Is Raw Feeding Safe for Dogs?
What the research actually says about bacterial contamination, nutritional completeness, and the practical risks of feeding raw meat to dogs.
What Is Raw Feeding?
Raw feeding means giving your dog uncooked animal-based food instead of processed kibble or canned food. It entered mainstream pet circles in 1993 when Australian vet Ian Billinghurst published his book on the BARF diet — originally "Bones and Raw Food," later rebranded as "Biologically Appropriate Raw Food."
Most raw feeders follow one of two models:
- BARF Biologically Appropriate Raw Food — muscle meat, raw meaty bones, organs, plus a portion of fruit, vegetables, and eggs.
- PMR Prey Model Raw — no plant matter; built around whole prey ratios (roughly 80% muscle meat, 10% organ, 10% raw bone).
You can prepare meals at home from butcher or grocery ingredients, or buy commercially prepared raw food frozen, freeze-dried, or dehydrated. Commercial products differ widely in safety and nutritional completeness — more on that in the section below. Cost-wise, expect to spend $2.50–$5 per day for a medium dog, versus around $1 per day for quality kibble.
The Short Answer
Raw feeding is not inherently dangerous for healthy adult dogs with intact immune systems — millions of dogs worldwide eat raw diets without problems. But it carries real, documented risks that raw-feeding communities often downplay. Knowing both sides is where a safe decision starts.
What the Research Shows
Bacterial contamination is common
Multiple studies detect Salmonella, Listeria, E. coli, and Campylobacter in 20–80% of tested raw dog food products. Van Bree et al. (2018, Vet Record) found Salmonella in 80% and Listeria in 54% of 35 commercial raw pet food products tested.
Nutritional imbalance is frequent
Studies of home-prepared raw diets consistently find deficiencies in calcium, phosphorus, zinc, vitamin D, and vitamin E, alongside excessive vitamin A from liver-heavy recipes (Weeth, 2013; Dierenfeld & Julien, 2002).
Dental health appears to benefit
Marx et al. (2016, Vet Record) found significantly lower dental calculus scores in raw-fed dogs versus kibble-fed dogs. Chewing raw meaty bones provides mechanical plaque removal that processed food cannot replicate.
Stool quality and digestibility
Raw diets have high in-vitro digestibility. Most raw feeders observe reduced stool volume and odour. This is consistent with higher protein and fat digestibility in uncooked animal tissue.
Bone hazards are real
Raw bones can fracture teeth, cause choking, or create intestinal blockages. Small dogs and powerful-jawed large breeds face different but equally real risks. No bone is risk-free — supervision reduces but does not eliminate the danger.
Digestive upset during transition
Switching abruptly from kibble to raw often causes temporary diarrhoea, vomiting, or loose stools as gut microbiota adjusts. A gradual transition over 7–14 days significantly reduces this. Dogs with sensitive stomachs or GI disease may not tolerate the shift at all.
Vet Organisation Positions
AVMA (American Veterinary Medical Association)
Discourages
Policy adopted 2012, updated 2023: discourages feeding raw or undercooked animal proteins due to human and animal health risk. Does not prohibit clients from making their own decisions.
WSAVA (World Small Animal Veterinary Association)
Discourages
Global Nutrition Guidelines state: 'We do not recommend the feeding of raw animal-source proteins in any companion animal food, owing to risks to animal and human health.'
British Veterinary Association (BVA)
Discourages
Does not support raw feeding due to concerns about bacterial transmission and nutritional imbalance. Recommends heat-treated complete diets.
Practical Safety Precautions
These measures cut risk substantially, though none eliminate it entirely:
- 1Freeze meat at -20°C for at least 7 days before use — FDA guidance for killing parasites including Trichinella and some Toxoplasma cysts. Freezing does not reliably eliminate bacteria such as Salmonella or Listeria.
- 2Thaw in the refrigerator, never on the counter or in warm water.
- 3Treat raw dog food preparation with the same hygiene as human raw meat: dedicated cutting boards, surfaces, and utensils.
