How to read raw dog food labels: Complete vs Complementary

The single most important step in how to read raw dog food labels is finding whether the product is labelled ‘complete’ or ‘complementary’. This one word changes how you should feed it.

• •Complete: legally formulated to provide all the nutrients a dog needs in the stated portion — it can be fed on its own
• •Complementary: designed to be fed alongside other foods and is not nutritionally balanced by itself (see the UK Pet Food labelling code of practice for the legal definitions)

Missing this distinction is the most common mistake owners make. Feeding a complementary product as if it were complete leaves nutritional gaps over time. Always check this classification first — it is usually printed near the product name or the feeding guidelines.

How to read raw dog food labels: The Ingredients List

The ingredients list is central to how to read raw dog food labels because ingredients are listed in descending order by weight. The first few items make up the bulk of the product, so you want to see named meats and organs at the top.

Named vs Vague Ingredients

Look for specific, named ingredients such as ‘beef muscle meat’, ‘chicken liver’ or ‘lamb heart’. Vague terms like ‘meat and animal derivatives’ tell you little about what is actually inside and are a red flag when assessing quality. The rule of thumb is to prefer transparency over generic wording.

Checking the Percentages

Better labels state the percentage of each ingredient, for example ‘80% beef, 10% bone, 10% offal’. These percentages let you confirm the product follows a sound ratio and help you compare it fairly against others. A high, clearly stated meat percentage is a good sign.

How to read raw dog food labels: Analytical Constituents

The analytical constituents panel is the part of how to read raw dog food labels that trips people up most, because the figures are given as percentages of the whole food — including its high moisture content. This makes raw figures look low compared with dry kibble, but that is expected.

The typical values you will see are:

• •Protein — the crude protein percentage; raw diets are moisture-rich so the figure looks lower than kibble
• •Fat (crude oils and fats) — indicates energy density; higher suits active dogs
• •Crude ash (inorganic matter) — largely reflects bone and mineral content
• •Crude fibre — usually low in a meat-based raw diet
• •Moisture — high in raw food, which is why the other figures appear small

The key habit here is to compare like with like: judge raw products against other raw products, not against dried food, or the moisture difference will mislead you.

Once you know how to read raw dog food labels and have chosen a balanced product, get the portion right. Use our free calculator to work out your dog’s ideal daily feeding amount based on weight, age and activity level.

How to read raw dog food labels: Additives and Legal Terms

A thorough approach to how to read raw dog food labels also covers the additives and legal wording. UK and EU labelling rules require certain information, and understanding it helps you separate genuine quality from clever marketing.

• •Additives: added vitamins and minerals are often listed here, which can indicate a product engineered to be nutritionally complete
• •Best-before and batch codes: essential for safety, storage and traceability of raw products
• •Manufacturer details: a named, contactable UK manufacturer signals accountability
• •Feeding guidelines: a starting point only, to be adjusted to your individual dog’s condition

Marketing terms such as ‘natural’, ‘premium’ or ‘grain-free’ are not tightly regulated and should not sway your judgement. Focus on the regulated, factual sections rather than the front-of-pack claims.

Putting How to read raw dog food labels Into Practice

With these steps, how to read raw dog food labels becomes a quick, repeatable check. Confirm complete versus complementary, scan the ingredients for named meats near the top, sanity-check the percentages and analytical constituents, and glance at the additives and manufacturer details.

Do this every time you consider a new product and you will quickly build an instinct for which raw foods are genuinely well formulated and which rely on packaging to sell an ordinary recipe.

Frequently Asked Questions About How to Read Raw Dog Food Labels

What is the first thing to check when learning how to read raw dog food labels?

Always check whether the product is labelled ‘complete’ or ‘complementary’ first. A complete food can be fed on its own, while a complementary one must be balanced with other foods. This single distinction is the foundation of how to read raw dog food labels, because it determines whether the product can form your dog’s entire diet or only part of it.

Why do the protein figures look low when I read raw dog food labels?

Raw food is high in moisture, and analytical constituents are shown as a percentage of the whole food including that water. This makes the protein figure look lower than on dry kibble, where most moisture has been removed. When you read raw dog food labels, compare raw products against other raw products rather than against dried food to avoid being misled.

Do marketing words matter when learning how to read raw dog food labels?

Not much. Terms like ‘natural’, ‘premium’ and ‘grain-free’ are not tightly regulated and can be applied loosely. When you learn how to read raw dog food labels properly, you focus on the regulated sections — the ingredients list, percentages, analytical constituents, additives and ‘complete’ or ‘complementary’ status — rather than the front-of-pack marketing claims.

