From Farm to Fido Crafting Superior Raw Dog Food Choices
Best Raw Dog Foods
Best Raw Dog Foods
By Mike Sagman
Updated: April 16, 2024
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A raw dog food diet is designed to mimic a dogs natural ancestral menu. The whole concept of raw feeding is based upon a dogs instinctive carnivorous bias a built-in desire to capture (or find) and eat another animal.
As unsavory as it may seem, it is completely natural for a wolf to consume the entire animal.
Meat, bones, organs and all.
As direct descendants of wolves, dogs are simply not genetically optimized to consume the 50% carbohydrate content of todays commercial kibbles.
So, how do these diets compare?
The Ancestral Diet Compared to Dry Kibble
No one can argue the dry baked pellets we call dog food arent convenient. Yet the nutrient profile of a dry kibble is nowhere near the nutrient content of a dogs ancestral diet.
Notice the higher carbohydrate content of the kibble compared to the dogs natural ancestral diet. Or how about the dramatically lower protein and fat levels?
The Benefits of a Raw Diet
Feeding a raw dog food diet has many notable benefits
- Firmer stools
- Improved digestion
- Healthier skin and coat
- Reduced allergy symptoms
- Better weight management
There have been many reports of improved health when chronically ill pets were switched from a commercial product to a raw dog food.
The Downside of a Raw Dog Food Diet
A raw dog food diet cant touch the convenience of a kibble. Just measure and pour. It just doesnt get any easier.
Yet besides the lack of convenience, theres another critical issue. Bacterial contamination.
Salmonella and E. coli germs can always be a potential problem with raw meats. Yet the risk of food-borne disease is actually quite low.
That is, low risk for dogs. But not for humans.
Thats because a dogs digestive system is shorter and more acidic.
Which makes canine infections like these fairly rare.
The real risk of food-borne disease is actually greater for a dogs human caretakers not the dog.
Yet with proper care and handling, this risk can be dramatically reduced.
How to Use Our List
Below youll find a list of the Advisors suggested raw dog foods. Of course, this list should not be considered a complete catalog of all the raw dog foods on the market.
For there are others. Many others.
We only provide this small group as a starting point.
As a matter of fact, if you know of a specific dog food you believe we should have included on this list, please feel free to share your recommendations in the Comments section below.
Or if youre looking for some suggestions yourself, be sure to look through our readers Comments to find more good ideas.
Best Raw Dog Foods
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Dear Valued Patrons,
We at Fidos Kitchen are undergoing restructuring and will be closing the Eastern locationat the end of April this year. We will concentrate and continue to serve you from our primary location at:
Fidos Kitchen
7875 W. Sahara Ave., #103, Las Vegas
We would take care of our Customers from Henderson by providing deliveries to your door and for further convenience, we have partnered with the following business right off of Green Valley Parkway, where you will be able to pickup all our products, if you prefer:
Lulus Doggy Salon & Spaw
1000 N. Green Valley Pkwy, #220, Henderson.
We Thank You heartily for your continued support.
Sincerely,
Fidos Kitchen.
Open Farm Raw Mix Dog Food Review
The Open Farm Raw Mix product line includes 6 dog foods.
Each recipe includes its AAFCO nutrient profile: Growth (puppy), Maintenance (adult), All Life Stages, Supplemental or Unspecified.
Recipe and Label Analysis
Open Farm RawMix Front Range & Ancient Grains Recipe was selected to represent the other products in the line for detailed recipe and nutrient analysis.
Ingredients Analysis
The first ingredient in this dog food is beef. Beef is defined as the clean flesh derived from slaughtered cattle and includes skeletal muscle or the muscle tissues of the tongue, diaphragm, heart or esophagus.1.
Beef is naturally rich in all eleven essential amino acids required by a dog to sustain life.
The second ingredient is menhaden fish meal. Menhaden are small ocean fish related to herring. Theyre rich in protein and omega-3 fatty acids. Whats more, in their mid-depth habitat, menhaden are not exposed to mercury contamination as can be typical with deep water species.
This item is typically sourced from clean, undecomposed whole fish and fish cuttings of commercial fish operations.2.
Fish meat is naturally rich in the ten essential amino acids required by a dog to sustain life.
The third ingredient is barley. Barley is a starchy carbohydrate supplying fiber and other healthy nutrients. However, aside from its energy content, this cereal grain is of only modest nutritional value to a dog.
The fourth ingredient is brown rice, a complex carbohydrate that (once cooked) can be fairly easy to digest. However, aside from its natural energy content, rice is of only modest nutritional value to a dog.
The fifth ingredient is oats. Oats are rich in B-vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber.
The sixth ingredient is pork. Pork can be defined as the clean flesh derived from slaughtered pork and includes skeletal muscle or the muscle tissues of the tongue, diaphragm, heart or esophagus.3
Pork is naturally rich in all ten essential amino acids required by a dog to sustain life.
The seventh ingredient is herring meal. Because it is considered a meat concentrate, herring meal contains almost 300% more protein than fresh fish itself.
Fish meal is typically obtained from the clean, dried, ground tissue of undecomposed whole fish and fish cuttings of commercial fish operations.4
The eighth ingredient is lamb. Lamb is considered the clean flesh derived from slaughtered lamb and associated with skeletal muscle or the muscle tissues of the tongue, diaphragm, heart or esophagus.5
Lamb is naturally rich in all ten essential amino acids required by a dog to sustain life.
The ninth ingredient is pumpkin. Pumpkin is a nutritious addition high in complex carbohydrates, beta-carotene and dietary fiber.
From here, the list goes on to include a number of other items.
But to be realistic, ingredients located this far down the list (other than nutritional supplements) are not likely to affect the overall rating of this product.
With 4 notable exceptions
First, taurine, an important amino acid associated with the healthy function of heart muscle. Although taurine is not typically considered essential in canines, some dogs have been shown to be deficient in this critical nutrient.
Since taurine deficiency appears to be more common in pets consuming grain-free diets, we view its presence in this recipe as a positive addition.
Next, coconut oil, a natural oil rich in medium-chain fatty acids.
Medium-chain triglycerides have been shown to improve cognitive function in older dogs.6
Because of its proven safety7 as well as its potential to help in the treatment of canine cognitive dysfunction syndrome (CDS) and chronic skin disorders, MCT can be considered a positive addition to this recipe.
In addition, salmon oilis naturally rich in the prized EPA and DHA type of omega-3 fatty acids. These two high quality fats boast the highest bio-availability to dogs and humans.
Depending on its level of freshness and purity, salmon oil should be considered a commendable addition.
Next, we find flaxseed, one of the best plant sources of healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Provided theyve first been ground into a meal, flax seeds are also rich in soluble fiber.
However, flaxseed contains about 19% protein, a factor that must be considered when judging the actual meat content of this dog food
Nutrient Analysis
Based on its ingredients alone, Open Farm Dog Food looks like an above-average raw dog food.
The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 32%, a fat level of 17% and estimated carbohydrates of about 43%.
As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 34% and a mean fat level of 17%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 42% for the overall product line.
And a fat-to-protein ratio of about 49%.
Above-average protein. Near-average fat. And below-average carbs when compared to a typical raw dog food.
