There are some common misconceptions regarding whole food diets and pets. Whole food diets can consist of completely cooked foods, raw foods only, or a combination of both. Whole food diets can be an excellent addition to the lifestyle of your animal if done correctly. These diets must be properly balanced with the addition of vitamin and mineral premixes to ensure nutritional deficiencies do not occur when these diets are fed long term. Other super food supplements such as antioxidants like turmeric, immune boosters such as mushroom complexes, probiotics and essential fatty acids are excellent additions to whole food preparations. The beauty of these diets is that they are provided fresh, therefore maintaining the vital enzymes, vitamins and minerals that are often lost in the food processing procedures of commercial food. These substances then have to be put back into the diet, and may not be as bioactive as their fresh counterparts. A complete diet for carnivores should consist of muscle meat, a small amount of organ meat, fruit/vegetable mixtures and a balanced vitamin mineral premix which is tailored to meet the ingredients you are feeding. Many diets can also be tailored to meet health issues of pets, especially allergies, by replacing ingredients that the animal may not be able to tolerate. A great resource to get started on whole food diets is Dr. Karen Beckers book "Real Food for Healthy Dogs and Cats", Happy Cooking!