Natural Diets for Dogs 2025: Vet’s Guide to Raw, Cooked & Balanced Feeding 🐶✨

By Dr. Duncan Houston BVSc

Feeding your dog naturally doesn’t mean choosing extremes. As a vet, I believe in balanced, safe, and flexible nutrition—whether it’s raw, cooked, kibble, or a mix.

I’m Dr. Duncan Houston, veterinarian and founder of Ask A Vet. Here’s my practical approach to natural dog food that supports health, safety, and real life (yes, including treats from the table).

🌱 What Is a “Natural Diet” for Dogs?

• Minimally processed, whole-food ingredients
• Often includes raw or lightly cooked meats, vegetables, and healthy fats
• Avoids artificial preservatives, fillers, and heavy carbohydrate loads

Natural doesn’t have to mean raw. Cooked diets—especially gently prepared at home—can be just as beneficial.

✅ Dr. Houston’s 5 Feeding Principles

1. Balance over time, not in every bowl.
2. Whole foods first, but smart supplements when needed.
3. Growth-stage pets need strict balance—adults have more flexibility.
4. Pregnancy and lactation = nutritional priority zone.
5. Treats happen. Plan with that in mind, not guilt.

🍳 Cooked vs Raw – What I Recommend

Cooked Diets

• Gentle cooking retains nutrients and reduces bacterial risk
• Great for home feeders—easier to digest and safer for households with kids
• Still needs vitamin/mineral support if fed long term

Raw Diets

• Only if commercially prepared and tested
• DIY raw poses risks unless formulated by a vet nutritionist
• Never feed raw to puppies, pregnant dogs, or immunocompromised households

🐾 Feeding Puppies & Pregnant Dogs

• Growing dogs and lactating mothers need precisely balanced nutrition
• I recommend feeding a complete and balanced growth-stage or performance food
• Supplements alone can’t fix poor base nutrition at this stage

🥩 My Natural Diet Formula for Adult Dogs

Co-feeding gives flexibility, enrichment, and nutritional diversity:

• ✔ 50–80% complete commercial food (raw, cooked, or premium kibble)
• ✔ 20–50% home-cooked additions: lean meats, organ meats, eggs, sardines, veggies
• ✔ Treats and chews (ideally real foods, not ultra-processed)

This style of feeding allows variation, enjoyment, and health—without obsessing over perfection.

🛡️ What to Watch Out For

• Home diets that lack calcium, zinc, vitamin E, or omega-3s
• Overfeeding liver or bone without balance
• Excess fat from table scraps causing pancreatitis

🧠 Pro Tip: Monitor Stool and Energy

• Well-fed dogs should have small, firm stools and steady energy
• Loose stool, flaky skin, or lethargy? Time to review the balance

🔗 Tools from Ask A Vet

• Ask A Vet – Upload your dog’s current meals and get a vet-approved co-feeding plan

📋 Summary Excerpt

A natural diet can include raw or cooked food, kibble, and homemade additions—as long as it’s safe and nutritionally sound. A vet explains how to feed your dog naturally, realistically, and responsibly.

❓ FAQs

• Q: Is it okay to mix kibble and fresh food?
  A: Absolutely. Co-feeding is one of the best ways to boost nutrition without imbalance.
• Q: Do adult dogs need “balanced” food every day?
  A: Not every day. As long as nutrition is balanced over time, adult dogs can thrive on variety.
• Q: What’s better: cooked or raw?
  A: Both can work—cooked is safer for home prep, raw is fine when commercial and complete. Avoid homemade raw unless formulated by a vet nutritionist.