Last Updated: 15/09/2026
Raw Diet for Dogs: What Our Vets Want You to Know
Is a raw diet good for dogs? Our vets break down the benefits, the risks and how to start raw feeding safely.
Author: Dr Josepha Cox BBiomedSc (Hons) DVM
Reading Time: 4 minutes - short read
Thinking about switching your dog food to a raw diet? Here's the short answer: a raw diet can be a healthy option for dogs, but only if it's nutritionally complete and handled safely. It isn't automatically better than a good quality dry food, and it isn't automatically risky either. It comes down to how well it's formulated and how carefully it's prepared in your kitchen.
Got a cat instead? Read our guide to raw diets for cats.
What is a raw diet for dogs?
A raw diet generally means uncooked muscle meat, bones, organs and vegetables, fed either homemade or as a commercially prepared product. The most common approach for raw feeding is BARF (Biologically Appropriate Raw Food), usually built around roughly 70% muscle meat, 10% bone and 20% organs and vegetables, though ratios vary by brand and recipe. Some raw feeders follow a "prey model" instead, mimicking a whole prey animal more closely. Either way, what matters most isn't the exact ratio, it's whether the finished diet meets your dog's complete nutritional needs.
Air and freeze-dried foods are considered close-to-raw, as they are processed using gentle techniques without the intense heat of cooking. These gentle techniques extend shelf life as well as reducing the risk of bacterial contamination of completely uncooked raw food.
Is raw feeding good for dogs?
Fed well, yes, there are real potential benefits.
- Raw diets tend to be more digestible than the average dry food, which often shows up as smaller, firmer stools (Algya et al. 2018).
- Some studies have found raw feeding is linked to a more diverse gut microbiome, which is associated with better gut health overall (Kim et al. 2017, Bermingham et al. 2017).
- Minimal processing also means fewer added preservatives and a lower calorie density, which can help with weight management.
That said, these benefits depend entirely on the diet being properly balanced. A raw diet thrown together at home without expert input can just as easily leave your dog short on essential nutrients as it can support them.
What are the risks of raw feeding?
The two big ones are bacterial contamination and nutritional imbalance.
- Raw meat can carry bacteria like Salmonella and E. coli, and raw fed dogs can shed these bacteria too, which is a risk to your household as well as your dog (Davies et al. 2019, Groat et al. 2022). This is why major veterinary bodies including the WSAVA and AAHA advise caution with raw feeding, and why it's not recommended in households with anyone pregnant, elderly, immunocompromised or under five.
- On the nutrition side, studies have found a large proportion of homemade raw diets are missing key vitamins and minerals (Dillitzer et al. 2011).
For the full picture on handling raw food safely, read our raw food safety guide. For a deeper look at what the research actually says about raw feeding, see our guide to the evidence on raw diets.
How do I get started safely?
A few essentials to know before you begin feeding raw food:
- Choose a commercially prepared raw diet that states it meets AAFCO or FEDIAF complete and balanced standards, or work with a veterinary nutritionist if you want to prepare food at home
- Wash your hands after handling raw food, and clean bowls and prep surfaces straight after each meal
- Remove any uneaten food promptly rather than leaving it out
- Keep up a regular worming schedule, every 6 weeks with a product containing praziquantel, if you're feeding raw, to cover for tapeworm
- Transition gradually rather than switching overnight
Shop our range of raw dog food once you're ready to start, and if bones are part of your plan, read our guide on whether raw bones are safe for dogs first. If you'd rather skip bones altogether, see our alternatives to bones and rawhide guide.
Raw, fresh or dry, which is right for my dog?
There's no single best answer here - it depends on your dog, your household and your budget. If you're weighing up raw against dry or gently cooked fresh food side by side, our raw vs dry comparison and our raw vs fresh comparison guides break down the pros and cons of each.
For the bigger picture on dog food formats more broadly, including wet food, see our guide to wet vs dry dog food.
In summary: raw feeding can suit some dogs and households really well, but it isn't a decision to make lightly. Get the formulation right, keep hygiene tight, and check in with your vet, especially if your dog has any existing health conditions.
FAQs
References
AAHA (The American Animal Hospital Association) (2011) AAHA position statements and endorsements raw protein diet, AAHA. https://www.aaha.org/about-aaha/aaha-position-statements/raw-protein-diet
Algya KM, Cross TL, Leuck K. N, Kastner ME, Baba T, Lye L, de Godoy MRC, Swanson KS (2018) 'Apparent total-tract macronutrient digestibility, serum chemistry, urinalysis, and fecal characteristics, metabolites and microbiota of adult dogs fed extruded, mildly cooked, and raw diets', Journal of animal science, 96(9), 3670-3683. https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/sky235
Bermingham EN, Maclean P, Thomas, DG, Cave NJ, Young W (2017) 'Key bacterial families (Clostridiaceae, Erysipelotrichaceae and Bacteroidaceae) are related to the digestion of protein and energy in dogs', PeerJ, 5, e3019, https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.3019.
Davies RH, Lawes JR, Wales AD (2019) 'Raw diets for dogs and cats: a review, with particular reference to microbiological hazards', Journal of Small Animal Practice, 60: 329-339, https://doi.org/10.1111/jsap.13000.
Dillitzer N, Becker N and Kienzle E (2011) 'Intake of minerals, trace elements and vitamins in bone and raw food rations in adult dogs', The British Journal of Nutrition, 106(S1); S53-S56, doi: 10.1017/S0007114511002765.
Groat EF, Williams NJ, Pinchbeck G, Warner B, Simpson A, Schmidt VM (2022) 'UK dogs eating raw meat diets have higher risk of Salmonella and antimicrobial-resistant Escherichia coli faecal carriage', Journal of small animal practice, 63(6), 435-441, https://doi.org/10.1111/jsap.13488.
Kim J, An JU, Kim W, Lee S, Cho S, (2017), 'Differences in the gut microbiota of dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) fed a natural diet or a commercial feed revealed by the Illumina MiSeq platform', Gut Pathogens, 9, 68, https://doi.org/10.1186/s13099-017-0218-5.
WSAVA (World Small Animal Veterinary Association) (2020) WSAVA Global Nutrition Committee Statement on Risks of Raw Meat-Based Diets, WSAVA. https://wsava.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/WSAVA-Global-Nutrition-Committee-Statement-on-Risks-of-Raw-Meat.pdf.
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History
Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space and we update our articles when new information becomes available.
Thu 10 Sep 2026
Edited by Dr Gillian Hill BVSc (Hons)Dr Josepha Cox BBiomedSc (Hons) DVM
Author, BBiomedSc (Hons) DVM
Dr Josepha graduated from the University of Melbourne in 2015 and has spent her time in small animal practice in Melbourne. She has a special interest in diagnostic imaging, nutrition and geriatric medicine. She is currently completing further study in animal nutrition and her favourite part of being a vet is helping senior animals to live happily and comfortably into their twilight years.
