Is DIY Raw Dog Food Nutritionally Complete?

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Are DIY raw food diets nutritionally complete? I ran my most common recipes by a nutritionist/meal formulator to learn what I could do to improve my meal prep.

Have you been told that DIY raw dog food isn't nutritionally complete? You're not alone. People often reference a “study” when trying to convince pet parents that homemade dog food is too hard to make and debunk the practice of balancing over time. In the study, 200 recipes were reviewed, and they found 95 percent of the recipes “examined resulted in food that was lacking in the necessary levels of at least one essential nutrient, and more than 83 percent of the recipes had multiple nutrient deficiencies.” People now use this “study” to promote commercial raw or cooked pet food.

Like many studies, it's easy to cherry-pick the information that supports an already-held belief. But I have questions:

I incorporate a base mix that isn't in the Animal Diet Formulator database, so I cannot figure this out for myself. Working with an animal nutritionist gave me the confidence that the diet I formulated is nutritionally complete. I've also nutrient-tested my dogs through ParsleyPet twice and received excellent grades on their diet.

What I learned from my friend, the animal nutritionist, was a pleasant surprise.

My DIY Raw Food Recipes

RECIPE ONE – Rabbit

10 pounds ground whole rabbit with bone and organs
2 cups Dr. Harvey's Paradigm or Raw Vibrance

RECIPE TWO – Duck

2 whole ducks with bone (five pounds each, total 10 pounds) – no organ meat
4 pounds beef organ blend that includes beef heart, tongue, lungs, liver, spleen, and pancreas with green tripe
1-1/2 cups of Dr. Harvey's Paradigm or Raw Vibrance

RECIPE THREE – Pork

10 pounds ground pork shoulder
4 pounds beef organ blend that includes beef heart, tongue, lungs, liver, spleen, and pancreas with green tripe
1-1/2 cups of Dr. Harvey's Paradigm or Raw Vibrance

RECIPE FOUR – Quail

10 pounds ground quail with bone
4 pounds beef organ blend that includes beef heart, tongue, lungs, liver, spleen, and pancreas with green tripe
1-1/2 cups of Dr. Harvey's Paradigmn or Raw Vibrance

Nutritional Review is Based on My Dogs

Rodrigo weighs 58 lbs and eats 1.5 lbs daily
Zoey weighs 65 lbs and eats 1.25 lbs daily
Apollo weighs 78 lbs and eats 1.56 lbs daily
Bella weighs 35 lbs and ate 2.56 lbs daily

The amount I feed to my dogs changes based on their activity levels. At the time of this article, Bella was a growing puppy, and the amount she ate daily changed. I used the Feed Real calculator to determine how much to feed her.

Ingredients in Dr. Harvey's Base Mixes

I alternate between Paradigm and Raw Vibrance.

Paradigm: Green Beans, Broccoli, Bone Broth, Red and Green Bell Pepper, Cabbage, Pumpkin, Celery, Kelp, Alfalfa, Turmeric, Ginger, Red Clover, Dandelion, Cinnamon, Crushed Eggshell, Tricalcium Phosphate, Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Taurine, Selenium Yeast, Vitamin E Supplement, Copper Proteinate, Nicotinic Acid, Manganese Proteinate, L-Carnitine, Vitamin A Acetate, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Biotin, Calcium Iodate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid

Raw Vibrance: Broccoli, Green Beans, Squash, Celery, Cabbage, Carrots, Crushed Eggshell, Spinach, Beets, Raw Goat’s Milk Powder, Apples, Blueberries, Bone Meal, Sesame Seeds, Chia Seeds, Shiitake Mushrooms, Green Lipped Mussel Powder, Ginger, Kelp, Parsley, Eggshell Membrane

Notes from the Animal Nutritionist

– For whole ground rabbit, Destiny used nutritional data provided by Hare Today on their 80/10/10 blend. There is little nutritional data on rabbit organs so that the values may be over or understated.

– For the organ blend, I used an estimated guess based on the information given supposedly by the company to a distributor of how much of each ingredient is in their blend. Values may be under or overstated.

