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Open Farm Freeze-Dried Raw Dog Food Review (Freeze-Dried)

Open Farm Freeze-Dried Raw Dog Food

Rating:

Which Open Farm Freeze-Dried Raw Recipes Get
Our Best Ratings?

Open Farm Freeze-Dried Raw Dog Food earns The Advisor’s second-highest tier rating of 4.5 stars.

The Open Farm Freeze-Dried Raw product line includes the 6 dry dog foods listed below.

Each recipe includes its AAFCO nutrient profile when available… Growth (puppy), Maintenance (adult), All Life Stages, Supplemental or Unspecified.

Product Rating AAFCO
Open Farm Grass-Fed Beef Recipe 4.5 A
Open Farm Surf and Turf Recipe 4.5 A
Open Farm Homestead Turkey Recipe 2.5 A
Open Farm Harvest Chicken Recipe 4.5 A
Open Farm Farmer’s Table Pork Recipe 4 A
Open Farm Pasture-Raised Lamb Recipe 4 A

Recipe and Label Analysis

Open Farm Grass-Fed Beef Recipe was selected to represent the other products in the line for detailed recipe and nutrient analysis.

Label and nutrient data below are calculated using dry matter basis.


Open Farm Grass-Fed Beef Recipe

Freeze-Dried Dog Food

Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content

Protein = 43% | Fat = 34% | Carbs = 15%

Ingredients: Humanely raised beef, beef hearts, beef kidneys, beef livers, ground beef bone, organic carrots, organic blueberries, organic squash, organic sunflower seeds, organic cranberries, non-GMO coconut oil, organic spinach, organic pumpkin seeds, organic kale, salmon oil, chicory root, dried kelp, organic apple cider vinegar, vitamin D3 supplement, vitamin E supplement, thiamine mononitrate, folic acid, choline zinc amino acid chelate, copper amino acid chelate, selenium yeast, turmeric, cinnamon, mixed tocopherols (natural preservative), fenugreek seeds, sea salt

Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 5.3%

Red denotes controversial item

Estimated Nutrient Content
MethodProteinFatCarbs
Guaranteed Analysis41%32%NA
Dry Matter Basis43%34%15%
Calorie Weighted Basis31%58%11%
Protein = 31% | Fat = 58% | Carbs = 11%

Ingredient 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 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 item is sourced from a named animal and thus considered a beneficial component.

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

The sixth ingredient includes carrots, which are rich in beta-carotene, minerals and dietary fiber.

The seventh ingredient lists blueberries. Blueberries are a good source of vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber.

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

The ninth ingredient includes sunflower seeds, a good source of plant-based fatty acids that are also rich in vitamins. minerals and dietary fiber.

From here, the list goes on to include a number of 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 Open Farm product.

With 5 notable exceptions

First, we find coconut oil, a natural oil rich in medium-chain fatty acids.

Medium-chain triglycerides have been shown to improve cognitive function in older dogs.2

Because of its proven safety3 as well as its potential to help in the treatment of canine cognitive dysfunction syndrome (CDS) and chronic skin disorders, MCT can be considered a positive addition to this recipe.

Next, salmon 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, salmon oil should be considered a commendable addition.

In addition, chicory root is rich in inulin, a starch-like compound made up of repeating units of carbohydrates and found in certain roots and tubers.

Not only is inulin a natural source of soluble dietary fiber, it’s also a prebiotic used to promote the growth of healthy bacteria in a dog’s digestive tract.

Next, 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.

And lastly, this recipe uses selenium yeast. Unlike the more common inorganic form of selenium (sodium selenite), this natural yeast supplement is considered a safer anti-cancer alternative.

Nutrient Analysis

Based on its ingredients alone, Open Farm Freeze Dried Raw looks like a superior raw dog food.

The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 43%, a fat level of 34% and estimated carbohydrates of about 15%.

As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 41% and a mean fat level of 35%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 16% for the overall product line.

And a fat-to-protein ratio of about 84%.

Which means this Open Farm product line contains…

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 dog food containing a notable amount of meat.

However, with 58% of the total calories in our example coming from fat versus just 31% from protein, some recipes may not be suitable for animals on a low fat diet. In addition, this same finding also prevents us from awarding the brand a higher rating.

Our Rating of Open Farm Freeze-Dried Raw Dog Food

Open Farm Freeze-Dried Raw is a grain-free dog food using a notable amount of named meats and organs as its dominant source of animal protein, thus earning the brand 4.5 stars. The Homestead Turkey recipe gets 2.5 stars due to its extremely high fat-to-protein ratio.

Highly recommended.



Open Farm Freeze-Dried Raw Dog Food Recall History

The following automated list (if present) includes all dog food recalls related to Open Farm through March 2024.

No recalls noted.

You can view a complete list of all dog food recalls since 2009 here.

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More Open Farm Brand Reviews

The following Open Farm dog food reviews are also posted on this website:

A Final Word

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References

  1. Association of American Feed Control Officials
  2. Pan Y et al, Dietary supplementation with medium-chain TAG has long-lasting cognition-enhancing effects in aged dogs, British Journal of Nutrition, Volume 103, Issue 12, June 2010, pp 1746-1754
  3. Matulka RA et al, Lack of toxicity by medium chain triglycerides (MCT) in canines during a 90-day feeding study,Food Chem Toxicol, Jan 2009, 47(1) 35-9.
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