Raw Diet For Dogs: What 5 New Studies Reveal About Health and Longevity

I have been recommending raw food for dogs for over 30 years.

For most of those years, I did it because the logic was undeniable. Dogs are carnivores. Their digestive tracts — shorter, more acidic, designed to break down protein and fat — are fundamentally different from those of herbivores and omnivores. When you look inside a cow's digestive system and compare it to a dog's, nature is not subtle. It is screaming at us: feed this animal what it was designed to eat.

But many dog parents and scientists, understandably, want more than logic—they want evidence. They want data.

For a long time, the peer-reviewed evidence on raw feeding was thin. There were anecdotes — thousands of them, from guardians who watched their chronically itchy, overweight, sluggish dogs transform after switching to raw. There was my own clinical experience across decades of practice. But controlled studies were rare, sample sizes were small, and the research community was cautious.

I am thrilled to tell you: that is changing.

Between 2021 and 2026, a new generation of peer-reviewed research has begun to paint a clearer picture of what raw feeding does to a dog's body. These are not blog posts or forum threads. These are published, peer-reviewed studies in respected veterinary journals — from the University of Helsinki, from Oklahoma State University, from research institutions in Germany and the UK.

Today, I want to walk you through five of the most important findings. I will tell you what they confirmed, what surprised me, what still worries me, and — most importantly — what you can do about it for your dog today.

The Story That Started Me Thinking About This

A few years ago, a guardian named Maria brought in her seven-year-old Labrador, Bruno. Bruno was overweight — his ribs were buried under a soft layer of fat, his eyes were dull, and he moved like a dog ten years older. He was on a so-called premium, veterinarian-recommended kibble. His bloodwork showed mildly elevated blood glucose, elevated alkaline phosphatase, and higher-than-ideal triglycerides.

He eats the best food," Maria told me. "My vet says it's complete and balanced."

I asked her what was in it. She read the label. The third ingredient was corn. The fourth was rice. The fifth was dried beet pulp, and the next was powdered cellulose (i.e., wood chips!).

Bruno was not sick in the dramatic sense. But he was not thriving either. He was slowly, quietly, metabolically struggling — on food that was designed to meet minimum nutritional standards, not to nourish a carnivore the way nature intended.

Three months after transitioning Bruno to a properly formulated raw diet — with mineral supplementation to fill gaps, omega-3 support for his joints and coat, and a short liver-support protocol during the transition — Maria sent me a photo. Bruno was playing fetch on the beach. His waist was visible. His eyes were bright.

"He looks like a puppy," she wrote.

I have seen this hundreds of times. But now, the science is confirming what I have witnessed in my clinic and in the homes of dog guardians around the world.

What the Research Is Telling Us

Raw-Fed Dogs Are Leaner — and the Difference Is Significant

A 2026 clinical study published in BMC Veterinary Research by von Lindeiner and colleagues is one of the most rigorous raw-feeding studies to date. German researchers recruited 104 healthy dogs — 51 fed a raw meat-based diet for at least 12 months, and 53 fed commercial kibble. A veterinarian assessed each dog's body condition score (BCS) in a blinded evaluation — meaning they did not know which group the dog belonged to.

The results were striking. Raw-fed dogs had a median BCS of 5 (ideal), while kibble-fed dogs had a median BCS of 6 — significantly overweight by clinical standards. That is not a small difference. Obesity in dogs is now the most commonly diagnosed nutritional disease in veterinary practice, and it shortens lives, burdens joints, stresses organs, increases inflammation, and reduces quality of life in ways that accumulate silently over years.

What explains the difference? It comes down to macronutrients. Raw-fed dogs got only 5.7% of their calories from carbohydrates. Kibble-fed dogs got 46%. Dogs are not designed to live on carbohydrates. When they do, their bodies store the excess. The weight and a whole cascade of health issues follow.

I have always said this in my clinic: a dog that stays lean throughout its life has a fundamentally different health trajectory than one that is chronically overweight. This study gives us the numbers to back that up.