- 4Wash hands thoroughly with soap before and after preparing food and after handling dog bowls.
- 5Keep immunocompromised household members (young children, elderly, pregnant, chemotherapy patients) away from raw food areas.
- 6Do not allow dogs to lick faces immediately after eating.
- 7For commercial raw products, look for HPP (high-pressure processing) on the label — this reduces bacterial load without heat. Also check for an AAFCO nutritional adequacy statement and review the brand's recall history before buying.
- 8Have a DACVN (board-certified veterinary nutritionist) review your recipe for nutritional completeness at least once a year.
Who Should Not Feed Raw
- ⚠Households with young children (under 5), elderly, pregnant, or immunocompromised members — bacterial shedding from raw-fed dogs poses a real transmission risk even when the dog appears healthy.
- ⚠Dogs on immunosuppressive medications (steroids, chemotherapy) — higher susceptibility to systemic infection from pathogens in raw meat.
- ⚠Dogs with known gastrointestinal disease or pancreatitis — high-fat raw diets can trigger flares.
- ⚠Puppies under 12 weeks — immature immune response and precise calcium/phosphorus requirements during bone development make raw feeding particularly risky without expert nutritional oversight.
- ⚠Senior dogs with kidney disease or compromised immune function — consult your vet before starting.
- ⚠Dogs that visit hospitals, nursing homes, schools, or therapy settings — raw-fed dogs shed pathogens in saliva and faeces and should not be in contact with vulnerable populations.
- ⚠Multi-pet households where other animals (cats, rabbits) may contact contaminated surfaces or bowls.
Commercial Raw vs Homemade Raw
Not all raw diets carry the same level of risk. Whether you buy commercial or make it at home changes both the safety picture and the nutritional odds considerably.
Commercial raw
- •Can carry an AAFCO nutritional adequacy statement — the clearest indicator of a nutritionally complete diet.
- •Some products use HPP (high-pressure processing), which significantly reduces bacterial load without heat.
- •Subject to FDA oversight and voluntary recalls — check the brand's recall history before buying.
- •Convenient but expensive; freeze-dried and dehydrated forms have lower contamination risk than fresh-frozen.
Homemade raw
- •Full ingredient control — useful for dogs with confirmed food allergies.
- •Studies consistently show nutritional imbalances without expert formulation (deficiencies in calcium, zinc, vitamin D, vitamin E are common).
- •No regulatory oversight; recipe quality varies enormously between online sources.
- •Requires a board-certified veterinary nutritionist (DACVN) review at least once to verify completeness.
How to Transition Your Dog to Raw
Switching abruptly from kibble to raw is the most common cause of digestive upset for new raw feeders. A gradual swap over 7–14 days gives the gut microbiome time to adjust.
- Days 1–4Replace 25% of the current food volume with raw. Watch for loose stools or vomiting — slow down if either appears.
- Days 5–9Move to 50/50. Continue monitoring stool consistency. Dogs with sensitive stomachs may need to stay at this stage for a full week.
- Days 10–14Shift to 75% raw, then fully raw. Introduce organ meat and raw bone at the end of this phase, not the beginning — organs are rich and can cause loose stools when introduced too quickly.
Dogs with a history of pancreatitis, inflammatory bowel disease, or other GI conditions should only transition under direct veterinary supervision.
Frequently Asked Questions
About This Article
Evidence citations: Joffe & Schlesinger (2002), Can Vet J — Salmonella in raw-fed dogs; Freeman et al. (2013), JAVMA — evaluation of raw meat diets; van Bree et al. (2018), Vet Record — bacterial contamination in commercial raw pet food; Marx et al. (2016), Vet Record — dental calculus; Weeth (2013), JAVMA — nutritional imbalance in home-prepared diets. AVMA policy: avma.org.
This page is for general informational purposes. Consult a licensed veterinarian before making changes to your dog's diet, particularly for dogs with health conditions.