Is a raw food diet suitable for my 12-year-old 12lb senior dog?

I would recommend putting Motzart on a commercial senior diet. Some preferred brands are Royal Canin, Hills and Purina. I would not recommend a raw diet, especially at this age because Motzart will not be getting a balanced diet and will be at risk for diseases such as pancreatitis, bowel obstructions, and infectious diseases like salmonella and E. coli. If you are interested in home cooking a properly balanced diet for him I would recommend checking out the website balanceit.com. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! While this would be a good short term diet, this lacks some key nutrients, vitamins and minerals. For that reason, a more complete commercial diet such as any of the Purina Pro Plan or Science Diet foods would be more appropriate. Good luck!

Hello, Veterinarians generally do not recommend feeding raw diets. Raw diets are associated with serious food borne illness (food poisoning) and the nutritional imbalances are associated with heart and bone disease. I would not recommend feeding any raw meat or bones to any pet, at any time, due to risk of illness. If you would like to feed a home cooked diet, I would recommend using the website balance.it which is formulated by veterinary nutritionists at the University of California-Davis. This website can direct you on making a homemade diet that is safe and nutritionally complete for Molly. If you're looking to purchase any complete diet, I recommend feeding one that is formulated to AAFCO requirements for canine nutrition. These requirements are based off of evidence based canine nutritional studies and the diets are regularly tested to ensure they are meeting every essential dietary need. Most popular brands are formulated like this- Purina, Iams, Royal Canin, Hill's, for example. I hope this is helpful! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I do not recommend a raw diet for Spoty. These diets are not balanced appropriately for domesticated dogs and can carry bacteria (salmonella) can cause diarrhea and sometimes death. This bacteria is also contagious to humans. I recommend diets made my quality pet food companies. In the US, I like Hills/Science Diet, Royal Canin, Purina, and Iams. These diets are made by veterinary nutritionists and tested for safety for decades. Dogs typically don’t get bored with the same diet like humans do. If they aren’t offered anything different they won’t know there is something better. If you wanted to add something more I would get the canned food that matches the dry food you pick and add that to his food. Watch how much you feed so you don’t give him too many calories. Good luck and kisses to Spoty!

Good question and kiddos for the dedication to providing your pet with daily fresh food that is balanced in nutrition with no preservatives. This is truly a commitment on an owners part. Here are 2 websites that provide free well balanced recipes for your pet. They even have formulas that will address certain illnesses in dogs and cats. I hope this proves helpful for you and best of luck with your pets health. https://secure.balanceit.com/  https://www.petdiets.com/ 

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It is to some extent a matter of opinion. However, it is well known the possible risks of eating raw meat just like it is possible health risk to a human for the same exact reasons like the development of an infection from ingesting raw protein. Also, it does not offer any benefit over cooked food. I personally do not recommend raw diets. Good luck!

This is a great question! It is possible to cook balanced meals for Phoebe, but it does take a little work. Please visit balanceit.com and https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control for information on balanced diets for dogs and what is safe for them to eat. Raw diets are not recommended by the AVMA due to the risk of transmission of food borne diseases to both pets and humans. Please see the following link for more information about this https://www.avma.org/KB/Policies/Pages/Raw-or-Undercooked-Animal-Source-Protein-in-Cat-and-Dog-Diets.aspx.