Is raw dog food too high in protein
Best High Protein Dog Food
Turkey Patties is one of6 raw frozen recipesanalyzed inour reviewof the We Feed Raw product line.
This We Feed Raw recipe obtains the better part of its animal protein fromturkey. Dry matter label analysis reveals the recipe contains 49% protein, 25% fat and 18% estimated carbs which produces a fat-to-protein ratio of about 52%.
Other recipes: Venison, duck, lamb, beef, and chicken
Read our review of the full We Feed Raw Dog Food (Raw Frozen) range here
Main Ingredients Turkey tails, turkey gizzards, turkey wings, turkey liver, wfr vitamin + mineral mix Type Grain-free AAFCO Standards All Life Stages Best For All dogs Sample buyer review...
Read more buyer reviews at WeFeedRaw.com"I have been feeding my dogs We Feed Raw for 3 years now and they love their food, their coats are always shining. They are active, happy, healthy dogs."
Ancient Stream is one of 4 dry recipes included in our review of the Taste of the Wild with Ancient Grains product line.
Taste of the Wild Ancient Streams derives the majority of its animal protein from fresh salmon in addition to both salmon and fish meals. Dry matter label analysis reveals the recipe contains 33% protein, 17% fat and 42% estimated carbs which produces a favorable fat-to-protein ratio of about 50%.
A new, grain-inclusive product line from one of the industrys most popular brands. Contains no legumes. A top pick.
Read our review of the full Taste of the Wild Ancient Grains Dog Food (Dry) range here
Main Ingredients Salmon, salmon meal, ocean fish meal, grain sorghum, millet Texture Dry Type Grain-free Protein Percentage 33% AAFCO Standards All Life Stages Best For All dogs (including large breed puppies) Sample buyer review...
Read more buyer reviews at Chewy.com"Being in the K9 industry for the past 10 years, TotW is one food that's always reliable. I recommend it for working dogs and family pets alike. We rotate between the grain-free and ancient grains formulas to ensure proper taurine absorption. If you have a picky eater or a dog who has trouble maintaining weight, I highly recommend this food."
Adult Beef is one of 11 wet recipes covered in our review of the Raised Right Fresh product line.
Raised Right Adult Beef gets most of its meat protein from fresh beef. Dry matter label analysis shows the recipe contains 61% protein, 24% fat and 8% estimated carbs yielding a fat-to-protein ratio of about 39%.
All recipes contain a single source of animal protein with no hidden fillers. One of the best high-protein fresh foods on the market. Easily recommended.
Read our review of the full Raised Right Dog Food (Fresh) range here
Main Ingredients Beef, beef heart, carrots, beef liver, cranberries Texture Wet Type Grain-free Protein Percentage 61% AAFCO Standards Maintenance Best For Adult dogs Orijen Original is one of 9 dry recipes analyzed in our review of the Orijen product line.
This particular Orijen recipe obtains the better part of its animal protein from fresh chicken, turkey, flounder, and whole mackerel. Dry matter label analysis reveals the recipe contains 43% protein, 20% fat and 28% estimated carbs resulting in a fat-to-protein ratio of about 47%.
Ever since its founding, Champion Petfoods, the maker of Orijen, has supported a meat-based, biologically appropriate diet. This is a proven, balanced design and a top high-protein option. Recommended with confidence.
Read our review of the full Orijen Dog Food (Dry) range here
Main Ingredients Chicken, turkey, flounder, whole mackerel, chicken liver Texture Dry Type Grain-free Protein Percentage 43% AAFCO Standards All Life Stages Best For Adults and puppies (including large breeds) Sample buyer review...
Read more buyer reviews at Chewy.com"A few months ago I adopted a 14 month old Labradoodle, and I have had a difficult time getting weight on her because she just isnt interested in eating. This dog food has helped tremendously! Apparently, it taste good to her and is very nutritious because she looks and acts so much better. It is wonderful to see her playing, and her coat looks fabulous."
Active Dog is one of 8 dry recipes evaluated in our review of the Dr. Tims product line.
