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Are there benefits to raw diets for dogs? The tainted pet food debacle at least led many people to think more carefully about their choices in dog food. For many, this meant learning to read labels and switching to better kibbles. Some people cook for their dogs. Many more people have switched to raw feeding, also known as BARF or Bones And Raw Food. It's what I feed, and it is not necessarily complicated or expensive.

History of raw feeding
Dogs are carnivores descended from wolves. Therefore feeding dogs raw meat and bones is about as old as time. Until kibble became widely available in the mid-20th century, dog experts and kennel owners recommended raw meat as part of dogs' daily rations. I have a collection of vintage dog books from the late 1800s to the 1970s, and all say to feed meat daily. In 1993 Dr. Ian Billinghurst, an Australian vet, coined the term "BARF" in his book Give Your Dog A Bone, outlining the basics of a raw diet for dogs. The concept made sense to many people. Those who switched diets often found a cessation or lessening in many chronic health problems. Dogs were reported to have much-improved condition and word got out, mostly via the Internet.

The last decade has seen a sea change in commercial dog food, from reputable manufacturers making grain-free kibbles to many excellent companies producing raw-food diets. The 2006 Best In Show winner of the Westminster Dog Show was a raw-fed dog. It's become quite common and is no longer seen as a fad diet.