Oma’s Pride Raw Mixes (Raw Frozen)

by Mike Sagman
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Rating: ★★★☆☆

Oma’s Pride Raw Mixes Dog Food receives the Advisor’s mid-tier rating of 3 stars.

The Oma’s Pride Raw Mixes product line includes four frozen dog foods. However, according to the company, none of the formulas appear to meet AAFCO nutrient profiles without additional vitamin and mineral supplementation.1

Because of its nutritionally incomplete design, the company advises this product “should not be fed as the sole component” in a dog’s diet.

The following is a list of recipes available at the time of this review.

  • Oma’s Pride Beef and Veggie Mix
  • Oma’s Pride Chicken and Veggie Mix
  • Oma’s Pride Lamb and Veggie Mix (2 stars)
  • Oma’s Pride Turkey and Veggie Mix (5 stars)

Oma’s Pride Beef and Veggie Mix was selected to represent the other products in the line for this review.

Oma's Pride Beef and Veggie Mix

Raw Dog Food

Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content

Protein = 45% | Fat = 47% | Carbs = 1%

Ingredients: Beef meat, beef hearts, beef kidney, beef liver, broccoli, butternut squash, kale, beef bone

Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 1.3%

Red items when present indicate controversial ingredients

Estimated Nutrient Content
MethodProteinFatCarbs
Guaranteed Analysis11%12%NA
Dry Matter Basis45%47%1%
Calorie Weighted Basis28%72%0%

The first ingredient in this dog food is beef. Beef is defined as “the clean flesh derived from slaughtered cattle” and includes skeletal muscle or the muscle tissues of the tongue, diaphragm, heart or esophagus.2

Beef is naturally rich in all ten essential amino acids required by a dog to sustain life.

The second ingredient is beef heart. Although it doesn’t sound very appetizing to us humans, heart tissue is pure muscle — all meat. It’s naturally rich in quality protein, minerals and complex B vitamins, too.

The third ingredient is beef kidney, an organ meat low in fat and rich in protein and essential minerals.

The fourth ingredient is beef liver. This is an organ meat sourced from a named animal and thus considered a beneficial component.

The fifth item is broccoli. Broccoli is a healthy green vegetable and a member of the kale family. It’s notably rich in vitamin C and fiber and numerous other nutrients.

Like other cruciferous vegetables, broccoli is believed to provide anti-cancer benefits.

The sixth ingredient is squash. Squash is a nutritious addition high in complex carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber.

The seventh ingredient is kale. Kale is a type of cabbage in which the central leaves do not form a head. This dark green vegetable is especially rich in beta-carotene, vitamins C, vitamin K and calcium.

And like broccoli, kale contains sulforaphane, a natural chemical believed to possess potent anti-cancer properties.

The eighth ingredient is ground beef bone, an excellent source of natural calcium.

Although we find no mention of added vitamins or minerals on the ingredients list, we’re reassured to find a detailed list of naturally present nutrients on the company’s website.

Oma’s Pride Raw Mixes Dog Food
The Bottom Line

Judging by its ingredients alone, Oma’s Pride Raw Mixes dog food looks like an above average raw product.

But ingredient quality by itself cannot tell the whole story. We still need to estimate the product’s meat content before determining a final rating.

The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 45%, a fat level of 47% and estimated carbohydrates of about 1%.

However, it’s important to note the Lamb and Veggie Mix presents a fat content of a sky-high 67% dry matter fat content. That’s more than double the recipe’s 26% protein content. Hence, the recipe’s 2-star rating.

As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 42% and a mean fat level of 46%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 4% for the overall product line.

And a fat-to-protein ratio of about 111%.

Near-average protein. Above-average fat. And below-average carbs when compared to a typical raw dog food.

Free of any plant-based protein boosters, this looks like the profile of a raw product containing a significant amount of meat.

However, with 69% of the total calories in this food coming from fat as compared to just 25% from protein, it would be inappropriate to award this product a higher rating.

What’s more, it’s unfortunate the company did not design any of its products to be in compliance with industry standard nutrient profiles.

Bottom line?

Oma’s Pride Raw Mixes dog food is a meat-based raw product using a generous amount of named meats as its main sources of animal protein, thus earning the brand 3 stars.

Recommended (but not as the sole component of a dog’s diet).

However, it’s important to note that many raw dog food products make no attempt to meet AAFCO nutrient profile guidelines to be complete and balanced for daily use.

For this reason, we recommend consumers become aware of the advantages and disadvantages of raw feeding before committing to long term use.

Please note some products may have been given higher or lower ratings based upon our estimate of their total meat content or the fat-to-protein ratio of each recipe.

Special Alert

Rice ingredients can sometimes contain arsenic. Until the US FDA establishes safe upper levels for arsenic content, pet owners may wish to limit the total amount of rice fed in a dog's daily diet.

A Final Word

The descriptions and analyses expressed in this and every article on this website represent the views and opinions of the author.

Although it's our goal to ensure all the information on this website is correct, we cannot guarantee its completeness or its accuracy; nor can we commit to ensuring all the material is kept up-to-date on a daily basis.

Each review is offered in good faith and has been designed to help you make a more informed decision when buying dog food.

However, our rating system is not intended to suggest feeding a particular product will result in specific health benefits for your pet.

For a better understanding of how we analyze each product, please read our article, "The Problem with Dog Food Reviews".

