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There's been a rumor for a few years now that commercial raw diets aren't balanced. I watched a Facebook Live a while back that was of a presentation calling out raw food brands, and I immediately started microwaving popcorn, waiting for the lawsuits because…DAMN!
I've been feeding raw for more than eight years, and while I don't buy into the theory that commercial raw diets aren't balanced, I wonder if the finger-pointing had a certain brand in mind – 80/10/10 or if there is something I'm missing because…
- I want to get what I pay for.
- My dogs count on me to do what's right for them.
- I'm trying to do the best for my dogs.
Before we dive into balancing a commercial raw diet, I want to share how I define a commercial raw diet.
What's a Commercial Raw Diet?
When I think of a commercial raw diet, I think of raw dog food formulated by a brand and sold through pet stores, raw food co-ops, or directly to customers. Examples of commercial raw diets that I purchase (or have purchased) include:
- Darwin's Natural Pet Food
- Raw Paws Pet Food
- Columbia River Pet Food
- Wild Coast Raw
- GreenTripe.com
- We Feed Raw
- Northwest Naturals (white fish and salmon, trout)
- Tucker's Raw
- Seattle Natural Pet Pantry
From that list, Columbia River and GreenTripe.com are for supplemental feeding. I add an organ blend and base mix to the proteins I purchase from Columbia River. I feed GreenTripe as a side dish or for variety. The other diets label themselves as nutritionally complete, which some people think isn't accurate.
Shedding Light on the “Balance” Police
Many well-meaning raw feeders stress “balance” over everything else in raw feeding. I've often seen raw food advocates tell people to feed kibble because, in their eyes, there is only one way to feed raw (their way), and if you don't jump in line, you may as well feed kibble because at least it's balanced. #TrueStory
Balance According to Whom?
Whenever I see people promoting “balance” above all else, I tend to dismiss what they have to say because of one question a friend (and owner of a raw food brand) posed to me years ago – “Balance according to whom?”
It's not that I'm uninterested in other viewpoints; I've learned that folks who walk the “my way or the highway” path aren't usually open to discussing. They simply want you to listen to them talk.
Some people balance to NRC, some balance to AAFCO standards (which raises more questions), and some balance to FEDIEF. While all of these are a great start, no one can claim that any of them are perfect for all dogs. When were these standards created? What criteria were used to create these standards? Do the standards apply to raw diets or processed diets?
I combine a base mix with an 80/10/10 blend. I balance over time. For me, this is the easiest and most accurate way to ensure my dogs are eating a nutritionally complete diet. Yes, this can be problematic too, but the way I do it works for my dogs. More on that later.
Who is Qualified to Tell Us How to Feed Our Dogs?
Another issue I have with the Balance Police is their qualifications. Most people lecturing others on “balance” have zero background or certification in animal nutrition. And a certification from an online magazine doesn't qualify someone to tell others how to feed their dogs. #NoShade
A growing number of people are taking online animal nutrition courses and using that education to offer meal formulation services. I love this because these professionals are making raw feeding more accessible for more people. The only downside to meal formulators is that they have zero experience with my dogs. If I work with someone, I need to remember to share EVERYTHING to help them as they prepare a customized diet:
- health issues
- food sensitivities
- local resources
- my budget
Feed the Dog in Front of You
I say this all the time, even to myself. I can't remember who gave me this advice (I think it was Thomas Sandberg of Long Living Pets), but I do remember that this was the day when I stopped stressing about raw feeding. By focusing on my dogs, I can filter through the mass of information that comes our way via social media and other sources. When Dogs Naturally Magazine told us to balance dietary fats, I learned that this didn't apply to me because I balance fats by feeding a variety of proteins.
So, now let's talk about commercial raw diets.
5 Reasons Why Commercial Raw Diets Aren't Balanced
When I see people saying that commercial raw diets aren't balanced, my kneejerk reaction is to argue. Ummm, yeah, they are??? But are they? When I think of Darwin's Natural Pet Products and Wild Coast Raw, two local raw food companies, I know that they are nutritionally complete. However, Columbia River, GreenTripe.com, and my local farms aren't offering nutritionally complete diets; this is how I know.
1 – Some Products are Based on 80/10/10
Some commercial raw diets are based on 80% muscle meat, 10% bone, and 10% organ meat. I think we collectively decided that 80/10/10 isn't a balanced diet years ago (or at least that's when I figured this out). Therefore, these diets may be labeled as “supplemental feeding.”
2 – Some Products are for Supplemental Feeding
Products labeled for supplemental feeding, other than 80/10/10 blends, are whole food supplements like sardine chubs, vegetable blends, or green tripe. These are beneficial foods and, in my opinion, should be in our dogs' diet, but our dogs can't thrive on sardines alone.
3 – Inexperienced Raw Feeders make some Products
I've been interviewed by several aspiring business owners who planned to launch a raw food brand. Many work with a veterinarian and/or pet food formulator, while a few make it out of their kitchen and sell it to friends. The later group raises questions about the food and if it's nutritionally complete.
4 – Some Brands are Honest About Their Ingredients (Allegedly)
Remember when a canned food/kibble brand got caught mislabeling their food? If I recall correctly, the can said beef, but the food was horse meat. Well, that sucked, and some raw food brands are doing the same, allegedly. A friend of mine had food she purchased for her dog tested. The brand only sold chicken blends, but each blend was labeled as a different protein.
