Dogs and cats are carnivores. Their food should look like it.

Raw meat, edible bone, organ and a little produce — the diet these animals evolved on. Kibble is a shelf-stable convenience invented in the last century. Twenty-plus years of watching pets change on raw taught us which is which.

What's in a raw meal

Most complete commercial raw foods follow a prey-model ratio. Here's roughly what a bowl is made of, and why each part is there.

Ten changes owners see first

1. 01 Clean teeth
   No more dental cleanings under anesthesia.
2. 02 Clean ears
   Chronic ear problems that never quite clear up usually do.
3. 03 No more yeasty body
   The root of most ear, tooth and anal-gland trouble.
4. 04 Better breath
   Within two to three weeks.
5. 05 Far less poop, less smell
   Hard and crumbly, not mushy — the food is being used.
6. 06 Less water drinking
   They hydrate from the food. Still offer fresh water daily.
7. 07 Rested organs
   Digestion stops exhausting the body, which lengthens lives.
8. 08 More energy
   Older animals get a new lease on life.
9. 09 Fewer food-driven skin allergies
   Itching, hot spots and paw-licking often ease.
10. 10 Lower chronic-disease risk
    Cancer, bloat, kidney, liver and gastro problems.