More pet owners are now picking raw dog food to make sure they know exactly what their pets eat, aiming for a better diet.
In the past, the only options for feeding pets were dry kibble or canned wet food.
But things have changed a lot recently, with companies now making better raw dog food.
This change means dog owners have more choices to find the best food for their pets.
We’ve put together a list of the top ten raw dog food brands.
This list will help you understand the advantages of each brand and choose the right one for your dog’s health.
1. Stella & Chewy’s Freeze-Dried Raw Stella’s Super Beef
Stella & Chewy’s beef patties are crafted from beef that is not only grass-fed but also free from antibiotics and hormones.
Additionally, they are packed with fruits and vegetables that are organic and favored by dogs.
This recipe is designed to reflect the diet dogs would follow in the wild, using sustainably sourced, single-source protein.
Up to 95 percent of the recipe consists of grass-fed beef, along with organs and bone.
Its packaging ensures that the food remains nutritious, convenient, and safe for consumption.
The product is designed to be shelf-stable, making it long-lasting for your dog’s enjoyment.
These patties are free from grains, gluten, artificial flavors, colors, preservatives, and fillers.
Why we recommend this recipe:
- This raw dog food offers a well-rounded and balanced diet for your dog, incorporating probiotics to support digestive health. It is an ideal choice for dogs that have sensitive stomachs or skin conditions.
- Furthermore, all ingredients are procured from trusted suppliers within the USA, establishing this product as one of the top raw dog food options available.
2. Tylee’s Human-Grade Beef Recipe Frozen Dog Food
Tylee’s Beef frozen dog food is crafted using ingredients of human-grade quality, all sourced from within the USA.
This allows it to be served either as a standalone meal or mixed with dry kibble as a tasty topper.
Designed to be grain-free, this food is ideal for dogs that have dietary sensitivities, excluding any fillers such as soy, corn, wheat, or animal by-products.
Simply thaw the food before serving it to your dog, whether it’s for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
The minimal processing and rapid freezing method used in its production helps to maintain the food’s natural taste.
This method also keeps important nutrients like amino acids, antioxidants, minerals, and vitamins intact, aiding in the support of your dog’s immune system, digestive health, skin and coat condition, and vision.
Why this recipe stands out:
- It includes beneficial ingredients like ground flaxseed, chia seeds, and sunflower oil, which are rich in Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids. These components are key in promoting the health of your dog’s skin and coat, as well as supporting their immune system.
3. Instinct by Nature’s Variety Frozen Raw Bites
This Instinct’s By Nature frozen dog food delivers raw nutrition that enhances your dog’s muscle strength and keeps them energetically satisfied.
The food is prepared by freezing raw ingredients instead of cooking them, featuring 85% natural beef that’s free from hormones and antibiotics.
Additionally, it includes 15% non-GMO, organic fruits and vegetables that dogs love, along with essential vitamins and minerals.
Its cold processing technique not only prolongs the shelf life of the food but also eliminates harmful bacteria, offering a raw yet safe meal option.
Highlights of this recipe:
- The rich protein content of this raw dog food formula ensures your pet remains lively and vigorous. It supports dental health, muscle development, digestive well-being, and overall energy.
- With all components being sourced from the USA, it provides confidence in the quality and safety of what you’re feeding your pet.
4. Primal Nuggets Raw Freeze-Dried Dog Food
Primal Chicken’s grain-free formula features genuine chicken, including meat, necks, gizzards, and livers, as its core ingredients.
This product also boasts organic produce like carrots, blueberries, and apples, along with sunflower seeds and salmon oil.
The latter is a rich source of Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids, and tocopherols are used to naturally preserve the freshness.
Crafted without the use of antibiotics, hormones, or steroids, this raw dog food emphasizes natural, wholesome meat and includes finely ground bone to enrich the diet with calcium.
Simply by adding water, you can prepare a mouthwatering meal for your dog that ensures they eagerly finish every bit.
Why this recipe stands out:
- Its high-protein, freeze-dried composition aligns with the ancestral diet of dogs, offering a natural, paleolithic nutrition option. This food is particularly effective for managing your dog’s weight and enhancing their overall well-being.
5. Instinct by Nature’s Variety Raw Boost Dog Food
Instinct by Nature’s dog food combines grain-free kibble and freeze-dried raw bits made from real chicken, offering a diet rich in protein and preserved nutritional value.
This formula uses free-range chicken as a primary ingredient, which aids in developing your dog’s lean muscle mass.
It is also enriched with probiotics to enhance your pet’s digestive health.
The inclusion of Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids ensures your dog’s coat remains glossy and healthy, while antioxidants play a crucial role in bolstering the immune system.
Highlights of this recipe:
- This unique blend of dry kibble and raw dog food from Instinct by Nature incorporates probiotics to improve your dog’s gastrointestinal health and support a robust immune system.
6. Merrick Backcountry – Raw Infused
Merrick’s recipe blends high-protein, grain-free kibble seamlessly with authentic, freeze-dried raw red meats (including lamb, beef, and rabbit).
The ingredients, guaranteed to be free from antibiotics and hormones, are locally sourced near Merrick’s facility in Texas.
This formula is further enhanced with fruits and vegetables that dogs love, such as peas, sweet potatoes, apples, and blueberries, incorporating essential nutrients, vitamins, antioxidants, and fiber into the diet.
Highlights of this recipe:
- The inclusion of chondroitin and glucosamine in the recipe aids in maintaining healthy joints and hips, making it particularly beneficial for older dogs and larger breeds.
7. Sojos Complete Turkey Recipe Raw Dog Food
The Sojos turkey freeze-dried formula features a mix of fresh turkey, sweet potatoes, whole eggs, flaxseeds, and cranberries rich in vitamins.
