Is Cotswold Raw a complete food?

Yes, the recipes are formulated as complete meals with meat, bone and offal balanced into the mix, so there is no need to add anything else for it to meet a dog's nutritional needs, the same way a complete wet or dry food does.

How much freezer space do I need for raw feeding?

It depends on your dog's size and how far ahead you like to stock up, but most owners keep at least a few days to a week's worth frozen at any time. A small dedicated freezer drawer or a compact chest freezer is a common solution for larger dogs.

Can I mix raw food with kibble?

Some owners do feed both, though many raw feeders prefer to keep raw and dry as separate meals rather than mixed in the same bowl, since they digest at different speeds. If you are combining diet types, introduce any change gradually and watch how your dog gets on.

Do we stock the full Cotswold Raw range?

We carry a selection from the range rather than every formula Cotswold Raw makes, and what's shown in the grid above reflects what is currently available to order. That can change as the range does, so check back if a specific formula isn't there yet.

Cotswold Raw feeding guide

Cotswold Raw makes complete raw frozen meals for dogs, built around a single named meat with bone and offal included in the mix rather than fed separately. This guide covers how raw feeding actually works in practice — thawing, storing and portioning — rather than a gram-for-gram plan for a named dog, which is a conversation for the pack guide and, for anything specific to your dog, a vet.

How a raw meal like this actually works

A complete Cotswold Raw formula is designed to be a whole meal on its own, with the meat, bone and offal balance already worked out rather than something you build up from separate cuts. That is the main practical difference from feeding raw meat and bones separately — there is no assembly required at the bowl.

It arrives frozen and needs to stay that way until you are ready to use it, which is exactly how it leaves us too — packed to stay cold in transit so it is still properly frozen when it lands. Freezer space is the main thing to plan for before switching, more than anything else.

Thawing, handling and storage

Thaw portions in the fridge rather than at room temperature, the same food safety principle as thawing meat for your own dinner, and use what you have thawed within the timeframe stated on the pack rather than refreezing it.

Keep raw food handling separate from other food prep — a dedicated bowl, a clean surface, and washing your hands afterwards — for the same reason you would with raw meat for people. Most of the caution here is ordinary kitchen hygiene rather than anything specific to feeding a dog.

Introducing it, and who it suits

Switch gradually if your dog is used to a different type of food, over a week or more, watching how their stools settle rather than swapping everything over in one go. A sudden full change to any new food, raw included, is more likely to cause a temporary upset stomach.

Raw feeding suits owners who want the freezer space and routine it takes to do it consistently, and it is not automatically better or worse than a good complete wet or dry diet — it is a different way of feeding the same balanced result. If your dog has a health condition affecting diet, check with a vet before switching.

Pedigree DentaStix Light daily dental chews for medium and large dogs

£2.35

Common questions

Is Cotswold Raw a complete food?: Yes, the recipes are formulated as complete meals with meat, bone and offal balanced into the mix, so there is no need to add anything else for it to meet a dog's nutritional needs, the same way a complete wet or dry food does.
How much freezer space do I need for raw feeding?: It depends on your dog's size and how far ahead you like to stock up, but most owners keep at least a few days to a week's worth frozen at any time. A small dedicated freezer drawer or a compact chest freezer is a common solution for larger dogs.
Can I mix raw food with kibble?: Some owners do feed both, though many raw feeders prefer to keep raw and dry as separate meals rather than mixed in the same bowl, since they digest at different speeds. If you are combining diet types, introduce any change gradually and watch how your dog gets on.
Do we stock the full Cotswold Raw range?: We carry a selection from the range rather than every formula Cotswold Raw makes, and what's shown in the grid above reflects what is currently available to order. That can change as the range does, so check back if a specific formula isn't there yet.

Written by Matt Garnett, who runs Giddy Pets and is a lifelong pet owner — not a vet. This is general information, not veterinary advice, and it cannot replace an examination by the vet who knows your animal. How we write these guides.