The 2–3% Body Weight Rule Explained

The foundation of raw feeding is elegantly simple: feed 2–3% of your dog’s ideal adult body weight per day. This figure comes from decades of practical experience among raw feeders and broadly mirrors what a wild canid would consume relative to its size. To calculate raw dog food portions using this rule, all you need is your dog’s ideal weight and a digital kitchen scale.

The percentage you choose within that range depends on your individual dog:

• •2% of body weight — ideal for less active dogs, older dogs, or those prone to weight gain.
• •2.5% of body weight — a solid starting point for most adult dogs at a healthy weight with moderate activity.
• •3% of body weight — suited to highly active dogs, working dogs, and dogs with fast metabolisms that struggle to hold weight.

Always feed to ideal body weight, not current weight. If your dog is overweight, use the weight they should be — feeding to an inflated figure will keep them fat. If they are underweight, use a realistic healthy target and monitor progress weekly. UK owners who calculate raw dog food portions using the 2–3% rule consistently find this the simplest and most reliable starting point available.

Adjustments for Puppies, Seniors, and Activity Level

Puppies have dramatically higher energy and nutrient requirements per kilogram of body weight than adults. When you calculate raw dog food portions for a puppy, the standard approach is to base the amount on their expected adult weight rather than their current size, using the following percentages:

• •2–8 months: 5–6% of expected adult body weight per day, split across 3–4 meals.
• •9–12 months: 4% of expected adult body weight per day, split across 2–3 meals.
• •12–18 months (large breeds): 3% until skeletal growth is complete.

Senior dogs (generally 7+ years, or earlier for giant breeds) typically need slightly less food as their metabolism slows and activity reduces. Start at 2% and monitor body condition closely. When you calculate raw dog food portions for an older dog, err on the lower side initially and adjust upward only if body condition deteriorates. Some seniors with health conditions require specific adjustments — the British Veterinary Association recommends consulting your vet before making significant dietary changes, particularly if your dog has kidney, liver, or joint issues.

Activity level is the most variable factor in day-to-day raw feeding. A Labrador that runs 10 miles with a runner owner will need significantly more than the same dog spending two weeks in kennels. Learning to calculate raw dog food portions correctly means accounting for these day-to-day variations, not just setting a fixed figure and forgetting it. Consider these practical adjustments:

• •Working days (gun dogs, agility, canicross): Increase by 20–30% on training and competition days.
• •Rest days or holiday periods: Drop back to 2% or reduce by 10–15%.
• •Seasonal variation: Many dogs eat slightly more in winter to maintain body temperature.

What Your Calculated Portions Should Contain

Knowing how much to feed is only half the picture — the other half is knowing what that portion should be made of. The most widely used framework in the UK is the 80/10/10 ratio (sometimes 80/10/5/5 for more detail). Whenever you calculate raw dog food portions, apply this breakdown to the daily total to ensure each meal is nutritionally balanced:

For a 20 kg dog eating 500g/day: that’s 400g muscle meat, 50g raw meaty bone, and 50g offal — of which no more than 25g should be liver. Some owners also add 10% fruit and vegetables in place of a portion of muscle meat (the 70/10/10/10 model), but this is optional.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why Sourcing Raw Dog Food in the UK the Right Way Matters

Not all raw food is equal, and not all suppliers are equally transparent. Some online brands charge premium prices for complete minces that are heavy on offal and light on muscle meat. Some butcher offcuts include unexpected bone fragments or unlabelled species. And some products marketed as “raw” contain preservatives or rendered ingredients that undermine the whole point of feeding a biologically appropriate diet.

Getting sourcing right also matters for variety. A balanced BARF diet or prey model raw (PMR) diet depends on rotating proteins — chicken, beef, lamb, pork, fish, rabbit, venison, and green tripe — to deliver the full range of amino acids and micronutrients. A single supplier rarely covers everything well. Most experienced raw feeders in the UK use two or three sources: typically a butcher or co-op for bulk muscle meat, an online specialist for complete minces and organ packs, and a supermarket or market stall for mid-week variety.

Use our free raw dog food calculator to work out exactly how much your dog needs each week before you start — it makes quantities and budgeting far easier to plan.

7 Ways of Sourcing Raw Dog Food UK: At a Glance

Here is a quick cost and suitability overview before we dive into each option for sourcing raw dog food in the UK:

1. Your Local Butcher — Best Value for Sourcing Raw Dog Food UK

When sourcing raw dog food UK from a butcher, the key is to ask the right questions. Tell them you’re raw feeding your dog and ask what they have available as “dog meat” — you’ll often be pointed to a chiller full of trim, carcasses, and offcuts that are perfectly fresh but simply don’t sell as human food. Good proteins to request include chicken backs and carcasses, pork hearts, ox cheek, lamb necks, beef shin trim, and green tripe if they process their own animals.

