The topic we're discussing today on Q&A with Dr. Q. is a controversial one. Many dog owners will consider putting their dog on a raw food diet, because it is marketed as being a very good option for your dog's health.
But that's all it is: marketing. As an experienced veterinarian I can not recommend a raw food diet for your dog.
Above all else, you need to consider your health and your family's health. We all know that uncooked meats contain bacteria such as salmonella and e. coli. Even if these aren't harmful to dogs, they're very harmful to humans. A raw food diet introduces plenty of these bacteria into your home environment. It can get on your cooking surfaces, in the air, and even on your face and body if your dog licks you. You and everyone in your household is at risk of getting seriously ill from these parasites.
A selling point of raw food is how it claims to call back to your dog's ancestral habits and diet. Again, this is slick advertising. Dogs are not carnivores; they are omnivores. They need a balanced diet just like we do, which most raw diets can only achieve with numerous expensive supplements. Domesticated dogs have never been in the wild, they've never had to hunt animals and eat their raw flesh. They've evolved over millennia to be our companions, to live in our environment. As such, properly formulated dog foods are best for their diet and health.
Your veterinarian is always the best source of information about what how to keep your dog healthy and strong for many years. Not clever advertising!