Have you ever wondered what the big deal is about this so called species-appropriate diet, and what the benefits of raw dog food actually are?
In preparation for this blog post, I did a little digging around the raw feeding scene to see what people had to say about their pups after they switched them from kibble to raw.
Spoiler alert – as a long-time raw feeder, I’ve seen them ALL – from a strengthened immune system to clean dog teeth and a drastic decrease in dog allergies.
Now, these are the most common phrases they used:
- Whiter teeth
- Less allergies
- Better energy level
- Improved joint health
- Dogs have silkier fur
- Solid, odorless stools
- Less health problems
- Pumped about eating
- Dogs can’t wait to eat
- Fur stays shiny and soft
- Dogs are lean and muscular
- No more scratching or itching
So as this list suggests, there’s a ton of benefits.
My Own Experience as a Raw Feeder since 2015
I’ve been feeding raw dog food since 2015, began making my own in 2016, and got my certification as a raw dog food nutrition specialist from Dogs Naturally Magazine in early 2020. In 2024, I began working for a German raw dog food brand called BARFER’S, and in 2026 I’m finally going to school for becoming a certified raw dog (and cat) food nutritionist.
That said, I know a thing or two about raw meals and have personally witnessed the power of raw dog food in my own 4 dogs: 2 Boxer mixes, 1 Feist mix and 1 Labrador.
My first 3 pups were kibble-fed for a considerable time before I started them on raw. My Lab puppy was kibble-fed for only one month before she came home with me.
With Missy & Buzz, my Boxer mixes, I didn’t know any better when I adopted them at 8 weeks of age, and fed them kibble and wet dog food for the first 3.5 years of their lives.
That’s when Missy was diagnosed with cancer, I found out about raw dog food and made the switch from kibble to raw using Dr. Harvey’s Veg-to-Bowl.
When I adopted my pup Wally, he was a little over 1 year old and had been fed kibble.
I immediately switched him over to raw dog food because he was an itchy mess.
When I picked up my Labrador puppy Pepper from her breeder at 3 months of age, I immediately started her on raw dog food.
The Benefits of Raw Dog Food in my 4 Dogs Missy, Buzz, Wally and Pepper
Improved Appetite
The vast majority of dogs will LOVE and eagerly devour their raw dog food! This was definitely the case with my 4 pups.
No surprise with Missy and Wally because they’re both secretly Labs at heart, and Pepper IS a Lab, so yeah.
As in they’ll devour ANYTHING that makes it into their bowls, regardless of whether it’s kibble, wet, or raw dog food.
Buzz however was a different story. He was always my SUPER picky eater back when I fed him kibble.
I constantly had to figure out ways to get him to eat and switch brands as well as flavors within the brands.
But once I offered him raw dog food, this changed.
All of a sudden, he couldn’t get to his meals fast enough and he’s NEVER turned down a raw meal.
My point here is that unless dogs are truly kibble addicts, they will love eating their raw dog food!
Related Reading: Your Dog Doesn’t Want to Eat his Raw Dog Food? Try These Easy Hacks.
Less Vet Bills
At one point, I took Dr. Dee Blanco’s, DVM, “Feeding Fresh Course (Part 1): How to Feed Your Pet Real Food”.
She’s a holistic veterinarian who is a passionate advocate of feeding fresh, raw dog (& cat) food.
I really enjoyed a phrase she used to describe one of the major benefits of feeding raw dog food, the fact that you’ll be paying MUCH less in vet bills.
She said: “Pay the grocer or pay the doctor“.
I couldn’t agree more!
Since I started feeding my pups raw, I’ve spent a lot less money AND time at the vet’s because the pups are healthy overall.
Soft, Shiny Dog Coats
I first experienced the difference in coats with my Boxer mixes Missy and Buzz.
I always thought that they had nice looking coats when they ate kibble and made sure to brush them almost daily.
It wasn’t until I started feeding them fresh, raw dog food that I saw what a healthy dog coat actually looks and feels like. It’s shinier and feels a lot fuller.
Their previous coats looked dull and felt thin in comparison.
You Know That Typical Dog Smell? Gone!
The benefit of switching from kibble to raw that surprises people the most is the lack of dog smell.
That includes me!
I worked as a professional dog walker and pet sitter from 2012-2020, and worked with hundreds of dogs.
It got me every time I walked into a client’s home whose dogs were kibble-fed, and I got hit by that typical dog smell.
Or what we generally consider to be normal dog smell!
Why Do Raw-Fed Dogs Not Smell?
Well, turns out that dogs have no stinky body odor or breath about them when they eat fresh, raw dog food.
It’s also less present when they eat cooked, homemade dog food.
Why is that?
Because kibble is typically made with rancid meats that cause said smell, and raw dog food isn’t.
Pretty gross when you think about it, right?!
Case Study: My Home on Air BnB
I remember this one instance when I had listed my home on Air BnB.
One of my guests asked me how I managed to keep the dog smell out of my house although I had two large pups.
She was super surprised AND interested to learn about raw dog food in general, and the particular side effect of no dog smell.
She didn’t have any dogs, but she did have two guinea pigs who also stayed at my place.
Obviously the guineas didn’t eat meat but they got a bunch of fresh veggies and fruit every single day, along with hay and guinea pellets!
So the concept of feeding fresh food made complete sense to her.
Fun fact: This guest stayed at my place because she was waiting to close on her new house not far from me, and ended up becoming a pet sitting client.
I watched her guineas Lady and Ruby a few times and got to veggie- and fruit- prep for them.
Strengthened Doggie Immune Systems
This was particularly noticeable in my cancer patient Missy.
Like I mentioned earlier, Missy’s cancer diagnosis was the main reason why I started looking into raw dog food.
I figured that it couldn’t possibly get any worse than cancer, so I might as well just give it a try.
That’s exactly what I did after her tumor had been surgically removed by her oncologist at the VSH in Cary, NC in early 2015.
It was this same oncologist who told us that her cancer would probably come back within the next 6 months or so.
Well, it didn’t come back for another 3 years, and I’m certain that her new raw diet contributed tremendously to this achievement.
Missy was always full of energy and ready to go on the many adventures we still had together until cancer eventually came back and took her from me in April 2018.
**RIP puppy girl, Mommy loves you.**
Clean Dog Teeth
Missy always had fairly clean teeth, even back in her kibble eating days.
Her brother Buzz however had some plaque build-up that required an expensive dental cleaning at our vet’s.
That cleaning was shortly before Missy’s cancer surgery, and guess what, he never needed another one once he was on raw dog food.
No more dog teeth brushing required!!
That’s because raw meaty bones are an integral part of a balanced raw diet.
They’re known as Mother Nature’s toothbrush because the act of chewing on them naturally keeps dog teeth clean.
By the way, all of the pups’ favorite raw meaty bones were/are duck heads!
Fresher Dog Breath
Just like there’s no more stinky dog smell when dogs eat raw dog food, they also won’t have bad breath.
You know that smelly dog breath I’m talking about, right? The kind that makes you say “pup, I love you, but please don’t give me any kisses”.
Well, raw-fed dogs have wonderful, fresh doggie breath that’s not repulsive at all! That’s because they don’t have any plaque build-up on their teeth.
Clean Dog Ears/Less Ear Infections
Just like everything else on raw-fed dogs, their ears are clean.
Kibble-fed dogs often have dirty ears in combination with an angry/inflamed looking red color on the interior.
I remember that Buzz had ear infections several times per year when he was on a kibble diet.
That meant schlepping him to the vet to pay for his expensive ear washing medicine which he HATED. I can’t blame the poor pup.
Raw dog food put a sudden end to his ear infections! He never had another one.
Improved Digestion
A dog’s digestive system is designed to process raw meat.
You’ll see proof of this in his much smaller, less offensive smelling poop when your dog eats raw dog food.
That’s because his body can use and absorb more nutrients in a raw diet than it can on a kibble or canned dog food diet.
Reduced Dog Allergies
This is one of the main reasons people switch their pups from kibble to raw. Dogs who suffer from allergies have itchy bodies, including itchy feet and skin that ultimately cause hot spots.
Dogs who eat raw dog food are bothered considerably less by allergies, and most of the time they’re completely cured.
When I adopted Wally, he was constantly scratching his body and licking his legs and feet.
Once I switched him to raw meat, this changed tremendously. I still had to iron out a few ingredient details that caused him some inflammation, and I did this with an elimination diet.
Then once I knew what he did poorly on, he simply didn’t get to eat it anymore. One example of this was chicken and another was quail.
Now here’s the amazing turnaround – 5 years later, he’s back to eating the proteins that made him itchy before! Without itching or having any other side effects.
Bottom Line
After more than a decade of raw feeding, one thing has become very clear to me: the benefits of raw dog food aren’t just theoretical—they show up in everyday life with your dog.
You see it in their energy, their appetite, their coat, their teeth, and even in the absence of things like constant itching, bad breath, or recurring ear infections.
And while every dog is different, many raw feeders report the same pattern I’ve seen in my own dogs: fewer chronic issues and overall better vitality.
Does switching to raw dog food magically fix everything? Of course not. Diet is only one piece of the puzzle, alongside genetics, environment, and overall care.
But feeding fresh, species-appropriate food is one of the most powerful things you can control as a dog owner.
For me, the difference between kibble-fed dogs and raw-fed dogs has been impossible to ignore—and that’s why I’ve continued feeding raw since 2015.
If you’re curious about getting started, the next step is learning how to build balanced raw meals and how to transition your dog safely.
→ Start here: How to Make Raw Dog Food at Home
Related Content
- How to make raw dog food at home
- How to keep raw dog food affordable
- How to talk to your anti raw vet about raw dog food
Barbara Rivers is the founder of K9sOverCoffee and a raw feeding educator with over a decade of hands-on experience.
She has fed raw in the US and Europe since 2015, after her Boxer mix Missy’s cancer diagnosis led her to move away from processed kibble and commit to species-appropriate nutrition.
As a former professional dog walker, she developed deep insight into canine behavior, conditioning, and the essential link between proper exercise and long-term health.
Barbara completed online training with veterinarian Dr. Marion Smart and Labrador breeder Dana Scott and works for one of Germany’s leading raw dog food brands, BARFER’S.
In 2026–2027, she is completing a year-long raw nutrition certification for dogs and cats at THP School, founded by raw feeding pioneer Swanie Simon.
Through her blog and weekly newsletter, she provides clear, experience-based guidance to help dog owners feed raw safely and confidently.