Garlic in small quantities is actually good for dogs Hook (small quantities and not a regular thing) and something about the smell can stimulate anorexic dogs appetites. Oncologists use it when working with Chemo patients ,we used if with Steffie and she maintained her weight during her last few months, while fighting cancer .
As far as raw , well ,that is a double edged sword. After working with many many specialists over the last 3 years, with Steffie and now Nikki . Most say that you are better off cooking the meat first. We have domesticated dogs to the point of them having an almost human digestive system, they can get e coli, salmonella etc from raw meat and become very very sick .
I make my own food ,it consists of cooked beef, or chicken, green beans and broccoli, and whole grain brown rice. The meat to veggie/rice ratio is about 4-1 so it is very high in protein ,low fat and healthy digestible carbs. Even then Nikki won't eat it always, so I do have Blue Wilderness on hand ,as well as dehydrated chicken and liver (I make myself).
If you are feeding a kibble and can afford to spend a little more on your pet, make sure you are feeding them a carcinogen free food ,if at all possible. Cancer is the #1 cause of deaths in dogs now ; oncologist blame alot of that on their diet.
