Raw vs Cooked Dog & Cat Food: A Complete Guide to Nutrient Retention & Real-World Feeding

How raw, cooked, freeze-dried, and kibble diets compare — and what processing really means for your dog or cat’s long-term nutrition, health, and vitality.

One of the most common questions we hear is: “What is actually the best type of food for my dog or cat — raw, cooked, freeze-dried, or kibble?” The honest answer is that there is no single perfect diet for every animal.

Age, breed, health history, allergies, digestive sensitivity, lifestyle, and budget all play a role. This guide is not medical advice, but a detailed look at how processing affects nutrient retention so you can make more confident, informed choices for your companion — whether you feed raw, cooked, kibble, or a thoughtful mix.

Table of Contents

• Why Processing Matters for Pet Nutrition
• The Main Pet Food Types & How They’re Processed
• What Science Says About Nutrient Retention
• Raw vs Cooked: Real-World Pros, Cons & Trade-Offs
• Where Kibble Fits In: Complete & Balanced, but Highly Processed
• Where Natty Nootz Fits In: Whole-Food Nutrient Support
• How to Upgrade Any Bowl (Raw, Cooked, or Kibble)
• FAQs: Raw vs Cooked, Freeze-Dried & Nutrient Retention
• Our Philosophy: Nature First, Science-Informed

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1. Why Processing Matters for Pet Nutrition

Every step — from farming and harvesting to storage and cooking — changes the nutritional profile of food. The biggest drivers of nutrient loss are:

• High heat, especially at industrial temperatures.
• Extended cooking times.
• Exposure to oxygen and light.
• Contact with water for water-soluble vitamins.

These factors especially affect heat- and water-sensitive nutrients like many B vitamins, vitamin C, some antioxidants, and certain enzymes. Fat-soluble vitamins and minerals are often more stable, but their bioavailability can still shift depending on how food is processed.

2. The Main Pet Food Types & How They’re Processed

Raw Diets (Fresh or Frozen)

Raw diets typically include raw meat, organs, bone, and sometimes fruits and vegetables. They can be:

• Commercial raw diets (frozen patties, chubs, or nuggets).
• Homemade raw diets formulated by the owner, ideally with professional guidance.

Potential advantages:

• Highest retention of natural, unaltered nutrients.
• Typically more bioavailable amino acids and intact enzymes.
• Often associated with smaller, firmer stools, improved coat quality and strong muscle tone when properly balanced.

Key watch-outs:

• Must be nutritionally balanced to avoid excesses or deficiencies.
• Requires strict hygiene and cold-chain handling to manage bacterial risk.
• Time, freezer space and sourcing quality are real-world constraints for many families.

Gently Cooked Fresh Diets

Gently cooked diets lightly heat meat and other ingredients at lower temperatures — often steaming or slow-cooking enough to reduce bacterial risk while preserving more nutrients than heavily processed foods.

Potential advantages:

• Often more digestible for pets with sensitive stomachs.
• Retains much of the original nutrient profile when cooking is truly gentle.
• Perceived as safer than raw by some veterinarians and households with immune-compromised family members.

Key watch-outs:

• Some loss of water-soluble vitamins (B vitamins, vitamin C, some cofactors).
• Homemade diets still require balancing with whole foods and/or targeted supplementation.

Freeze-Dried Diets & Toppers

Freeze-drying removes moisture under low temperature and vacuum, preserving the structure of the food and most of its natural nutrients. Research and industry data consistently show that freeze-dried foods can retain a very high percentage of their original nutrient profile while dramatically extending shelf life.

This is precisely why we use freeze-drying for key Natty Nootz products, such as:

• Vital Boost Treats — organic, grass-fed, pasture-raised beef liver in bite-sized pieces.
• Vital Boost Meal Topper — the same organic, grass-fed, pasture-raised beef liver, finely ground for daily use.
• Shine Source — organic, pasture-raised egg powder for complete amino acids and healthy fats.
• Joint Guard — organic, pasture-raised eggshell and membrane for natural calcium and joint support.

Canned & Baked Foods

These foods are cooked at moderate to high temperatures to ensure safety and shelf stability. They generally contain more moisture than kibble and can be easier for some pets to chew.

Potential advantages:

• Convenient, with long shelf life.
• Often more palatable than dry kibble.
• Higher moisture can support urinary health, especially in cats.