Dr. Tims Pursuit Active Dog gets the better part of its meat protein from chicken meal. Dry matter label analysis demonstrates the formula contains 33% protein, 22% fat and 36% estimated carbs which creates a fat-to-protein ratio of about 67%.
Dr. Tims products are prized by members of the large breed athletic and sporting dog community. A top choice and one thats especially easy for us to recommend.
Read our review of the full Dr. Tims Dog Food (Dry) range here
Main Ingredients Chicken meal, brown rice, chicken fat, whole oat groats, dried beet pulp Texture Dry Type Grain-inclusive Protein Percentage 33% AAFCO Standards All Life Stages Best For Adult and small or medium breed puppies Sample buyer review...
Read more buyer reviews at Chewy.com"My English setter, a Llewelyn has been on Dr. Tims Pursuit dog food since she was a puppy, over ten years ago. She is a very active dog and thrives on this food. She has been very healthy. Her white and spotted fur coat is shiny!! I highly recommend this product."
Meadowland is one of 6 dry recipes contained in our review of the Acana product line.
Acana Meadowland receives most of its meat content from deboned chicken and deboned turkey. Dry matter label analysis reveals the recipe contains 38% protein, 19% fat and 35% estimated carbs which produces a fat-to-protein ratio of about 52%.
A superior, grain-free kibble, offering balanced nutrition. Made by the same company that makes Orijen.
Read our review of the full Acana Regionals Dog Food (Dry) range here
Main Ingredients Deboned chicken, deboned turkey, chicken liver, turkey giblets (liver, heart, gizzard), chicken meal Texture Dry Type Grain-free Protein Percentage 38% AAFCO Standards All Life Stages Best For Adults and puppies Sample buyer review...
Read more buyer reviews at Chewy.com"I have a very fussy fur son. There are about 2 or 3 foods he will eat without turning his nose up and walking away. Acana I have had EXCELLENT results with all blends!!! It's a good feeling when he actually eats a food that has such excellent ingredients and the best part - ONE THAT YOU CAN TRUST!"
Merrick Classic Healthy Grains Puppy is one of 13 recipes included in our review of the Merrick Classic product line.
This Merrick Classic product derives the bulk of its animal content from fresh chicken and chicken meal. Our dry matter label analysis shows the food contains 31% protein, 18% fat and 43% estimated carbs yielding a fat-to-protein ratio of about 57%.
A top-rated dry puppy food thats completely based on a safe, proven grain-inclusive design. Contains no legumes.
Read our review of the full Merrick Classic Healthy Grains Dog Food (Dry) range here
Main Ingredients Deboned chicken, chicken meal, brown rice, barley, oatmeal Type Grain-inclusive Protein Percentage 31% AAFCO Standards Growth Best For All puppies (including large breed puppies) Sample buyer review...
Read more buyer reviews at Chewy.com"After weeks of searching for a reliable dog food for our toy poodle puppy we finally found Merrick, he is healthy and and is fur is so soft, he is only ten weeks old yet he has so much energy, we are very glad."
Extreme Athlete is one of 13 dry recipes analyzed in our review of the Diamond Naturals product line.
Diamond Naturals Extreme Athlete draws much of its animal content from chicken meal and fresh chicken. Dry matter label analysis reveals the formula contains 36% protein, 28% fat and 29% estimated carbs which creates a fat-to-protein ratio of about 78%.
An exceptional grain-inclusive formula, offering multiple recipe and flavor options. A top-rated, high-protein pick, containing no plant-based protein concentrates.
Read our review of the full Diamond Naturals Dog Food (Dry) range here
Main Ingredients Chicken meal, chicken, ground white rice, chicken fat, cracked pearled barley Texture Dry Type Grain-inclusive Protein Percentage 36% AAFCO Standards Maintenance Best For Adult dogs Sample buyer review...
Read more buyer reviews at Chewy.com"Dogs love it, and do great. Ive tried several types of foods, but always come back to this. It also makes my dogs coats shiny, and keeps a good weight on them. Especially since they are very active Belgian Malinois."
Canine Chicken Meal Feast is one of 11 dry recipes included in our review of the Natures Logic product line.
