10 Best Raw Dog Foods in 2024 – Reviews & Top Picks

Raw food diets come with several benefits for your furry friend. Your dog won’t receive all of the benefits of a raw food diet if you don’t select the best food type available.

To make the process at least a little bit easier, we have provided reviews of the 10 best dog foods of the year. In this guide, you will learn about all the best raw dog foods, including their pros and cons. In the end, you get a buying guide to further help you make the selection and provide tips for transitioning your dog to a raw food diet.

A Glance at Our Top Picks (2024 Update)

The 10 Best Raw Dog Foods

1. Tylee’s Freeze-Dried Meals for Dogs – Best Overall

The best overall raw dog food is Tylee’s Freeze-Dried Meals for Dogs. What makes this raw dog food so great is that it can be used as a meal topper or as an entire meal for your dog. That way, you can slowly transition your dog to a raw food diet with ease.

This dog food is made entirely from cage-free chicken, wild-caught salmon, and fruits and veggies like pumpkin, broccoli, and blueberries. All fruits and vegetables used in this recipe are organic. The recipe even includes additional vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants for further nutritional benefits.

Pricewise, Tylee’s Freeze-Dried Meals for Dogs is relatively affordable. Although it is more expensive than regular dog food, which is to be expected from all raw dog foods, it is nowhere near as expensive as many of the other products on our list.

Between its fantastic ingredients, convenient design, and affordable price, Tylee’s Freeze-Dried Meals for Dogs is a great all-around best pick for raw dog foods of the year.

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2. Instinct Freeze-Dried Raw Boost Mixers Grain-Free Skin & Coat Health Recipe Dog Food Topper – Best Value

The best raw dog food for the money is the Instinct Freeze-Dried Raw Boost Mixers Grain-Free Skin & Coat Health Recipe Dog Food Topper. The reason why this is our best value pick is that it is highly affordable. It is way more inexpensive than any other product on our list.

In addition to the value, this food is still completely raw and contains nutritious ingredients that are great for your dog. It is made from cage-free chicken, wild-caught cod, and fruits and vegetables that increase the vitamins and minerals inside the food.

What this recipe does not include is grains, soy, wheat, potato, artificial flavor, or any preservatives. As a result, this affordable food only includes the ingredients your dog would eat in the wild.

The only drawback of this model is that it is primarily targeted as a food topper, which means it is only a supplement and not intended to be the sole food. So, it is a good choice when you are transitioning your dog from a regular kibble to a raw food diet. Once your dog is completely acclimated to the raw food diet, you will have to find a complete and balanced freeze-dried product to complement this nutritious topper.

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3. Instinct Raw Boost Grain-Free Recipe with Real Chicken & Freeze-Dried Raw Pieces Dry Dog Food

The Instinct Raw Boost Grain-Free Recipe with Real Chicken & Freeze-Dried Raw Pieces Dry Dog Food is our premium choice because it brings the convenience of regular dog food and the nutrition of raw dog food into one convenient package.

Unlike most of the other foods on this list, this dog food is designed to be your dog’s only food source. As a result, it comes in a huge package and can last many meals. What makes it stand out from the other products is that it is a combination of high-protein kibble and freeze-dried raw kibble.

By mixing two ingredients, you get the best of both worlds. Both aspects of this food are incredibly healthy, high in protein, and specifically made for your dog’s digestive health, skin health, and coat. Even regular kibble does not contain grain, potato, wheat, corn, soy, by-product meal, artificial colors, or preservatives.

The biggest downside of this dog food is expensive. Even though it does contain partial kibble, it is way more expensive than the other products on this list. Not to mention, it does not classify as a true raw food meal since it contains regular kibble.

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4. ORIJEN Puppy Dog Food – Best for Puppies

The ORIJEN Puppy Dog Food is the best raw dog food for puppies. All the other products on this list are specifically designed for dogs in their adult life stage, but this one is designed for puppies so that they can grow healthily and happily.

We love this dog food because it has a composition of 38% protein and 85% of its ingredients are high-quality animal products. The first five ingredients are either fresh or raw to provide the best benefits of a raw food diet. This grain-free food includes the most important parts of meat for dogs, including meat, bone, and organs. However, this product is not 100% raw, only raw-coated kibble.

Unfortunately, this product is on the expensive side. Granted, the ingredients inside are high quality and the package is very large. Regardless of these benefits, the price in and of itself is quite high.