5 – Some People are Only Feeding One Protein
So, this one isn't on the brand, it's on the dog owner. Some pet parents only feed one protein to their dogs. While the food may be nutritionally complete, I wonder about the nutrients other proteins bring to the diet. And I would be concerned about my dogs developing a protein sensitivity due to the lack of variety.
How to Determine if a Commercial Raw Diet is Balanced
While no individual raw food diet will be perfectly balanced for each dog, for this blog post, let's say that most are 95% balanced.
When I'm considering a commercial raw diet, one thing I ask is if there is anything I need to add to the bowl. The following are five examples of raw food brands to show you the difference between supplemental feeding and nutritionally complete.
Darwin's Natural Pet Food – Duck
Antibiotic-Free Meat (74.16%): Whole Duck (including bone), Duck Heads (including bone), Duck Necks (including bone), Duck Gizzards, Duck Livers, and Duck Hearts. Organic Vegetables (24.64%): Sweet Potato, Lettuce, Squash (seasonal), Carrots, Celery, and Parsley. Special Nutrient Mix (1.20%): Organic Sunflower Seed Oil, Fish Oil, Proprietary Vitamin, and Mineral Mix.
Wild Coast Raw – Duck
Whole Cleaned Duck (including bone), Turkey Gizzard, Duck Liver, Organic Carrots, Organic Zucchini, Organic Apples, Organic Kale, Organic Parsley, Cod Liver Oil, Kelp, Vitamin E Supplement. Meets AAFCO requirements for adult maintenance.
Columbia River – Duck
Ground Duck, Duck Heart, Duck Liver, Duck Bone.
Columbia River – Duck with Veggies
80% Ground Duck, Duck Heart, Duck Liver and Duck Bone. 20% Fresh Frozen Veggies (Broccoli, Cabbage, Squash, Parsley, Carrots, Sprouts, Spinach and Kale).
Comparing Ingredients of Commercial Raw Brands
When I'm comparing ingredients of raw dog food brands, I'm looking for a statement that tells me that the food is “balanced,” or I'm looking for a nutrient mix that would be used to achieve “balance.” I know Darwin's Pet has worked with professional diet formulators (Steve Brown and James Pendergast). And Wild Coast Raw states their food meets AAFCO standards. However, I believe their food far surpasses AAFCO standards.
Unlike Darwin's Pet and Wild Coast Raw, Columbia River states that it's for intermittent or supplement feeding. This lets me know that the food will not meet my dogs' nutritional needs alone. I need to add ingredients to achieve “balance.”
How to Balance a Commercial Raw Food Diet
Darwin's Pet and Wild Coast Raw
When I feed Darwin's Pet or Wild Coast Raw to my dogs, I may add sardines, fermented fish stock, a raw egg, or duck feet to the bowl – it's not necessary because I can feed the food without the additions and meet my dogs' nutritional needs. Still, I prefer variety, so I reduce the amount of raw dog food to make room for other ingredients. I do this because…
- variety is good – different foods bring different nutrients to the bowl
- enrichment – my dogs enjoy crunching on foods (duck feet, quail, etc.)
- saves money – adding other nutritious foods reduces the amount of raw dog food I'm feeding in a meal, which makes it last longer
But doesn't adding foods take the diet out of “balance?” Yeah, yes, it does. But by how much? And, over time, I believe that my dogs' diet is nutritionally complete.
Columbia River Pets
When I feed Columbia River Pets to my dogs, I have to do meal prep first to create a nutritionally complete meal, and it's very easy. The following are the ingredients I add and have been proven to work for my dogs through nutrient testing.
For every three chubs (6 lbs) of Columbia River Pets duck recipe…
- hydrate and mix in 1 cup of Dr. Harvey's Paradigm
- add 2 lbs of GreenTripe.com organ blend
- add 1 can of oysters (optional)
I may also add the following, not for “balance,” but for additional support now that we have three senior dogs in the house:
- add 3 tablespoons of green-lipped mussel powder – Omega 3 fatty acids, joint support, arthritis
- add 1 tablespoon of chia seeds – heart, skin/coat, immune system, joints, cognitive
- add 2 tablespoons of hemp seeds – gut, heart health, skin/coat
Other Raw Foods that are Intended for Supplemental Feeding
I hope that the examples I shared above are clear. To be honest, I prefer to buy foods that are for supplemental feeding because they're less expensive, they allow me to save time during meal prep, and they're easy to “balance.”
Other foods (that I feed) that fall into the Supplemental Feeding category include:
- green tripe and green tripe blends
- ground sardines, mackerel
- single protein foods (pork, venison, emu, etc.) where it's muscle meat only
What if the Packaging isn't Clear?
If you're feeding a brand and it's not clear if it's nutritionally complete or intended for supplemental feeding only – call the brand and ask.
Some brands will not tell you specifically (by amounts) what's in their food, and, to me, this is reasonable. Brands will give you a list of ingredients but not tell you the grams/ounces of each ingredient, citing proprietary blends. Some feel that this smacks of a lack of transparency, while others think this is good business. I wouldn't race to share a recipe blend I paid thousands to have formulated with every random person who asks (including my competitors).
Ultimately, each pet parent needs to determine what's important to them. If you need to know every ingredient (amount, sourcing, etc.) in the food you buy, you should purchase from brands that openly share this information. And if you find that you're more interested in determining if there is an ingredient that your dog can't eat, then that's when you contact the brand.
Either way, if you're not getting what you need from a brand, simply switch to another. With this growing community and the raw pet food industry, many pet parents have several brands to choose from, including DIY raw feeding.
