Which RAWZ Limited Recipes Get
Our Best Ratings?

RAWZ Limited Recipe Dog Food receives the Advisor’s mid-tier rating of 3.5 stars.

The RAWZ Limited Recipe product line includes the 2 dry dog foods listed below.

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

Recipe and Label Analysis

RAWZ Limited Recipe Salmon was selected to represent both products in the line for detailed recipe and nutrient analysis.

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

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Ingredient Analysis

The first ingredient in this dog food is salmon. Although it is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, raw salmon contains up to 73% water. After cooking, most of that moisture is lost, reducing the meat content to just a fraction of its original weight.

After processing, this item would probably account for a smaller part of the total content of the finished product.

The second ingredient is pea protein, what remains of a pea after removing the starchy part of the vegetable.

Even though it contains over 80% protein, this ingredient would be expected to have a lower biological value than meat.

And less costly plant-based products like this can notably boost the total protein reported on the label — a factor that must be considered when judging the meat content of this dog food.

The third ingredient is pea starch, a paste-like, gluten-free carbohydrate extract probably used here as a binder for making kibble. Aside from its energy content (calories), pea starch is of only modest nutritional value to a dog.

The fourth ingredient includes peas. Peas are a quality source of carbohydrates. And like all legumes, they’re rich in natural fiber. However, peas contain about 25% protein.

It’s important to note that a number of ingredients included in this recipe are each a type of pea product:

• Pea protein
• Pea starch
• Peas

Although they’re a mixture of quality plant ingredients, there’s an important issue to consider here. And that’s the recipe design practice known as ingredient splitting.

You see, if we were to combine all these individual items together and report them as one, that newer combination would almost certainly occupy a higher position on the list — possibly making peas (not meat) the predominant ingredient in this recipe.

The fifth ingredient is olive oil. Olive oil contains oleic acid, a healthy monounsaturated fat. It’s also rich in natural antioxidants and carotenoids.

The next ingredient is miscanthus grass, also known as elephant grass. Miscanthus is a non-GMO source of crude fiber.

After the natural salmon flavor, we find flaxseed, one of the best plant sources of healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Provided they’ve first been ground into a meal, flax seeds are also rich in soluble fiber.

However, flaxseed contains about 19% protein, a factor that must be considered when judging the actual meat content of this dog food.

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 RAWZ product.

With 3 notable exceptions…

First, 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.

Next, we find sodium selenite, a controversial form of the mineral selenium. Sodium selenite appears to be nutritionally inferior to the more natural source of selenium found in selenium yeast.

And lastly, this product includes taurine, an important amino acid associated with the healthy function of heart muscle. Although taurine is not typically considered essential in canines, some dogs have been shown to be deficient in this critical nutrient.

Since taurine deficiency appears to be more common in pets consuming grain-free diets, we view its presence in this recipe as a positive addition.

Nutrient Analysis

Based on its ingredients alone, RAWZ Limited Recipe dog food looks like an above-average dry product.

The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 26%, a fat level of 14% and estimated carbohydrates of about 52%.

As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 27% and a mean fat level of 14%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 51% for the overall product line.

And a fat-to-protein ratio of about 50%.

Which means this Rawz product line contains…

Above-average protein. Below-average fat. And above-average carbs when compared to other typical kibbles.

However, when you consider the protein-boosting effect of the pea protein, peas and flaxseed, this looks like the profile of a dry dog food containing just a moderate amount of meat.

Our Rating of RAWZ Limited Recipe Dog Food

RAWZ Limited Recipe is a grain-free dry dog food that utilizes a moderate amount of named meats as its dominant source of animal protein, thus earning the brand 3.5 stars.

Recommended.

RAWZ Limited Recipe Recall History

The following automated list (if present) includes all dog food recalls related to RAWZ through November.

No recalls noted.

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

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More RAWZ Brand Reviews

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

• RAWZ Meal Free Dog Food Review (Dry)