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Is a raw food diet truly the most nutritious and safest for my dog?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Pit Bull Terrier | Female | spayed | 11 months and 25 days old | 61 lbs

I have been hearing a lot about the Raw Food Diet for dogs and was wondering if this truly is the most nutritious option for my dog. If so, are there resources you can direct me towards?

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Heidi DVM, CVA, CCRT, CVTP, CVSMT, CVCH

Veterinarian, Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist, Certified Canine Rehabilitation Practitioner

Published on September 14th, 2017

Raw food diets are a huge area of controversy in veterinary medicine. Most vets will tell you that they aren't worth the risk and many websites will tell you that they are miraculous. I think (like most things) that the reality is somewhere in the middle. I tell clients that I don't think there is any benefit for most dogs to eat a raw diet over a fresh food diet and there are certainly risks associated with feeding a raw diet. My preference is a dehydrated diet (like The Honest Kitchen https://www.thehonestkitchen.com) or a freeze dried diet over a raw food diet. If you are interested in making a homemade diet, you could consider a recipe from Balance It (https://secure.balanceit.com/#). There are also a number of new companies that offer fresh food dets delivered to you, but I do not have as much experience with those. I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.

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    Answered By Ricardo Fernandez, DVM

    Veterinarian, Veterinary Oncology Resident

    Published on

    Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Raw diets are not more nutritious than other diets and are risky as they can result in gastrointestinal infections due to the high bacterial content in the diet. The basis of its recommendation is because wild dogs are mostly carnivorous. However, it is important to note that domestic dogs are omnivorous and benefit from a more balanced diet. I do not advice the use of raw diets as there is no scientific evidence that they provide any benefit. There are so many good diets out there that are proven and way more convenient. In terms of dry diets I prefer Purina Pro Plan shredded blends though there are really a lot more that you can choose from. Find a good high quality diet that your pup likes and go with that. I hope this helps! Have a good night!

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