A raw food diet, which mimics what a dog would eat in the wild, has become popular in recent years and some pet owners consider it to be a much more natural way for their pooch to consume food. A key benefit is that you’re able to monitor everything that goes into your pet’s tummy — which is especially important if they're still a puppy or they have allergies.
While you could prepare raw recipes yourself at home, there are now plenty of online companies that'll do the work for you and deliver convenient frozen packages to your door, so you can keep your cupboard well-stocked. Whether you're looking for a complete meal or complementary treats, we've compiled a list of the best raw dog foods available in the UK, including products from top brands like Nutriment Raw and Nature's Variety.
Quick List - Top Raw Dog Foods
Nutriment Raw
A Complete Meal Containing a High Level of Good-Quality Meats and Superfoods
8in1®
A Freeze-Dried Meat and Veg Mix That's Perfect for Training and Topping Meals
Nature's Variety
A Freeze-Dried Snack That's Ideal for Fussy Eaters
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Complete meals typically consist of a mixture of meat, organs, offal and bone, as well as a few vegetables. This ensures that your dog is getting a nutritionally balanced meal in one go, so you don’t need to add anything yourself.
Complete meals tend to come frozen so they need to be stored in the freezer and defrosted at room temperature around 24 hours before feeding. If you don’t use up the entire pack in one sitting, it can be stored in the fridge for about three days. Just note that you'll need quite a bit of freezer room if you're buying in bulk!
On the other hand, complementary foods usually consist of 100% meat and often don’t include bones, offal or organs. These are primarily used as a topper to add to your pet's existing food. They're great for fussy eaters as they make the whole meal much more appealing!
A less common type of complementary food is a mix of fruit and veg that can be sprinkled onto your dog's dinner. These provide essential vitamins, minerals and fibre, which every dog needs as part of a balanced diet.
If you don't have a freezer or you have limited space, complementary foods are a handy option as they tend to come in a freeze-dried format so they can be stored at room temperature in the cupboard.
Why not purchase a few tasty dog treats or puppy training treats too?
As a raw food diet essentially tries to mimic what a dog would naturally eat in the wild, when buying complete meals you should look for a product made up of at least 80% meat (which includes organs and bones).
You also need to check the protein content as this is required for muscle growth and immune system support. It's recommended that food should contain around 18% of protein a day for an adult dog or 25% for a puppy. If you're shopping for complete meals, you’ll want to try and get as close to this figure as possible, as this is probably all you’ll be feeding them.
If you’re shopping for complementary raw foods, there’s a little more leeway but you will need to do some maths to figure out how much protein will be in all of your pet's meals combined.
You're probably used to checking the amount of saturated and unsaturated fats in your own diet, and it's just as important for your pet. Although saturated fats can help to boost your dog's energy levels, you should make sure that they are consumed in moderation to avoid health issues later in life.
Low-fat meat should make up the majority of your dog's food, so we recommend choosing a product with a fat content of 13% or less. If your dog suffers from liver or pancreas issues, a low-fat option like this will also be easier to digest.
Whilst raw food is safe for both adults and puppies, they each require different amounts of protein and other nutrients for a balanced diet. So, you should always check the packaging to ensure that a product is suitable for your dog.
As a puppy is still growing, they need a higher concentration of proteins and vitamins than adult dogs, but the food also needs to be simple enough for their sensitive tummies to digest.
On the other hand, if adult dogs consume too much protein, they may develop kidney and liver problems. They may also put on weight, which can cause mobility issues due to the extra pressure placed on their joints.
For more info about the nutritional requirements of younger dogs, check out our article on dog foods for puppies.
Products | Image | Click to purchase | Key features | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Nutriment Raw Enhanced Raw Diet Formula: Working Adult Dog Food | ![]() | A Complete Meal Containing a High Level of Good-Quality Meats and Superfoods | |
2 | 8in1® Meaty Treats: Chicken & Carrot | ![]() | A Freeze-Dried Meat and Veg Mix That's Perfect for Training and Topping Meals | |
3 | Bella & Duke Working Dog Raw Food | ![]() | Made With Locally-Grown Vegetables and Human-Grade Meat | |
4 | Nature's Variety Freeze Dried Meat Chunks: 100% Beef | ![]() | A Freeze-Dried Snack That's Ideal for Fussy Eaters | |
5 | 4PAWSRAW Raw Dog Food Mixed Meat Variety Box | ![]() | Follow the Popular 80/10/10 BARF Ratio With This Complementary Meal | |
6 | Cotswold Raw Active 80/20 Dog Food | ![]() | A Complete Balanced Meal Featuring a Range of Meats, Bones and Veg | |
7 | AniForte® Fruit & Vegetables With Herbs | ![]() | A Complementary Fruit, Veg and Herb Mix to Blend With Raw Meat | |
8 | Benyfit Natural® Sensitive Adult Working Dog Raw Food | ![]() | Everything You Need for a Dog With a Sensitive Stomach | |
9 | Nature's Menu Puppy - Chicken With Lamb | ![]() | A Tasty Meal for Puppies Featuring Chicken, Lamb and Rice | |
10 | Nutriment Raw Enhanced Raw Diet Formula: Working Puppy Food | ![]() | Specifically Formulated for Puppies up to 6 Months |
Nutriment is one of the most popular brands of raw dog food in the UK, and there are plenty of reasons why! Each pack contains a complete meal consisting of 85% meat and 15% vegetables, including superfoods like spirulina, to provide your dog with a balanced diet that's packed with vitamins and minerals.
