Can You Cook Raw Dog Food?

Raw feeding is about giving dogs food in its most natural, biologically appropriate form. Unlike highly processed kibbles and tinned pet foods, raw dog food is minimally processed, meaning it reaches your dog’s bowl much closer to its natural state. This gentle approach preserves more of the nutrients, enzymes, and natural moisture that are lost during heavy processing.

Raw diets are built to reflect what dogs are biologically designed to eat, providing them with the fuel they need to thrive, from shiny coats and healthy teeth to steady energy and improved digestion.

While raw feeding keeps food as nature intended, cooking changes it dramatically. Heat alters proteins [1] and destroys delicate nutrients such as enzymes, antioxidants, and vitamins.

It also affects bone safety. Balanced raw dog food recipes contain around 10% bone. Raw bones are soft and digestible, but once cooked, they become brittle and prone to splintering, which can cause painful or dangerous injuries.

This is why raw dog food is best served exactly as it is; uncooked, complete, and naturally nourishing.

It’s a question many owners ask, especially when first exploring a raw dog food diet: wouldn’t it be safer to just cook it? While the instinct to cook food feels natural to us, dogs are very different, and heating raw meals can create more problems than it solves. Here’s why:

• Nutrient Loss – Cooking breaks down many of the vital vitamins, enzymes, and amino acids that make raw food so beneficial. Dogs thrive on these natural nutrients, which are most potent in their uncooked state.
• Bones Become Unsafe – In their raw form, bones are soft, digestible, and safe for dogs to chew. Once cooked, however, they harden, become brittle, and can splinter  making them much harder to digest, and at worse, creating a serious risk of choking or internal injury.
• Moisture Loss – Cooking removes much of the natural hydration found in fresh meat. Dogs are naturally designed to thrive on moisture-rich foods, which support efficient digestion, kidney health, and overall hydration.

It might feel tempting to take the chill off raw dog food by popping it in the microwave, but this is something we don’t recommend. Microwaving raw food doesn’t just “warm it up”, it begins the cooking process.

Even short bursts of heat can alter the carefully balanced ratios of meat, bone, and organ in the meal. Bones can become brittle and unsafe once exposed to heat, even briefly.

If your dog prefers food closer to room temperature, the safest method is simply to let it defrost fully and stand at room temperature for a short while before serving. This way, the food stays raw, balanced, and safe, exactly as intended.

I have lost count of the times I have been asked “is raw dog food safe” It’s only natural to worry about bacteria in raw dog food, but it’s important to remember that dogs are biologically equipped to cope with it far better than humans. Their short digestive tracts [2], highly acidic stomachs [3], and strong enzyme activity are designed to process raw food quickly, limiting the chance for harmful bacteria to take hold.

Just as with preparing raw meat for our own meals, safe handling and good hygiene, washing hands, cleaning bowls, and storing food correctly, are the key to keeping risks low. High-quality raw dog food, as produced by reputable suppliers like ProDog, also follows strict safety standards to ensure it is safe and nutritionally balanced.

That said, there are situations where lightly cooking raw food might be recommended, such as:

• Transitioning a fussy eater – Gently searing the outside can help dogs accept raw food before moving fully raw. Flash-frying for a few seconds releases some of the natural smells, making it more attractive to your dog if they are a fussy eater.
• Specific medical advice – In some cases, a vet may advise partial cooking for dogs with sensitive stomachs or compromised immune systems. However, raw food containing bone content should NOT be cooked. You can add boneless cooked meat, to the raw, though. It’s not uncommon for a vet to recommend cooked chicken breast for example after an illness or operation, while recovering.

If you do need to cook, it should only be a very light sear. NEVER fully cooked, and bones should always be removed.

Another concern that new raw feeders have is what to do when travelling. The good news is that raw feeding doesn’t have to stop when you go away. If you’re heading off for a long weekend, you can simply pack enough frozen meals to take with you. Once defrosting begins, ProDog Raw will stay fresh for up to four days in the fridge.

Heading off on a longer trip? Use our store locator to find ProDog Raw stockists all over the UK, so you can easily top up on the go. Or, if your destination falls within our UK delivery zones, have your order sent straight to your holiday accommodation.

We also offer more suggestions on how to feed your dog when travelling.

Ultimately, dogs are biologically built to eat raw. Their bodies are designed to absorb and utilise nutrients from minimally processed, natural ingredients far more efficiently than from processed foods; resulting in shinier coats, cleaner teeth, healthier digestion, and more balanced energy.

Cooking, however, reduces the availability of key heat-sensitive nutrients. So, while lightly cooked fresh food is still far better than processed diets, some of raw feeding’s biggest benefits may be diminished.

So, can you cook raw dog food?

Short answer: not if it contains bone, and not if you want your dog to get the full nutritional advantage. You can lightly sear boneless meals if absolutely needed, but for optimal results, feed it raw. That’s how your dog gets the most from every bite.

Our expert nutrition team is on hand to help you tailor their meals with confidence. Simply get in touch to book a free nutritional consultation.

Alternatively, if you’re new to raw feeding our Raw Dog Food for Beginners guide is a great place to start.