Raised Right Dog Food Reviews

IS RAISED RIGHT A GOOD DOG FOOD?

Raised Right produces a single line of gently cooked dog food. It is low risk by our criteria. The company offers 11 recipes. They all score 10/10 for ingredient quality. They score 9/10 in ingredient safety. The only point lost is due to being gently cooked, which involves some heat.

All meals are lightly cooked at low temperatures. This is to retain flavors and nutrients. Low temperature cooking meets the USDA pathogen kill-step. The recipes are then frozen. 

Average protein level of these recipes is 60%. This is considerably higher than many fresh pet food brands. All recipes have low carbohydrate levels that average 7%. This is calculated on a dry matter basis. They don’t use high-carb fillers. They don’t use potato, rice, oats, yam, squash, pasta, barley, parsnips, corn, or wheat. 

Raised Right describes its food as human-grade pet food. Until recently, human grade wasn’t a recognized term by AAFCO. AAFCO is the regulatory body for pet food. They establish guidelines for the 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. 

Raised Right’s recipes are formulated under the guidance of veterinarian Karen Becker, and pet food formulator Steve Brown. They are limited-ingredient recipes. Each recipe features a single source of animal protein. These include turkey, beef, pork, or chicken. This makes them suitable for pets with food sensitivities. They meet AAFCO standards for a complete and balanced diet using only whole foods.

The 8 adult recipes contain fewer than 10 whole food ingredients. They don’t use synthetic vitamins or minerals. This is contrary to some “limited ingredient recipes” from other brands. Many “limit” the whole foods. Then they add a pre-mix of dozens of synthetic vitamins and minerals. This is not the case with Raised Right. They add a minimal number of minerals to the 3 puppy recipes. This doesn’t affect the score. 

Ingredients are responsibly sourced from U.S.-based farms. Raised Right notes that these maintain high animal welfare standards and sustainable farming practices. However, they don’t provide specific certifications. Some ingredients are certified organic. They don’t specify whether fish products are from wild-caught or farmed sources. Wild-caught fish have higher nutrient levels and a better fatty acid balance.

Raised Right also emphasizes eco-conscious practices. They use recyclable and compostable materials for packaging. In 2019, the company was recognized for its efforts. It received the Innovative Veterinary Care Journal’s Innovation Award for Nutrition.

Raised Right doesn’t provide the omega-6:omega-3 ratio. 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.