The Metabolic Fingerprint of Raw Feeding

In 2025, Dr. Anna Hielm-Björkman and her DogRisk team at the University of Helsinki published a controlled intervention study in The Veterinary Journal that measured blood metabolic markers in dogs fed either raw or kibble for an average of four and a half months.

The raw-fed dogs showed:

• • Lower fasting blood glucose — less metabolic stress from dietary sugar
  • Lower blood triglycerides — better fat metabolism
  • Lower glucagon — reduced hormonal pressure on the liver
  • Higher ketone bodies — a sign that the body is efficiently burning fat for fuel
  • Lower TyG index — a validated proxy for insulin resistance that is used in both human and veterinary medicine

This is the metabolic profile of a body that is working with its food rather than against it. Contrast this with the kibble-fed dogs, who showed the opposite pattern — a metabolic fingerprint associated with blood sugar abnormalities and increased disease risk.

This does not surprise me. I have been measuring these markers in my patients for years. What pleases me is that now I can point to a peer-reviewed study and say: This is not just my opinion. This is biology.

Your Dog's Gut Is an Ecosystem — and Diet Is the Gardener

In 2024, researchers at Oklahoma State University published a beautifully designed study in Frontiers in Veterinary Science that standardized the diets of 55 dogs for 28 days — half raw, half kibble — and then analyzed fecal microbiome composition and a suite of immune and metabolic blood markers.

What they found in the gut was remarkable.

Raw-fed dogs had significantly higher microbiome diversity — more species, more complexity, more ecological richness in the gut. They had higher levels of fecal IgA, IgG, and intestinal alkaline phosphatase — three markers of local gut immune function that protect the intestinal lining, neutralize bacterial toxins, and regulate the relationship between the immune system and the trillions of microbes that live in the gut.

Here is why I find this so meaningful. Seventy to eighty percent of the immune system lives in and around the gut. When the gut ecosystem is healthy — diverse, balanced, well-defended — the immune system is calmer, more intelligent, and more capable of distinguishing real threats from harmless ones. When it is disrupted — reduced diversity, weakened immune defences — the immune system becomes reactive, confused, and hyper-responsive. That is the biological basis of allergies, chronic inflammation, and many of the conditions I see every single day.

A separate 2025 systematic review published in PMC confirmed: diet is the single strongest driver of gut microbiome composition in companion animals. More than genetics. More than environment. More than medication history. What your dog eats today is literally reshaping the ecosystem inside them.

What You Feed a Puppy Shapes Their Health for Life

This is perhaps the finding that moves me most deeply, because it speaks to prevention — the best form of medicine.

The DogRisk research group at the University of Helsinki, led by Dr. Anna Hielm-Björkman, followed thousands of Finnish dogs from puppyhood through adulthood and tracked their diets using validated food frequency questionnaires. They published two landmark studies — one in 2021 in the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine on allergy and atopy, and one in 2023 in Scientific Reports on chronic enteropathy.

The findings were consistent and compelling.

Dogs that were fed more than 20% raw food during puppyhood had significantly lower odds of developing allergy and atopic skin signs as adults. Dogs fed mostly dry kibble — especially heat-processed, ultra-processed formulations — had higher odds. Raw tripe, raw organ meats, omega-3 oil supplements, and human meal leftovers during that critical 2–6 month window were among the most protective foods.

The second study found that raw bones and cartilage, non-processed meat-based foods, and human leftovers during puppyhood and adolescence were associated with significantly lower rates of chronic enteropathy — inflammatory gut disease — in adulthood. The protective effect of raw bones and cartilage actually increased the more frequently they were given.

I think about this every time a guardian brings in a new puppy and asks me what to feed. That puppy's immune system is being educated right now. The gut microbiome is being built right now. The inflammatory set-point is being calibrated right now. What you put in the bowl in those first months matters in ways that extend far into the future.

