Although there are many nutritional/dietary options for pet parents to choose from, Sean, the ASPCA does not recommend the raw food diet at this time. Current scientific research supports the idea of feeding well-balanced, high-quality commercial foods to our animals.
In March 2001, the Journal of the American Veterinary
Medical Association published an article on raw food diets. In it, they talk about homemade and commercial raw food diets for dogs that were analyzed for nutritional and bacterial content. They reported that, "All the diets tested had nutrient deficiencies or excesses that could cause serious health problems when used in a long-term feeding program. One diet contained E Coli." The risk of disease from bacterial content like E Coli is real. There are also risks from the raw bones used in many of these diets. Obstruction and/or perforation of the gastrointestinal tract have been reported and fractured teeth and gastroenteritis have also occurred.
Some dogs do really like things like carrot sticks and apple slices. These foods are healthy. They are low in fat and calories, and are generally acceptable as supplements if your dog tolerates them well?some dogs do not do well with dietary changes. But as you mentioned, you should avoid serving certain fruits such as grapes, raisins and avocado, which can be harmful to dogs and cats. Click here for a list of other foods that are potentially harmful to pets.