Tucker’s Dog Food Reviews

Overall, Tucker’s seems to be an acceptable option for raw and freeze dried dog foods. Both lines have a similar score and are considered low risk according to our criteria. 

Tucker’s raw frozen line scores 8.9/10. There are 9 recipes that average 45% protein and 11% carbohydrates, but 2 recipes are a bit higher than we like to see so have lost points because of it. With that said, the carbohydrate source is pumpkin rather than grain or starch.

The freeze dried line scores 8.8/10. Of its 8 recipes, 3 are higher in fat than protein. High fat diets can cause gut inflammation and gut flora imbalance. In many cases, fattier meats can be cheaper ingredients.

The only other loss of points is due to the addition of vitamins and minerals in both lines. The Tucker’s website states it used science to determine that dogs do not need fruit or vegetable carbohydrates in their diets so their recipes have been formulated accordingly. However, without produce, synthetic additives are needed to balance the foods to AAFCO standards. 

On the safety side, all of these recipes score 10/10 for ingredient safety which is certainly noteworthy. They are minimally processed foods so they haven’t been heat-processed, which means nutrients aren’t lost through processing. These foods are formulated with very limited produce so that means there aren’t any high pesticide/herbicide or GMO ingredients.

Tucker’s animal proteins are sourced in the US with many of their ingredients from Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Their salmon is wild caught in the Pacific northwest. Wild caught fish is more nutritious and has a better fatty acid profile than farmed fish.

Tucker’s states its foods are made in a USDA inspected human food facility. The company states its meats are human grade and human edible but does not appear to call its packaged dog foods human grade. Until 2023, AAFCO didn’t recognize the term human grade, but it requires substantial documentation to make that label claim.  

Tucker’s uses high pressure pasteurization (HPP) to control pathogens in most of its raw frozen recipes. For other recipes they follow a Test & Hold Protocol before being released. They note that they deep freeze pork and salmon at -30 degrees F for 3-7 days to manage any potential parasites. 

Lastly, the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids isn’t disclosed. Tucker’s is 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.

The average score of each Tucker’s line is listed below. Click on any line to view the individual foods and scores.