The Skin Speaks — and Raw Food Speaks Back

In 2020, researchers from the DogRisk group published a gene expression study that I still find fascinating. They took healthy and atopic (allergy-prone) Staffordshire Bull Terriers, assigned them to either a raw red-meat diet or a commercial kibble diet for three weeks, and then analyzed gene expression in skin biopsies using microarray technology.

The kibble-fed dogs showed a pro-inflammatory gene expression profile in the skin. The raw-fed dogs showed an anti-inflammatory profile — with improved lipid metabolism in the skin barrier, enhanced innate immune function, and reduced oxidative stress markers. These changes were visible at the level of individual genes, in a well-defined tissue.

This is not an anecdote. This is molecular biology confirming what guardians have observed for decades: raw-fed dogs have better skin and coats. Their bodies are less inflamed at a cellular level.

The Part I Must Be Honest About

I believe deeply in raw feeding. But I also believe in honesty — and in giving you the complete picture so that you can make the best decisions for your dog.

Here is what the same research reveals that you must take seriously.

Raw diets are frequently nutritionally incomplete. The 2026 von Lindeiner study found that raw-fed dogs had significantly lower blood levels of iodine, zinc, copper, manganese, and vitamin E — all essential nutrients that are commonly deficient in raw diets, even well-intentioned ones.

A separate 2025 analysis of commercially prepared raw dog foods found that most products failed to meet established mineral guidelines — particularly calcium, iodine, zinc, and vitamin D. The calcium-to-phosphorus ratio in raw diets frequently falls below the recommended 1.4, which matters for bone health, cardiac function, and cellular signalling.

This is not a reason to avoid raw feeding. It is a reason to supplement intelligently.

I created GreenMin specifically to address this gap — a whole-food, marine algae-based mineral supplement that provides bioavailable calcium, iodine, zinc, copper, manganese, and other trace minerals in a form that mirrors what dogs would obtain from whole prey in nature. This is not a synthetic salt formulation. It is food-based nutrition designed to complete the raw diet the way nature intended.

Similarly, raw diets — especially those heavy in red meat — tend to be high in arachidonic acid (omega-6 fatty acid). A 2024 study found raw-fed dogs had five times the arachidonic acid intake of kibble-fed dogs.

This is not inherently harmful, but it must be balanced with adequate omega-3 fatty acids to maintain the anti-inflammatory equilibrium the body needs. This is why I formulated FeelGood Omega — a clean, sustainably sourced calamari oil that provides DHA and EPA without the oxidation problems of conventional fish oil.

Microbial safety is a real consideration. Similar to cooking meat for human consumption, common-sense handling practices will greatly reduce the risk of gastrointestinal infection from raw diet feeding, especially when we pay attention to proper sourcing, clean preparation surfaces, handwashing, and common-sense care.

In 30 years of feeding and recommending a raw diet, I have had no clients reporting an infection caused by feeding a raw diet.

Where Does This Leave Us?

The science on raw feeding is still young. Similar to people, feeding our dogs wholesome, unprocessed food brings clear benefits. However, so far, no one has invested the time and money into a long-term randomized controlled trial measuring lifespan, cancer incidence, or organ disease across thousands of dogs. That study has not been done — and it may be years before it is.

But here is what we do have. Multiple independent research teams, on multiple continents, using different methodologies, have consistently found that properly formulated raw diets are associated with:

• • Significantly leaner body composition.
  • More favorable metabolic markers, including blood glucose, lipids, and insulin sensitivity that are known to be connected to better health and longevity.
  • Greater gut microbiome diversity and stronger local gut immune function.
  • Lower rates of allergy and atopy when fed during puppyhood.
  • Lower rates of chronic enteropathy when fed during early life.
  • Anti-inflammatory gene expression in skin tissue.

The evidence is consistent. The biological mechanisms make sense. And the clinical experience of thousands of practitioners and millions of dog guardians around the world aligns.

Raw feeding is not a trend. It is not a fringe idea. It is  nutrition as nature intended.

How to Start — or Restart — With Confidence

If you are already feeding raw, I encourage you to ensure the foundation is complete.

