
- CDC — pet food safety
- FDA — raw pet food risks
Frequently asked questions
Is raw feeding safer than kibble?
Do not assume raw food is safer. CDC advises against it because it can carry harmful germs; nutritional completeness does not remove that risk.
Can I formulate raw at home?
Seek veterinary guidance about a suitable diet and specialist support if needed. A home recipe should not be treated as balanced merely because an online calculator accepts it.
Should I do raw for puppies or kittens?
Growing animals need an appropriate diet for their life stage. Discuss a suitable complete feeding plan with the veterinarian instead of choosing a raw recipe from this checklist.
What labs should I run if my pet is on raw?
The veterinarian should decide which tests, if any, address the animal’s health and dietary history. There is no standard panel here that can certify a raw diet as safe.