The main limitation: butchers rarely stock secreting organs like spleen, kidney, or pancreas in quantity, and the selection varies week to week. Pair your butcher visits with an online specialist for organ packs to fill nutritional gaps. For ideas on making the most of bulk butcher purchases, see our bulk buying raw meat UK guide.

2. Online Raw Pet Food Specialists

The convenience of online raw dog food sourcing comes at a cost premium. Expect to pay £1.50–£4.50 per kg depending on protein and format, though many specialists offer bulk-buy discounts, subscription pricing, or loyalty schemes that reduce costs over time. Deliveries typically arrive in polystyrene boxes with dry ice, so you’ll need adequate freezer space to store an order on arrival.

Online specialists are particularly valuable for organ meat — they stock liver, kidney, spleen, pancreas, and testicles in varieties and quantities no butcher could realistically match. For a fully balanced PMR or BARF diet, having at least one online specialist in your sourcing rotation is close to essential. The Pet Food Manufacturers’ Association (PFMA) publishes guidance on what good labelling should look like on commercial raw products — worth reading before choosing a brand.

3. Raw Feeding Co-ops and Buying Groups

Co-ops operate differently from commercial suppliers: you place your order before a cut-off date, collect from a central drop point (often a fellow member’s home or garage freezer), and pay upfront. The selection focuses on bulk quantities — 5 kg bags of chicken mince, 10 kg boxes of beef trim, large packs of turkey mince or green tripe — rather than individual meal-sized portions. This makes co-ops best suited to raw feeders who know their dog’s weekly quantities and have sufficient freezer storage.

To find a raw feeding co-op near you, search Facebook groups for “raw feeding co-op [your county]” or ask in UK raw feeding communities. Co-ops come and go, so verify they are still active before committing. For budgeting advice alongside co-op buying, our raw dog food budget UK guide covers how to plan your monthly spend across multiple sources.

4. Farm Direct and Abattoir Offcuts

This route requires some legwork. Contact your local abattoir directly and ask whether they sell dog meat offcuts or animal by-products for pet consumption. Some won’t deal with individuals; others actively welcome raw feeders and will hold a standing weekly order for you. Farm shops that process their own animals — particularly rare-breed pig, cattle, and lamb farms — are another excellent source for hearts, heads, livers, and kidney.

The main limitation is quantity: you’ll typically be buying 10–20 kg at a time. The Food Standards Agency’s approved establishments register is a good starting point for finding legitimate licensed slaughterhouses near you. Always confirm the facility is approved before buying.

5. Ethnic Supermarkets and Market Stalls

Ethnic food shops and market stalls are particularly useful for introducing novel proteins into your dog’s rotation — an important strategy for dogs with food sensitivities who need to avoid common proteins like chicken or beef. Whole fresh sprats, which provide an excellent omega-3 boost and count toward your dog’s fish allocation, are frequently available from fish market stalls for under £1 per kg. Chicken feet — naturally high in glucosamine and brilliant for joint health — are a staple in Chinese and Filipino supermarkets, usually at £1.00–£1.50 per kg.

This is a mid-week top-up source rather than a primary one for raw dog food sourcing in the UK, but it’s genuinely invaluable for keeping protein rotation varied and affordable. Always check that meat is stored correctly and smells fresh before buying.

6. UK Pet Retailers and Commercial Raw Brands

High-street pet retailers — Pets at Home, Jollyes, and independent pet shops — now stock a growing range of frozen raw food from brands such as Natures Menu, Nutriment, Benyfit Natural, and Forthglade. These are typically complete balanced minces formulated to meet FEDIAF nutritional guidelines, making them a reliable and simple option for sourcing raw dog food UK beginners who want to get started without the complexity of sourcing components separately.

The trade-off is cost: at £2.50–£6.00 per kg, pet retailer prices are the highest of any sourcing method. They are best used as a starting point whilst you build your wider sourcing network, or as a backup when your primary sources run low mid-week. Many Pets at Home stores now have dedicated freezer sections with a reasonable range of proteins and portion sizes.

When choosing a commercial complete mince, look for transparent ingredient percentages — the muscle meat %, bone %, and organ % should all be clearly labelled. The PFMA raw pet food guidance explains what responsible labelling looks like. Our BARF vs PMR comparison guide can help you decide which format suits your dog best.

7. Cash-and-Carry and Wholesale Freezer Centres

Wholesale outlets — Costco, Bestway, Booker, and independent cash-and-carry depots — are an underused option for sourcing raw dog food UK owners with large dogs or multi-dog households will appreciate. Whole chickens, bulk packs of chicken drumsticks, large bags of frozen whole fish, and catering-sized packs of chicken hearts and livers are all commonly stocked at wholesale prices: often £0.50–£1.50 per kg — far below supermarket equivalents.

