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Pros and Cons of a Raw Diet for Dogs
The AVMA discourages feeding dogs any raw or undercooked animal-sourced protein because of the risk to people and animals, and Tufts University's veterinary nutrition team wrote in 2016 that it could not recommend raw meat diets until there is evidence of clear health benefits that cancel out the risks.
Pet parents often start looking at raw feeding after hearing about shiny coats, small stools, or a diet closer to what wolves eat. Those are the benefits supporters describe, and each one below sits next to what the vet sources say about it.
What a Canine Raw Diet Includes
Tufts says raw meat diets “generally consist of various muscle meats, organ meats, and sometimes fruits and vegetables.” Some contain whole bones or ground bone and others do not. They can be made at home from recipes such as BARF or the Ultimate Diet, and they are sold commercially. Tufts says commercial raw diets are “typically frozen or freeze-dried,” and some can “even look like regular dry food.”
The AVMA names the proteins it is concerned about: beef, pork, poultry, fish, and other meat from domesticated or wild animals, as well as milk and eggs.
Animal Hearted also has recipes for DIY frozen dog treats.
Can Dogs Eat Raw Food?
The AVMA says it “recognizes public interest in feeding raw diets to dogs and cats. However, the AVMA discourages feeding any raw or undercooked animal-sourced proteins (e.g., meat, poultry, fish, egg, milk*) to dogs and cats because of their risk to human and animal health.”
The same policy supports “the production and feeding of diets that have been processed using methods that reduce or eliminate the risk of illness due to pathogenic contaminants.” It names pasteurization and cooking to a safe minimum internal temperature as the traditional methods.
Feeding raw meat can be dangerous for dogs and for the people who handle the food. The FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine says it is “concerned about the public health risk of raw pet food diets.”
Benefits of a Raw Food Diet for Dogs
Tufts says supporters of raw meat diets “anecdotally report numerous benefits, but there is no scientific information showing any health benefits from raw meat diets.” Its 2016 post goes through the claims one at a time.
Coat and Stool
Supporters point to a shiny coat and small stools. Tufts says raw food diets “may result in a shiny coat and small stools because they are generally high in fat and digestibility,” and that “these same properties can be achieved with commercial cooked diets without the risks of raw meat diets.”
Digestion
Better digestion is another claim. Tufts says some studies found “a small increase in digestibility from raw diets compared to commercial dry diets.” It adds that “this may be the result of the ingredients, rather than the fact the diet was raw,” because the studies did not compare the raw diet to an identical diet that was cooked.
In a Journal of Animal Science paper, some researchers fed adult dogs extruded, mildly cooked, and raw diets and measured digestibility, blood chemistry, urine, and stool.
A Diet Closer to the Wild
Supporters also say raw meat is what animals eat in the wild. Tufts answers that wolves in the wild do eat raw meat, in addition to berries and plants, but the average lifespan for a wolf in the wild is only a few years. Tufts says what is nutritionally optimal for a wolf is not optimal for pets that people hope will live long and healthy lives.
More Variety
When you feed your pup raw food, you're providing them with different proteins than they get in kibble. This increases the variety in their diet, making it more interesting and enjoyable for them, just like you would enjoy eating different types of food! Whether you're searching for natural dog food UK options or sourcing ingredients locally, raw feeding opens up a whole world of meal possibilities.
Risks of a Raw Diet for Dogs
Bacteria
The potential cons of raw feeding start with bacteria in uncooked meat. In an FDA study that ran from October 2010 through July 2012, the Center for Veterinary Medicine screened over 1,000 samples of pet food. The 196 raw pet food samples were commercially available raw dog and cat foods. Of those, 15 were positive for Salmonella and 32 were positive for L. monocytogenes. Among 120 dry dog food samples, none tested positive for either.
Tufts reported that there were 20 recalls for bacterial contamination of raw meat diets and treats in 2015, and only 1 in the same period for a dry cooked diet.
Bones
Tufts says: “Bones, whether raw or cooked, can fracture dogs’ and cats’ teeth. Bone also can block or tear the esophagus, stomach or intestine.”
Nutrition
Tufts describes a European study that calculated levels of 12 nutrients, including calcium, phosphorus, and vitamin A, for 95 homemade raw meat diets fed to dogs. It found that 60% of the diets had major nutritional imbalances. Tufts says “there is concern that both commercial and homemade raw meat diets may have important nutrient deficiencies and excesses.”
