With a score of 9.3/10, Primal Canine Freeze-Dried Nuggets dog food is considered a low risk dog food. There are 8 recipes with an average of 45% protein.

The recipes lose no points for ingredient safety. Besides minimal processing, the high score is due to certified organic produce which removes the risk of pesticide residues or GMO foods. The lack of added vitamins and minerals indicates high quality ingredients that don’t need added nutrients to meet AAFCO standards. Vitamin E is added as a preservative. 

When it comes to ingredient quality, the Duck, Lamb and Venison dog food  recipes lose a point for having higher carbohydrates of 15% – 18%.The carbohydrates come primarily from organic produce, plus some quinoa, a higher protein grain. These are lower carbs than you’d see in a dry food but on the high side for freeze-dried. Higher carbohydrates can raise insulin and cause obesity. Some studies also show that dogs fed a high carbohydrate content have changes to their gut bacteria. 

The Beef recipe loses a point for having fat that’s higher than protein. It’s preferable for freeze-dried foods to have lower fat than protein. Animal protein is the most expensive ingredient and high fat diets can cause unwanted shifts in gut bacteria.

All recipes except the Turkey & Sardine lost points for unnamed fish oil. This indicates lower quality and the type of fish should be named. The fish oil isn’t described as wild caught, and neither is the cod liver oil in some recipes.  The website does state that the sardines are wild-caught. Wild caught fish are more nutritious with a healthier fatty acid balance. 

The recipes all contain coconut oil, which doesn’t cost points, but research shows it may be harmful to gut health.

Primal doesn’t provide the omega-6:omega-3 ratio. They are certainly not the only brand omitting this information, but it’s our hope that more brands will pay more attention to these fats since omega-6 fats are inflammatory and AAFCO allows a very high ratio of 30:1.