Why raw feeding appeals
Raw diets are often chosen because they seem less processed, owners want control over ingredients, a pet has improved after a diet change, or commercial pet-food companies are not trusted. Those concerns deserve a serious response. The problem is that a compelling rationale and a good personal experience are not the same as evidence that a diet is safer or better across a population.
Reported benefits versus demonstrated benefits
A dog may develop firmer stools or a shinier coat after any change in ingredients, fat content, digestibility, total calories or treats. If several variables changed at once, we cannot attribute the outcome specifically to uncooked meat. Research into raw feeding and the gut microbiome is developing, but changes in bacterial populations are not automatically health benefits and long-term clinical outcomes remain uncertain.
The food-safety issue
Raw animal products can carry organisms including Salmonella, Campylobacter, pathogenic Escherichia coli and Listeria. Freezing does not reliably sterilise food. A pet can appear healthy while shedding organisms in saliva or faeces, and contamination can spread through bowls, preparation areas, hands and household surfaces. The animal eating the diet is therefore not the only individual exposed.
The nutritional issue
Raw does not automatically mean complete. Analyses of commercial and home-prepared raw diets have identified deficiencies, excesses and inappropriate nutrient ratios. Growing animals are particularly vulnerable to errors involving calcium, phosphorus and energy because skeletal development is time-sensitive. Whole bones also create risks such as dental fracture, obstruction and gastrointestinal injury; they are not a reliable way to balance a diet or guarantee dental health.
Who has the least margin for error?
- Puppies, kittens and pregnant or lactating animals.
- Pets with significant gastrointestinal, pancreatic, kidney, liver or immune disease.
- Households with babies or young children, older adults, pregnant people or immunocompromised people.
- Therapy animals or pets that regularly visit hospitals, care facilities or vulnerable people.
What if an owner still chooses raw?
My recommendation remains not to feed raw. If an informed adult chooses differently, the conversation should remain practical rather than punitive: involve the pet’s veterinarian and, where formulation is required, a board-certified veterinary nutrition specialist or appropriately qualified veterinary professional with specialist support; avoid unbalanced internet recipes; prevent cross-contamination; wash hands and equipment; store food safely; do not allow licking of faces or wounds after meals; and reconsider the choice if a vulnerable person or animal enters the household. Risk reduction is not the same as making raw feeding risk-free.
A safer way to keep control
Owners who value ingredient control or fresh preparation can discuss a cooked, complete home-prepared diet formulated for the individual patient by a board-certified veterinary nutrition specialist or an appropriately qualified veterinary professional with specialist support. Adequate cooking substantially reduces, but does not eliminate, microbiological risk. The recipe still requires accurate supplementation, hygienic preparation, safe storage, faithful adherence and clinical monitoring.
Bottom line
I understand why raw feeding is attractive. I also have to separate what sounds natural from what has been demonstrated to be safer or clinically better. On the evidence available, the additional microbiological and nutritional risks are not justified by proven unique benefits, so I do not recommend it.
DR CARRA’S CLINICAL VIEW
I understand why raw feeding is attractive. However, current evidence has not demonstrated unique health benefits that clearly outweigh the documented microbiological, nutritional and household risks. In my clinical view, those risks generally outweigh the demonstrated benefits, and I do not routinely recommend raw feeding.
Frequently asked questions
Does freezing raw meat kill harmful bacteria?
Freezing may reduce some organisms but does not reliably sterilise raw food. Safe storage and hygiene reduce exposure; they do not make raw feeding risk-free.
Are commercial raw diets complete and balanced?
Some may be formulated as complete diets, but analyses have found variable nutritional and hygiene problems. “Commercial” and “raw” do not establish adequacy or safety by themselves.
Do raw bones clean teeth?
Chewing may remove some visible deposits, but bones do not prevent disease below the gumline and can fracture teeth or cause gastrointestinal injury or obstruction.
What if my pet improved on raw food?
The improvement matters, but several things may have changed at once: ingredients, fat, energy, digestibility, treats or another exposure. That experience cannot establish that uncooked meat was the beneficial component.
Is cooked home-prepared food a reasonable alternative?
It can be, provided the recipe is designed for the individual animal by a board-certified veterinary nutrition specialist or appropriately qualified veterinary professional with specialist support, is demonstrated to be complete for its intended use, and is cooked, supplemented, stored and followed accurately.
References
- Freeman LM et al. Current knowledge about the risks and benefits of raw meat-based diets for dogs and cats. JAVMA. 2013;243:1549-1558.
- Davies RH et al. Raw diets for dogs and cats: a review, with particular reference to microbiological hazards. JSAP. 2019;60:329-339.
- Butowski CF et al. Effects of raw-meat diets on the gastrointestinal microbiota of the cat and dog: a review. 2022.
- Vecchiato CG et al. Nutritional adequacy and hygiene of commercial raw pet foods. Animals. 2022;12:2395.
- Lyu Y et al. Current evidence on raw meat diets in pets. 2025.