If you are willing to pay anything for your puppy’s health, the ORIJEN Puppy Dog Food is the best puppy food you can get because of its incredible nutrition and high-protein diet.

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5. Stella & Chewy’s Chicken Dinner Patties Freeze-Dried Raw Dog Food

 

Another great raw dog food to try out is Stella & Chewy’s Chicken Dinner Patties Freeze-Dried Raw Dog Food. This recipe is made up of 95% cage-free chicken, including its meat, organs, and bones. The rest of the recipe is made up of fruits and vegetables for further vitamins and minerals.

Something great about this brand is that its products have limited ingredients and are 100% raw. All of the ingredients are responsibly sourced from farmers and ranchers they trust. To go one step further, all of the recipes are made within kitchens in the USA to monitor every step of the production process, and all their food batches are sent to a 3rd party testing facility.

In terms of price, Stella & Chewy’s Chicken Dinner Patties Freeze-Dried Raw Dog Food is a bit expensive, but it isn’t outrageous. It is more expensive than our best overall pick but more affordable than our premium pick. Thus, it is a good choice for those wanting to splurge a bit without spending an absolute fortune. The quantity is a bit small, though, which means you will have to buy it frequently if you have a large breed.

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6. ORIJEN Freeze-Dried Dog Food

ORIJEN doesn’t just create raw foods for puppies. ORIJEN Freeze-Dried Dog Food is suitable for dogs at all life stages. It is made from 90% quality animal ingredients, including cage-free eggs, wild-caught fish, and free-run chicken and turkey.

All aspects of the animal are included in this recipe for comprehensive benefits. The fruits and veggies used in this recipe are grain-free, protein-rich, and organic as well. As a result, the ingredients are biologically appropriate for your canine.

Even though the puppy formula was outrageously priced, this one is much more affordable. It is closest in price to our best overall pick, which makes it relatively affordable. You can use this food as a topper or as your dog’s main meal for further convenience.

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7. Instinct Freeze-dried Raw Boost Mixers Grain-Free Gut Health Recipe Dog Food Topper

The Instinct Freeze-dried Raw Boost Mixers Grain-Free Gut Health Recipe Dog Food Topper is a raw topper that you can pour over your dog’s regular kibble. The purpose of this topper design is to provide your dog with the nutrients it needs from raw food without forcing you to spend a fortune on an exclusively raw food diet.

Customers report that dogs go crazy over the pumpkin flavor. In addition to the pumpkin, this topper is made from cage-free chicken and fruits and vegetables to provide your dog with the healthiest diet possible. Plus, the product is made in the USA so that it is monitored carefully.

In terms of price, Instinct Freeze-dried Raw Boost Mixers Grain-Free Gut Health Recipe Dog Food Topper is highly affordable, but that’s because it is only a topper. You will still have to purchase regular dog food since there is not enough in this bag to serve as your dog’s primary food source.

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8. Stella & Chewy’s Stella’s Super Beef Meal Mixers Freeze-Dried Raw Dog Food Topper

Stella & Chewy’s Stella’s Super Beef Meal Mixers Freeze-Dried Raw Dog Food Topper is a good choice if you are looking for raw food treats. What’s unique about this product specifically is that it is designed as a topper or a treat. So, this is a great choice if you want little bits of raw food to give your dog on occasion.

Much like the other Stella & Chewy product, this one is a great quality high-protein product. 95% of the ingredients are made from grass-fed beef. The recipe is enhanced with 100% organic fruits and vegetables for further antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. All the while, it is free from gluten, fillers, grains, artificial ingredients, and colorings.

Of course, its small quantity in the package means that it is not suitable for your dog’s main food source. On top of this problem, it is expensive.

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9. ZIWI Peak Air-Dried Dog Food

ZIWI Peak Air-Dried Dog Food is a bit different from all the other products on our list because it is not freeze-dried, instead, it is air-dried. This process also helps retain all the nutrient properties so is still very healthy.

The recipe is made from 96% free-range beef and New Zealand green mussels. The recipe is completely free from grains and is considered low-carb. It is free from all cheap fillers, including grains, potatoes, and peas as well. For further benefits, the recipe includes 10% superfoods for an extra boost to your dog’s health.

All the while, all the ingredients used are completely ethical and sustainable, but the recipe itself is highly expensive. Another slight drawback is that air-dried has a different texture to freeze-dried food and some dogs need to get introduced to it gradually to accept it.

