Raw feeding is a genuine point of disagreement between owners and the veterinary profession. The two risks with the best evidence behind them are bacterial contamination, which affects the household as well as the pet, and nutritional imbalance in home-prepared diets. Both are manageable, and neither improves by not discussing it.

Why this article exists

Plenty of owners in Point Grey feed raw, and plenty more are considering it. The usual outcome of raising it at an appointment is an awkward exchange in which the owner expects disapproval and the veterinarian expects to be ignored, and nobody leaves with anything useful.

That helps nobody, least of all the animal. So this is written for the owner who has already decided, or is close to deciding. It sets out what the evidence actually supports, what it does not, and what to do differently if you go ahead. If you are looking for either an endorsement or a lecture, this will disappoint you in both directions.

What the evidence supports

Two concerns are well documented and worth taking seriously.

The first is bacterial contamination. Raw meat intended for pets frequently carries organisms including salmonella and listeria, and studies looking at commercial raw pet food have found them at meaningful rates. Fed animals shed these organisms in their faeces, often without appearing ill themselves, which means the exposure is not confined to the pet.

That is the part most owners have not fully considered. The people at risk in the household are infants, anyone pregnant, older adults and anyone whose immune system is suppressed by illness or medication. Handling the food, cleaning the bowl, picking up faeces and being licked on the face are all routes. Many hospitals and care homes exclude raw-fed animals from visiting programmes for exactly this reason.

The second is nutritional balance, and it applies specifically to home-prepared diets rather than complete commercial ones. Analyses of home-made recipes, including those circulating online, repeatedly find deficiencies and excesses, most often in calcium and phosphorus balance, vitamin D, vitamin A and trace minerals. Growing puppies and kittens are the most vulnerable, because skeletal development is unforgiving of getting calcium wrong, and the consequences are not reversible.

A third, more mechanical concern is bone. Whole and weight-bearing bones cause fractured teeth, and bone fragments cause obstruction, constipation and occasionally perforation. Cooked bone is more brittle and more dangerous still, and should never be fed.

What the evidence does not currently support

In fairness, the claims made for raw feeding have not been demonstrated to the standard people often assume. Improvements in coat, energy, stool volume and dental health are commonly reported by owners, but robust controlled evidence that raw feeding produces better long-term health outcomes than a complete conventional diet is lacking.

Some reported improvements also have simpler explanations. A shift to any diet with different fibre and digestibility changes stool. Owners who switch to raw often simultaneously reduce treats, feed more measured portions and pay closer attention generally, and those changes have effects of their own.

On dental health specifically, chewing does reduce plaque, but that benefit comes with the fractured-tooth risk above, and it does not replace what our post on regular dental care describes.

If you are going ahead, do these things

Choose complete over home-made. If you are not formulating with professional input, a nutritionally complete commercial raw product is a substantially safer choice than a recipe from a book or a forum. If you want to home-prepare, have the recipe formulated or reviewed by a veterinary nutritionist rather than assuming a balanced-looking ingredient list is balanced.

Handle it like raw meat for people, because it is. Thaw in the fridge and never on the counter, use separate boards and utensils, wash hands and surfaces immediately, wash bowls after every meal in hot soapy water, and do not leave food down.

Protect the household. Keep raw-fed pets away from infants and from anyone immunocompromised, discourage face licking, pick up faeces promptly, and tell your family doctor if someone in the household is vulnerable.

Skip the bones, or take advice on which are appropriate. Never feed cooked bone.

Keep parasite prevention current, since raw meat and fish carry parasite risks that cooking removes. In this region that matters especially with fish and with wild game, and it is a real reason not to feed raw salmon and trout to dogs. Our guide to trail and beach safety near UBC covers the local version of that hazard.

Tell your veterinary team, and tell any boarding facility, groomer or daycare. This is not so anyone can argue with you. It changes how a gastrointestinal upset is investigated, it matters if your pet needs surgery or immunosuppressive treatment, and it matters to a facility housing other animals.

Who should not be fed raw

There are situations where the risk balance is clearly unfavourable, and they are worth stating plainly: pets on medication that suppresses the immune system, pets with cancer under treatment, pets with existing gastrointestinal disease or pancreatitis, and pets living with an infant, a pregnant person or an immunocompromised household member.

Growing puppies and kittens should not be fed a home-prepared raw diet without formal formulation, because of the skeletal consequences described above. Our first year guide covers what growth actually requires.

Monitoring, whatever you feed

Weight and body condition are the most useful ongoing measures, and our post on weight management in Point Grey pets covers how to assess them at home. Periodic bloodwork is worth discussing for any pet on a long-term home-prepared diet, and that runs through our diagnostic services.

If you want the diet reviewed properly, whether raw or not, that is exactly what our nutrition counselling service is for, and it can be discussed as part of a medical consultation. Bring the actual product or recipe, including the label, rather than a description of it.

Report persistent vomiting or diarrhoea, weight loss, lethargy or a poor coat rather than assuming a transition period is still ongoing, and treat any suspected bone obstruction as urgent through our urgent care service.

Frequently asked questions

Is raw feeding actually dangerous?

The best-supported risks are bacterial contamination, which affects the household as well as the pet, and nutritional imbalance in home-prepared diets, which matters most in growing animals. Whole bones add a fracture and obstruction risk. Those risks can be reduced substantially with a complete commercial product, strict food hygiene and no weight-bearing bones.

Is raw food better for my dog’s coat and teeth?

Owners commonly report coat and energy improvements, but robust controlled evidence that raw feeding produces better long-term outcomes than a complete conventional diet is lacking. Some reported changes have simpler explanations, such as reduced treats and more measured portions alongside the switch. Chewing does reduce plaque, but at the cost of fractured teeth.

Can my raw-fed dog make my family ill?

It is possible. Raw-fed animals can shed organisms such as salmonella in their faeces without appearing unwell, and exposure routes include handling food, washing bowls, picking up faeces and face licking. Infants, pregnant people, older adults and anyone immunocompromised are most at risk, and raw-fed pets are commonly excluded from hospital visiting programmes for this reason.

Are bones safe to feed?

Cooked bones should never be fed, as they splinter. Raw weight-bearing bones are a leading cause of fractured teeth and can cause obstruction, constipation or perforation. If bones are part of your plan, take advice on which types are appropriate for your individual pet rather than assuming raw automatically means safe.

Can puppies be fed raw?

Not on a home-prepared diet without formal formulation. Growth is unforgiving of errors in calcium and phosphorus balance, and skeletal problems caused during development are generally not reversible. If you want to feed raw to a growing animal, use a complete product formulated for growth or have a recipe designed by a veterinary nutritionist.

Will my vet judge me for feeding raw?

You should not expect to be. Telling us matters for practical reasons: it changes how a digestive upset is investigated, it is relevant before surgery or immunosuppressive treatment, and it affects advice for the rest of your household. A conversation about reducing the risks is far more useful than one nobody has.