Natures Logic Canine Chicken Meal acquires the bulk of its meat fraction from chicken meal. Dry matter label analysis shows the recipe contains 40% protein, 16% fat and 36% estimated carbs delivering a fat-to-protein ratio of about 42%.
Natures Logic is one of only a handful of brands that meets AAFCO nutrient guidelines using actual real-live canine feeding trials. Top choice from a trusted and ethical manufacturer.
Read our review of the full Natures Logic Dog Food (Dry) range here
Main Ingredients Chicken meal, millet, chicken fat, pumpkin seed, yeast culture Texture Dry Type Grain-inclusive Protein Percentage 40% AAFCO Standards All Life Stages Best For Puppies and Adult dogs Sample buyer review...
Read more buyer reviews at Chewy.com"I have been looking for a more natural dry food with some greens and fruits. I have used this product in the frozen form, and was pleased to find it also as a dry food. I like the small kibble. My dogs are doing great on it, maintains weight and coats are beautiful. Thanks fir a great product!"
Great Plains Red Recipe is one of 7 dry recipes covered in our review of the Merrick product line.
Merrick Backcountry Raw Infused Great Plains Red Recipe receives the better part of its animal protein from deboned beef, lamb meal, and salmon meal. Dry matter label analysis reveals the recipe contains 43% protein, 19% fat and 30% estimated carbs delivering a fat-to-protein ratio of about 45%.
An above-average kibble fortified with bits of freeze-dried raw beef. Highly recommended.
Read our review of the full Merrick Backcountry Raw Infused Grain-Free Dog Food (Dry) range here
Main Ingredients Deboned beef, lamb meal, salmon meal, sweet potatoes, potatoes Texture Dry Type Grain-free Protein Percentage 43% AAFCO Standards Maintenance Best For Adult dogs Sample buyer review...
Read more buyer reviews at Chewy.com"Love this food !! My dogs are so healthy no majors problem with them ! Keeps them full longer and the skin is so shiny ! The best product ever for your dogs."
Hi Pro Plus is one of 5 dry recipes evaluated in our review of the Victor Classic product line.
Victor Classic Hi Pro Plus receives most of its meat content from beef meal. Dry matter label analysis demonstrates the food contains 33% protein, 22% fat and 37% estimated carbs creating a fat-to-protein ratio of about 67%.
One of the best grain-inclusive kibbles on the market. A classic, fully-balanced high protein recipe. Weve always admired Victors simple designs. Feed with confidence.
Read our review of the full Victor Classic Dog Food (Dry) range here
Main Ingredients Beef meal, grain sorghum, chicken fat, pork meal, chicken meal Texture Dry Type Grain-inclusive Protein Percentage 33% AAFCO Standards All Life Stages Best For Adult and small or medium breed puppies Sample buyer review...
Read more buyer reviews at Chewy.com"Our breed recommended this dog food & our Goldendoodle has been on this food for over a year now. He absolutely loves his food & runs to his bowl every time he knows its time to eat. He has a great coat, maintains a health weight & has solid poops. Highly recommend for active puppies & dogs!"
Why Dog Food Typically Contains More Fat Than Whats Printed on the Label
The Dog Food Advisor uses a practical method for estimating the carbohydrate content of dry foods. I use the same formulas in my books.
Yet this technique doesnt work as well for raw dog foods because some manufacturers significantly understate the fat content of their products.
Ive sent many raw products to testing laboratories and have found some egregious examples of mislabeling the fat content.
For example, one of the more popular brands lists 8% fat as a minimum. Yet it actually contains 18% fat (as fed basis). Thats because pet food regulators require fat content to be listed as a minimum not the actual amount found in the food.
Most people feeding raw are trying to mimic the ancestral diet of dogs, which was a high protein, moderate fat, low carbohydrate diet. Yet not all raw diets properly duplicate this design.
Some raw dog foods contain much higher fat 75% of calories from fat compared to just 44% for the ancestral diet. And these same recipes can include much lower protein content just 25% of calories versus 50% for the ancestral diet.
To mimic an ancestral diet, the actual dry matter fat content of a raw dog food should be less than the protein content and preferably closer to .