Key watch-outs:

• Heat processing leads to notable loss of delicate vitamins and some amino acids.
• Formulas commonly rely on vitamin/mineral premixes to meet nutrient targets.

Kibble (Extruded Dry Food)

Kibble is created by mixing ingredients into a dough, then extruding and cooking under high heat and pressure — often more than once — to puff, dry, and coat the pieces.

Potential advantages:

• Widely available and generally more affordable.
• Calorie-dense and convenient for storage and feeding.
• Formulated to be “complete and balanced” according to AAFCO or FEDIAF nutrient profiles.

Key watch-outs:

• High heat and repeated processing can strip many naturally occurring nutrients.
• Most brands rely on synthetic vitamin and mineral premixes added back at the end.
• Ingredient quality and sourcing vary dramatically between brands.

3. What Science Says About Nutrient Retention

Water-Soluble vs Fat-Soluble Vitamins

Different nutrients respond differently to heat and processing:

• Water-soluble vitamins (B vitamins, vitamin C) are highly sensitive to heat and water. Cooking and high-heat processing can significantly reduce their levels.
• Fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K) are generally more stable but can move into cooking fats or change form.
• Minerals (iron, zinc, copper, calcium) do not “burn off,” but their measured concentration and bioavailability can shift with moisture loss or binding to other compounds.

Example: Bison Study on Raw vs Cooked Meat

In one often-cited analysis, researchers compared raw vs cooked bison and found:

• Thiamin (B1): roughly 40% reduction when cooked.
• Vitamin B12: around one-third reduction.
• Vitamin B6: similar degree of reduction.
• Vitamin E: reduced by about a quarter.

Mineral content appeared higher after cooking, not because more minerals were created, but because water was lost, making the meat more concentrated by weight.

Freeze-Drying and Nutrients

By contrast, freeze-drying removes water at low temperatures, so heat-sensitive nutrients are much better preserved. This is why freeze-drying is widely used in high-end human foods — from fruits and vegetables to specialty meats — and why we rely on it for our organ and egg-based toppers.

4. Raw vs Cooked: Real-World Pros, Cons & Trade-Offs

Raw Feeding: Maximum Natural Nutrients, Higher Skill Requirement

Raw diets can deliver exceptional nutrient density when done well. Many pet parents report smaller, firmer stools, shiny coats and lean, well-muscled pets on appropriately balanced raw diets.

Risks and responsibilities:

• Diets must be formulated correctly to avoid nutrient gaps.
• Bacterial handling and cross-contamination must be taken seriously.
• Raw may not be ideal for every household (for example, those with immune-compromised individuals).

Properly Cooked Whole Food Diets: A Strong Middle Ground

Gently cooked diets — homemade or commercial — can work beautifully for pets that do not tolerate raw or for guardians who prefer some cooking for peace of mind.

Benefits:

• Often better tolerated by sensitive stomachs.
• Retains much of the original nutrient density when heat is truly controlled.
• Still far less processed than most kibble and canned foods.

Limitations:

• Some B vitamins and delicate compounds are still reduced.
• Requires thoughtful balancing with whole foods and/or targeted supplements.

Raw vs Cooked Liver: What Actually Changes?

Organic, grass-fed, pasture-raised beef liver — like the liver we use in our Vital Boost line — is naturally rich in:

• Vitamin A.
• Vitamin B12 and folate.
• Iron, zinc, and copper.
• Essential fatty acids and amino acids.

When liver is cooked, vitamin A and copper remain relatively stable, while B12 and folate levels decline with heat. Iron may appear more concentrated due to moisture loss, not because more iron is created. This is why we freeze-dry our liver in its raw form for both Vital Boost Treats and Vital Boost Meal Topper.

5. Where Kibble Fits In: Complete & Balanced, But Highly Processed

Most kibble diets are labelled “complete and balanced” according to AAFCO or FEDIAF. This means they contain required nutrients on paper, verified through lab analysis and/or feeding trials.

To reach these numbers after high-heat processing, manufacturers rely heavily on synthetic vitamin and mineral premixes added at the end. This allows kibble to prevent overt deficiency diseases, but it is very different from a nutrient profile built from gently handled whole foods.

Our position is measured: we respect that many families rely on kibble for cost, convenience, or veterinary guidance. We do not believe in shaming that choice. Instead, our work focuses on helping you bring more organic, grass-fed and pasture-raised, whole-food nutrition into the bowl — wherever you are starting.

