Switched my corgi off kibble to raw feeding and the results genuinely surprised me

I want to preface this by saying I was skeptical. Like deeply skeptical. My corgi Pretzel had been on a mid-range kibble for four years and I thought she was fine. Slightly itchy, kinda smelly, middling energy but I figured that was just... corgi? Then my neighbor switched her lab to raw and the difference was so obvious I had to ask about it.

I spent two months researching before I committed. Listened to basically every argument against it - bacteria risk, nutritional imbalance, cost. I ended up going with a pre-made raw from a local supplier (not going to name them because I don't want this to sound like an ad) so the balance question was handled. Started with a slow two-week transition mixing into her old food.

Week 3 I noticed her coat. Week 4 the smell was basically gone. By week 6 the itching had dropped maybe 70%. She's leaner, her teeth look better, and she has noticeably more energy on walks. I don't know what specifically made the difference - it could be the protein quality, the lack of fillers, less inflammatory ingredients. I'm not a nutritionist.

I'm not here to tell anyone they're doing it wrong. Kibble fed dogs live long happy lives and I fed Pretzel kibble for four years. But if your dog has chronic skin stuff, low energy, or just seems kinda blah - it might be worth at least looking into. It cost about 40% more per month for us but honestly the vet bills for the skin stuff were adding up too.