When Raw Food Just Isn’t An Option
We understand that a raw food diet isn’t suitable for every dog or household. Just as with human nutrition, transitioning a dog’s diet is a lifestyle change that must work for both the dog and the owner. With this in mind, we’ve carefully curated a list of alternative diets we’d recommend for dogs if raw feeding isn’t an option.
This list has been refined over the years, and this is the most up-to-date version.
What To Prioritise When Choosing A Dog Food:
1. Protein Content: High-quality protein is essential for maintaining your dog’s health.
2. Moisture: Dogs thrive on moisture-rich diets, so dry dog food (kibble) should ideally be paired with fresh, hydrating additions.
Because of the way kibble is manufactured, we always recommend selecting a brand with the highest protein content possible. Additionally, kibble-only diets are not ideal, so incorporating healthy, fresh foods into the bowl is essential. For inspiration, check out our Superfood Library, which includes a variety of foods and herbs you can add to boost your dog’s nutrition.
How Our List Works
• Diet types are ranked from most recommended to least recommended, with freeze-dried or air-dried diets being at the top of our list and kibble at the bottom.
• Within each diet type, we’ve highlighted trusted brands to make it easier for you to choose the best option for your dog.
By taking this tailored approach, we ensure there’s an option to suit every dog and every lifestyle, while still prioritising your dog’s health and wellbeing. Check out the full list to explore the best feeding options beyond raw!
This Is Our UK List. For USA Raw Alternatives click here.
And If You’re Looking For USA Raw Recommendations click here
Freeze Dried/Dry Raw
● Rocketo
● Coya
● Zenoo available in; U.K., USA, Europe, & Poland.
● McAdams
Cooked Dog Food
● Boost Pets - (Some single proteins) Beef/chicken/pork/fish/turkey/Chicken & beef & pork offer Meals and meatballs variety.
(Available in Marks & Spencer’s & Sainsburys, Tescos & CO-Op superstores currently. They also ship food directly from their own website)
● Monty’s Larder - beef/lamb/fish
●Teds Bowl (available from Ocado and directly from their own website)
●Fidellis Cooked Food (rice free recipes only)
● Poppy’s Picnic - only the mighty mince range.
● Years! - contains quinoa
● Phoenix Bark - contains lentils (lentil free recipes coming soon) chicken, beef, Turkey, lamb and venison recipes. Available in Ireland and England.
● Marley Bones Cooked Food available in Waitrose stores aswell as online.
●Butternut box - high in legumes - Last resort option and definitely not suitable for those with MVD due to the use of legumes which are pro inflammatory.
Home cooked Recipes
● THCKCS Recipes - Check them out here
● Dr Judy Morgan Puploaf - Puploaf Recipe Here
●Dr Karen Becker recipe - Find the recipe video here
Wet Dog Food
If you are looking for wet food always look for at least 65% meat ideally 70% (Interesting wet food fact for you, any brand declaring over 70% meat content is claiming the water content as meat!)
