Can Dogs Eat Raw Meat Safely? Risks & Benefits Explained · Kinship

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Can My Dog Eat This?

Can Dogs Eat Raw Meat Safely? Risks and Benefits Explained

You’re wondering if this isn’t the best idea…because it isn’t the best idea.

by Dr. Bartley Harrison, DVM
January 1, 1970
Dog being fed a raw meat meal.
Alejandro / Adobe Stock

In This Article:

What Is Considered Raw Meat? Can Dogs Eat Raw Meat? Is Raw Meat Good for Dogs? Talk to Your Vet

Feeding dogs raw food has become increasingly popular over the past couple of decades. Whether freeze-dried kibbles, homemade meals, or a premade, refrigerated raw diet, uncooked food has taken off as an alternative to traditional feeding methods. But is eating raw meat safe for dogs and their families?

Main takeaways

  • Raw meat for dogs encompasses more than just uncooked cuts from the supermarket.

  • The nutritional and health benefits of feeding raw meat are largely unproven.

  • Raw meat-based diets are not endorsed by any credible regulatory or animal health organizations.

  • Raw meat can contain bacteria and parasites that can make your dog or your family very ill.

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What is considered raw meat?

Not everyone pictures the same thing when they think of raw meat. For our purposes, any uncooked animal-based muscle, organ, or fat can be called raw meat. Bones get tricky: They’re not really meat, but they’re sometimes considered to be meat if they’re left in a cut like a T-bone steak. Foods can still be considered raw even after exposure to low levels of heat  — temperatures below 118 degrees Fahrenheit (or 48 degrees Celsius).

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Pet parents may be surprised to learn that many dog food and treats are raw despite not being labeled as such. Commercial raw diets include freeze-dried, dehydrated, fresh raw, frozen raw, and high-pressure pasteurized dog foods. This means that low-temperature dehydrated treats such as pigs’ ears and bully sticks are still considered raw.

Types of raw meat dogs can eat

Raw diets contain numerous types of meat. The meats fed in a raw diet are often lean cuts of chicken, beef, lamb, turkey, fish, duck, venison, or rabbit. People aren’t generally bold enough to say that feeding a dog raw pork is a good idea. Basically, most meats that you’d find in a supermarket or restaurant have been promoted as part of raw diets for dogs.

How to prepare meat for your dogs

The first step is to cook it. Cooking meat kills potentially harmful bacteria and parasites, making it safer for consumption. Unless you’ve extensively discussed with your veterinarian (and a veterinary nutritionist) about crafting a home-cooked diet for your dog, store-bought meat shouldn’t make up a significant portion of your dog’s diet. A little cooked, lean meat is fine here and there as a treat, though.

For pet parents set on including raw meat as a part of their dog’s diet, high-pressure pasteurization (cold pasteurization) seems to be the least unsafe option. High-pressure pasteurization applies massively high pressures (more than 50,000 pounds per square inch) to food to kill bacteria without raising the food’s temperature. This process is not foolproof, though: There have been multiple recent recalls of high-pressure pasteurized foods contaminated with listeria or salmonella.

Nutritional benefits of raw meat

The nutritional benefits of feeding dogs raw meat remain largely unproven. Raw-diet proponents tout benefits including decreased fecal output, improved dental health, shinier coats, and improved digestibility of food. Studies have found that fecal mass in dogs fed raw diets is lower, but the significance of this (beyond convenience for pet parents) is unknown. There is conflicting evidence about the improved digestibility of raw diets versus traditional kibble or canned foods.

At this point, the purported health benefits from raw diets are largely anecdotal. These claims have to be weighed against the potential risks associated with consuming raw meat: increased spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and illnesses caused by contaminated meat.

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Can dogs eat raw meat?

Most dogs will happily eat raw meat, but they’re not always the best judges of what to put in their mouths. Dogs will also dig into a compost heap if given the chance, and that doesn’t turn out well for anyone involved. Many pet parents swear by raw meat for their dogs and have not experienced any appreciable ill effects. This does not mean that raw meat is the healthiest or safest option for dogs.

No major animal or human health organization endorses feeding raw meat to pets. The FDA, CDC, American Veterinary Medical Association, American Animal Hospital Association, World Small Animal Veterinary Association, and Canadian Veterinary Medical Association all advise against feeding raw diets due to the potential risks involved.

Is raw meat good for dogs?

Raw meat has no proven health benefits for dogs. Feeding them a raw meat-based diet has significant downsides for dogs and their human families. Many of the problems associated with feeding raw diets to dogs stem from bacterial contamination of raw foods. Overgrowth of dangerous organisms can occur anywhere in the supply chain, from the initial processing plant to your home.

The overuse of antibiotics in meat-producing animals is another reason for concern. When dogs ingest bacteria found on raw meat, they don’t always get sick. They can instead harbor the bacteria in their intestinal tract and pass them on to other people and animals, making them sick. Infections from these bacteria are more likely to be difficult or impossible to treat due to antibiotic resistance gained in the feedlot.

Is it safe for dogs?

For dogs, the major concern with raw meat is the risk of contamination with bacteria like listeria, salmonella, E. coli, campylobacter, and Clostridium perfringens. Infections with these bacteria can cause severe and life-threatening gastrointestinal, reproductive, or liver diseases. 

Diets containing primarily raw meat are often not balanced to meet a dog’s complete nutritional needs. In addition to macronutrients such as protein, carbohydrates, and fat, dogs need micronutrients like essential amino acids, vitamins, calcium, and phosphorus in an appropriate balance for optimal health. Raw meat-based diets don’t always account for the full spectrum of canine nutritional needs.

Potential risks of feeding your dog raw meat

There are significant risks associated with feeding raw meat to dogs. Outbreaks of severe gastrointestinal infections have been linked to raw dog food. Dogs fed raw meat-based diets carry more antibiotic-resistant bacteria in their intestines, and have led to drug-resistant salmonella infections in people. Feeding your dog raw food comes with the risk of significant illness for your dog and your family members, especially children or immunocompromised people.

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Talk to your vet before feeding your dog raw meat

Any major changes to your dog’s diet should be discussed with your veterinarian to make sure that your dog’s nutritional needs are being met. Pet parents who feel that a raw diet is the best choice for their dog should discuss strategies for reducing the risk of food contamination and associated illnesses with their vet. It is also a good idea to discuss raw dog food with a physician to make sure that no family members can contract a food-borne illness.

Bottom line

Wild animals live shorter, more brutal lives than pet dogs. Humans mastered the use of fire to help make food safer to eat and easier to digest a long time ago. We should continue to share these advances with our canine companions so they don’t have to experience the risks of eating raw food like their primal ancestors.

FAQs

Can dogs eat raw meat bought at the supermarket?

Feeding dogs raw meat from the supermarket is not recommended because of the risk of bacterial or parasitic contamination.

What’s the difference between homemade raw food vs. pre-made raw food?

Homemade raw food contains a blend of raw foods that you make, while pre-made raw foods are purchased as a complete diet. Always consult a veterinary nutritionist before feeding your dog a homemade diet.

References

Dr. Bartley Harrison holding his dog

Dr. Bartley Harrison, DVM

Dr. Bartley Harrison is a veterinarian with more than 19 years of experience. He has treated a variety of species in emergency and speciality practices for both large and small animals. His primary interests as a vet are emergency medicine and critical care.

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