– Pork shoulder data is for Whole Pork Shoulder (there are various pork shoulder cuts to choose from).

– Data on quail was collected from sources like Rodent Pro.

– Destiny compared data using both base mixes to see which was better overall. Raw Vibrance is the better base mix with my recipes.

– Doesn’t account for any eggs, goat's milk, fish broth, freeze-dried foods, etc., I feed that could provide nutrients.

– The numbers are based on the nutrients per 1000 Kcals based on how much each dog would eat from the recipe I provided.

Nutrient Deficiencies in All Recipes

The following are recommended changes to my recipes. The “pleasant surprise” is that I've been doing these things through supplementation. I only provided the ingredients in my meal prep, not what I added to each bowl.

1 – All recipes are very low in iodine and require supplementation; one 150 mcg NOW tablet per day/dog. This wouldn’t get to 100% RA to account for possible Iodine not being accounted for in other foods with little data.

I add Life Line organic kelp as a source of iodine and to support my dogs' thyroid health (glandular health), and metabolism. My dogs also enjoy pasture-raised eggs, raw goat's milk, kefir, and nori.

2 – All recipes need Vitamin E supplementation; one serving of Solgar Vitamin E (0.5 ML) per day/dog.

I add Life Line wild Alaskan salmon oil (4-5 days weekly) as a source of Omega-3 fatty acids, Vitamin D, and Vitamin E. I also feed pasture-raised chicken and duck eggs (every other day), which are rich in Vitamin D and E.

3 – All recipes need a Vitamin D source, 2-3 ounce canned mackerel (also assists with any low magnesium) per day/dog.

I supplement Vitamin D by feeding salmon oil (4-5 days weekly) and pasture-raised chicken and duck eggs (every other day).

4 – All recipes need oysters to boost zinc and get a better Zn:Cu ratio; a minimum of 67 grams of oysters per day/per dog. Since Apollo is part husky and they have higher zinc requirements, he can get up to 100 grams of oysters in all recipes to boost the Zn:Cu closer to 15:1 for him.

I feed canned, boiled oysters to my dogs in two ways. I either split a can between my dogs twice a week or mix three cans in every 20-quart blend of raw. I source oysters from Walmart, buying the entire stock from two or three stores twice a year.

Notes for Feeding Puppies

Due to their rapid growth, puppies have higher nutrient requirements than adult dogs, and my recipes would need a lot of tweaking to make them okay for puppies. Destiny provided the following recommendations to adjust my recipes for Bella.

RECIPE ONE: Rabbit

42% of the diet of the Rabbit & Raw Vibrance mixture
12% of the diet should be oily fish (I used sardines) for extra Vitamin D, various minerals, B vitamins, and EPA/DHA
12% of the diet should be more of the organ blend (TOMB sourced from GreenTripe.com) for added Iron, Copper, and B vitamins
11% of the diet should be additional muscle meat (I used pork shoulder) for amino acids and LA
6% of the diet should be RMB (I used Duck Necks) for calcium
6% of the diet should be oysters for zinc
6% of the diet should be plain green tripe for manganese
A duck egg should be fed with this meal for amino acids, B vitamins, and extra minerals. (Average weight would make up the remaining % of the diet)
Vitamin E should be added & Kelp.

RECIPE TWO: Duck

This recipe is extremely high in fat, very close to the SUL of fat recommended, even with only feeding less than half of the meal as the main recipe.

