RAW FEEDING 101

Shinier Coats. Softer Fur. Visibly Healthier Skin.

If your dog's coat has gone dull, dry, flaky, or greasy, that's a diagnostic. It's your dog telling you something isn't working. Dogs on a raw diet tend to have soft, shiny, thick coats, usually within the first month or two. The difference is visible, and it's usually the first thing friends and family notice.

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Your Top Questions Answered About Feeding an Appropriate Raw Diet

If you have a dog that has itchy skin, dull coat, stinky breath, farty, burpy or excess shedding it may be time to stop feeding kibble and feed a real raw diet! Listen to our library of podcast where we answer the questions everyone considering a raw diet wants to know!

Why Kibble-Fed Dogs Have Dull, Dry, or Greasy Coats

The skin is the largest organ in your dog's body. It's also the first one to show what's happening on the inside. Dull fur, dandruff, hot spots, and greasy coats are almost always a wrong food problem not an allergy or grooming problem.

Kibble is made with high carbs and high heat, which destroys the nutritional value including the fats, enzymes, and amino acids that build healthy skin and fur. What's left is replaced with synthetic nutrients and hard to digest ingredients. Grain and high inappropriate starch fillers feed the yeast that drives greasy, smelly coats. And most kibble is missing the omega-3 and omega-6 balance a dog's skin actually needs.

A customer lying on the floor hugging her dog

What Raw Feeding Actually Does

Raw feeding rebuilds the coat from three directions at once. 

  1. Whole, undamaged fats

    Skin and fur are built from raw animal fat. Raw diets deliver whole, unprocessed animal fats with their nutritional structure intact. Cooking and extrusion damage those fats many times causing them to go rancid. Raw keeps them in their orginal usable form.

  2. The right omega balance

    Wild-caught fish, grass-fed beef, and pastured poultry deliver omega-3 and omega-6 in ratios closer to what your dog's biology expects. Most kibble is 45-65% carb and sugar driving inflamation.

  3. Cleaner gut, better absorption

    A lot of coat problems aren't really coat problems. They're absorption problems. When the gut isn't inflamed by grain, starch, and synthetics, your dog actually absorbs the nutrients their skin needs.

What to Expect, and When

Coat changes happen in stages. Here's what most families see.

  • Weeks 1–3 

    Shedding and detox

    Many dogs shed more at first as damaged hair cycles out. Skin may look worse before it looks better. This is normal.

  • Weeks 4–8

    New coat comes in

    Fresh, healthy fur grows in. You'll notice softness first, then shine. Dandruff and flakes usually clear in this window.

  • Months 3–6

    Full coat turnover

    By the time a full coat cycle completes, the difference is dramatic. Thicker, softer, shinier. Hot spots and recurring rashes often stay gone.

“Both of our pups have been eating Raw Dog Food and Company's blends since they were puppies. Coats, teeth, skin and energy are fantastic. They love their raw food, bones and treats. We love that we can trust Raw Dog Food and Company with our pets health. ”

Kristen K.Verified Customer

A customer lying on the floor hugging her dog

What to Add to the Diet for a Healthier Coat

If coat and skin are your priority, these categories add a powerful punch.
Wild-Caught Fish and Fish Blends 
Sardines, salmon, and fish-forward supplements add the omega-3 your dog's skin is almost certainly missing. Most dramatic coat change comes from adding fish.
Shop Fish and Fish Blends
Complete Raw Meals
Our core ground blends provide the clean protein and whole-food fats that build healthy skin from the inside. Rotate proteins for variety.
Shop Raw Meals

Keep Reading

  • Fewer Allergies and Digestive Issues 

    Itchy skin and coat issues often 
share a root cause.

    Read More
  • Improved Pet Odor 

    The other side of the coat-health story. Why raw-fed dogs don't smell. 

    Read More
  • Raw Feeding Calculator

    Figure out exactly how much to feed your dog, by weight.

    Read More

Ready to See the Difference in Your Dog's Coat?

Build a personalized plan in about two minutes, or talk with our certified nutritionist first.