What’s the story with raw dog food and pathogens?
If you’re choosing between raw or cooked meat for dogs, remember that with raw, there’s no cooking process to eliminate potential pathogens like Listeria or Salmonella.
Seems obvious, but just as with any other raw meat in your kitchen, you need to think through the process of storing, preparing, and cleaning up after a raw meat dog food diet like you would in cooking a nice steak dinner for yourself.
Some households with small kids crawling around, older grandparents visiting often, or other family members with compromised immune systems may prefer a fresh, gently cooked dog food over raw food. Gently cooked fresh food is just as nutritionally sound for your dog, and cuts down pathogen risks dramatically.
If you do go with a raw meat dog food, be sure to serve raw meat fresh but well thawed. Dogs don’t want to find their dinner frozen in the middle any more than you would! Then, be sure your dog eats it within a short time period to avoid pathogen growth — a best feeding practice for dogs, regardless of what food you choose to feed them.
With raw meat, you’ll need to discard any uneaten portions from your dog’s bowl, and be aware of the reduced shelf-life of any leftovers in your fridge. Finally, be sure to clean dog dishes thoroughly and right away to keep pathogens from becoming a problem in the house.
If you decide to go with a raw meat dog food, just be sure to handle it safely, be aware of all the surfaces any raw meat touches, and wash all of those surfaces and your hands on the regular.
What’s the story with digestibility of raw vs. cooked meat for dogs?
Raw meat may be closer to a dog’s natural diet, but cooked meat may both be easier for you to handle and for your dog to digest — and it may even get your pooch more excited about eating. The reason comes down to digestion, smell, and texture.
First, let’s discuss digestion. Dogs need to get the majority of their protein from meat. Many raw dog food diets are 90%+ meat — but too much of a good thing may not be the best for your dog’s digestion. Diets that are this high in meat are also high in fat. For some dogs, excess fat can lead to digestive problems.
With gently cooked foods, more vegetables are incorporated into the recipe. This offers more healthy sources of fiber to aid in digestion. In short, if your dog has a sensitive stomach or seems to have trouble digesting a raw food diet, gently cooked foods could be the perfect solution.
Next, let’s discuss cooking. The thing is that cooking makes meat taste better! Meat that gently simmers along with other tasty and beneficial ingredients — like parsley for sweet breath, and more — gets tender, tasty, and fragrant. A picky dog may prefer cooked meat over raw food simply because cooked meals smell so amazing.
Definitely choose a raw or gently cooked food option for your dog before dry food. There’s no research that proves whether raw or cooked meat is more digestible for dogs, but there is research showing that animals digest whole food diets better than kibble or other highly processed canned foods.
If you choose a cooked meat dog food, look for gentle cooking methods, like sous-vide cooking, and minimal processing that allows whole food nutrition for your dog. A Pup Above is a great example.
The basis of your dog’s diet should be a high quality balanced premium commercial dog food that is appropriate for their life stage (puppy, adolescent, adult, pregnant, senior) and health status. By reading the label, you can check that it complies with the Australian Standard for the Manufacturing and Marketing of Pet Food AS5812:2017 [1].
Domesticated dogs are largely carnivores but will also eat plant-based foods. Wild dogs eat a variety of food which comprise mainly of prey animals, consisting of raw meat, bones, organs and a small amount of the vegetable matter contained in the gut of their prey.
The following information is general advice, but as each dog is an individual, seek veterinary advice, particularly if your dog has any special dietary needs or has a reaction to a standard diet.
Do not ever feed the following substances as they are toxic to dogs (note this is not a complete list): alcohol, onions, onion powder, garlic, chocolate, coffee or caffeine products, mouldy or spoiled foods or compost, avocado, bread dough, yeast dough, grapes, raisins, sultanas (including in Christmas cakes etc), currants, nuts (including macadamia nuts), fruit stones or ‘pits’ (e.g. mango seeds, apricot stones, avocado stones), mushrooms, and fruit seeds. Also, never feed the following as these can be dangerous for dogs: corncobs, green unripe tomatoes, cooked bones, small pieces of raw bone, fatty trimmings/fatty foods, salt and roughly-cut vegetables.
