If you have looked at raw dog food for more than a few minutes, you will have seen "80/10/10" on almost every pack. Here is what it means, and what to look for when you choose a raw food for your dog.
What 80/10/10 means
80/10/10 describes the ratio of ingredients in a raw meal:
- 80% muscle meat. The main source of protein. It includes heart, which is a muscle, and in many recipes green tripe.
- 10% bone. Ground raw bone provides calcium and phosphorus.
- 10% offal. Organs like liver and kidney are rich in vitamins and minerals. In many recipes about half of this is liver.
The idea is to mirror the balance of a whole prey animal, which is the diet dogs' ancestors ate.
What is BARF?
BARF stands for Biologically Appropriate Raw Food. It is the name for raw feeding built around meat, bone and offal. Some BARF recipes stick strictly to 80/10/10. Others add a small amount of vegetables, fruit or other ingredients, such as our Stobart Veg Mix and Beef & Blueberry recipes.
Complete vs complementary
This is the most important thing to check on the label.
- Complete raw food is formulated to be fed on its own, every day, with nothing added. All of our Supreme Raw, Stobart and K9 "Complete" recipes fall into this group.
- Complementary raw food is not balanced on its own. Plain mince, single meats or pure tripe are great as part of a varied diet, but they need to be fed alongside complete meals.
If you are new to raw feeding, sticking to complete recipes is the simplest way to get the balance right.
Why the bone content matters
Bone is what keeps a raw diet balanced for calcium, and you will usually see the effect in your dog's stools. Very hard, pale or crumbly stools can mean a diet is too high in bone. Loose stools can mean it is too low. A well balanced 80/10/10 complete food takes the guesswork out of this.
How to choose a raw dog food
- Look for "complete" on the label for everyday feeding.
- Rotate proteins. Beef, lamb, duck, turkey, rabbit and fish all have different nutrient profiles. Variety boxes make rotating easy.
- Check for allergies. If your dog reacts to chicken, choose a chicken free box.
- Buy from a UK compliant supplier. Raw pet food in the UK must be produced in approved premises, and our food is dispatched from a DEFRA approved facility.
Shop 80/10/10 complete raw dog food
Our Supreme Raw and Stobart ranges are complete 80/10/10 recipes in 454g rolls, and our K9 Raw range comes in 454g blocks. Not sure how much you will need? Our feeding calculator works out grams a day and packs a month for the brand you feed, and our feeding guide has a chart by bodyweight.
This guide is general information. If your dog has a health condition or specific dietary needs, please speak to your vet.