Plant-Based vs. Raw Dog Food: What the Science Says

By Caroline Buck, Co-founder of Petaluma

With veterinary nutrition insights from Dr. Sarah Dodd, BVSc, PhD, DECVCN, and Dr. Blake Hawley, DVM

Raw and plant-based feeding are often mentioned in the same breath as the two big alternatives to conventional kibble, yet they sit at opposite ends of the spectrum. One is built entirely on uncooked animal protein; the other removes animal protein altogether. Pet parents weighing plant-based vs raw dog food deserve a clear, science-backed comparison rather than a slogan. This is Petaluma's take, and we make plant-based food, so we will show our work: what the peer-reviewed evidence says about safety, nutritional balance, and health outcomes for each approach.

The two approaches, briefly

A raw meat-based diet feeds uncooked muscle meat, organs, and sometimes ground bone, either commercially prepared or made at home. The appeal is an "ancestral," minimally processed bowl. A plant-based diet replaces animal protein with a formulated blend of plant proteins, fats, vitamins, and minerals designed to meet a dog's nutrient requirements. Both aim to do better than a bag of extruded kibble, and both ask the same underlying question: does this diet deliver complete nutrition safely?

The key idea, as Petaluma's veterinary team puts it, is that dogs have nutrient requirements, not ingredient requirements. What matters is whether the nutrients are present, balanced, and safe to serve, not whether they arrived raw, cooked, plant, or animal.

Head-to-head: what the science says

On food safety, the evidence is consistent. An FDA study of 196 raw pet food samples found 15 positive for Salmonella and 32 positive for Listeria monocytogenes, and the agency's guidance warns that raw diets can be dangerous to both pets and the people who handle them (FDA). A 2013 review in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association reached the same conclusion, documenting substantial contamination of raw products and reports of bacteria spreading through pet feces into the home (Freeman et al., 2013).

On nutritional balance, the concern is best documented for homemade and unsupplemented raw diets, but it is not limited to them. A 2022 assessment of commercial raw pet foods found that many were nutritionally unbalanced, with some deficient in essential nutrients and very high in fat (Vecchiato et al., 2022). Homemade raw diets carry the highest risk, since small changes in ingredients or proportions can tip the balance. For plant-based diets, the safety evidence points the other way: a 2024 year-long study found dogs on a commercial plant-based diet maintained normal clinical, nutritional, and blood-health markers throughout (Linde et al., 2024), and a large 2022 study reported fewer owner-reported health problems in dogs on nutritionally sound plant-based diets than on conventional meat diets (Knight et al., 2022).

The case for raw, fairly stated

Raw feeding has a devoted following. Advocates value a minimally processed diet with recognizable whole ingredients, and many report improvements in coat shine, energy, stool, and dental cleanliness after switching. Some dogs with sensitivities to specific cooked or highly processed foods do seem to do better on a simpler ingredient list. A carefully formulated, complete raw diet, prepared with attention to nutrient balance and food safety, is a real thing that some owners manage well.

The honest caveat is that most of these reported benefits come from owner observation rather than long-term controlled studies, and the food-safety and balance risks above do not disappear with enthusiasm. The upside is real for some households; the responsibility it demands is also real.

The case for plant-based

Long-term health is what matters most for your dog, and a properly formulated plant-based diet delivers it without the pathogen load of raw meat. Because the most common canine food allergens are animal proteins, a plant-based recipe also removes the usual triggers, which is why Petaluma's formulators recommend it as a long-term option for many dogs with food sensitivities. On digestibility, an independent university lab measured Petaluma's protein digestibility at 93%, above the lab's average for animal protein in dry dog food.

There is a sustainability dimension too. Dogs fed Petaluma have roughly a 75% smaller environmental footprint than those on conventional meat-based food, a meaningful difference given how much of a pet's impact comes from diet. For a deeper look at the research, see our review of whether dogs can thrive on plant-based diets and the full vet Q&A with our formulators.

The bottom line

Both approaches can be done thoughtfully, but they are not equal on risk. Raw diets ask you to manage pathogen exposure and nutritional balance yourself, with benefits that are mostly owner-reported. A complete plant-based diet arrives balanced, carries no raw-meat pathogen risk, has peer-reviewed safety data, and treads more lightly on the planet. For most healthy adult and senior dogs, that makes plant-based the lower-risk choice. As always, dogs with diagnosed conditions or specific therapeutic needs should change diets in consultation with a veterinarian. Not sure where to start? Our plant-based dog food buyer's guide compares the options.

Frequently asked questions

Is plant-based or raw dog food safer?

A properly formulated plant-based diet presents a much lower-risk option for most healthy dogs. Raw meat diets carry documented Salmonella and Listeria risks to pets and people, and homemade versions often become nutritionally unbalanced. Plant-based diets are cooked, formulated to AAFCO profiles, and supported by peer-reviewed safety studies.

Is raw dog food bad for dogs?

Raw food is not automatically harmful, but it carries higher risks. The FDA found harmful bacteria in raw pet food samples and cautions against these diets, and assessments have found many raw diets to be nutritionally unbalanced. Owners who choose raw need strict food-safety and formulation discipline to reduce those risks.

Do dogs get better nutrition from raw meat?

Not inherently. Dogs need specific nutrients, not raw meat specifically, and those nutrients can be supplied by a well-formulated plant-based or cooked diet. Independent testing has measured Petaluma's protein digestibility at 93%, higher than the average for animal protein in dry dog food.

Can a plant-based diet replace raw for an active dog?

Yes, for healthy adult dogs, including active ones, provided the diet meets AAFCO adult maintenance profiles. Petaluma is formulated for healthy adult and senior dogs. Dogs with diagnosed conditions or special performance needs should transition under veterinary guidance.

Is plant-based dog food more sustainable than raw?

Yes. Animal protein drives most of a pet diet's environmental footprint, so raw meat diets sit at the high end. Dogs fed Petaluma have roughly a 75% smaller environmental footprint than those on conventional meat-based food.

References

1. U.S. Food & Drug Administration. Get the Facts! Raw Pet Food Diets can be Dangerous to You and Your Pet. fda.gov
2. Freeman LM, Chandler ML, Hamper BA, Weeth LP. Current knowledge about the risks and benefits of raw meat-based diets for dogs and cats. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2013;243(11):1549-1558. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
3. Vecchiato CG, Schwaiger K, Biagi G, Dobenecker B. From Nutritional Adequacy to Hygiene Quality: A Detailed Assessment of Commercial Raw Pet-Food for Dogs and Cats. Animals. 2022;12(18):2395. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
4. Linde A, Lahiff M, Krantz A, Sharp N, Ng TT, Melgarejo T. Domestic dogs maintain clinical, nutritional, and hematological health outcomes when fed a commercial plant-based diet for a year. PLOS ONE. 2024;19(4):e0298942. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
5. Knight A, Huang E, Rai N, Brown H. Vegan versus meat-based dog food: Guardian-reported indicators of health. PLOS ONE. 2022;17(4):e0265662. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov