What Does Balanced Raw Dog Food Consist Of?

Balanced raw dog food is 80% muscle meat, 10% raw meaty bone, and 10% secreting organs, half of which should be liver.

If you feed BARF, you swap 10% of the muscle meat for plant matter, which gives you 70/10/10/10. And whichever model you follow, about 15% of the muscle meat should be oily fish, plus a little kelp for iodine.

That’s the short answer. The longer one is what each of those parts actually does for your dog, which cuts count where (heart is muscle meat, not organ!), and how to balance it all over the course of a week instead of stressing over every single bowl.

Whether you want to make your own homemade raw dog food, switch from kibble to raw, or compare premade raw dog food brands and their formulas, this is the foundation.

And if you’re brand new to raw feeding, my complete raw dog food guide is a great place to start.

Different Raw Feeding Styles

There are a few different ways and formulas of feeding raw dog food, and none of them are right or wrong.

It’s up to your interpretation of raw dog food and personal preference when it comes time to decide how you want to feed.

That said, there’s the B.A.R.F. way of feeding and the Prey Model approach.

B.A.R.F. Raw Feeding

B.A.R.F. stands for Biologically Appropriate Raw Food, or Bones And Raw Food. It’s a mix of meat and veggies, fruit, herbs, seeds and nuts (plant matter).

B.A.R.F. follows the formula 70/10/10/10:

• 70% muscle meat (with oily fish making up about 15% of that)
• 10% plant matter (8% veggies/fruit/herbs, 2% nuts/seeds)
• 10% raw meaty bones
• 10% secreting organs (5% liver, 5% other secreting organs)

Some dogs do better with 20% plant matter. In that case, muscle meat drops to 60%, and bone and organs stay the same.

Prey Model Raw

Prey Model Raw (PMR) imitates the ratios of a whole prey animal with separate cuts of muscle meat, raw meaty bone and secreting organs. It’s an all meat diet without any added plant matter.

Whole prey feeding goes one step further and feeds the entire animal, including fur or feathers and the stomach contents (that’s where a little plant matter comes in).

Prey Model Raw Follows the Formula: 80/10/10

• 80% muscle meat (with oily fish making up about 15% of that)
• 10% raw meaty bones
• 10% secreting organs (5% liver, 5% other secreting organs)

I personally feed whole prey rabbits once to twice a month.

Outside of that, I offer BARF meals that consist of 70% muscle meat, 10% plant matter, 10% raw meaty bones, and 10% secreting organs.

I also rotate my protein sources.

That’s important regardless of the model you follow because different cuts of meat contain different nutrients.

For example, an all chicken diet would be nutritiously deficient.

That’s why you’ll want to feed as many other protein sources as you can get your hands on.

This could be beef, turkey, pork, salmon, duck, lamb, rabbit, kangaroo, ostrich, venison, etc.

I began feeding my 2 Boxer mixes Missy & Buzz raw dog food in 2015, and my new addition Wally, a Feist mix, has been eating raw since 2019. Fast forward to 2025, and my Labrador puppy Pepper is raised on raw dog food as well.

When I first switched Missy & Buzz in 2015, I started with pre-made raw meals from brands like Raw Paws Pet Food because it’s simply easier. Plus, I didn’t yet have the knowledge to make the pups’ own raw meals.

Beginning in 2016, I started making their own meals at home, and I even got my raw dog food nutrition specialist certification from Dogs Naturally Magazine in early 2020.

These days, I feed mostly homemade raw dog food because I enjoy making it and it’s less expensive than pre-made raw.

That said, I also still buy pre-made raw dog food from reputable brands whenever I can find some on sale.

Related Reading: Easy Prey Model Raw Dog Food Recipe with 6 Ingredients

Component 1: Muscle Meat For Raw Dog Food

Muscle meat makes up the largest portion of most raw meals and provides protein, fat, and essential amino acids.

Like I mentioned above, it depends which raw model people follow, but in general it will be between 60-80% of a dog’s daily allowance, including oily fish.

Examples include beef, chicken, turkey, lamb, pork, and rabbit.

What’s really important is that you pay attention to the amount of fat in your muscle meat. Fat is the main source of energy for raw-fed dogs since they don’t eat carbs (they’re the main source of energy in kibble).

That said, fat should be somewhere between 15-25% of the muscle meat you’re feeding, depending on your dog’s age and activity level.

Which Cuts of Meat Are Considered Muscle Meat?

The following cuts of meat are considered muscle meat and make up the vast majority in raw feeding:

• Ground meats
• Breast meats like chicken breast
• Stew meats like beef stew meat
• Gullets
• Tracheas
• Cheeks
• Tongues & Lips
• Uteri
• Pizzles
• Backstrap
• Jowls

Muscular organs are technically organs but nutritionally behave like muscle meat.

Examples include:

• Gizzards (only feed about 10% of your dog’s daily raw dog food allowance)
• Lungs (only feed about 5-10% of your dog’s daily raw dog food allowance)
• Hearts (only feed about 5-10% of your dog’s daily raw dog food allowance)
• Green Tripe (only feed about 20-30% of your dog’s daily raw dog food allowance)

Where Do I Buy My Muscle Meat?

When I put my own raw meals together, I purchase the individual cuts of meat mostly from Raw Feeding Miami and Raw Paws Pet Food.

But I’m also able to find some muscle meat at my local grocery store in the form of:

• Chicken gizzards & hearts
• Chicken breast
• Beef stew meat
• Organic ground lamb, beef, chicken, turkey and pork
• Beef tongue
• Raw salmon from the Atlantic and canned sardines (more about fish in the section What about fish?)

I’ve found & purchased green tripe from Raw Feeding Miami and Raw Paws Pet Food. Tip: Save 15% off your order from Raw Paws with my discount affiliate code K9Savings, and save 10% off your order from Raw Feeding Miami with my referral link.

How Do I Prepare Muscle Meat For Raw Dog Food?

I use a variety of knives and a pair of kitchen scissors to cut the muscle meat into smaller chunks.

Raw Feeding Miami’s meat typically comes in 2.5 and 5 lb bags, so some meal prep is required.

That means I have to set away some time to first thaw the frozen product and then portion it out into food storage containers.

Some raw feeders use commercial meat grinders because they have gulpers or their dogs/cats simply prefer the texture of ground meat.

The Weston Butcher series #32 is a powerful meat grinder that can even grind raw meaty bones.

My pups have healthy teeth and gums and actually chew what’s in their bowls rather than just swallowing parts whole, so I personally don’t use a grinder.

But it’s definitely one way of preparing raw meals.

A few of Raw Feeding Miami’s products already come in ground form. Their pre-made “grinds” are a solid base because they consist of ground muscle meat, bones and secreting organs.

Others are only ground meat, ground bones, or ground secreting organs and have to be mixed with other cuts of meat.

What About Fish In DIY Raw Dog Food?

Feeding your dog raw fish is important and should make up about 15% of your pup’s muscle meat allowance. In a BARF bowl with 70% muscle meat, that’s roughly 10% of the whole meal.

It’s a great alternative instead of bottled fish oil. However, if you’d rather use oil, I recommend Planopaws Wild Caught Omega-3 Fish Oil made from sardines, herring and mackerel.

I personally feed mostly whole fish like herring and mackerel because my pup Wally doesn’t do well with salmon, sardines and green lipped mussels.

But if your pup tolerates them, you can definitely feed them as well.

You can find (canned) sardines and salmon at the grocery store, and herring, mackerel, and green lipped mussels at Raw Feeding Miami.

Good to know: Raw salmon & other fish from the Pacific can carry a deadly parasite. That’s why you should freeze those types of fish for 3 weeks prior to feeding them. Or just don’t feed Pacific fish at all and stick to the Atlantic kind.

Component 2: Secreting Organs For Raw Dog Food

Secreting organs are a small, yet crucial part of feeding dogs a balanced raw food diet.

Although they only make up a small portion of raw dog food, they’re a powerful component that can’t be overlooked.

That’s because they provide many of the vitamins and trace minerals dogs need in small amounts.

Common examples include liver, kidney, spleen, and pancreas.

Liver is especially important because it supplies vitamin A and several B vitamins. If you’re unsure how much to feed, this guide explains how raw liver fits into a balanced raw diet.

Which Organs Count As Secreting Organs In Raw Feeding?

Did you know that in the raw feeding world, only secreting organs count as organ meat? Secreting organs are organs that produce and release substances your dog’s body needs, like hormones, bile or enzymes.

This can be a little confusing when you’re first making the switch from kibble to raw… trust me, been there, done that! At first, I had no idea that organs in raw feeding didn’t equal “regular” organs.

I remember my light bulb moment when I first realized that heart actually counts as muscle meat, and not organ, although it is, of course, a very hard working, muscular organ!

But since it’s not a secreting one, it counts as muscle meat.

That said, the following body parts are to be fed as secreting organs in raw dog food:

• Liver
• Kidney
• Spleen
• Sweetbreads (= Thymus & Pancreas)
• Testicles & Ovaries
• Brains
• Eyeballs

As mentioned above, secreting organs make up 10% of a balanced raw meal for adult dogs, 5% of which has to be liver.

Don’t worry though, not every single meal has to be 100% balanced for your adult dog. Just make sure you achieve balance over the course of 7-10 days.

Good to know: Puppies need more food while they’re growing, along with a little more bone and secreting organs (up to 17% raw meaty bone and 14% secreting organs while they’re young). Check out my blog post about raw dog food for puppies to learn how much and what to feed.

So don’t stress out if you forget to add a piece of liver to a meal every now & then – but don’t make it a habit.

Dogs do need the essential minerals and vitamins liver contains in order to thrive and not just survive.

Liver is rich in iron, copper, phosphorus, magnesium, the fat-soluble antioxidant vitamin A, all of the B vitamins (including B12 & folic acid), some vitamin D, vitamin E and vitamin K.

Secreting Organs I Feed:

I typically switch between beef liver, chicken liver, goat liver, and rabbit liver. Rabbit liver is more expensive than chicken and beef liver.

During hunting season, I also feed and stock up on venison liver (and other cuts of venison like heart, kidneys, and meat).

Besides liver I feed kidneys, pancreas, spleen, brains, testicles, beef eyeballs and Raw Feeding Miami’s custom organ mix, beef Monstermash.

It consists of 50% ground liver and 50% kidney/spleen/thymus gland (all beef).

Monstermash is the perfect organ mix for meal prep purposes when you’re just starting to meal prep.

The only time I wouldn’t feed it is if you know or suspect that your dog doesn’t do well with beef.

What About Green Tripe In DIY Raw Dog Food?

Green tripe is generally considered a muscle meat and should be fed as such, but it also has benefits of the offal (= internal secreting organ) category.

That’s because it’s chock full of digestive enzymes, gastric juices, and amino acids.

Where Do I Buy My Secreting Organs?

As mentioned above, I purchase secreting organs from Raw Feeding Miami and particularly like their Monstermash organ grind because it’s so convenient.

It doesn’t require any cutting up of (secreting) organs and it’s already the perfect secreting organ mix.

I’ve also purchased beef liver from Raw Paws – their price point is typically higher than Raw Feeding Miami’s, but every now and then, they have p h e n o m e n a l deals on liver (and other cuts).

That’s why it pays off to browse their website Raw Paws Pet Food on a regular basis or sign up for their newsletter to take advantage of deals when they become available!

Once they do, use my affiliate discount code K9Savings for an additional 15% off.

I’m also able to find chicken liver as well as calf liver at my local grocery store!

Lucky me also finally found out about a local, organic farm not far from me who sell their produce and meats at a Farmer’s Market on Saturdays.

Their selection includes chicken liver (as well as hearts and feet).

Caution – Don’t Do This With Secreting Organs

Let me throw in a word of caution though – don’t be tempted to feed more than the recommended 10% of secreting organs. For example, a giant meal of liver at once.

If you do, you’ll risk vitamin A toxicity in your dog(s).

Symptoms of that are:

• Lethargy
• Weight loss
• Constipation
• Stiffness
• Limping, and
• Loss of appetite.
• Feeding too much secreting organ at once can also cause diarrhea.

Component 3: Raw Meaty Bones (RMBs) In Raw Dog Food

Raw meaty bones supply calcium, phosphorus and protein and they help maintain proper mineral balance.

Examples include chicken necks, chicken backs, duck frames, and turkey necks.

If you’re new to feeding bones, this article explains how to choose safe raw meaty bones for dogs.

RMBs make up another 10% of balanced raw dog food. As their name suggests, raw meaty bones don’t just consist of bone (calcium & phosphorus), but they also come with meat (protein) attached.

Depending on the type of RMB, the amount of bone vs meat it comes with differs. That’s something to take into account when you’re making your own raw meals.

Besides being a great source of calcium and phosphorus for your dog, they’re also great for keeping your dog’s teeth clean and providing a jaw workout.

However, toothless dogs or those with weak teeth should not eat whole raw meaty bones. In that case, it’s best to grind them if you’re planning on making your own meals.

Grinding your own is still less expensive than buying pre-made commercial raw dog food. A powerful meat grinder that’s able to grind chicken leg quarters and turkey necks is the Weston Butcher Series #32.

If it’s in your budget, you can of course purchase pre-made raw meals. They’ll consist of the perfect balance of muscle meat, RMBs and organs, all ground up.

Some brands such as Darwin’s also add fruits & veggies.

One way to tell if you’re over-or underfeeding RMBs is to look at your dog’s poop – if it’s too runny, you’re not feeding enough bone. If it’s too dry, you’re feeding too much.

The emphasis definitely lies on the word “raw”. Unlike cooked bones, raw bones are pliable and soft. They don’t splinter like cooked bones and keep a dog’s pearlies nice and clean.

Australian Veterinarian Dr. Ian Billinghurst writes of the benefits of raw meaty bones in his book “Give Your Dog A Bone“.

Check out my review of his book if you’re interested:

What Counts As RMBs?

• Leg quarters
• Feet
• Wings
• Necks
• Backs
• Thighs
• Heads
• Frames
• Ribs

How to Feed RMBs

As a general rule of thumb, RMBs should be slightly larger than your dog’s mouth so that he’s forced to crunch down on them a few times and doesn’t swallow it whole.

If you know that your dog is a gulper, hold the RMB with one hand and let your dog chew on the other end.

This has the added benefit of teaching your dog polite manners around food in general and that it’s OK for us humans to touch their food.

RMBs I Feed

My pups have had the pleasure of crunching down on the following raw meaty bones:

• Chicken leg quarters, feet, necks and wings
• Turkey necks, thighs and legs
• Duck necks, wings, heads, feet and frames
• Bone-in pork chops & pork trotters
• Lamb bones
• Goat ribs
• Bone-in rabbit chunks & rabbit heads

I can feed my pups chicken and duck wings because they’re not gulpers and are good about breaking them up with a few bites. If your dog is a gulper and a larger breed, I would pass on the wings.

Duck frames are roughly 25% meat and 75% bone and are great for medium to large size breeds.

Chicken feet are mainly bone, meaty lamb bones are about 20% meat, and 80% bone.

Chicken leg quarters are about 74% meat, and 26% bone. They’re a good size for large dogs.

My supermarket around the corner has an awesome deal on those about once per month where I’ll get two bags of chicken leg quarters for the price of one.

Turkey necks are about 60% meat, and 40% bone. They’re a good size for medium to large size dogs.

Don’t feed weight bearing bones from large hooved animals like cows and deer!

Those bones are too dense and can fracture dog teeth. Unlike the much softer poultry bones, they’re designed to hold up hundreds of pounds of animal.

Where I Buy My RMBs

I’m lucky and can find chicken feet at a local organic farm and turkey necks and thighs at the supermarket down the street.

Of course I can also get my hands on chicken drumsticks/wings and bone-in pork chops at the supermarket. Every grocery store should carry those, really.

I’ve ordered duck necks from Raw Paws Pet Food, and Raw Feeding Miami.

I get duck heads and frames from Raw Feeding Miami, and have also ordered bone-in pork chops, rabbit heads, bone-in rabbit chunks, and lamb bones from them.

Alternatives for RMBs

Sometimes, feeding RMBs whole or ground isn’t an option.

For example, when pregnant or lactating dogs need such an increased amount of calcium, that it would be impossible to cover that allowance with RMBs alone.

Or if a dog suffers from kidney disease. When they do, they usually need a diet that’s lower in phosphorus.

And unfortunately for these dogs, there’s plenty of phosphorus in RMBs.

As a matter of fact, calcium carbonate and calcium citrate are the only phosphorus-free options out of the alternatives listed below.

Thankfully, there are several alternatives to cover your dog’s calcium needs:

• Eggshell powder
• Seaweed calcium
• Calcium carbonate
• Calcium citrate
• Bone meal

Related Reading: How to Make Eggshell Powder for Dogs

Component 4: Veggies, Fruit, Herbs, Nuts & Seeds In Homemade Raw Dog Food

It’s up to your personal preference whether or not you decide to add fruits, veggies, nuts & seeds to your raw dog food.

However, I strongly suggest you add some UNLESS you feed your dog a whole prey diet that includes the stomach contents (= plant matter).

Plant matter has certain benefits, particularly dark berries and cruciferous veggies.

Both are rich in phytochemicals, antioxidants, and fiber. They’re also said to be rich in cancer-fighting compounds.

Cruciferous vegetables dogs can eat are:

• Cauliflower
• Cabbage
• Bok choy
• Kale
• Broccoli
• Brussels sprouts

Other vegetables that are low in sugar and good for dogs are:

• Cucumber
• Chard
• Spinach
• Zucchini
• Yellow squash
• Shiitake mushrooms

Vegetables that are high in sugar and should be fed in moderation are:

• Carrots
• Sweet potatoes
• Beets

Vegetables that are high in carbs and should be avoided are:

• White potatoes
• Peas
• Corn

Check out this blog post for more information on veggies, fruits and herbs in raw dog food.

Read more here on how to safely feed nuts and seeds.

How To Feed Your Dog Fruit & Veggies

Dogs lack the enzyme necessary for breaking down plant cell walls, meaning they can’t properly digest whole plant matter.

Because of this, fruits & veggies need to be fed either pureed, steamed, or very finely chopped.

Which Fruits/Veggies Do I Feed?

I feed the following fruits & veggies in small amounts and rotate between them on a seasonal basis:

• Berries: Blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries
• Watermelon
• Bananas
• Apples
• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Celery
• Spinach
• Brussels sprouts
• Shiitake mushrooms
• Pumpkin puree
• Dehydrated beets

I also like Dr. Harvey’s Paradigm and keep a bag around for convenience sake because I don’t always feel like steaming and pureeing plant matter myself.

Paradigm is a dehydrated mix of 6 dehydrated vegetables, bone broth, herbs, and a multi-vitamin supplement.

All you have to add is water to rehydrate it, and then you just mix it in with your pup’s meals.

Component 5: Kelp for Iodine

Kelp doesn’t fit neatly into any of the percentages above, but I add it to every single homemade raw meal. Here’s why.

A wild dog gets its iodine from the thyroid gland of its prey. We don’t feed thyroid glands (and for good reason), so that source is simply missing from a homemade raw diet.

Dogs also need a lot more iodine than most people expect. Muscle meat, organs and even oily fish don’t reliably cover it, so without a dedicated source, a raw diet can easily come up short.

That’s where kelp comes in. It’s a natural, whole food source of iodine, and a small daily amount does the job.

• Use a kelp made for dogs and follow the dosing on its label.
• Skip human kelp supplements. They’re dosed for people, and following that label usually leaves your dog short on iodine.
• Check your base mix. Some already include kelp, so you may not need to add more.

What Is a Balanced Raw Diet for Dogs: Bottom Line

If you’ve made it all the way down here – yay! You now have a solid grasp of what balanced raw feeding actually looks like.

Despite the work that goes into making my pups’ homemade raw dog food, it’s so much fun putting their own meals together and shopping for the different protein sources.

So here’s to feeding your dog real food, building balanced meals and making raw feeding feel a whole lot easier, one bowl at a time.

For more resources, visit my full homemade raw dog food library.

Leave your comments or questions in the comment section below!

Related Content

• Raw dog food calculator
• Iodine in raw dog food
• How to make raw dog food at home
• Do chicken bones for dogs scare you?
• Raw spleen for dogs: All you need to know
• Liver for dogs: All your questions answered
• Freezer space makes raw feeding affordable
• Seeds and nuts for dogs: Benefits & how to feed
• Easy raw dog food feeding charts and worksheets
• Why raw hearts for dogs are a powerful organ meat
• Raw meaty bones for dogs: How to feed and where to get them

Barbara Rivers

Barbara Rivers is the founder of K9sOverCoffee and a raw feeding educator with over a decade of hands-on experience.

She has fed raw in the US and Europe since 2015, after her Boxer mix Missy’s cancer diagnosis led her to move away from processed kibble and commit to species-appropriate nutrition.

As a former professional dog walker, she developed deep insight into canine behavior, conditioning, and the essential link between proper exercise and long-term health.

Barbara completed online training with veterinarian Dr. Marion Smart and Labrador breeder Dana Scott and works for one of Germany’s leading raw dog food brands, BARFER’S.

In 2026–2027, she is completing a year-long raw nutrition certification for dogs and cats at THP School, founded by raw feeding pioneer Swanie Simon.

Through her blog and weekly newsletter, she provides clear, experience-based guidance to help dog owners feed raw safely and confidently.