You can use my Free Healthy Dog Food Recipe Maker that will help you feed a balanced natural diet in the right amount.

I also suggest you explore the FAB4 essential supplements, the same ones I give to my dog Pax and offer to my clients and patients.

Here is a short summary of what they are and what they do:

GreenMin — A whole-food mineral supplement built around two extraordinary ingredients: Alga Calcarea, a mineral-dense seaweed harvested from cold Atlantic waters, and Spirulina, one of the most nutritionally complete foods on earth. Together, they provide calcium and the full mineral spectrum that depleted soil can no longer reliably deliver.

FeelGood Omega — High-quality omega oils for skin, coat, joints, brain, anti-inflammatory effect and cellular health. Omega deficiency is universal in dogs eating processed food, and the difference when you address it is usually visible within weeks.

SoulFood — A fermented whole-food multivitamin nutrients, and the kind of broad organ support that’s nearly impossible to get from modern food alone. Fermentation matters here — it increases bioavailability by five to seven times compared to standard supplementation.

GutSense — A certified organic prebiotic, probiotic, and postbiotic supplement for complete gut health and immunity. GutSense delivers all three components a healthy gut actually needs: organic prebiotic herbs to feed beneficial bacteria, nine canine-specific probiotic strains, and many beneficial postbiotic compounds that support anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant and anti-cancer properties. When the gut is healthy, everything good follows naturally.

GreenMin to close the nutritional gap that even well-designed raw diets consistently leave.

If you are just starting out, do not be overwhelmed. Use the Recipe Maker and begin simply. One protein. One organ meat. Fresh bones a few times a week. A good mineral supplement. A clean omega-3. Build from there.

And if your veterinarian is skeptical, that is okay. Respectfully invite them to look at the studies I have referenced here. Bring in your dog's next blood panel and let the numbers speak for themselves. Progress, not perfection, is how we move forward together.

A Final Thought

I have been practicing veterinary medicine for over 35 years. In that time, I have watched the conversation about dog food shift from 'just buy the vet-recommended brand' to something far more nuanced, more informed, and more empowering.

The science is catching up to what many of us have known for a long time: dogs are carnivores, wholesome, non-processed food is medicine, and the bowl is one of the most powerful tools we have.

You do not need a perfect diet tomorrow. You need a better direction starting today.

Your dog is counting on you — and now you have the science to back you up.

With love for you and your dog,
Dr. Peter Dobias, DVM

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)

What are the proven health benefits of a raw diet for dogs?

Studies show raw-fed dogs have significantly lower body condition scores (leaner body composition), better composite clinical health scores for skin, coat, and ear health, more diverse gut microbiome, and more favorable metabolic markers including lower blood glucose and reduced insulin resistance proxy scores. These findings come from multiple peer-reviewed studies published between 2021 and 2026. 

Is a raw diet safe for my dog?

For healthy puppies and adult dogs, evidence supports raw diets are generally safe and associated with many health benefits. Safe handling practices, proper formulation, and quality supplementation is important. Dogs who are immunocompromised may consider a cooked diet as an alternative. 

How do I transition my dog from kibble to raw?

A transition over 7–14 days is commonly recommended, reducing kibble proportionally as raw increases. Some dogs — especially those with sensitive digestion from years on kibble — may benefit from this slower transition. Supporting the liver and gut during this period makes physiological sense: the digestive system, microbiome, and detox pathways all need time to adapt. 

What supplements does a raw-fed dog need?

This is one of the most important questions — and the science is clear that even well-intentioned raw diets consistently fall short in key nutrients. Multiple studies confirm raw diets are commonly deficient in calcium (especially the Ca:P ratio), iodine, zinc, copper, manganese, vitamin D, and vitamin E. A comprehensive mineral supplement like GreenMin (algae-based, highly bioavailable) directly addresses these gaps. FeelGood Omega provides the essential omega-3 fatty acids that raw diets — especially red-meat-heavy ones — may not supply in the right ratio.

