Raw vs. Cooked Dog Food: We're Not Them and They're Not Us

We often get asked: What are the benefits of raw vs. cooked dog food? As gently cooked dog food delivery companies have become more popular, the lines between what they offer and what we offer may appear blurred.

In short, raw dog food is more biologically appropriate than gently cooked dog food, so our food provides superior digestibility, nutritional value, health benefits, and flavor than those other dog food delivery companies.

Read on for more information on the differences between raw and cooked dog food and why We Feed Raw beats our gently cooked competitors in every aspect.

What Is Raw Dog Food?

Raw dog food consists of uncooked muscle meat, organs, and bones. This “prey model raw diet” is based on what dogs’ ancestors (and feral dogs of today) ate: uncooked animals they either killed or scavenged.

Despite how much dogs have changed on the outside since they descended from wolves, their insides are remarkably similar: sharp, pointy teeth for ripping and tearing flesh; highly acidic stomachs to destroy any potential pathogens they may consume; and short digestive tracts for eliminating food before it has a chance to cause any problems.

Benefits of Raw Dog Food

Since raw dog food is the nutrition that dogs were meant to eat, it has numerous benefits, including:

• •Improved digestion

• •Stronger immune system

• •Better weight control

• •Cleaner teeth

• •More mealtime excitement

• •Smaller, firmer stools

• •Softer, healthier skin and coat

• •Reduction in allergies

Potential Downsides of a Raw Food Diet for Dogs

Critics of raw dog food worry that it can be unbalanced or make dogs or people sick. However, We Feed Raw is nutritionally complete and balanced; meets AAFCO nutritional requirements for dogs of all life stages, including the growth of large-breed puppies; and uses high-pressure processing (HPP) to neutralize any potential pathogens, making our food highly nutritious as well as safe for your dog and your family.

What Is Cooked Dog Food?

Encompassing everything from gently cooked “fresh” food to canned food to kibble, cooked dog food refers to any food that has been heated up before being served to the dog. Many companies that deliver gently cooked dog food claim that their food is healthier and fresher than kibble. In the end, cooking dog food—even “lightly”—denatures the protein, removes nutrients, provides less bioavailable nutrition, and often contains unnecessary (and harmful) carbohydrates.

Benefits of Gently Cooked Dog Food

“Fresh” dog food delivery companies typically use fewer fillers, lower heat, and higher-quality ingredients than kibble, making it a better choice for dogs than highly processed dry or canned dog food.

Potential Downsides of Gently Cooked Dog Food

Dogs have no nutritional need for added carbohydrates (which most gently cooked dog food contains) and get less nutrition from cooked meat than from raw, so cooked food is still not the ideal food for dogs.

While gently cooked brands are certainly better than dry, processed kibble, they're still not as good for dogs as a raw diet.

What Are the Main Differences Between Raw and Cooked Dog Food?

Fresh, cooked food is not bad food (and it's certainly better than kibble), but with raw, you're feeding food in its most digestible state.

For dogs, cooking the food alters its makeup, causing essential nutrients and enzymes to become less bioavailable.

Put simply: with cooked foods, your dog has to work harder to get the nutrients he needs.

Other differences between cooked and raw dog food include:

• •Raw dog food provides species-appropriate nutrition

• •Cooked dog food typically contains carbohydrates, which can cause health problems in dogs

• •Raw dog food has the most natural, bioavailable nutrition

Why Is Raw Dog Food Better Than Cooked Dog Food?

Let’s dig a little deeper into what makes raw food better for dogs than cooked food.

Raw Dog Food Is Species-Appropriate

Dogs are carnivores, and despite the various shapes and sizes they can be found in these days, their insides are all still specially designed to derive their nutrition from raw muscle meat, organs, and bones. While cooking meat is something that has allowed humans to thrive, dogs simply don’t get as much nutritional value from cooked meat as they do from raw meat.

Raw Dog Food Contains More Nutrients

Cooking food breaks down the nutrients in it, which helps humans better digest it but means that dogs get less nutrients from it. Raw food is more bio-available for dogs than cooked food.

Cooked Dog Food Frequently Contains Species-Inappropriate Carbs

Did you know that dogs have no nutritional requirements for carbohydrates? While they may have evolved some ABILITY to digest carbohydrates, they haven’t evolved a REQUIREMENT for them. Many “fresh” gently cooked companies include rice or other carbohydrates in order to lower the price, even though carbohydrates can actually cause a variety of health problems in dogs.

Can You Mix Raw and Cooked Dog Food?

Yes, you can mix raw and cooked dog food. Adding even some raw to your dog’s diet has significant health benefits, so don’t worry if you can’t afford to switch to a fully raw diet.

Make the Switch to Raw

We Feed Raw makes a raw diet for dogs as easy as possible. We ship you pre-proportioned, nutritionally complete and balanced raw patties and tell you how much to feed your pup each day. All you have to do is thaw, portion, and feed! To get started, tell us a bit about your dog so we can determine your dog’s ideal daily dose of food.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Is Raw Meat Better Than Cooked Meat for Dogs?

Yes. Dogs are biologically designed to get their nutritional needs met from raw meat. Cooked meat has some of the natural nutrition stripped out and added back in artificially.

Is Raw Food Better for Dogs?

Yes, raw dog food provides species-appropriate nutrition that helps dogs thrive and live their healthiest, best life.

Is Raw or Cooked Meat Better for Dogs?

Raw meat is better for dogs because they’re better able to digest it and get the proper nutrients. Cooked dog food also tends to contain species-inappropriate carbohydrates, unlike raw dog food.