|
What it is
|
Gently cooked, real food you can see
|
|
Hard dry pellets, ultra-processed
|
|
Dried meat chunks, still a dry food
|
|
Soft food in cans or pouches
|
|
Uncooked meat and organs
|
|
Ingredients
|
Human-style meat and veg, short clear list
|
|
Often fillers and by-products
|
|
Very rich and calorie-dense
|
|
Quality varies a lot by brand
|
|
Depends totally on recipe and sourcing
|
|
Digestion & poo
|
Easy on the tummy; smaller, better-formed stool
|
|
Can be harder to digest; bigger, smellier stool
|
|
Rich food; easy to upset sensitive stomachs
|
|
Some dogs OK, some get gas or soft stools
|
|
Can upset stomach if too fatty or unbalanced
|
|
Moisture
|
High water, helps hydration
|
|
Very dry; dog must drink more
|
|
Very low moisture unless you add water
|
|
Very wet; good water but less nutrition per gram
|
|
Moist but raw juices can carry germs
|
|
Health feel
|
Supports shiny coat, better skin and healthy ageing
|
|
Covers basics if well made, not focused on “fresh” health
|
|
Can be fine, but not much long-term research yet
|
|
Can be good, but depends strongly on recipe
|
|
Long-term benefits are unclear and mixed
|
|
Safety
|
Cooked to safe temps, low bacteria risk
|
|
Generally safe and stable
|
|
Usually safe, but can go off if stored badly
|
|
Safe in can; once opened, spoils fast
|
|
Higher germ risk (Salmonella, etc.), especially in warm, humid places
|
|
Lifestyle
|
Needs fridge/freezer; feels like a home-cooked meal in a bowl
|
|
Super convenient, just scoop and pour
|
|
Handy for travel and treats; pricey for every day
|
|
Easy to serve but heavy and messy to store and bin
|
|
High effort: strict hygiene
|