42% of the diet of the Duck/Organs/Raw Vibrance mixture
17% of the diet should be more of the organ blend (TOMB sourced from GreenTripe.com) for added Iron, Copper, and B vitamins
17% of the diet should be oily fish (I used sardines) for extra Vitamin D, various minerals, B vitamins, and EPA/DHA
9% of the diet should be plain green tripe for manganese
8% of the diet should be oysters for zinc
A duck egg should be fed with this meal for amino acids, B vitamins, and extra minerals. (Average weight would make up the remaining % of the diet)
Vitamin E should be added & Kelp

RECIPE THREE: Pork

39% of the diet of the Pork/Organ/Raw Vibrance mixture
16% of the diet should be more of the organ blend (TOMB sourced from GreenTripe.com) for added Iron, Copper, and B vitamins
16% of the diet should be oily fish (I used sardines) for extra Vitamin D, various minerals, B vitamins, and EPA/DHA
11% of the diet should be RMB (I used Duck Necks) for calcium
8% of the diet should be plain green tripe for manganese
5% of the diet should be oysters for zinc
A duck egg should be fed with this meal for amino acids, B vitamins, and extra minerals. (Average weight would make up the remaining % of the diet)
Vitamin E should be added & Kelp

RECIPE FOUR: Quail

40% of the diet of the Quail/Organ/Raw Vibrance mixture
13% of the diet should be more of the organ blend (TOMB sourced from GreenTripe.com) for added Iron, Copper, and B vitamins
13% of the diet should be oily fish (I used sardines) for extra Vitamin D, various minerals, B vitamins, and EPA/DHA
10% of the diet should be additional muscle meat (I used pork shoulder) for amino acids and LA
7% of the diet should be plain green tripe for manganese.
7% of the diet should be RMB (I used Duck Necks) for calcium
5% of the diet should be oysters for zinc
A duck egg should be fed with this meal for amino acids, B vitamins, and extra minerals. (Average weight would make up the remaining % of the diet)
Vitamin E should be added & Kelp

Commercial Raw vs. DIY for Puppies

Instead of preparing a separate meal for Bella, I feed commercial raw. This is a personal choice because I understand the importance of meeting a puppy's nutritional needs and I don't want to cause long-term health issues by making a mistake.

However, it's important to note that not all commercial raw blends are formulated for puppies.

Bella ate Small Batch freeze-dried as a compromise when she was our foster; I didn't want to feed her kibble. I currently alternate several raw brands, including Darwin's Pet, Wild Coast Raw, Solutions Pet Food, and We Feed Raw.

Wild Coast Raw's duck, turkey, and beef recipes are formulated for adult dogs and require more calcium (seaweed calcium or raw meaty bones) and fat (raw goat's milk, kefir, grass-fed butter). Only their pork/rabbit recipe is formulated for all life stages.

Additional Notes on Each Recipe

Most of the recipes are pretty high in iron (likely due to the organ blend containing spleen). Destiny recommends Raw Vibrance over Paradigm as a base mix; in her notes, the Omega 3:6 ratio was better with Raw Vibrance.

RECIPE ONE – RABBIT

Using 2 Cups Raw Vibrance, these are the most noticeable things:

Magnesium is around 50-60%
Zinc is around 49-58%
Iodine is at 6%
Vitamin E is around 32-39%
Vitamin D is at 0%
Zn:Cu ratio is low at 2.5:1
Ca:P ratio is high at 1.5:1

Aside from the abovementioned items, a lower Ca:P is recommended. I can accomplish this by reducing 2-3 ounces of my recipe per bowl and adding boneless meat, like pork shoulder.

Using 2 Cups Paradigm, these are the most notable things:

Magnesium is around 45-57%
Zinc is around 62-78%
Iodine is at 16-20%
Zn:Cu ratio is low at 2.9:1
Vitamin E is around 7-9%
Vitamin D is at 0%

Aside from the abovementioned items, it's recommended that I add 2-3 ounces of cooked (or frozen) spinach per bowl to boost magnesium. I'm uncomfortable feeding spinach because most in the US are treated with chemicals.

Other sources of magnesium include chia seeds, avocados, fatty fish, and leafy greens. I make a vegetable blend that has chia and hemp seeds as an ingredient. I now add this blend to my meal prep.

RECIPE TWO – DUCK

This is a high-fat recipe; fat content may vary based on each duck.