A canine nutritionist creates the formulas, so you can rest assured that this food contains everything your dog needs to thrive. This multipack includes a variety of flavours to keep your dog interested at dinnertime, and each sachet is manufactured by hand. If you want to provide your dog with a high-quality yet convenient raw food diet, then this is our top recommendation!
Next up, we have a freeze-dried option that can be used for topping meals or handed out as treats. In addition to 88% chicken, this recipe contains carrots for a fibre boost. Since it's a low-fat option, this product makes a great treat or topper for dogs who are dieting.
We love that these meaty snacks are totally free from sugars, colourants, flavour enhancers, grains and gluten. They've received rave reviews from plenty of dogs and their owners, so if you're after something healthy yet delicious then give this one a try!
Here's another popular British raw food dog company with a wide range of products and flavours to choose from. We've picked the 8 kg variety box, but they also offer a trial box which you can order if it's your dog's first time on raw food and you don't want to commit straight away.
The mix is made from 100% human-grade UK meat, using only top-quality ingredients and locally-grown vegetables, including superfoods such as a range of berries. Plus, Bella & Duke add a blend of fish and olive oils which provide your dog with the healthy fats needed for nerve function and overall development.
If you have a fussy eater on your hands, topping their food with freeze-dried meat chunks is an excellent way to tickle their tastebuds. While technically raw, these treats don't need to be stored in the freezer which makes them very convenient. You can either crumble them up over a dinner bowl or feed them to your pup as a chewy snack.
Made from 100% beef with a significantly high protein count, this is one of the best packets of raw food treats in the UK. We've chosen the brand's bestselling beef flavour, but there are plenty of other options if you want some variety.
While raw food is certainly becoming popular in the dog community, there is still some deliberation as to what the best quantities and ratios are. 4PAWSRAW believes that the 80/10/10 BARF ratio is the one to follow, with their recipes containing no vegetables whatsoever.
Having no vegetables could be a pro or con, depending on your views. However, if you feel like your dog needs a little more nutrition and variety in their diet, you could simply top this food with a few chopped veggies.
This multipack from Cotswold Raw offers 4 different flavours (beef, lamb, chicken and turkey), which will provide your pup with a tasty, balanced diet. The recipe also contains calcium-rich bone and seasonal vegetables for added nutrition.
While many raw dog foods are suitable for all ages, this one is only recommended for adult dogs, so bear this in mind if you're shopping for a puppy. That said, if you've got an older canine, this is a brilliant buy!
If you're feeding your dog a raw food diet but want to up their vitamin intake, this fruit and veg mix from AniForte® is an excellent option. It contains a blend of gently dried fruit, vegetables and herbs, including carrots, peas, alfalfa, parsley and apples.
Best of all, the formula has been developed by veterinarians and animal health experts so you know it will be safe for your pet to consume. As this product isn't meant to be a complete meal, you'll need to purchase meat separately to create a balanced dinner.
This product from Benyfit Natural® makes sure that even dogs with naturally sensitive tummies can benefit from a raw food diet. In addition to being free from offal, the recipe is low in fat and purine, making it suitable for pets with digestive issues, pancreatitis or kidney stones.
Being a complete meal, one pack contains everything your dog needs, including a range of vegetables and herbs such as nettles, parsnips and broccoli. Unfortunately, this option is quite expensive but if you check out Benyfit Natural's website, you'll see plenty of happy customers who think it's well worth the price.
Nature's Menu is a small family-run business that has been serving up top-quality dog food since 1981. Here is one of their products that's specifically formulated for puppies. The recipe contains 68% meat (a blend of chicken and lamb) as well as rice, which is packed with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.
While this particular product can sometimes go out of stock quickly, customers on both Amazon and the Nature's Menu site say that the brand is incredibly popular with their puppies due to its appetising scent.
Here we have another superb product from Nutriment Raw which is designed for the puppy in your life. Suitable for any dog up to the age of 6 months, this complete meal provides everything your pup will need to help them grow big and strong.
The formula contains 90% meat which is a slightly higher percentage than the adult food, however, the protein content is a bit lower for some reason. That said, it does include 10% veg too, so you shouldn't need any additional toppers with this one.
While this is still an ongoing debate, each has pros and cons. For example, kibble is excellent for reducing plaque and improving overall gum and oral health, whereas raw food has been shown to improve energy, skin and fur health. It's best to do your own research and see what you feel most comfortable with.
Raw food is completely safe for dogs to eat. However, because the food is raw, it can be easily contaminated which could lead to an infection. As long as you stick to the serving guidelines recommended by the brand and adhere to a high level of kitchen hygiene, your dog should be fine.
There have been a few reports of dogs becoming irritated and itchy after switching to a raw food diet, but this is likely down to an allergy to a specific ingredient rather than because the food is raw. If your dog starts to develop itchiness after switching to raw food, consult your veterinarian before continuing.
No. 1: Nutriment Raw|Enhanced Raw Diet Formula: Working Adult Dog Food
No. 2: 8in1®|Meaty Treats: Chicken & Carrot
No. 3: Bella & Duke|Working Dog Raw Food
No. 4: Nature's Variety|Freeze Dried Meat Chunks: 100% Beef
No. 5: 4PAWSRAW|Raw Dog Food Mixed Meat Variety Box
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