How to Thaw, Serve and Store Raw Dog Food Safely

Raw dog food is real meat, so the golden rule is simple: handle it the same way you'd handle raw meat for your own family. Here's our quick guide to thawing, serving and storing Primitive Paws.

Thawing: plan one night ahead

Keep your packs frozen until you need them. The night before, place tomorrow's 16 oz pack in a sealed zip-lock bag and set it in the fridge. By morning it's ready to serve. The bag catches any drips, and thawing in the fridge keeps the food cold the whole time.

Skip these shortcuts:

• Don't thaw on the counter.
• Don't thaw in hot water.
• Don't microwave or cook it.

Serving

Portion out your dog's amount for the meal and serve it in a clean bowl. If your dog walks away from food, pick it up rather than leaving it out. Stainless steel bowls are easy to clean and a great choice for raw feeding.

Storing leftovers

• Keep an opened pack sealed in its zip-lock bag in the fridge.
• Use it within a few days.
• Don't refreeze a pack once it's thawed.

Clean-up

Wash your hands, your dog's bowl and any surfaces the food touched after every meal, just like you would after prepping a chicken dinner.

Make it a routine

The easiest way to never forget? Make "pack to the fridge" part of your evening routine. Our free printable Raw Start Guide includes a fridge chart to track it, and a subscription means a fresh case shows up before you run low.