Last Updated: June 11, 2026
What to Look for in a Raw Food Brand
One of the questions we hear most often is:
“How do you decide which brands make it into your freezers?”
It’s a fair question.
After all, not all pet foods are created equal, and when you’re feeding your dog or cat every day, ingredients and formulas matter.
That’s why we spend a lot of time researching every brand we carry. We look beyond the packaging and ask questions about ingredient sourcing, nutritional balance, manufacturing standards, safety protocols, and company values.
Because education has always been one of the things we’re most passionate about.
What Makes a Balanced Raw Diet?
A properly formulated raw diet should provide appropriate amounts of protein, fat, vitamins, minerals, and essential nutrients.
Many prey-model-inspired formulas are based around ratios commonly referred to as 80/10/10:
- Approximately 80% muscle meat
- 10% organ meat
- 10% bone
Some complete and balanced recipes also include fruits, vegetables, seeds, or other whole food ingredients to provide additional fibre and phytonutrients.
The exact formulation can vary between brands and life stages, but balance is always the goal.
Why Do Some Formulas Include Fruits and Vegetables?
Dogs don’t have a nutritional requirement for carbohydrates in the same way humans do, but certain fruits and vegetables can provide beneficial fibre and naturally occurring phytonutrients.
Many complete formulas use finely ground produce to improve digestibility and nutrient availability.
For cats, which are obligate carnivores, carbohydrate levels are generally kept very low.
Why Calcium and Phosphorus Matter
Calcium and phosphorus work together to support healthy bones and teeth, but they also play important roles in muscle function, nerve transmission, and overall cellular health.
Maintaining the proper balance between these minerals is particularly important for growing puppies and kittens.
Too little calcium can contribute to skeletal problems, while excessive calcium intake, especially in large breed puppies, has been associated with developmental orthopedic conditions.
That’s one reason why feeding plain muscle meat alone is not considered nutritionally complete.
Muscle Meat, Organs, and Bone All Serve a Purpose
Muscle meat supplies protein, amino acids, and many essential nutrients.
Heart, tongue, lung, and green tripe are all considered muscle meats and provide a variety of beneficial nutrients.
Organ meats are especially nutrient dense and naturally contain vitamins and minerals that support overall health.
Liver, for example, is an excellent source of vitamin A, while organs in general provide a variety of B vitamins, iron, copper, and other micronutrients.
Like everything in nutrition, balance matters. Too much or too little of any one ingredient can create problems over time.
What We Look For In a Raw Food Brand
When evaluating brands, we consider:
- Ingredient quality.
- Nutritional balance.
- Manufacturing and food safety practices.
- Transparency.
- Species-appropriate formulation.
- Company ethics and values.
- Whether ingredients are sourced responsibly.
- Whether the recipes are complete and balanced.
We also appreciate brands that rely heavily on whole food ingredients rather than extensive synthetic supplementation, although vitamin and mineral supplementation may be necessary in some complete diets to ensure nutritional adequacy.
Why We Believe Education Matters
There are many ways to feed your pet well.
Some families feed kibble.
Some feed canned food.
Some feed gently cooked diets.
Some feed raw.
Our goal isn’t to judge how anyone feeds their pet. It’s to help pet parents make informed decisions and find options that work best for their individual dog or cat.
That’s why we take our responsibility seriously.
When you shop local at Poochie Moochie, you can feel confident knowing that every brand in our freezers has been carefully researched and selected with your pet’s health and wellbeing in mind.
Because your pets deserve nothing less.