🍗 Home-Cooked & Raw Diets for Pets: Vet-Approved 2025 Guide for Dogs and Cats 🥦🐾

By Dr Duncan Houston BVSc

❓ Should You Feed a Home-Cooked or Raw Diet?

As more pet parents seek fresh, whole-food alternatives to commercial kibble, interest in home-cooked and raw diets is growing rapidly. These diets promise cleaner ingredients, fewer additives, and a more “natural” feeding style—but they also come with serious nutritional and safety challenges 🔍🍽️.

Not all DIY diets are created equal. Without careful planning, you could unintentionally deprive your pet of essential nutrients—or expose your household to foodborne illness. That’s why every raw or cooked feeding plan should be guided by your veterinarian and ideally, a board-certified veterinary nutritionist 🩺📋.

🏡 Why Pet Owners Choose Home-Prepared Diets

Common motivations include:

• 🥩 Wanting to avoid artificial preservatives and fillers
• 🍗 Desire to mimic a “species-appropriate” ancestral diet
• 🧫 Allergy or sensitivity to specific commercial ingredients
• 💡 Belief that whole, fresh foods offer superior nutrition
• 🐕 Pet won’t eat commercial food or has medical conditions requiring a custom diet

While these reasons are valid, implementing them without expert support can lead to more harm than good. Let’s explore both diet types with their risks and benefits.

🥘 Home-Cooked Diets for Dogs and Cats

✅ Pros:

• 👨‍🍳 Control over ingredients and cooking methods
• 🌾 Easier to digest for some pets with allergies or IBD
• 🧂 Allows for precise dietary management in pets with chronic disease (e.g., kidney disease)

⚠️ Cons:

• ⚖️ Nutritional balance is difficult to achieve without a professional recipe
• ⏱️ Time-consuming to prepare, especially for large dogs
• 📉 Risk of under- or overdosing vitamins/minerals without guidance

Even the best-intentioned homemade meals can miss crucial nutrients like:

• 🐟 Omega-3 fatty acids
• 🦴 Calcium and phosphorus balance
• 💊 Zinc, Vitamin E, and B vitamins

That’s why partnering with a vet or using a balanced, vet-developed recipe is essential 💡.

🥩 Raw Diets (BARF or Prey-Model)

✅ Pros:

• 🦴 Mimics evolutionary feeding behaviors
• 😋 Palatability—most pets love the taste
• 🧪 High moisture content can help with hydration

⚠️ Cons:

• 🦠 Risk of bacterial contamination (Salmonella, E. coli)
• 📊 Nutrient imbalance, especially calcium/phosphorus ratios
• 🔪 Risk of fractured teeth or intestinal obstruction from bones
• 👶 Household safety risks, especially for immunocompromised humans

The CDC and AVMA caution against raw diets due to public health risks. While some raw proponents cite anecdotal success, scientific studies have shown widespread deficiencies or toxic excesses in unbalanced raw meal plans 🧪🚫.

📏 Building a Balanced Home Diet: Why a Nutritionist Matters

Unlike commercial foods, homemade diets are not required to meet AAFCO nutritional standards. That responsibility falls to you—and it’s no small task 🧠.

A veterinary nutritionist can design a complete and balanced recipe tailored to your pet’s age, weight, breed, and health status. They’ll also recommend safe supplements and ensure proper cooking or thawing procedures to avoid nutrient loss or illness 🔬.

Find a nutritionist through the American College of Veterinary Nutrition or ask your vet for a referral 🧑‍⚕️.

🔧 Tools for DIY Diet Planning

Helpful online services include:

• BalanceIt – Veterinary-designed meal planning tools
• PetDiets.com – Custom recipes and nutrition consults

Be cautious of blogs, forums, or “influencers” promoting raw or home-cooked feeding plans without credentials. Not all recipes on the internet are safe or balanced! 🛑

📋 Tips for Safe Home Feeding

• 🧊 Store raw meat separately from human food
• 🥩 Choose human-grade ingredients and trusted sources
• 🧽 Disinfect food prep surfaces, bowls, and utensils thoroughly
• 💊 Include all supplements recommended by your vet
• ⚖️ Feed appropriate portion sizes based on caloric needs

💡 Don’t forget: cooking meat changes its digestibility and nutrient profile. Always follow your vet’s preparation instructions.

🔬 Medical Conditions That May Require Custom Diets

Some health conditions benefit from home-prepared meals:

• 🩺 Kidney disease (low phosphorus, moderate protein)
• 🦴 Pancreatitis (low-fat recipes)
• 🧫 Food allergies (novel or hydrolyzed protein diets)
• 📉 Obesity (calorie-restricted but nutrient-rich meals)

In these cases, custom diets often outperform commercial options—if designed and monitored by a vet 👨‍⚕️.

📉 Risks of Improper DIY Feeding

Here’s what can go wrong with unbalanced homemade diets:

• 🥚 Protein deficiency → muscle loss, poor coat
• 🦴 Calcium imbalance → skeletal deformities or fractures
• 🧠 Vitamin D toxicity → kidney failure
• 📉 Zinc or iodine deficiency → hypothyroidism or skin disorders

Pets may appear healthy short-term but show signs of disease months later. Prevention is better than treatment 🔍💔.

📲 Ask A Vet for Diet Support

Thinking about a raw or cooked diet? Talk to the experts at AskAVet.com for real-time help with:

• 📋 Meal planning and recipe reviews
• 💊 Supplement advice and portion calculation
• 🧪 Safe ingredient substitutions
• 🥣 Transition plans and feeding schedules

📱 Download the Ask A Vet App and speak with a licensed vet like Dr Duncan Houston about your pet’s diet goals and nutritional needs—anytime, anywhere 🐾📲.

💚 Final Thoughts

Home-prepared diets can be healthy and rewarding, but they require knowledge, effort, and collaboration with veterinary professionals. If you're committed to fresh feeding, do it the right way: with balance, safety, and expert support 🩺🍽️.

Have questions or want help reviewing your current diet plan? Head over to AskAVet.com or open the Ask A Vet App now. We’re here to help you nourish your pet with confidence and care 🐶🐱❤️.