What Is Raw Dog Food Made Of?

Raw dog food is made from whole, unprocessed animal ingredients: muscle meat, organ meat, ground bone, and sometimes vegetables. Here is a full breakdown.

Raw dog food is made from whole, unprocessed animal ingredients. Unlike kibble, which is cooked at high temperatures and often includes fillers and artificial additives, raw dog food keeps its ingredients as close to their natural state as possible. If you want to understand how these components come together in a meal, see our guide on how raw feeding works for dogs.

The Core Components

Muscle Meat

Muscle meat makes up the majority of most raw dog food formulas, typically around 70 to 80 percent of the recipe. It is the primary protein source and provides the bulk of the calories in the diet. Common muscle meats include beef, bison, chicken, turkey, pork, and salmon.

Organ Meat

Organ meat, or secreting organs, makes up around 10 percent of most raw formulas. Liver is the most commonly included organ and is found in virtually every complete raw blend. Kidney and other secreting organs are included in more comprehensive formulas. See our post on raw dog food with organ meat for a full breakdown of what each organ provides.

Raw Meaty Bones

Ground raw bone is included in most raw blends to provide calcium and phosphorus. In pre-made tube formats, the bone is already ground into the mixture rather than whole, which makes it safe and easy to serve. Ground bone typically makes up around 10 percent of the recipe.

Green Tripe

Many raw blends include green tripe, the unbleached stomach lining of a grazing animal. It adds a balance of fatty acids to the diet and is highly palatable for most dogs. Read more in our post on raw dog food with green tripe.

Vegetables and Other Additions

Some raw formulas, often called BARF blends, include vegetables, fruits, eggs, and other whole food ingredients alongside the meat and bone base. Others, following a more prey model approach, include only animal ingredients. Our post on BARF vs prey model raw feeding explains the difference.

What Is Not in Raw Dog Food

Properly formulated raw dog food does not include artificial preservatives, synthetic flavour enhancers, fillers like corn or soy, or by-product meals. The ingredient list is short and readable. Browse the Hound and Bone range to see the full ingredient breakdown for every blend we carry in Edmonton and surrounding communities.

This article is for general information only and is not veterinary advice. Every dog is different — consult your veterinarian before making changes to your dog’s diet. Individual results may vary.