How to Estimate the Fat and CarbohydrateContent of a Raw Dog Food
Heres an easy way to estimate the probable fat and carbohydrate content of those raw diets that include meat, bone, vegetables and a nutrient mix.
First, visit the Dog Food Advisors review of the product and note the estimated carbohydrate content shown in the gauge at the top of the yellow dashboard.
If the carb content is notably greater than the values listed below, you should suspect significantly more fat than whats reported on the label. And youll need to do some basic math to estimate the more likely fat content.
For a more realistic nutrient profile, simply subtract the difference between the figures in the chart below (+3%) and the carbohydrate amount listed on the carb gauge.
I suggest adding 3% because numbers are often rounded and most manufacturers typically understate protein and overstate moisture and fiber on their labels.
For typical (meat, bone and vegetable) raw dog foods, heres an estimate of the dry matter carbohydrate content. Use the higher values if yams or sweet potatoes are included.
- 95% meat: 1 to 2%
- 90% meat: 1.5 to 4%
- 80% meat: 4 to 8%
- 70% meat: 8 to 14%
Some Typical Examples
Lets look at two raw dog foods
With Darwins Natural Selection (please note Im a consultant for Darwins and helped in the formulation of this food) the dashboard estimates carb content at 18%.
This figure overstates my projection by just 4%, close to the 14% actual carb content (as the food contains yams).
However, for Natures Variety 95% meat product, the dashboard overestimates carbs significantly at about 26% compared to my estimate of 2%.
Something is being understated on the label and its probably the fat.
To more accurately assess the fat content, subtract my carb estimate (plus 3%) from the dashboard and add that to the fat.
For Darwins subtract 17% (14% from the chart plus 3%) from 18%, and add the 1% difference to the fat content. For Natures Variety, subtract 5% (2% +3%) from 26% and add the difference (21%) to the fat content.
The Arithmetic of Major Nutrients
For those whod like more details
Vegetables contain about 90% water and 5% carbohydrate. And meat has zero carbohydrate. So, a food thats 95% meat (as fed) is only 5% vegetable which consists of 5% carbohydrate.
And that makes the same food about 0.25% carb or about 1% on a dry matter basis.
So, with water completely removed, all foods consist primarily of
- Protein
- Fat
- Carbohydrate
- Ash (minerals)
According to USDA definition, carbohydrates are calculated from the amount of protein, moisture, fat and ash. And fiber is the non-digestible component of carbohydrate.
Carbohydrates come from plant sources only. Meats contain no carbs and no fiber.
Calorie ContentAnother Important Clue
For those products that appear to be missing fat data, I suggest visiting the appropriate companys website for more information.
Then, look for the energy content of the food expressed as kcal (kilocalories) per ounce.
For fresh diets (those containing natural amounts of water of about 6777%), there should be 50 kcal per ounce or less.
For fresh foods, any product containing more than 45 kcal per ounce can be considered a high fat diet
In my opinion, a fresh (with moisture) food with more than 60 kcal per ounce has too much fat and not enough protein for puppies, pregnant or lactating females.
The dogs ancestral diet contained about 35 kcal per ounce fat has 9 kcal per gram and protein 4 kcal.
Learn More AboutRaw and Fresh Feeding
For more information, see the pet food math section of my book, Unlocking the Canine Ancestral Diet.
Or to learn more about the dogs natural ancestral diet, please visit www.SeeSpotLiveLonger.com
Steve Brown is a nationally renowned dog food formulator and author of three popular books on canine nutrition.
He is the creator of Charlee Bear Dog Treats, one of the worlds first training products.
Brown also founded Steves Real Food for Pets, the first AAFCO-compliant, frozen, raw meat-based diet. He later left the company to focus on research and education.
In 2004, he co-authored a book on canine nutrition, See Spot Live Longer now in its seventh printing,
Brown has published numerous articles on canine feeding in pet related magazines, veterinary journals and leading natural health web sites.
In 2006, Steve began to suspect the major weakness of most dog foods was in their fat content. So, after three years of research, Brown wrote Unlocking the Canine Ancestral Diet.
He also offers an e-book, See Spot Live Longer the ABC Way.
Brown is currently a consultant to and food formulator for several well-known pet food companies.