Dogs have evolved significantly from their wolf ancestors, including developing an ability to digest starch and fat, plus living longer and healthier lives. Feeding them bones is not necessary given the range of quality nutritionally balanced diets available. Dental chews are a good alternative if you wish to provide your pet with entertainment that assists with teeth cleaning – the global Veterinary Oral Health Council lists dental products that meet standards for safety and reducing plaque/tartar.
Raw Vs. Cooked Pet Food – Which Is Better?
Domesticated dogs are largely carnivores but will also eat plant-based foods. Wild dogs eat a variety of food which comprise mainly of prey animals, consisting of raw meat, bones, organs and a small amount of the vegetable matter contained in the gut of their prey.
The following information is general advice, but as each dog is an individual, seek veterinary advice, particularly if your dog has any special dietary needs or has a reaction to a standard diet.
The basis of your dog’s diet should be a high quality balanced premium commercial dog food that is appropriate for their life stage (puppy, adolescent, adult, pregnant, senior) and health status. By reading the label, you can check that it complies with the Australian Standard for the Manufacturing and Marketing of Pet Food AS5812:2017 [1].
The amount of food required will depend on your dog’s size, breed, age and level of exercise, but take care not to overfeed or underfeed. Your vet will be able to weigh your dog, assess your dog’s body condition score and provide advice.
To avoid bloat, which can be fatal, adult dogs should be fed at least twice a day and should not be exercised immediately before or after eating. This applies particularly to deep-chested dogs such as Boxers and German Shepherds.
Fresh drinking water must be available at all times but do not offer your dog milk as this can cause gastrointestinal upsets.
Bones and raw meat are not recommended as they can break teeth and cause internal blockages, raw bones also carry bacteria that can make both animals and humans ill. Read the article Should I feed bones to my dog? for more information. If you do choose to offer bones to your pet, they should always be raw and introduced gradually.
Dogs have evolved significantly from their wolf ancestors, including developing an ability to digest starch and fat, plus living longer and healthier lives. Feeding them bones is not necessary given the range of quality nutritionally balanced diets available. Dental chews are a good alternative if you wish to provide your pet with entertainment that assists with teeth cleaning – the global Veterinary Oral Health Council lists dental products that meet standards for safety and reducing plaque/tartar.
Dogs may be offered fish (such as tinned fish – sardines, tuna or salmon) as an occasional treat, but fish should not be fed constantly. Take care to avoid fish bones and choose fish canned in spring water rather than oil or brine.
Dogs may also be offered a small amount of cooked vegetables such as pumpkin or carrots. A small amount of plain cooked pasta or rice may also be offered.
Cooked meat, such as boiled chicken or lamb, may also be offered, but ensure there are no cooked bones and no onions/onion sauces or other toxic substances present (see below). As mentioned above, raw meat and bones carry bacteria that can make both animals and humans ill and so are not recommended. However, if you do decide to feed your dog any raw meat or raw bones, it is recommended that you choose only human-grade raw meat and bones. You should avoid raw meat products marketed as pet food (pet meat/pet mince/pet rolls and bone products), sausages, sausage meat and cooked manufactured meats as they can contain sulphite preservatives. There have been many pet food safety incidents linked to sulphite preservative-induced thiamine (Vitamin B1) deficiency, which can be fatal. See this article for more information. You should make sure your dog has access to grass (avoid chemically treated grass and toxic plants). Dogs will sometimes eat grass, which may provide a source of vegetable matter and micronutrients.
Do not ever feed the following substances as they are toxic to dogs (note this is not a complete list): alcohol, onions, onion powder, garlic, chocolate, coffee or caffeine products, mouldy or spoiled foods or compost, avocado, bread dough, yeast dough, grapes, raisins, sultanas (including in Christmas cakes etc), currants, nuts (including macadamia nuts), fruit stones or ‘pits’ (e.g. mango seeds, apricot stones, avocado stones), mushrooms, and fruit seeds. Also, never feed the following as these can be dangerous for dogs: corncobs, green unripe tomatoes, cooked bones, small pieces of raw bone, fatty trimmings/fatty foods, salt and roughly-cut vegetables.
Also ensure your pet dog doesn’t have access to string wrappings around rolled roasts or absorbent pads found under meat when wrapped on trays.
[1] Standards Australia (2017) Manufacturing and marketing of pet food, AS 5812:2017. (accessed on Oct 8 2019)