The Merck Veterinary Manual says feeding predominantly meat to dogs or cats can induce calcium deficiency and secondary nutritional hyperparathyroidism. It also says some raw foods contain antinutritional factors that cooking destroys, including “avidin found in raw eggs, which destroys biotin” and “thiaminases found in raw fish, which destroy thiamine.”
Tufts also writes: “More research is needed to fully understand the potential health effects of raw meat diets.” Studies that follow dogs for years, such as the Golden Retriever Lifetime Study, are described on the page about canine lifetime health.
People in the Home
“Apparently healthy dogs and cats can have subclinical infections with these organisms and pose a risk to other animals and people, especially young, elderly, pregnant, and immunocompromised individuals,” the AVMA says. Tufts says animals eating raw meat diets can shed bacteria in their feces, which can cause people to get infected. The FDA says you can infect yourself with Salmonella or L. monocytogenes by spreading the bacteria from contaminated food to your mouth.
What Happens If a Dog Eats Raw Chicken
The AVMA lists poultry among the animal-sourced proteins of concern. It says raw or undercooked animal-sourced protein “may be contaminated with a variety of pathogens, including Salmonella spp, Campylobacter spp, Clostridium spp, Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes,” along with other pathogens. Dogs and cats “may develop foodborne illness after being fed animal-sourced protein contaminated with the organisms listed above,” the AVMA says, if adequate steps are not taken to reduce or eliminate pathogens.
Tufts lists gastroenteritis, which it describes as “inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract, usually resulting in vomiting and diarrhea.” Because of the high potential for contamination with pathogenic bacteria, Tufts says, “This can result in gastrointestinal disease, blood infections, and even death.”
A dog does not always look sick, because the AVMA says dogs and cats can have subclinical infections with these organisms. A dog with ongoing stomach trouble needs a vet.
How to Handle Raw Dog Food Safely
The FDA gives these steps for anyone who feeds raw pet food:
- Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds after handling raw pet food and after touching surfaces or objects that came in contact with it.
- Clean surfaces and objects with hot soapy water, then follow with a disinfectant. The FDA says: “A solution of 1 tablespoon bleach to 1 quart (4 cups) water is an effective disinfectant.”
- Freeze raw meat and poultry until you are ready to use them, and thaw them in the refrigerator or microwave, not on the countertop or in the sink.
- Do not rinse raw meat, poultry, fish, or seafood, because bacteria in the raw juices can splash and spread to other food and surfaces.
- Keep raw food separate from other food.
- Cover and refrigerate what your pet does not eat right away, or throw the leftovers out safely.
- Do not kiss your pet around its mouth or let your pet lick your face, especially after it has finished eating raw food.
Cooked Home Diets and Commercial Food
The FDA says that if you use raw ingredients to make your own cooked pet food, you should cook all of it to a proper internal temperature measured by a food thermometer. It says: “Thorough cooking kills Salmonella, L. monocytogenes, and other harmful foodborne bacteria.”
The Merck Veterinary Manual says that in higher-income countries nutritional diseases are rarely seen in dogs and cats fed “a good-quality, commercial, complete, and balanced diet or a homemade diet formulated by a Board Certified Veterinary Nutritionist.”
Two pages on this site cover commercial food for German Shepherds. The guide to the best dog food for German Shepherds lists adult dry foods with each maker's own statement, and the page on foods for German Shepherds with itchy skin covers label reading and elimination diets.
Talking With Your Vet About Raw Feeding
Tufts says raw meat diets can alter commonly measured blood values, such as blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, hematocrit, albumin, and cholesterol, and that “it is important that your veterinarian know if you feed these types of diets or treats to your pet.”
Whatever a dog eats every day has to cover its nutritional requirements. Tufts says it has seen “commercial raw diets that are marketed as being appropriate to feed as the main diet when they are deficient in multiple essential nutrients.”
Dog parents can browse the best dog shirt picks in the Animal Hearted dogs collection.
FAQ
Does freezing raw dog food kill bacteria?
Tufts says: “Most of the bacteria found in raw meat diets can survive freezing (and freeze-drying).” The FDA tells pet parents to freeze raw meat and poultry until they are ready to use them and to thaw them in the refrigerator or microwave.
Do dogs need the enzymes in raw food?
Tufts says: “All the enzymes that dogs and cats (and people) need for digestion are already in the gastrointestinal tract. Therefore, additional enzymes from food are not required for digestion.”
Should my vet know my dog eats raw food?
Yes. Tufts says raw meat diets can change blood values that vets use to read lab tests, so the vet needs to know what the dog eats.
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