Highly Recommended
DogFoodAdvisor is reader supported See how
All reviews are 100% impartial but if you buy using links on this page, we may earn a referral fee.
Our Verdict
Vital Essentials Freeze Dried Raw product range consists of 18 recipes with ratings varying from 4 to 5 stars. The average rating of the whole range is 5 stars.
Each of these recipes is made from humanely sourced meat — the top ingredients in each variety are meat or organ meat — and the recipes come in different forms to suit dogs of different sizes.
Pros
- Responsibly sourced ingredients
- Minimally processed to maintain nutrients
- Whole animal protein
Cons
- Expensive
The table below shows each recipe in this range including our rating and the AAFCO nutrient profile: Growth (puppy), Maintenance (adult), All Life Stages, Supplemental or Unspecified.
Recipe and Label Analysis
Vital Essentials Freeze Dried Raw Beef Entrée Mini Nibs was selected to represent the other products in the line for detailed recipe and nutrient analysis.
Vital Essentials Freeze Dried Raw Beef Entrée Mini Nibs
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Protein
Fat
CarbsCarbohydrates
Beef with bone, beef liver, beef lung, beef kidney, beef heart, beef fat, beef tripe, fish oil, mixed tocopherols (preservative), vitamin E supplement, zinc amino acid complex, iron amino acid complex, copper amino acid complex, manganese amino acid complex
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 8%
Red denotes any controversial items
| Estimated Nutrient Content | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Method | Protein | Fat | Carbs |
| Guaranteed Analysis | 40% | 32% | NA |
| Dry Matter Basis | 44% | 35% | 14% |
| Calorie Weighted Basis | 31% | 60% | 10% |
Ingredients Analysis
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.1
Beef is naturally rich in all 10 essential amino acids required by a dog to sustain life.
The second ingredient is beef liver, an organ meat sourced from a named animal and thus considered a beneficial component.
The next ingredient is beef lung, which is a protein-rich organ meat that’s also low in fat.
The fourth ingredient is beef kidney, an organ meat low in fat and rich in protein and essential minerals.
The fifth 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 sixth ingredient is beef fat. Beef fat (or tallow) is most likely obtained from rendering, a process similar to making soup in which the fat itself is skimmed from the surface of the liquid.
Although it may not sound very appetizing, beef fat is actually a quality ingredient.
The seventh ingredient is beef stomach, also known as tripe. Tripe usually consists of the first three chambers of a cud-chewing animal’s stomach. As unappetizing as it may seem to us humans, tripe is favored by dogs. The meat itself can sometimes include the stomach’s contents, too.
The eighth ingredient is fish oil. Fish oil is naturally rich in the prized EPA and DHA type of omega-3 fatty acids. These two high quality fats boast the highest bio-availability to dogs and humans.
Depending on its level of freshness and purity, fish oil should be considered a commendable addition.
From here, the list goes on to include a few other items.
But to be realistic, ingredients located this far down the list (other than nutritional supplements) are not likely to affect the overall rating of this Vital Essentials product.
With one notable exception…
This food contains chelated minerals, minerals that have been chemically attached to protein. This makes them easier to absorb. Chelated minerals are usually found in better dog foods.
Nutrient Analysis
Based on its ingredients alone, Vital Essentials Freeze Dried Raw Beef Entree Mini Nibs looks like an above-average raw product.
The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 45.1%, a fat level of 35.9% and estimated carbohydrates of about 3.2%.
As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 51.8% and a mean fat level of 26.6%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 8.1% for the overall product line.
And a fat-to-protein ratio of about 54%.
Which means this Vital Essentials product line contains…
Above-average protein. Below-average fat. And below-average carbs when compared to a typical raw dog food.
Vital Essentials Dog Food Recall History
The following automated list (if present) includes all dog food recalls related to Vital Essentials through December 2025.
You can view a complete list of all dog food recalls since 2009 here.
Our Rating of Vital Essentials Freeze Dried Raw Grain Free Dog Food
Vital Essentials Freeze-Dried Raw is a grain-free raw dog food using a generous amount of named meats and organs as its source of animal protein, thus earning the brand 5 stars.
Please note certain recipes are sometimes given a higher or lower rating based upon our estimate of their total meat content and (when appropriate) their fat-to-protein ratios.
About
Vital Essentials was founded in 1968 and is based in Green Bay (USA); they began commercialising freeze-dried and frozen raw pet food in 2009.
Compare Vital Essentials Freeze Dried Raw Dog Food
How does Vital Essentials Freeze Dried Raw compare with The Dog Food Advisor's most recommended brands?
A Final Word
The Dog Food Advisor does not accept money, gifts, samples or other incentives in exchange for special consideration in preparing our reviews.
However, we do receive a referral fee from online retailers (like Chewy or Amazon) and from sellers of perishable pet food when readers click over to their websites from ours. This helps cover the cost of operation of our free blog. Thanks for your support.
For more information, please visit our Disclaimer and Disclosure page.