Akela wet 70% meat (some single proteins) beef/venison/fish/lamb/duck & Turkey/chicken & goose/kangaroo/chicken & Turkey & fish
Core Wellness - 70% meat (claim 95% but this includes water content) some single protein options chicken & duck/turkey & goat/lamb/beef/turkey
Eden wet dog food 70% meat(goose & rabbit/duck & herring/salmon & pheasant)
Riverwood Mono Protein Dog Food 70% meat single protein/grain and plant matter free (lamb/beef/Turkey/wild boar/goat/horse/venison)
Naturavetal 70% meat (pollock/venison/horse/beef/buffalo/chicken/lamb/Turkey/duck)
Scrumbles wet food 70% meat *cooked in tray at higher temperatures than tins (chicken/salmon/Turkey)
Animonda gran carno superfoods 68% meat (beef/chicken/duck in 80/10/10) (chicken/lamb/Turkey/beef/ in superfoods)
Happy dog 67% single protein/grain and plant matter free meat (lamb/buffalo/duck/Turkey/kangaroo/venison/beef/ostrich/horse)
Wow dog food - 67% meat (beef, lamb, salmon, venison, turkey) - lentil free
Celtic connection wet 65% meat (lamb & goat/duck & goose/chicken & turkey/salmon & trout)
Nutriwolds wet 61.5% meat chicken/beef *only brand to not use synthetic premixes
Edgard & cooper wet 60% meat (chicken & Turkey/ lamb & beef/game & duck/beef/salmon & Turkey/duck & chicken/chicken & salmon)
Miraculous Meals 60% meat (lamb & beef/ chicken & turkey/ salmon & turkey)
Foods slightly below the 60% minimum but cost friendly alternatives:
Collards wet 50% (chicken/Turkey/duck)
Naturo tins 50% (chicken/beef/Turkey/duck/beef & chicken/pork/salmon & chicken/tuna & chicken/Turkey & chicken)
The following foods state they are above the 60% but claim to be over 70% which likely means some of the meat content is actually water/broth:
Nature Diet Purely wet 92% meat *claim 92% but any brand declaring over 70% meat content is claiming the water content as meat! Single protein/grain and plant matter free
Rockster 87.5% meat *claim 87.5% but any brand declaring over 70% meat content is claiming the water content as meat! Single protein/grain and plant matter free
Country hunter (tins) 80% meat *claim 80% but any brand declaring over 70% meat content is claiming the water content as meat!
Dry Dog Food
● eden 80:20 - (use caged animals)
● Growling Tums - Superfood Adult
Cold Pressed
We have listed cold-pressed food last on our recommended list as the manufacturing process typically means the carbohydrate content is higher than the dry dog foods we typically recommend (A typical ratio of 80/20)
●Wild - Dehydrated & cold pressed
Can’t find a food suitable for your needs?
To ensure you’re feeding your dog the healthiest food possible, it’s important to understand how to calculate the protein and carbohydrate content in commercial dog foods.
This knowledge can help you evaluate new foods by yourself. Start by checking the Guaranteed Analysis on the food’s label, which provides the minimum percentages of protein, fat, moisture, and sometimes ash.
To calculate the dry matter (DM) basis, remove the moisture percentage to determine the food’s dry matter content.
Then, divide the protein percentage by the dry matter percentage and multiply by 100 to find the protein content on a dry matter basis. For carbohydrates, add the percentages of protein, fat, moisture, and ash (if ash is not listed, assume 7% for kibble or 2% for wet food), and subtract this total from 100. Calculating these values ensures you’re making informed, up-to-date decisions about your dog’s nutrition.
Example Calculation:
If the nutritional analysis label lists
• Protein: 20%
• Fat: 15%
• Moisture: 10%
• Ash: 5%
1. Dry Matter: 100 - 10 (moisture) = 90% dry matter.
2. Protein on Dry Matter Basis: (20 ÷ 90) × 100 = 22.22% protein.
3. Carbohydrate Percentage: 100 - (20 + 15 + 10 + 5) = 50% carbohydrates.
Comparing foods on a dry matter basis gives a more accurate picture of nutrient content. For instance, a wet food might seem lower in protein than a kibble, but when moisture is removed, it could actually contain a higher percentage of protein.
By using the dry matter percentage, you can confidently choose the best food for your dog’s nutritional needs!
Trusted UK Brands For Healthy Dog Treats
When in doubt, choose brands that prioritize natural, high-quality ingredients. Below are some UK-based companies renowned for their transparency and dedication to pet health:
• JR Pet Products: Single-ingredient, natural treats and chews.
• Skippers Fish Treats: Sustainably sourced fish-based snacks.
• Fish for Dogs: Omega-3-rich fish products.
• Anco: Natural chews free from artificial additives.
• Finer by Nature: Air-dried, preservative-free treats.
• Nova Dog Chews: Long-lasting chews without harmful fillers.
• Just Ere For Treats: Natural chews free from artificial additives.
For our USA Raw food alternatives click here
Why not check out our database to compare prices?
