Raw Diet for Dogs: Benefits, Risks, and Vet Advice

The raw feeding debate is one of the most divisive in dog nutrition. Here is the evidence on both sides.

What Is a Raw Diet?

Raw diets typically include raw muscle meat, organ meat, raw bones, and sometimes vegetables, eggs, and dairy.

Claimed Benefits

• Improved coat condition
• Better dental health from raw bones
• Smaller, firmer stools

Evidence-Based Risks

• Bacterial contamination: Salmonella, E. coli, Listeria — risk to dogs and humans
• Nutritional imbalance: home-prepared diets frequently deficient in calcium, vitamin D, iodine
• Bone injuries: tooth fractures, choking, gut perforations

Vet Advice

Most veterinary nutritionists advise against home-prepared raw diets. Commercially prepared, AAFCO/FEDIAF-compliant raw diets are safer. Never feed raw to immunocompromised dogs or households.