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10. The Honest Kitchen Human Grade Dehydrated Whole Grain Dog Food

The Honest Kitchen Human Grade Dehydrated Whole Grain Dog Food is a good choice if you want an incredibly affordable natural food that serves as your dog’s entire meal. It is made from free-range chicken and organic grains, but you can select other flavors as well, including turkey, beef, fish, and more.

Something unique about this product is that it is 100% human-grade. This means that the ingredients are suitable for human consumption, and the food itself is made in a human food facility. As a result, you can trust that this food is safe for your dog to eat.

Although there are a lot of good things about this product, you need to keep in mind that this food is dehydrated and needs to be reconstituted with hot water before serving. While low temperatures are used to remove all moisture from dehydrated products, this food is still considered raw because the temperature is never high enough to start cooking the food and changing the protein structures.

Buyer’s Guide: How to Choose the Best Raw Dog Foods

How To Switch Your Dog’s Diet

Before immediately switching your dog to a raw food diet, you have to acclimate the dog’s stomach first. If you transition its food too quickly, the dog’s digestive system might get irritated, often resulting in digestive issues. To avoid this, you must slowly integrate a raw food diet into the dogs’ current food.

Begin by using raw food as a food topper. This allows your dog time to get used to the raw food while still providing added nutrients you want from the raw food. As your dog gains a taste and stomach for the raw food, gradually increase the amount of raw food, and decrease the amount of kibble.

Depending on your preferences, you might always want to keep some kibble in your dog’s diet. If you go for a completely raw food diet, make sure to monitor your dog’s health and weight carefully to avoid overfeeding and underfeeding.

Factors To Considering When Buying Raw Dog Food for Your Canine

When you are first considering raw foods for your dog, there are some factors you need to consider. First and foremost, consider the ingredients inside the food. Raw food will only be as effective as the ingredients inside it. You want most of the recipe to be made up of sustainable and healthy meat, but there should be some fruit and veggie additives as well.

Next, consider how the food is preserved. Raw food is typically preserved through freeze-dried or air-dried methods. This locks in the nutrients while retaining the tasty flavor that dogs want.

Finally, consider the price of the food. Raw dog food is simply more expensive than regular dog food. There’s no avoiding this fact. You can look for different foods that fit your intended price range, though. Make sure that the raw dog food you select offers great benefits and nutrition without destroying your entire budget.

If you can’t afford a completely raw food diet for your dog, we recommend opting for toppers instead. Raw toppers will give your dog the benefits of raw food without forcing you to pay the expensive amount for a raw food diet.

Our Selection Process For Best Raw Dog Food for Your Canine

To create this buyer’s guide, our writing team and editorial staff checked customer reviews, brand reputation, and veterinary approval ratings to present the raw dog food we think should be highlighted for our readers. In some cases, we conducted hands-on testing along with seeing how much our dogs liked the raw dog food. All these factors were considered when selecting these listed raw dog food to help you make the best purchase for your furry friends.

Why Trust Dogster?

Since 2004, Dogster has been a trusted brand for dog owners online, which means we have a lot of experience with raw dog food. We take pride in promoting the well-being of all dogs—from toy breeds to giant canines. Our in-house veterinarians, writers, and editors examine each product on our lists, ensuring its quality and reputation. As pet owners ourselves, we only want the best for our furry companions. At Dogster, we are transparent about the products we promote. The nutritional information, overall brand reputation, and customer reviews are all considered for these lists. We inform you how we want to be informed.

 

Final Verdict

Allow your dog to live as healthily as possible with a raw food diet. If you are looking for a completely raw food plan for your pooch, we recommend Tylee’s Freeze-Dried Meals for Dogs or Instinct Raw Boost Grain-Free Recipe with Real Chicken & Freeze-Dried Raw Pieces Dry Dog Food. If you are on a budget, we recommend the Instinct Freeze-Dried Raw Boost Mixers Grain-Free Skin & Coat Health Recipe Dog Food Topper. instead.

Even if you read reviews carefully, make sure to perform your due diligence by considering the factors above and slowly integrating the raw food diet into your dog’s lifestyle.

You Might Also Be Interested In:

• Maev Dog Food Review: Recalls, Pros & Cons
• Instinct Dog Food Review: Recalls, Pros & Cons

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Featured Image By: Ermolaev Alexander, Shutterstock