6. Where Natty Nootz Fits In: Whole-Food Nutrient Support

Whether your base diet is raw, cooked, canned or kibble, you can significantly improve nutrient density and food experience by layering in single-ingredient, whole-food additions.

Vital Boost | Organic Grass-Fed Beef Liver

Our Vital Boost Treats and Vital Boost Meal Topper are made from organic, grass-fed, pasture-raised beef liver — freeze-dried raw to preserve natural vitamins and minerals.

• High-value training treats aligned with fresh feeding philosophies.
• Daily meal topper to support micronutrient density in cooked or kibble diets.

Shine Source | Organic Egg Powder

Shine Source uses organic, pasture-raised eggs to provide a complete amino acid profile and natural healthy fats for coats, skin and muscle support.

Joint Guard | Eggshell + Membrane

Joint Guard combines organic, pasture-raised eggshell and intact membrane — offering natural calcium plus collagen, glucosamine, chondroitin, and hyaluronic acid to support joints and connective tissue, especially in home-prepared diets that may not include whole bone.

7. How to Upgrade Any Bowl (Raw, Cooked, or Kibble)

If You Currently Feed Mostly Kibble

• Keep the kibble your pet does well on; there is no need to change everything overnight.
• Add a small amount of Vital Boost Meal Topper to each meal.
• Layer in Shine Source a few times per week for coat and skin support.
• Consider Joint Guard for seniors, large breeds, or pets on home-prepared diets lacking consistent calcium from bone.

If You Feed Cooked or Fresh Food

• Use Vital Boost Meal Topper to support nutrients reduced by heat, especially B vitamins.
• Combine with Shine Source for a complete amino acid and healthy fat boost.
• Add Joint Guard if your recipe does not consistently include raw meaty bones or ground bone.

If You Feed Raw or a Raw + Kibble Hybrid

• Use Vital Boost Treats as high-value rewards that align with your raw approach.
• Offer freeze-dried liver and egg toppers as an easier bridge food for pets that struggle with some raw textures.
• Work with your nutritionist or vet to integrate Joint Guard when additional calcium or joint support is desired.

8. FAQs: Raw vs Cooked, Freeze-Dried & Nutrient Retention

Is raw always “better” than cooked?

Nutrient-wise, raw diets often preserve more natural vitamins and enzymes, but “better” depends on your individual pet, your comfort with handling raw food, and whether the diet is properly balanced. Some pets thrive on raw, others do better on gently cooked diets. Quality, sourcing and balance matter more than labels alone.

If my kibble says “complete and balanced,” why would I add toppers?

“Complete and balanced” means the food meets minimum nutrient levels on paper. It does not describe the source of those nutrients or the degree of processing. Many families choose to add toppers like Vital Boost, Shine Source and Joint Guard to bring more organic, grass-fed and pasture-raised, whole-food nutrition back into the bowl.

Does cooking destroy all nutrients?

No. Cooking reduces some nutrients — especially water-soluble vitamins — but others remain stable, and bioavailability of certain components can even improve. The real question is how hot, how long, how often, and how the diet is balanced afterward.

Is freeze-dried food considered raw?

Freeze-dried products like our liver, egg and eggshell toppers are typically considered raw or minimally processed because they are dried at low temperatures without being cooked. They retain most of the nutrition of fresh raw ingredients while being easier to store and serve.

What if I can’t afford a full raw or cooked diet?

You do not need to overhaul everything to make meaningful improvements. Many families continue feeding a quality kibble and gradually layer in whole-food toppers such as Vital Boost, Shine Source and Joint Guard. Small, consistent upgrades over time can still have a significant impact.

9. Our Philosophy: Nature First, Science-Informed

At Natty Nootz, we recognise that many commercial diets — especially kibble — are formulated to be complete and balanced and have helped countless pets avoid overt deficiency diseases. We respect that reality.

At the same time, we believe nature offers a far richer spectrum of nutrients than can be fully captured in a synthetic premix. Our work is built on a simple idea: if we start with the highest quality ingredients — organic, grass-fed and pasture-raised where appropriate — and protect them with the gentlest possible processing, we give dogs and cats access to not just “enough” nutrients, but abundant, natural nourishment.

Whether your pet eats raw, cooked, kibble, or a carefully chosen mix, you are always welcome here. We are not here to judge your starting point — only to help you move one step closer to the kind of nutrition that feels right in both your mind and your heart.