Proper care and handling of raw food

[mnp13]

Let's keep the discussion here please.

thank you.

[cheekymunkee]

Just like you thaw food for human consumption. I thaw mine in the fridge or in the sink if I am in a hurry. I NEVER, EVER feed my dogs even SNACKS in the presence of one another. My dogs are all fed seperatly and not within eye contact of each other. Doing that not only encourages gobbling (which could lead to choking) but fighting as well.

[SisMorphine]

I have Wally's meals packaged 3 to a bag. When he finishes the last one, a new bag is pulled from the freezer and thrown in the fridge. Usually the first meal is still slightly frozen so it gets soaked in cool water for a while, but the other two meals are usually fine by the time they're needed. I never unthaw more than that. Wally also has his one bed, that gets covered with a sheet that gets washed A LOT A LOT A LOT, that he's allowed to eat on. He tends to eat too fast if I make him stand at his bowl, so I gave up and he now eats lying down on his bed.

[Maryellen]

the most important thing to remember:

wash hands after handling raw food
wash table/countertop/or cutting board that raw was placed on
wash spot where dog ate the food
wash bowls that the raw food was thawing in.

wash disinfect wash disinfect..

[cheekymunkee]

That's what I do. My dogs food is placed in their bowls, they take it out & either eat it on the rug that is placed under their bowls or on the floor next to their bowls. When they are done their bowls are washed & so is the floor or the rug. After that I clean the floor with a clorox wipe thing. I try to keep the areas in which raw meat touches as SMALL as possible in order to keep a handle on germs & bacteria.

[rotten1]

My dogs eat their raw food in their crates for one MAJOR reason. My female would prefer to carry it around the house with her (backs, legs, wings etc) dropping it once in a while, picking it up, lying on the floor with it. YUCK!! I prefer tha Salmonella and e-coli aren't growing on my floor. I have enough "dust bunnies" to vaccum I dont need to wash the floor every night. I even have to take her beding out as she will bury it and save it for later. She would be the type who would bury it in the brand new couch and I'd be watching the Soprano's feel something and pull a turkey back out from under the cushion... She's such a prima donna about her food .
After the eat and I send them out to go potty I clean the crates out. My male of course has already done a pre-wash making sure he got everything and is whining HOPING she didn't llike her food so he can run in and get a little extra as she is on her way outside.

[ccc2006]

I have Wally's meals packaged 3 to a bag. When he finishes the last one, a new bag is pulled from the freezer and thrown in the fridge. Usually the first meal is still slightly frozen so it gets soaked in cool water for a while, but the other two meals are usually fine by the time they're needed. I never unthaw more than that

That's a great way to do it, safe too. That's what I did when I tried mine on raw. My girl Bella looked at me like I was a complete weirdo for putting that in her bowl. Tried a few times with different stuff, gave up after that. She's probably the only dog on the planet that prefers kibble to raw

Anne Marie