13/11/2025
The review examines the growing trend in the UK (and other developed countries) of feeding pet dogs and cats raw meat and animal by-products (raw meat-based diets, RMBDs), whether home-prepared or commercial. 
• It notes that the rationale often draws on “natural” or “wild ancestor” logic, but points out the biology and lifestyles of domestic pets differ significantly from wild canids/felids, so comparisons are limited. 
• On the claimed benefits of raw feeding (better dental/coat health, improved digestibility, improved stool quality, behavioural improvements), the evidence is weak: aside from some subjective reports of stool quality, there is no robust, high-quality data to support many of these claims. 
• The article highlights significant risks associated with raw feeding:
• Malnutrition: especially if diets are home-formulated without proper nutritional balance or testing. 
• Infection/zoonotic risk: Raw pet foods (especially commercial frozen ones) have been found to contain pathogens such as Salmonella, Escherichia coli (including shiga-toxin producing types), Listeria monocytogenes, parasites like Toxoplasma gondii, and others. 
• Antimicrobial-resistant bacteria: The authors note that raw-fed pets have an elevated risk of shedding antimicrobial-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (e.g., ESBL-producing E. coli) since raw diets commonly exceed hygiene thresholds. 
• The authors conclude that given the available evidence, professional veterinary bodies’ caution against raw feeding is justified — especially in households with vulnerable individuals (young children, elderly, immunocompromised). 
• They also note that if raw feeding is to be undertaken, strict sourcing, hygiene, handling, testing and supervision are necessary — but many of these safeguards may not be in place. 
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Recommended Full-Article Links
Here are direct links to full versions of the paper:
• PMC (free full text) – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6849757/ 
• Wiley Online Library version – https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jsap.13000 
• University of Surrey open access repository – https://openresearch.surrey.ac.uk/esploro/outputs/journalArticle/Raw-diets-for-dogs-and-cats/99516393202346 
