Heard about the benefits of raw dog food – but concerned about nutrition? Convinced by the depressing research1 on kibble but trying to decide between fresh raw and fresh cooked?
Sadly, recent health issues for our 4-year-old lab, Bear, have put us in the position to answer all these questions. His loose stools & low appetite prompted us to take a closer look at raw food diets, which studies have shown to improve digestive & overall health.3,4 To find the healthiest food for Bear, we tested the top raw dog foods: We Feed Raw and Maev. Plus, we compared them to the leading fresh cooked food, The Farmer’s Dog, to see if raw really is the right choice for most dogs.
We consulted holistic veterinarian Dr. Katie Woodley and compared each brand on nutrition & ingredients, health benefits, taste, and price. Read on to find our clear winner.
Raw vs. Cooked: What’s Healthiest?
According to our Vet Expert Dr. Woodley, the cooking process for dog food matters as much as the ingredients. In fact, fillers and over-processing often lead to “skin issues, digestive problems, allergies, and chronic inflammation.”
So it might come as no surprise to you that traditional kibble and canned dog food is highly processed (grains and meat meals blended together and blasted at high temperatures), carb-heavy, packed with artificial preservatives and fillers like corn, wheat, or soy. Yes it meets minimum standards, but is proven to be less digestible than cooked fresh diets.3
Fresh dog food – both raw and gently-cooked – is more nutrient-dense and digestible than kibble.
Gently-cooked dog food products – often labeled as just “fresh” – are made of meat, vegetables, and grains, cooked at low temperatures and then frozen. It features “better ingredients and fewer additives” than kibble, but usually contains non-nutritive "high-carb ingredients that may contribute to inflammation or blood sugar imbalances,” says Dr. Woodley. Additionally, any "cooking degrades essential vitamins, minerals, and amino acids.”
In raw dog food, “nutrients remain closer to their natural state” while keeping carbs to a minimum. This leads to better bioavailability and health benefits like “improved organ function, immune resilience, shinier coats, less itching, improved dental health, better energy levels, and even calmer behavior.” Raw dog food is actually more digestible than cooked.3
Remember – ancestors to the modern dog were carnivores, eating primarily raw meat to survive in the wild for millennia.
For most dogs, then, the science shows that a raw diet offers the most complete nutrition and closest match to what their digestive systems are built to process. So how do the three brands compare?
Nutrition & Ingredients: We Feed Raw Wins
When comparing dog food nutrition, look for recipes that are nutritionally complete – containing all necessary nutrients for dogs – and raw, to maximize digestion and nutrient absorption. Raw meat & organs provide protein, vitamins A, B, D, E, and K, iron, and zinc – all necessary for the health of your dog’s muscles, heart, brain, immune system, bones, and more.4,5 Raw bone, meanwhile, is high in calcium and collagen for healthier bones and skin.6
Cooking dog food, on the other hand, lowers protein quality and amino acid availability, and creates advanced glycation end products (AGEs) – linked to diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and neurodegenerative conditions in dogs.8
🥇 We Feed Raw wins with 100% raw meat, organs, and ground bone. We Feed Raw also contains no unnecessary filler ingredients. Per Dr. Woodley, our Vet Expert, dogs fed this ingredient mix are likely to experience “healthier skin, better digestion, more energy, and fewer chronic issues.”
🥈 Maev is second with a mix of raw organ meats and fruits, starches, and peanut butter – high in sugar and non-nutritive for dogs.7
❌ The Farmer’s Dog is last for nutrition. Cooking degrades many key nutrients. Their recipes contain a minimum of only 50% cooked muscle and organ meat; the rest are of fillers like sweet potato, lentils, carrots, and broccoli.
Results: We Feed Raw Wins
Raw dog food can provide a wide range of health benefits. Dr. Woodley says of her patients: “I’ve seen cases where switching to raw food made a remarkable difference in a dog’s quality of life when other interventions failed.”
🥇 We Feed Raw wins with 100% raw ingredients to maximize health benefits. In our testing, Bear had a noticeable increase in energy and excitement after just a week on We Feed Raw – and we noticed his poops were firmer and much less smelly.
🥈 Maev is second. Our testing with Bear showed similar initial results to We Feed Raw – higher energy and firmer poops – but are concerned the high-sugar fillers can lead to complications long-term.
❌ The Farmer’s Dog comes in last with its cooked and carb-heavy recipes. We didn’t notice changes in Bear’s excitement or stool when testing The Farmer’s Dog.
Taste: We Feed Raw & Maev Tie
The best nutrition won’t help if your dog won’t eat it. As Dr. Woodley explains, “Dogs are drawn to real, fresh, meat-based foods because that’s what their bodies are designed to crave. Most dogs absolutely love raw food.”
With Bear, our 4-year-old lab, we saw this play out during testing:
🥇 We Feed Raw & Maev tied as Bear showed immediate excitement at mealtime for both, running to his bowl and finishing every bite quickly – excitement he had never shown for processed diets. To us, the two raw brands looked noticeably fresher and more vibrant than The Farmer’s Dog’s brown mush.
❌ The Farmer’s Dog was the least appetizing food for Bear. He ate it at first, but over time he started to leave portions behind – much less excitement than for raw food.
Price & Value: We Feed Raw Wins
Here’s how each brand on price compared for Bear, our 80lb black lab who eats two times a day:
🥇 We Feed Raw is the best value at $4.01 per meal with Holistic Digest’s discount ($5.35 without) – the cheapest raw option and most nutrient-dense formulation.
🥈 The Farmer’s Dog is second at $4.87 per meal. Cheapest without a discount, but lacks the health benefits of raw.
❌ Maev is more expensive than We Feed Raw at $6.05 per meal, with added fillers and lower nutritional value.
Conclusion: We Feed Raw Is Our Top Pick
After thorough research and testing, We Feed Raw is the clear winner. It contains the most nutrient-dense formulation with no unhealthy fillers, along with the improved health benefits and digestion that raw has over “fresh.” Bear’s coat already looks shinier, his digestion is better, and he’s more energetic than we’ve seen since we first brought him home as a puppy.
Dr. Woodley confirms our findings: “We Feed Raw is biologically appropriate and complete, made with high-quality raw ingredients, and backed by nutritional science.”
Ready to try We Feed Raw? Save 25% with our exclusive discount.