Remember, no dog food can possibly be appropriate for every life stage, lifestyle or health condition. So, choose wisely. And when in doubt, consult a qualified veterinary professional for help.

In closing, we do not accept money, gifts or samples from pet food companies in exchange for special consideration in the preparation of our reviews or ratings.

To learn how we support the cost of operating this website, please visit our public Disclosure and Disclaimer page.

Have an opinion about this dog food? Or maybe the review itself? Please know we welcome your comments.

Notes and Updates

06/16/2011 Original review
02/22/2012 Lowered rating due to new DFA fat analysis
12/29/2012 Review updated
12/29/2012 Last Update

  1. Oma’s Pride Customer Service, 6/16/2011 ↩
  2. Association of American Feed Control Officials ↩
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  • chris

    Just give your pet raw meat, with bone ,heart , liver,kidney and chicken etc. You won’t need to take it to a vet to have it’s teeth cleaned, suffering from bloat and a 99% chance it will not get mouth cancer. Forget kibble it’s the worst thing you can give a dog and they don’t need veggies at all. Dogs are carnivores plain and simple. forget the rubbish you read from dog food firms they want your money for a load of rubbish. Just go to a supermarket or butcher and buy it fresh your pet will love you for it.

  • hock

    People still fight dogs?? What are mental??

  • Dave’s Hounds

    I use their treats – Turkey hears, Lamb tripe and beef tripe.

  • doggonefedup

     Okay there is one exception……..this food an be used as a topper but shouldn’t be more than 7% or 8% on top of a decent kibble.

  • doggonefedup

    First things first! Forget AAFCO They are just a guideline for couch-potato pets….If you have a dog that is expending massive amounts of energy this dog food is absolutely perfect! When I say “massive amounts of energy” I’m not talking about just playing ball for 20-30 minutes a day a couple times per week. I am talking about a dog that will be running hard all day long or a dog that is engaged in a search and rescue mission or even (and I hate the thought it this) a fighting dog. Dogs burn fats for energy and use proteins to help recover from burning all that energy. With that in mind their food should be 200-300% more fat than meat protein. And should only be used when the dog will be burning that many calories that fast. That is the only time this type of food should be fed. This is definitely not the kind of food you should be giving your dog on an ongoing daily basis.  
    BTW the veggies are only included to help control glucose levels. IMO

  • Hound Dog Mom

    Darwinlily –

    While I completely agree with you that carbohydrates are not good for dogs, this food really does have too much fat. The % fat is greater than the % protein. Ideally fat should be between 50% and 75% of protein. The Ancestral Diet of wolves – what all raw diets should be modeled after – is 49% of calories from protein, 44% of calories from fat, and 6% of calories from carbohydrates. As you can see from Dr. Mike’s analysis the Oma’s Pride food is a mere 28% of calories from protein, a whopping 72% of calories from fat and no calories from carbohydrates. No one is saying this food should be full of carbs – it just simply doesn’t have enough protein.

  • Darwinlily

    Everybody’s focused on the fat % of this food as a big negative.  People – this food represents the CORRECT ratios of what our dogs should be eating!  And this is about right for ourselves as well.  Quit using the cheap, easy carbohydrate crutch!  We don’t need all those carbs – that’s what is making us all (and our pets) fat – not the dietary fat.

  • Pingback: All Different Dog Food Brands & Types | My Blog

  • LabsRawesome

     Hi Lindsay, Please read the detailed review above, then you will understand the reviewer’s reasoning for the 3 stars given.Also, one is only rated a 2 star, for the following reason- However, it’s important to note the Lamb and Veggie Mix presents a fat
    content of a sky-high 67% dry matter fat content. That’s more than
    double the recipe’s 26% protein content. Hence, the recipe’s 2-star
    rating.

  • Lindsay

    can someone explain to me why this food is only 3 stars?

  • Heather

    I’m interested in feeding my dog Oma’s Pride, but I’m not sure what supplements to add. Right now I give her fish oil with vitamin E, a B-50 complex, and probiotics every day. I’m sure if I were to switch to Oma’s Pride I would need more than this. Can anyone comment on suggestions for what to add?

  • http://www.shadowpins.com Susan

    I have been feeding Oma’s Pride chicken and turkey mixes for 6+ years to multiple Miniature Pinschers and dobermans. I start new puppies on this raw diet as well, with Nature’s Farmacy vitamins and probiotics added to all meals. My dogs have had no health problems since we switched to raw, have beautiful shiny coats, well developed form and are in the best condition I have ever seen them. I am a very satisfied customer, and my dogs love the food

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Jonathan… After posting this review, I calculated the energy-weighted nutrient analysis. And I found this recipe to be even more overweight in fat than the dry matter basis shown currently. So, look for an important update to this report very soon.

  • Jonathan

    Mike, you mention that the lamb formula contains 67% fat… that’s absurd! Does AAFCO not have a maximum allowed fat content? It is also strange that they elected to leave out the vitamins that would give the product an AAFCO adequacy rating. I’d be curious to know their reasoning for this. A dog couldn’t possibly get all the vitamins they need from the small amount of broccoli, butternut squash, and kale in this food. And, more than likely, the beef is from grain-fed cows that are stuffed with nutritionally worthless omega-6 heavy corn. So the meat isn’t going to be loaded with vitamins like grass-fed beef.