Since I posted about Sophie, I better post about our other Cocker, Bambi! Bambi was a family dog and lives with my mom but she was partially "mine" for a while.
Bambi wasn't sick all the time like Sophie. All in all, she was a hardy dog and would have been thought to "do well" on kibble. But the thing was, she HATED it. It didn't matter what kibble it was, she didn't want to eat it. We actually had to stand over her and say "Bambi, eat! Eat, Bambi!" to get her to eat at all. She never finished her food and always walked away from the dish, letting the other dogs get it.
Boy did that change with raw. She wasn't sure at first but after her first chicken wing, she got it down. She did well immediately; she gained some muscle (she had always been kinda scrawny, ha), her stools were much smaller and harder, and above all else...she actually liked her food! She now spun in circles and made excited noises in the morning, excited to eat. She would finish all of her food, not allowing the other dogs to take it. Her teeth, which had been on the dirty side, cleared up and she no longer needed a dental.
So yeah, Bambi "did well" on kibble. But only on raw could we see how she was meant to thrive . And I'm happy to report that she's still on a raw diet even though I don't live with my mom. She'll be raw for life.
Sophie, Bambi, and Rumba (all raw fed) on my lap: