We Feed Raw is based in Charleston. We Feed Raw ships raw dog foods direct to consumer. It has multiple distribution centers for this. They offer 6 pre-made raw meals. The foods use HPP processing to remove pathogens.
For our We Feed Raw dog food review, we’ll look at the food ingredient quality and safety of each line of food. Our dog food reviews are based on these criteria.
IS WE FEED RAW A GOOD DOG FOOD?
We Feed Raw’s raw foods are a low risk dog food by our criteria. There are 6 recipes. The average protein is 44%. There are negligible carbohydrates. This is what we expect to see in raw dog food.
The recipes are formulated to AAFCO All Life Stages. The foods are single protein recipes with meat, bone and organs. Beef, chicken, turkey and duck are sourced in the US. The beef is grass fed but not grass finished. The poultry is conventionally raised. Lamb and venison are pasture-raised, grass fed and grass finished. They are sourced from New Zealand.
The company states their meats are USDA certified. The food is made in a USDA certified facility. They are human-grade. Until recently, human grade wasn’t a recognized term by AAFCO. AAFCO is the regulatory body that establishes guidelines for the pet food industry. It was strictly a marketing term. AAFCO has new guidelines for facilities producing human-grade pet foods. Among them, companies must have documentation. They must show that every ingredient and process is human grade. There is a break-in period of several years.
The company sources better quality meat products. It’s disappointing that the duck, chicken and turkey are conventionally raised. Conventionally raised poultry tends to have a high level of omega-6 fatty acids. This can have an inflammatory effect.
This is a raw, minimally processed food, so the ingredient safety score is 10/10. This is for each recipe.
The fat percentage is lower than protein, which is desirable in a raw food.
There are also added vitamins and minerals. The recipes lack produce to provide these nutrients. It’s preferable that vitamins and minerals come from whole food ingredients. That makes them safe and bioavailable. One mineral of concern is sodium selenite as the source of selenium. Selenium is usually added in very small amounts. Research suggests sodium selenite may be associated with potential toxicity. Selenium yeast is the preferred form.
We Feed Raw doesn’t state the omega-6:omega-3 ratio in their recipes. This is true of most companies. It’s a concern because AAFCO allows a very inflammatory ratio of 30:1. Diets rich in omega-6 fats can cause chronic inflammation.
We Feed Raw
Score: 9/10
Ingredient List For Venison Patty Recipe: Venison, Beef Heart, Beef Liver, Beef Kidney, Beef Necks (with bone), Flaxseed, Calcium Carbonate, Zinc Sulfate, Sodium Selenite, Vitamin E, Supplement, Niacin Supplement, Copper Sulfate, Manganese Sulfate, Calcium Pantothenate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin B12, Supplement, Calcium Iodate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid
We Feed Raw Benefits
- Minimally processed
- Grass fed, grass finished lamb and venison
- No ingredient safety concerns
- Fat is lower than protein
- Negligible carbohydrates
We Feed Raw Concerns
- Excessive added vitamins and minerals
- Conventionally raised poultry
- Does not provide omega-6:omega-3 ratio
View The Entire Review on Dog Food Reviews
WE FEED RAW DOG FOOD RECALLS
To date, We Feed Raw has not had any recalls or voluntary withdrawals.
Evaluation Criteria
We evaluate and score dog foods based on two criteria:
Are the Ingredients High Quality?
Here are some common low-quality ingredients or markers we look for:
- Is there excessive carbohydrate content, which can cause gut imbalances?
- Does the food contain unnamed proteins, which are low quality?
- Does the food use cellulose (wood pulp) as a source of fiber instead of real food?
- Are there excessive vitamins and minerals added in place of real food nutrition?
- Are there excessive added amino acids or plant proteins instead of expensive meat protein?
- Does the food contain inflammatory processed seed oils?
How Safe Are the Ingredients?
Many ingredients come from unhealthy, inflammatory sources or are full of pesticides so we look for:
- How processed is the food?
- Does the food contain known genetically modified foods?
- Does the food contain ingredients known to be high in pesticides?
- Does the food contain natural flavor, which are often MSG or animal digest?
- Does the food contain rice, which is high in arsenic?
Each food is objectively evaluated by these criteria and a score is assigned using the average of ingredient quality and safety. This is NOT a paid list and there are no affiliate links. Dogs Naturally has partnered with DogFoodReviews.com to make sure dog owners have unbiased, objective criteria to help them choose the best dog food on the market. You can view the full Evaluation Criteria at DogFoodReviews.com.
