The Gentle Heat Debate: Understanding Lightly Cooked vs. Raw Dog Food

The Gentle Heat Debate: Understanding Lightly Cooked vs. Raw Dog Food

Posted by Volhard Dog Nutrition on Jan 6th 2025

Feeding yourself is a maze of decisions: Should you go plant-based? Paleo? Gluten-free? Every meal seems to come with a side of decision paralysis.

Now, as a dog parent, you’ve realized that mealtime for your pup isn’t so simple either. Raw or lightly cooked? Who knew feeding your furry companion could feel just as complicated as planning your own dinner?

On one side, there’s the raw food approach—primal, unprocessed, and appealing to your dog’s senses. On the other, there’s lightly cooked food—warm, wholesome, and thoughtfully prepared. Both promise health benefits, and both have their cheerleaders. So, how do you make sense of it all and choose what’s truly best for your dog?

Raw or Lightly Cooked: What’s Best for Your Furry Friend?

Your dog’s diet is one of the most important factors in their overall health. From digestion and immunity to coat shine and longevity, what you feed your pup plays a huge role.

As fresh feeding becomes more popular, the debate between raw and lightly cooked dog food has gained momentum.

Raw Dog Food: A Closer Look

Raw diets are rooted in the idea of feeding dogs like their ancestors, offering a natural, nutrient-dense alternative.

  • Nutrient Retention: Raw food is completely unaltered by heat, which means it retains natural enzymes, vitamins, and amino acids that benefit digestion and immunity. These nutrients come in their purest form, offering maximum health benefits.
  • Biologically Appropriate: Dogs’ ancestors thrived on raw meat and bones, and a raw diet mimics that primal eating style. For many, it aligns with their natural digestive system, delivering food the way it was “meant to be.”
  • Digestive Support: Raw food’s natural enzymes help with digestion, easing the workload on your pup’s pancreas. This can be especially helpful for dogs with specific dietary needs.

Lightly Cooked Dog Food: A Balanced Approach

Lightly cooked dog food offers a balance of nutrition and safety. It combines the freshness of raw diets with the convenience and reassurance of cooked meals.

  • Gentle Cooking Process: Lightly cooked food preserves most nutrients through minimal heat while making proteins much easier to digest. This can be especially beneficial for senior dogs or those with sensitive digestion.
  • Balanced Approach: If feeding fresh protein feels overwhelming, lightly cooking the protein offers your pet a nutrient-rich alternative.
  • Enhanced Flavor & Palatability: Let’s face it—some dogs are picky eaters. The gentle heat brings out the natural flavors in food, making it more appealing to dogs who might turn their noses up at raw meals. It’s also a great way to transition dogs from kibble to a fresh diet.

8 Steps to Prepare Lightly Cooked Protein for Your Dog

Cooking up a wholesome meal for your pup?

Here’s an easy, step-by-step guide to making lightly cooked protein that’s both delicious and nutritious for your furry friend:

  1. Start with Quality Protein: Choose a fresh protein source like chicken, turkey, or beef. If needed, add a small dab of grass-fed butter for cooking—but most proteins have enough fat on their own!
  2. Cook It Just Right: Cook the protein on medium heat for 4-6 minutes. It’s okay to leave a little pink in the middle, as this helps retain essential nutrients.
  3. Drain Excess Fat: Carefully drain any liquid fat (rendered lipids) from the pan. Too much fat can upset your dog’s stomach and cause itchiness or diarrhea.
  4. Prepare the Base Mix: Add Volhard NDF2 (or your chosen base mix) to a bowl. This mix forms the foundation of a balanced meal.
  5. Combine the Protein With the Base Mix: Add the cooked protein to the bowl with the base mix.
  6. Add Water: Follow the recommended amount for your base mix, and pour water into the bowl to help blend everything.
  7. Include a Vitamin B Complex: Lightly cooking your pup’s meat can reduce the natural B vitamins in protein. So, we recommend adding our Vitamin B Complex to the meal to support your pup’s digestion, energy levels, and overall health. B vitamins are water-soluble, so our dogs must consume them at each meal to maintain healthy levels. (Bonus: It also helps with weight gain, constipation, reactions to vaccinations, stress, shedding, bad breath, and even stool eating!) A four-ounce jar lasts a 50-pound dog about two months.
  8. Mix It All and Serve: Stir everything thoroughly to ensure it’s evenly mixed. Now, your pup is ready to enjoy its freshly prepared feast!

The Volhard Perspective on Fresh Dog Food

At Volhard, we believe that balanced, species-appropriate nutrition is the key to a happy, healthy dog. Whether you choose raw or lightly cooked, it’s all about meeting your dog’s unique dietary needs. By offering both options, we empower you to customize your pup’s meals based on their health and lifestyle.

Which Diet is Right for Your Dog’s Health Needs?

Every dog is different, and their health needs can guide your decision:

  • Compromised Immune Systems, Seniors, or Puppies: These dogs may benefit from lightly cooked food, which offers balanced nutrition with a gentler approach for sensitive systems.
  • Healthy, Active Dogs: Many thrive on raw diets that mimic their ancestral eating habits.

Explore our options to find the right fit:

Tailor Your Dog’s Diet to Fit Their Life—and Yours—with Volhard Dog Nutrition!

For more advice on dog nutrition, health, and training, contact us and check out our blog!

Volhard Dog Nutrition and its expert canine nutrition coaches are now offering online consultations to help more dog parents discover why and how to feed their dogs the healthiest foods!

Speaking to a Volhard canine nutrition coach will help you understand the inseparable relationship between healthy food, a healthy body, and a healthy mind.

If you want to contact one of our Volhard canine nutrition coaches, don't hesitate to access our consultation page!

References

  1. Craig, J M. "Raw feeding in dogs and cats." Companion Animal, vol. 24, no. 11, 2 Dec. 2019, pp. 578–584, https://doi.org/10.12968/coan.2018.0068. Accessed 7 Dec. 2024.
  2. Davies, R. H., et al. "Raw diets for dogs and cats: A review, with particular reference to microbiological hazards." Journal of Small Animal Practice, vol. 60, no. 6, 26 Apr. 2019, pp. 329–339, https://doi.org/10.1111/jsap.13000. Accessed 7 Dec. 2024.
  3. "Raw Food vs. Freshly Cooked Food for Dogs." A Pup Above, apupabove.com/blogs/all/freshly-cooked-vs-raw-food-diets-for-dogs. Accessed 7 Dec. 2024.
  4. "Raw or Cooked Meat for Dogs: A Guide." Raw or Cooked Meat for Dogs: A Guide | Darwin's Pet Food, www.darwinspet.com/blog/raw-food-vs-cooked-which-... Accessed 7 Dec. 2024.