Blog

The ‘raw food’ debate is one that has been on my radar ever since I started my studies as a veterinarian in the United Kingdom, over 8 years ago. Since moving to South Africa in 2017, I have become increasingly aware of the rising number of clients opting out of feeding their pets conventional wet or dry food diets. Instead, many people are looking to feed their pets a raw diet, and more often than not, these clients look to vets as a source of information and guidance. In my experience, while it’s fantastic for some, raw feeding is not for...

Bone meal and minced remnants from your butcher do not constitute a balanced diet and usually contain high levels of fat. Balanced Nutrition When feeding raw, variety is key and balanced nutrition is attained over time. Does the brand you’re looking at offer different variants? Quality Meat Where does the company you’re looking at source their meat from? Do they follow ethical practices? Product Ingredients Is the manufacturer transparent about product ingredients? Do they provide the ingredient ratios? No fillers or low-quality grains Preferably no grains – if grains are included check percentage. Whole grains such as barley and rice...

COMPLETE VS COMPLEMENTARY MEAL The premise of our approach to pet nutrition is holistic in nature, following the same principles that apply when feeding ourselves. As such, we know that balanced nutrition is attained when feeding pets a variety of good quality, raw, fresh meat (not from animals kept in batteries and feedlots) and suitable veg/fruit, over time. We do not blindly follow recommended daily dosages of any supplement, choosing instead, to follow a more individual, condition specific approach to the use of supplements. Raw Love Pets meals have been registered as ‘complementary’ meals. We made a conscious decision to opt for...

You are what you eat. What you put in is what you get out. These age old truths not only apply to humans – they are equally true for our domestic companions. It even holds true for cars and machinery! 😊 To have a healthy and happy animal companion requires feeding him or her specie appropriate food, in the right quantity, to avoid obesity and other health ailments and to help them thrive. A specie appropriate diet for dogs, and even more so for cats, is a predominately meat-based diet that is high in animal proteins, very low in carbohydrates and...

The recent outbreak of Listeriosis in South Africa, and the recall of a variety of cold meat products, have drawn the spotlight to food safety standards and raw food diets for pets. Listeriosis is caused by the bacterium, Listeria monocytogenes that is commonly found in soil, water and vegetation. Therefore meat products and fresh produce such as fruits and vegetables can be contaminated from any of these sources. The most common food items that can be contaminated by the bacteria are raw milk, soft cheeses, vegetables, processed foods & ready-to-eat meats and smoked fish products. The good news is that although L. monocytogenes can...