What is raw feeding for dogs, and is it safe? Raw feeding means feeding a dog uncooked meat, bones, and organs, sometimes with vegetables, instead of or alongside commercial food. Some owners report shinier coats, cleaner teeth, and smaller stools, and some dogs do well on a raw diet — but the evidence for the claimed benefits is limited, and the risks are real: bacteria, unbalanced nutrition, and bones. This guide is the raw feeding guide for dogs in words: what raw feeding is, what a balanced raw diet must contain, the risks and how to reduce them, how much to feed, and when raw feeding is not a good idea.
Raw feeding is not a single diet: it ranges from a complete commercial raw food, made by a company that employs veterinary nutritionists, to a home-made mix of meat, bones, and vegetables put together by the owner. The difference matters more than the label: a complete commercial raw food is formulated to be balanced, while a home-made raw diet is very easy to get wrong, and an unbalanced raw diet can cause deficiencies that take months to show. Whatever form it takes, a raw diet must be complete and balanced, handled hygienically, and agreed with your vet — and this guide explains how to judge each of those three things.
What a balanced raw diet for dogs must contain
A balanced raw diet for a dog must contain the same nutrients as any complete food: protein, fat, and the vitamins and minerals a dog needs, in the right proportions. The usual framework is muscle meat, edible bone for calcium, organs — liver and kidney in small amounts — and, for dogs that eat them, a small share of vegetables. The proportions matter: too much bone causes constipation and too little causes a calcium deficiency; too much liver causes a vitamin A excess; and a diet of muscle meat alone, with no bone or balancer, is deficient in calcium and will damage bones over time. That is why a home-made raw diet should be formulated with a veterinary nutritionist, or built around a commercial raw balancer, rather than put together by guesswork.
The amounts follow the same RER formula as any other diet: a typical neutered adult dog of 20 kg needs about 1060 calories a day, and a raw diet should supply that many calories, measured by weight, not by eye. The raw food calculator works out the daily amount in grams for your dog's weight, and the dog food calculator gives the same calorie figures for a cooked or commercial diet, so you can compare the two. Weigh the daily amount with scales, split it into two meals, and weigh the dog monthly, because the right amount is the one that keeps weight steady.
The risks of raw feeding for dogs
The first risk is bacteria. Raw meat can carry Salmonella, E. coli, and other bacteria that can make dogs ill and can spread to people in the house — especially children, older people, and anyone with a weakened immune system. The risk is not theoretical: raw meat is handled, stored, and served in the home, and bacteria spread on hands, bowls, surfaces, and the dog's mouth and paws. Reduce the risk by buying from a reputable supplier, keeping raw meat frozen until use, defrosting it in the fridge rather than on the counter, washing hands, bowls, and surfaces after handling it, and keeping the dog away from children and from food preparation areas after it has eaten.
The second risk is unbalanced nutrition. A home-made raw diet is very easy to get wrong, and the deficiencies it causes — calcium, zinc, iodine, vitamin E, and others — take months to show, by which time the damage may be done. Raw bones are a particular risk: they can splinter, crack teeth, and cause blockages, and cooked bones are worse still — never give cooked bones, and ask your vet before giving any bone at all. The third risk is parasites: raw meat, especially raw pork, raw fish, and wild game, can carry parasites, so meat should be frozen before feeding — freezing kills some parasites but not all bacteria — and your vet should advise on worming for a raw-fed dog. If any of these risks worries you, a complete commercial raw food, or a cooked home-made diet formulated with a vet, is a safer way to feed the way you want to feed.
How to start raw feeding safely
Start by talking to your vet, especially if your dog is a puppy, a senior, pregnant, or has a health condition — raw feeding is not recommended for those animals without veterinary agreement, because their immune systems and nutritional needs are less forgiving. Then choose a complete commercial raw food, or a recipe formulated by a veterinary nutritionist, rather than a recipe from the internet: the formulation matters more than the ingredients. Transition gradually over a week, mixing the old and new food in increasing proportions, and watch the stools, the coat, and the weight — a raw diet often makes stools smaller and firmer, which is normal, but diarrhoea, vomiting, or weight loss are reasons to stop and call your vet.
Handle raw food like raw meat for people: keep it frozen, defrost in the fridge, use it within a day or two, wash your hands and the bowl after every meal, and clean surfaces the meat has touched. Do not leave raw food down all day, and do not feed raw meat that has been sitting out. Store raw food separately from human food, and label it clearly. The how to switch dog food safely guide gives the same transition plan in detail, and the homemade diet portion calculator works out portions for a home-made diet of any kind.