Additionally, it’s enhanced with natural enzymes, trace nutrients, and essential vitamins found in ingredients like kelp, pumpkin, and ginger.
To prepare, simply rehydrate the dog food with water before serving.
All components in Sojos raw dog food are procured from the USA and free from grains, soy, artificial flavors, colors, preservatives, and GMOs.
Why this recipe stands out:
- Sojos ensures safety by testing their products for Salmonella before distribution.
- We appreciate the recipe’s comprehensive and balanced nutrition, offering convenience in preparation without the need for extra ingredients.
8. TruDog — Feed Me Turkey Grain-Free Freeze-Dried Raw Dog Food
Explore TruDog’s nutrient-rich formula, featuring free-range turkey packed with amino acids, along with Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids for a high-protein diet.
This blend includes ground turkey with bone, turkey liver, turkey heart, and herring oil, offering substantial nutritional benefits for muscle vitality and bone strength.
Thanks to the freeze-drying technique, this raw dog food preserves essential nutrients without needing to be refrigerated, making it easy to prepare—just add water and serve to your pet.
Advantages of this recipe:
- This powerful yet simple recipe is designed to support muscle and bone health, enhance coat shine, lessen allergies, boost digestive wellness, and improve your dog’s breath.
9. Nature’s Logic Chicken Feast Patties Raw Frozen Dog Food
Nature’s Logic offers a raw frozen dog food that is organic, without gluten, and free from grains.
It prioritizes whole-food, natural ingredients over synthetic additives, avoiding artificial vitamins, minerals, or trace elements.
The primary components include chicken meat, liver, and heart, complemented by finely-ground eggshells to enhance calcium content.
The formula is enriched with vegetables and fruits that dogs love, including broccoli, apples, artichokes, carrots, cranberries, blueberries, pumpkins, tomatoes, and spinach, contributing to a well-rounded diet.
Highlights of this recipe:
- This recipe is free from common fillers such as peas, lentils, and potatoes, as well as potential allergens like wheat, soy, corn, rice, and synthetic supplements, ensuring a clean, nutritious meal for dogs.
10. Primal — Beef Formula Nuggets Grain-Free Raw Freeze-Dried Dog Food
Primal Beef’s freeze-dried dog food is crafted with beef meat, liver, and heart, complemented by vegetables and fruits like squash, broccoli, apples, cranberries, and blueberries, and includes freshly ground beef bone to boost calcium intake.
This product is free from antibiotics, hormones, and steroids in its beef components.
Manufactured in the USA, it ensures the absence of soy, grain, corn, gluten, and wheat in its ingredients.
Designed to align with your dog’s ancestral diet, this food is both highly appealing to dogs and straightforward to prepare.
Key benefits of this recipe:
- This formula is prized for its high protein content, which is essential for the development of healthy bones and lean muscles in dogs. It also contains vital amino acids, fatty acids, enzymes, and a broad spectrum of vitamins and minerals, fostering overall health and well-functioning biological processes in your pet.
What to look for in a raw dog food
A raw diet for dogs that hasn’t been processed includes components like muscle meat, tripe, organs, bones, selected fruits and vegetables, dairy products, raw eggs, and powdered eggshells.
Such diets are featured in numerous raw food formulations and are free from synthetic flavors, additives, genetically modified organisms (GMOs), and preservatives.
It’s crucial to steer clear of raw dog foods containing unnecessary fillers or detrimental substances, including wheat, soy, bone meal, corn syrup, propylene glycol, butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), and salt.
The benefits of a raw diet
Feeding your dog raw food offers a nutritious alternative, particularly for those seeking a diet rich in protein.
This dietary choice can lead to enhanced energy levels, better dental hygiene, healthier skin, and more lustrous coats for your dog.
Additionally, it tends to produce smaller, less odorous stools that are easier for your dog to eliminate.
This diet supports regular and effortless bowel movements, which is particularly beneficial for older dogs.
It can also bolster the immune system, increase agility and mobility, and contribute to healthier liver and pancreatic functions, aiding in the management of chronic conditions.
Opting for raw dog food, which is entirely natural, provides the added comfort of knowing your pet is not consuming any processed items or artificial additives.
The downside of a raw dog food diet
Providing your dog with a raw food diet requires more effort compared to using commercial kibble or canned foods.
It’s important to closely monitor portion sizes and the total caloric intake, as these can vary with each batch of raw food.
This diet tends to be more costly, which is an important consideration for those managing a strict budget.
If there are young children or individuals with weakened immune systems in your household, raw dog food may not be the best choice.
It’s crucial to thoroughly wash and sanitize any surfaces or tools that come into contact with the raw food using hot, soapy water to prevent contamination.
The risk of encountering harmful bacteria like Listeria, E. coli, Salmonella, and Campylobacter is higher with raw dog food, a fact underscored by numerous product recalls over time.
Moreover, raw dog food is generally less economical and more susceptible to spoilage compared to dry food, owing to its shorter shelf life.
Ensure that you keep the raw dog food frozen until it’s time to prepare it for your pet.
Final thoughts
Is a raw food diet right for your dog?
While some pet owners are hesitant about introducing their dogs to raw diets, we find the health advantages compelling.
Choosing an all-natural diet for your dog is beneficial, and raw dog food meets this criterion well.
It’s critical to prioritize the safety of both your pet and your family by being diligent in how you store, handle, and clean anything that has been in contact with the raw food.
Before transitioning your beloved dog to a raw diet, it’s wise to consult with your veterinarian to explore the raw dog food choices available and ensure it’s a suitable fit for your pet.