Most cash-and-carry outlets require a business account or trade card, though some (Costco in particular) operate on a paid individual membership model. If you can access them, they’re ideal for stocking up on the staple muscle meats that form the bulk of your dog’s diet — chicken, turkey, and pork — at significant savings. A 10 kg bag of chicken drumsticks at a cash-and-carry is often less than £7; the same weight via a pet food retailer can cost four times that.

These outlets won’t stock secreting organs or unusual proteins, so you’ll still need a specialist source alongside. For advice on avoiding nutritional gaps when mixing sources, see our 10 common raw feeding mistakes guide.

What to Check When Sourcing Raw Dog Food in the UK

Regardless of your chosen source, run through this checklist before buying:

• ✓Clear species labelling — you should know exactly which animal the meat comes from. Avoid products labelled only as “mixed meat mince” with no species breakdown.
• ✓Visible ingredient percentages — for complete minces, the muscle meat %, bone %, and organ % should all be clearly stated on the packaging or product page.
• ✓No added preservatives or binders — raw food should contain only meat, bone, and occasionally fruit and vegetables. No E-numbers, no artificial additives, no fillers.
• ✓Fresh smell on thawing — thawed raw meat should smell clean and species-appropriate. A sour, ammonia-like, or generally off smell indicates spoilage; discard immediately.
• ✓Correct colour — fresh raw meat should be the natural colour of the species. Grey or brown discolouration across the whole piece (not just surface) suggests age or freezer burn.
• ✓Hygienic packaging and storage — online and co-op deliveries should arrive frozen solid in sealed, undamaged packaging. Partially thawed deliveries should be refused or used immediately.

For hygiene best practice, the British Veterinary Association (BVA) recommends standard food-safe hygiene when handling raw meat: dedicated chopping boards, thorough hand washing, and cleaning dog bowls after every meal. The risk from raw meat bacteria is to humans handling the food, not to dogs whose stomach acid is highly effective at neutralising natural bacterial loads.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is the cheapest place for sourcing raw dog food UK-wide?

Your local butcher and farm direct / abattoir offcuts are almost always the cheapest sources, with costs as low as £0.30–£1.00 per kg for trim, carcasses, and offal. Raw feeding co-ops come a close second, typically undercutting online specialists by 30–50%. For a detailed breakdown of money-saving strategies, see our raw dog food budget guide.

Can I feed my dog meat from a supermarket?

Yes — supermarket chicken, turkey, beef, and pork are perfectly suitable for raw feeding. They’re more expensive per kg than butcher offcuts, but they’re convenient for mid-week variety, especially reduced-price items near their sell-by date. Always avoid anything with added seasoning, brine, marinades, or injected water, which is common in budget chicken products.

How much freezer space do I need for sourcing raw dog food UK in bulk?

A medium chest freezer (150–200 litres) comfortably holds a month’s supply for a 20–25 kg dog. If you’re buying co-op or farm-direct batches of 10–20 kg at a time, a dedicated chest freezer is close to essential — and they can be purchased new in the UK for as little as £100–£150. Our guide to how much raw food your dog needs will help you calculate your weekly quantities before you start buying.

Is sourcing raw dog food in the UK legal and safe?

Completely. Feeding raw food to dogs is legal and widely practised across the UK, with an estimated 10–15% of UK dog owners now feeding some form of raw diet. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) regulates commercial raw pet food producers, and the same food hygiene practices that apply to human raw meat apply when handling raw dog food at home.

What is the best way to start sourcing raw dog food UK if I am completely new to raw feeding?

Start with a reputable online raw specialist — they offer clearly labelled complete minces that take the complexity out of balancing ratios. Once you understand what a balanced diet looks like in practice, gradually add your local butcher as a cheaper source for muscle meat. When you’re confident, explore a co-op or farm direct option for significant bulk savings. Our transition to raw food guide walks you through the first weeks step by step.

Gradual Transition: 7-Day Plan

Use this ratio-based approach for a smooth switch. If your dog tolerates well, move to the next ratio earlier. If digestive upset occurs, stay at that ratio an extra day.

When to Introduce New Proteins & Bones

Signs the Transition Is Going Well

• Stools normalise by day 7-10: Firm, smaller in volume, less odour
• Appetite stabilises: Dog eats enthusiastically and consistently
• Energy increases: More playfulness, faster running, better endurance
• Coat improves: Shinier, less shedding, healthier appearance within 2-4 weeks
• Breath fresher: Less “dog smell”, whiter teeth
• Body condition improves: If overweight, dog leans out naturally; muscles become visible
• Skin clears: For itchy dogs, improvement usually visible after 4-8 weeks