A Practical Guide to Natural Dog Food

Fresh or minimally processed ingredients can be part of a dog’s diet, but the most important goal is a complete and balanced nutritional plan appropriate for the dog’s age, size, activity level and health. Homemade or raw diets can be difficult to balance correctly, so major diet changes should be planned with a veterinarian or qualified veterinary nutrition professional.

Meet Our Canine Nutrition Contributor

Meet Estefanía Amezquita

Estefanía Amezquita

Certified Canine Nutritionist

Estefanía focuses on canine nutrition and individualized feeding approaches. Her contributions are intended to help dog owners better understand ingredients, nutritional balance and practical feeding considerations.

More tips and educational content from Estefanía will be added here soon.

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BARF vs. Cooked or Mixed Fresh-Food Diets for Dogs

BARF-style diets use raw animal ingredients and other foods, while broader fresh-food or homemade diets may include cooked ingredients. Both approaches require careful nutritional formulation. Raw animal products can carry pathogens that may affect dogs and people in the household, and bones can create dental or gastrointestinal risks. Cooking can reduce many microbial risks, but a cooked homemade diet can still be nutritionally incomplete if it is not properly formulated. If you are considering either approach, work with a veterinarian or qualified veterinary nutrition professional to create a complete and balanced plan.

Cooked / Mixed Fresh-Food Diet

BARF / Raw Diet

Preparation

May include cooked meat, vegetables and other ingredients in a professionally formulated recipe

Uses raw animal ingredients and other foods; requires careful hygiene and nutritional formulation

Pathogen risk

Cooking reduces many foodborne microbial risks when food is handled properly

Higher foodborne pathogen exposure risk from raw animal products

Bones

Cooked bones should not be fed; bones can cause dental or gastrointestinal injury

Raw bones are sometimes included in BARF plans but still carry dental, choking and gastrointestinal risks

Digestibility

Cooking changes texture and digestibility; tolerance varies by dog and recipe

Tolerance varies; raw feeding is not automatically easier to digest for every dog

Nutritional balance

Can be complete and balanced when professionally formulated; cooking losses must be accounted for

Can also be nutritionally incomplete without professional formulation; raw ingredients do not guarantee balance

Flexibility

Recipes can be adapted to individual needs under professional guidance

Requires careful ingredient selection, hygiene and planning

Main considerations

Lower raw-meat pathogen exposure when ingredients are cooked; still requires nutritional balance

Requires strict food hygiene and professional nutritional formulation; raw feeding has specific microbial risks

Suitability

Depends on the individual dog and how the diet is formulated

Should be discussed with a veterinarian, especially for puppies, seniors or dogs with medical conditions

Supplements

May be required depending on the professionally formulated recipe

May be required depending on the professionally formulated recipe

Handling

Cooked food still requires safe refrigeration, storage and preparation

Requires strict cold-chain storage, sanitation and cross-contamination precautions

Nutrition Changes Across Your Dog’s Life Stages

Dogs’ nutritional needs change with growth, adulthood, activity level and aging. Whether you feed a commercial or home-prepared diet, choose a complete and balanced plan appropriate for the dog’s life stage. Home-prepared diets should be formulated with professional guidance.

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Puppy Food

Complete Nutrition for Growth

Puppies need a complete and balanced growth diet with appropriate energy, protein, essential fatty acids, vitamins and minerals. Large-breed puppies have specific calcium and energy requirements, so homemade puppy diets should be formulated by a veterinary nutrition professional rather than improvised from individual ingredients.

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Adult Dog Food

Nutrition for Adult Dogs

Adult dogs need a complete diet matched to their body condition and activity level. Energy intake should be adjusted to help maintain an appropriate weight, while the overall recipe must provide the required protein, fats, vitamins and minerals in the correct proportions.

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Senior Dog Food

Nutrition for Older Dogs

Senior dogs may need adjustments based on body condition, activity, dental health and medical needs. There is no single ideal senior diet for every dog. A veterinarian can help determine whether calorie, protein, fiber, fat or other nutrient changes are appropriate for the individual dog.