Does raw diet help with dog allergies and itchy skin?

A large Finnish study found that dogs fed more than 20% raw food as puppies had significantly lower odds of developing allergy/atopy skin signs as adults. A gene expression study found that raw diets shift skin immune pathways toward anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity. Raw-fed dogs also showed better integument (skin/coat) scores in blinded veterinary assessments. While definitive cause-and-effect proof is still pending, the evidence direction strongly suggests raw diets support a healthier skin immune environment.

Can I feed my puppy a raw diet?

Yes, with careful attention to nutritional balance. DogRisk research from the University of Helsinki shows that puppies fed more raw, non-processed foods had significantly lower odds of allergy, atopy, and chronic enteropathy later in life. The critical risks for puppies are calcium deficiency (bones are forming) and pathogens. Supplementation with a bioavailable mineral supplement like GreenMin is especially important during the rapid growth phase.

What does a raw diet do to my dog's gut microbiome?

A 2024 Oklahoma State University study found that raw-fed dogs had a significantly more diverse gut microbiome and higher levels of fecal IgA, IgG, and intestinal alkaline phosphatase — markers of a stronger local gut immune defence. The microbiome composition also differed distinctly, with raw-fed dogs showing higher Fusobacteria abundance and different Firmicutes profiles. Diet is now recognized as the single strongest driver of microbiome composition in dogs.

Will my dog lose weight on a raw diet?

Evidence consistently shows raw-fed dogs have significantly lower body condition scores than kibble-fed dogs. In the most recent 2026 clinical study, RMBD-fed dogs had a median BCS of 5 (ideal) vs. 6 (slightly overweight) for kibble-fed dogs (P<0.001). Raw diets provide fewer carbohydrates and more protein — macronutrient profiles consistently associated with healthier body composition. This is not about restriction; it's about feeding food the body metabolizes more efficiently.

Does raw diet help with chronic gut issues like IBD or enteropathy?

Observational research from the University of Helsinki found that feeding raw bones and cartilage, non-processed meat-based foods, and human leftovers during puppyhood and adolescence was associated with significantly lower incidence of chronic enteropathy in adulthood. This is compelling population-level data, though not a clinical trial. The gut microbiome findings from 2024 — showing enhanced local gut immunity in raw-fed dogs — provide a plausible mechanism. GutSense probiotic support complements raw feeding for dogs with existing gut issues.

My vet is against raw feeding. How do I have this conversation?

Respectfully acknowledge your vet's concerns. Then present the multiple peer-reviewed studies from 2021–2026 show significantly better body condition scores, gut microbiome diversity, skin health, and metabolic markers in properly fed raw dogs. The key phrase is "properly formulated" — show your vet you are supplementing with evidence-informed products. Asking for a nutritional blood panel to monitor mineral levels together is a constructive bridge.

How do I make sure my raw diet has enough calcium and minerals?

This is where most raw diets fail — even commercially prepared raw foods. A 2025 Scientific Reports study found many pre-made raw products still do not meet mineral guidelines. The Ca:P ratio in raw diets often falls below the recommended 1.4, and iodine, zinc, copper, manganese, and vitamin D are consistently low. Adding a high-quality, bioavailable mineral supplement — especially one derived from whole-food sources like marine algae — is the most effective solution. GreenMin is formulated specifically for this purpose.

Does raw feeding improve blood markers and metabolic health?

A 2025 University of Helsinki intervention study found raw-fed dogs had lower blood glucose, lower blood lipids, lower glucagon, higher ketone bodies (indicating healthy fat burning), and a reduced TyG index (a proxy for insulin resistance). These metabolic markers collectively suggest raw diets support a metabolically healthier state — similar to what human research shows for low-carbohydrate, high-protein diets. Commercial kibble, by contrast, is primarily carbohydrate-based, which elevated metabolic risk markers in the same study.

What is the ideal protein-to-fat-to-carbohydrate ratio in a raw diet?

