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.
For those after a quick look, here is our Top 5:
For a more in-depth look at the comprehensive top 10 selection, make sure to read on to learn more about the different types of raw dog food available and understand how our ranking was determined.
This article's chosen EC site price listings are reflective of its publishing date.
Image | 1 ![]() Nutriment Raw | 2 ![]() 8in1® | 3 ![]() Bella & Duke | 4 ![]() Nature's Variety | 5 ![]() 4PAWSRAW | 6 ![]() Cotswold Raw | 7 ![]() AniForte® | 8 ![]() Benyfit Natural® | 9 ![]() Nature's Menu | 10 ![]() Nutriment Raw |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Name | Enhanced Raw Diet Formula: Working Adult Dog Food | Meaty Treats: Chicken & Carrot | Working Dog Raw Food | Freeze Dried Meat Chunks: 100% Beef | Raw Dog Food Mixed Meat Variety Box | Active 80/20 Dog Food | Fruit & Vegetables With Herbs | Sensitive Adult Working Dog Raw Food | Puppy - Chicken With Lamb | Enhanced Raw Diet Formula: Working Puppy Food |
Features | A Complete Meal Containing a High Level of Good-Quality Meats and Superfoods | A Freeze-Dried Meat and Veg Mix That's Perfect for Training and Topping Meals | Made With Locally-Grown Vegetables and Human-Grade Meat | A Freeze-Dried Snack That's Ideal for Fussy Eaters | Follow the Popular 80/10/10 BARF Ratio With This Complementary Meal | A Complete Balanced Meal Featuring a Range of Meats, Bones and Veg | A Complementary Fruit, Veg and Herb Mix to Blend With Raw Meat | Everything You Need for a Dog With a Sensitive Stomach | A Tasty Meal for Puppies Featuring Chicken, Lamb and Rice | Specifically Formulated for Puppies up to 6 Months |
Price | £28.99 | £3.40 | £38.99 | £29.95 | £43.95 | £41.95 | £15.99 | £60.95 | £15.09 | £28.99 |
Type | Complete | Complementary | Complete | Complementary | Complete | Complete | Complementary | Complete | Complete | Complete |
Meat Content | 85% | 88% | 85% | 100% | 100% | 80% | 0% | 80% | 68% | 90% |
Protein Content | 14% | 75% | 16.8% | 38% | - | 15.1% | 14.25% | 16.4% | 10.6% | 12.6% |
Fat Content | - | 7% | 12.2-19.3% (depending on flavour) | 29% | - | 10.9-14.4% (depending on flavour) | 1.41% | 6% | 5.9% | - |
Recommended Age | Adult dogs | Any | Any | Any | Any | Adult dogs | Any | Adult dogs | From weaning | Up to 6 months |
Quantity | 10 x 500 g | 50 g | 16 x 500 g | 5 x 200 g | 20 x 560 g | 1 kg x 8 | 1 kg | 20 x 500 g | 8 x 300 g | 10 x 500 g |
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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.
This selection has been compiled by the writing team at mybest UK via careful evaluation of the points made in the buying guide and thorough research of each product and comparing multiple verified customer reviews across the EC sites used.
£28.99
Type | Complete |
---|---|
Meat Content | 85% |
Protein Content | 14% |
Fat Content | - |
Recommended Age | Adult dogs |
Quantity | 10 x 500 g |
£3.40
Type | Complementary |
---|---|
Meat Content | 88% |
Protein Content | 75% |
Fat Content | 7% |
Recommended Age | Any |
Quantity | 50 g |
£38.99
Type | Complete |
---|---|
Meat Content | 85% |
Protein Content | 16.8% |
Fat Content | 12.2-19.3% (depending on flavour) |
Recommended Age | Any |
Quantity | 16 x 500 g |
£29.95
Type | Complementary |
---|---|
Meat Content | 100% |
Protein Content | 38% |
Fat Content | 29% |
Recommended Age | Any |
Quantity | 5 x 200 g |
£43.95
Type | Complete |
---|---|
Meat Content | 100% |
Protein Content | - |
Fat Content | - |
Recommended Age | Any |
Quantity | 20 x 560 g |
£41.95
Type | Complete |
---|---|
Meat Content | 80% |
Protein Content | 15.1% |
Fat Content | 10.9-14.4% (depending on flavour) |
Recommended Age | Adult dogs |
Quantity | 1 kg x 8 |
£15.99
Type | Complementary |
---|---|
Meat Content | 0% |
Protein Content | 14.25% |
Fat Content | 1.41% |
Recommended Age | Any |
Quantity | 1 kg |
£60.95
Type | Complete |
---|---|
Meat Content | 80% |
Protein Content | 16.4% |
Fat Content | 6% |
Recommended Age | Adult dogs |
Quantity | 20 x 500 g |
£15.09
Type | Complete |
---|---|
Meat Content | 68% |
Protein Content | 10.6% |
Fat Content | 5.9% |
Recommended Age | From weaning |
Quantity | 8 x 300 g |
£28.99
Type | Complete |
---|---|
Meat Content | 90% |
Protein Content | 12.6% |
Fat Content | - |
Recommended Age | Up to 6 months |
Quantity | 10 x 500 g |
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.
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