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Get an expert breakdown on the differences between fresh, frozen and raw diets for your cat or dog.
Updated on June 19th, 2026
See what options there are with a raw dog food diet.
Updated on October 23rd, 2025
Learn how to care for your dog, recommended diet and training. Find the right food, supplies and equipment at your neighborhood Petco.
Updated on April 9th, 2026
Can dogs eat raw meat? Visit Petco to learn about whether raw meat is okay for dogs to eat and other dog food questions.
Updated on June 16th, 2026
You’ve likely heard plenty about grain-free diets and natural dog foods, but you might be wondering: What is human-grade dog food?
Updated on June 19th, 2026
Raw feeding is a very good option for many dogs, as long as done properly. hygiene and freshness of the ingredients are the key to this diet, it is important to get the raw meals from a good supplier, you will usually need a dedicated freezer to store the food. it is also very important to take the food out of the freezer not too long before giving it to your dog as it can go bad quite quickly when left outside.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Hi, thanks for using PetCoach! Hershey is adorable! I think you can give it a try. A few pieces of advice, with raw meats we worry about bacteria and food poisoning. Also you have to be sure you balance the nutrients, especially the calcium/phosphorus ration. All commercial dog foods do this for you already. Anytime a client want to either home cook or start to feed raw I recommend they formulate their recipes through Balanceit.com. https://secure.balanceit.com/ I hope this helps!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Hello. Personally, I really like Fresh Pet. Many pets will eat this when they will not touch anything else, & a lot of veterinarians are recommending that cats eat a primarily wet diet vs a dry kibble. So if Lou likes the Fresh Pet, there is no need to offer any kibble. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
The only difference really is ease of preparation and use. The homemade is going to be essentially healthier because it's fresh, not frozen. Freezing can destroy some of the vitamins/nutrients. If you want to make a homemade diet I suggest you use the BalanceIT website. https://secure.balanceit.com/ They will tell you how to prepare the diet based on what ingredients you are wanting to use and then will also tell you how to balance the diet using their supplements. This website was created by a veterinary nutritionist and would be the only way I would consider feeding a homemade diet. Hope this helps.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. The topic of 'what to feed your dog' is complicated and very opinion orientated. This means that you will likely get a different answer from each person you ask. My recommendations are to get the best quality dry dog food you can, and feed that. As long as your dog is happy, eating, having normal poops, is a good weight and has a good hair coat, don't worry about other details. Raw meat of any kind is very dangerous and causes severe infections, and bones of any kind (cooked or raw) are very dangerous as well, so I would avoid those. If you would like to feed some meat or vegetables in addition to the dry food you can. Cook the meat as you would for yourself to eat, but without any spices or seasoning (garlic and onions are toxic to dogs), and vegetables like potatoes, carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, pumpkin, are all good as well (cooked or raw). Best of luck with your little one!
Updated on September 24th, 2025