Studies of naturally formulated raw diets show approximately 50–54% of calories from protein, 28–43% from fat, and less than 6% from carbohydrates — compared to kibble which often provides 27% protein, 15% fat, and 46% carbohydrates. This high-protein, high-fat, low-carbohydrate profile is consistent with what wolves and ancestral canines consume, and corresponds with the favorable metabolic and body composition outcomes observed in studies. Individual dogs may have different needs based on life stage, activity level, and health status.

Does raw diet reduce the risk of chronic diseases later in life?

Population-level data from the University of Helsinki DogRisk group suggests early raw feeding is associated with lower odds of two common chronic diseases — atopy/allergy and chronic enteropathy. Gene expression studies show raw diets shift immune and inflammatory pathways in favorable directions. Whether this translates to measurable disease reduction in well-controlled long-term trials remains the most important unanswered question in this field. Current evidence is strongly suggestive but not yet definitive.

Does raw food improve the omega-6 to omega-3 ratio, or does it make it worse?

This is an underexplored but important question. Red-meat-heavy raw diets tend to be high in arachidonic acid (omega-6), which can be pro-inflammatory in excess. A 2024 study found RMBD dogs had 5x greater arachidonic acid intake than kibble dogs — which is not inherently bad, but must be balanced with adequate omega-3 intake. This is exactly why a high-quality, clean omega-3 supplement is important for raw-fed dogs. FeelGood Omega (calamari oil, sustainably sourced) provides DHA and EPA without the oxidation risks of traditional fish oil.

My vet says raw causes salmonella — how do I respond?

Your vet's concern is scientifically valid — raw diets do carry a higher bacterial load, and Salmonella, Campylobacter, and drug-resistant bacteria have been documented in raw pet foods and the feces of raw-fed pets. The relevant question is: what is the actual risk of clinical illness in healthy dogs and their handlers? Evidence suggests contamination is common but clinical disease in immunocompetent individuals is rare. Safe handling (gloves, separate prep surfaces, hand-washing), sourcing from reputable suppliers, and ensuring human household members are not immunocompromised reduces risk meaningfully.

Does raw feeding help dogs with yeast overgrowth?

Yeast thrives on sugar and simple carbohydrates. Commercial kibble is typically 30–46% carbohydrate — a significant dietary substrate for yeast. Raw diets, with less than 6% carbohydrates, theoretically create a less hospitable environment for systemic yeast overgrowth. While no controlled study specifically examines raw feeding and yeast in dogs, the mechanistic rationale is strong and consistent with Dr. Dobias' clinical observations. GutSense probiotic support helps maintain a balanced microbiome that competes with yeast populations.

References cited in this article:

1. von Lindeiner LM et al. Lower prevalence of obesity and nutritional imbalances in dogs fed a raw meat-based diet. BMC Vet Res. 2026;22:127. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12930774/
2. Holm S, Hielm-Björkman A et al. The effect of a kibble diet versus a raw meat-based diet on energy metabolism biomarkers in dogs. Vet J. 2025;314:106462. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1090023325001662
3. Hiney K et al. Fecal microbiota composition, serum metabolomics, and markers of inflammation in dogs fed a raw meat-based diet. Front Vet Sci. 2024;11:1328513. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fvets.2024.1328513/full
4. Hemida M, Hielm-Björkman A et al. Puppyhood diet as a factor in the development of owner-reported allergy/atopy skin signs in adult dogs. J Vet Intern Med. 2021;35(5):2252–2263. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8478020/
5. Anturaniemi J, Hielm-Björkman A et al. The effect of puppyhood and adolescent diet on the incidence of chronic enteropathy in adult dogs. Sci Rep. 2023;13:2258. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-27866-z
6. Anturaniemi J, Hielm-Björkman A et al. The effect of atopic dermatitis and diet on the skin transcriptome in Staffordshire Bull Terriers. Front Vet Sci. 2020;7:552251.
7. Assessment of mineral adequacy in preprepared raw dog foods. Sci Rep. 2025. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-27388-w