Raw feeding vs commercial food: an honest comparison
Raw feeding's claimed benefits — a shinier coat, cleaner teeth, smaller stools, and more energy — are reported by many owners, but they have not been shown in controlled studies to the standard that commercial foods are held to, and some of them have simpler explanations: a dog fed a measured raw diet often eats fewer carbohydrates and fewer treats than one fed free-choice kibble, and the improvement may come from the measuring, not from the rawness. Commercial foods, by contrast, are formulated to be complete and balanced, are tested in feeding trials, and are consistent from bag to bag — but they are processed, and some owners prefer to know exactly what their dog is eating.
The honest comparison is therefore not raw versus commercial, but balanced versus unbalanced, and hygienic versus careless. A balanced raw diet, handled hygienically and agreed with a vet, can be a good diet. An unbalanced raw diet, handled carelessly, can be a bad one — and the same is true of a commercial diet fed in the wrong amount. Choose the diet you can feed well, every day, for years, and judge it by the dog: steady weight, a good coat, firm stools, clean teeth, and a vet who is happy at the annual check. If you are unsure, ask your vet or a veterinary nutritionist to review the diet — that review is the single most useful step in raw feeding.
When raw feeding is not a good idea
Raw feeding is not a good idea for puppies, seniors, pregnant or nursing animals, or dogs with a weakened immune system, kidney disease, or any condition that affects digestion — unless your vet agrees it, because those animals are less able to cope with bacteria and with nutritional gaps. It is also not a good idea in a home with small children, older people, or anyone with a weakened immune system, because the bacteria in raw meat spread to people as well as to dogs. And it is not a good idea if you cannot commit to the handling: freezing, defrosting in the fridge, washing hands and bowls, and cleaning surfaces, every day, for years.
If raw feeding is not right for your household, there are safer ways to feed the way you want to feed: a complete commercial raw food made by a company that employs veterinary nutritionists, a cooked home-made diet formulated with a vet, or a high-quality commercial food fed in measured amounts. None of those is a compromise on quality — they are different ways of reaching the same goal, which is a complete, balanced diet that your dog enjoys and that keeps it healthy. The can dogs eat raw meat guide covers the raw meat question on its own, and the raw food calculator works out portions for any raw diet.
For related reading, see the raw food calculator, the dog food calculator, the can dogs eat raw meat guide, the how to switch dog food safely guide, the homemade diet portion calculator, the raw feeding guide for cats.
Frequently asked questions
Is raw feeding safe for dogs?
It can be, if the diet is complete and balanced, handled hygienically, and agreed with your vet — but it carries real risks: bacteria such as Salmonella and E. coli, unbalanced nutrition, and bones. Buy from a reputable supplier, keep meat frozen until use, defrost in the fridge, wash hands and bowls after handling, and have the diet checked by a veterinary nutritionist.
How much raw food should a dog eat per day?
The same calories as any other diet: a typical neutered adult dog of 20 kg needs about 1060 calories a day, worked out from the RER formula. The raw food calculator converts that into grams of raw food for your dog's weight. Weigh the daily amount with scales and weigh the dog monthly.
Can puppies eat raw food?
Only with veterinary agreement. Puppies are less able to cope with bacteria and with nutritional gaps, and an unbalanced raw diet can damage growth. If you want to raw feed a young animal, use a complete commercial raw food formulated for puppies, or a recipe formulated by a veterinary nutritionist, and ask your vet first.
Is raw feeding better than kibble?
There is limited controlled evidence that raw feeding is better than a complete commercial food, and the claimed benefits — a shinier coat, cleaner teeth, smaller stools — have not been shown to the standard commercial foods are held to. What matters most is whether the diet is balanced and fed in the right amount: a balanced raw diet can be good, and an unbalanced one can be bad, and the same is true of kibble.
What raw meat can dogs eat?
Muscle meat, organs in small amounts, and edible bone are the usual raw ingredients, but the proportions matter and the diet must be complete and balanced — muscle meat alone is deficient in calcium. Raw pork, raw fish, and wild game carry a higher parasite risk, so ask your vet about freezing and worming. Never give cooked bones, which can splinter.
Can raw feeding make people ill?
Yes — raw meat can carry bacteria such as Salmonella and E. coli that spread to people on hands, bowls, surfaces, and the dog's mouth and paws. The risk is highest for children, older people, and anyone with a weakened immune system. Wash hands and bowls after handling raw food, keep the dog away from food preparation areas after eating, and store raw food separately from human food.
Results on this page are estimates for general information only and are not veterinary advice. If your pet is ill, underweight, overweight, pregnant, or has a health condition, consult your veterinarian before changing diet or care.