Using 1.5 Cups of Raw Vibrance, these are the most notable things:

Vitamin E is around 64%
Vitamin D is at 0%
Ca:P ratio is quite high at 1.7:1
Zn:Cu is 3.1:1

Aside from the abovementioned items, a lower Ca:P is recommended. I can accomplish this by reducing 4 ounces of my recipe per bowl and adding boneless meat, like pork shoulder.

Using 1 Cup Paradigm, these are the most notable things:

Vitamin E is at 15%
Vitamin D is at 0%
Zn:Cu ratio is 3.5:1
Omega 6:3 ratio is too low (under 1:1)

RECIPE THREE – PORK

When I sent Destiny my recipes, I failed to include bone. When feeding a boneless protein, I always add ground duck wings to the blend (wing, not drummette). I also add duck feet to my dogs' meals daily, one week each month.

Using 1.5 Cups of Raw Vibrance, these are the most notable things:

Vitamin E is around 57%
Vitamin D is at 0%
Ca:P ratio is too low at 0.8:1
Zn:Cu ratio is 4.7:1
Omega 6:3 ratio is 10.7:1

Aside from the abovementioned items, this diet requires raw meaty bones (I use duck wings). Destiny recommends 3 ounces (minimum) of duck necks or 4-5 ounces (minimum) of duck feet per bowl to boost Ca:P levels around 1.1:1 – 1.3:1 ratio.

Using 1.5 Cups of Paradigm, these are the most notable things:

Calcium is around 48%
Ca:P ratio is very low at 0.3:1
Zn:Cu ratio is 5:1
Vitamin E is around 14%
Vitamin D is at 0%
Omega 6:3 ratio is under 1:1 (too low)

RECIPE FOUR – QUAIL

Using 1.5 cups of Raw Vibrance, these are the most notable things:

Selenium at 67%
Zn:Cu ratio is 3.8:1
Choline is around 24%
Vitamin E is around 64%
Vitamin D is at 0%

Using 1 Cup of Paradigm, these are the notable things:

Selenium is around 69%
Zn:Cu is 4.4:1
Choline is around 25%
Vitamin E is around 15%
Vitamin D is at 0%
Omega 6:3 ratio is less than 1:1

Aside from the abovementioned items, one duck egg per bowl (boosts selenium and choline). As it happens, I alternate pasture-raised chicken and duck eggs in my dogs' diet. I feed eggs every other day, one egg per dog. Destiny recommends adding eggshells to this diet to keep Ca:P ratio in check (without them, the ratio drops to 0.9:1).

I occasionally add duck feet (sometimes rabbit feet) to my dogs' meals.

5 Things I Learned from this Experience

1 – Everyone is pulling data from different places, so it's challenging to determine what my dogs need. Therefore, I believe it's a good idea to use different sources when balancing a dog's diet; in my case, that's nutritional blueprint testing and nutrition consultation.

2 – I now have proof, other than ParsleyPet, that my diet for my dogs isn't half bad.

3 – Raw Vibrance may be a better base mix for my dogs than Paradigm, which is low glycemic. Raw Vibrance doesn't contain synthetic nutrients.

4 – Working with a certified nutritionist is much easier than figuring this out independently if you don't have this skillset/knowledge.

5 – I nearly forgot how fun it is to learn something new about my dogs' diet. In this case, revisiting what I was feeding my dogs was fun to confirm that I was checking all the nutritional boxes.

Why I Don't Second Guess Myself

It's easy to begin second-guessing yourself when you learn that your dog's diet may need work. Three facts are always in the back of my mind.

1 – There currently are no nutritional standards for raw-fed dogs. Until companies are willing to invest funds in a feeding trial, our information comes from kibble-fed dogs.

2 – Most of the nutritional information in foods comes from the USDA, which focuses on food for humans, not dogs. Fur and green tripe, for example, aren't included in their database.

3 – Every dog absorbs nutrients differently. I can meet every nutrient requirement (according to the NRC) and still have a deficient diet if my dog only absorbs some nutrients. Rodrigo was diagnosed with Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency in 2019. His pancreas no longer produces digestive enzymes; I add them to each meal.

This experience was valuable; I don't plan to ignore the recommendations.