Raw pet food diets are increasingly popular but carry nutritional and microbiological risks that can compromise pet welfare if not carefully managed, requiring evidence-based guidance from veterinary professionals.
Raw pet food feeding has gained a strong following despite limited scientific evidence of benefit over complete commercial diets and documented risks of nutritional imbalance and pathogen exposure. The welfare risks of raw feeding are real and underappreciated by many advocates: dogs fed nutritionally incomplete raw diets develop deficiency diseases; pathogen contamination poses zoonotic risks to human household members, particularly immunocompromised individuals; and whole bone feeding carries choking and gastrointestinal perforation risks. Well-formulated commercial raw diets that meet minimum nutritional standards and are produced with appropriate hygiene controls are a different proposition from home-prepared raw meals. Owners considering raw feeding should consult a veterinary nutritionist rather than relying on online communities or anecdote, and should prioritise confirmed nutritional adequacy above all other considerations.