Sarah-Jane White The Best Raw Dog Food: Paleo Ridge Honest Review
Years ago, I used to believe that feeding my dog a healthy diet was as simple as buying the best bag of kibble from the pet shop. I was wrong. As it turned out, even the most expensive kibbles were loaded with unhealthy ingredients like corn, wheat, and soy which can lead to all sorts of health problems in dogs.
I didn’t know this until I was studying for my degree in Animal Welfare and Training. As part of the course I undertook a research project on dog nutrition and discovered that a raw diet is the healthiest way to feed your dog. So, when I got Dolly 9 years ago, she was fed a raw diet. Back then you had to do it yourself, so getting the balance of nutrients right was not easy. Okay for me, I’d studied pet nutrition, but not so simple for the general public.
Now the pet food industry has completely changed! The kibble is actually so much better, but still not 100% perfect, but the rise in raw food brands has given us more options to ‘go raw’ and the BARF (Biologically Appropriate Raw Feeding or Bones And Raw Food) diet has become much more popular.
We now have five dogs, and they are all fed a raw diet. I live in the UK and there are quite a few brands to choose from. When you decide to switch your dog to a raw diet, you often have no idea where to start. There are so many different brands of raw food on the market, and it can be difficult to know which one is the best for your pet. But one brand that I discovered is Paleo Ridge. Their food is ethically sourced with high animal welfare standards, and it’s made right here in the UK.
I first heard about Paleo Ridge when I was looking for a healthier and easier option to feed raw to my dogs. I did some research and found that their food is actually the best raw dog food on the market, so I gave it a shot.
Sarah-Jane White, Animal Behaviourist.
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Who is Paleo Ridge?
Paleo Ridge is a raw dog food business that sources its ingredients ethically and uses sustainable farming practices. The company is based in Hampshire, UK, and was voted the best raw dog food manufacturer in the country in 2017.
Paleo Ridge offers a variety of frozen raw dog food options, including pouches and cardboard containers. The food is packaged in handy-sized portions and comes in a good variety of different flavours so there are plenty to choose from. All of the meat and bones used in the food are organic and free-range.
Paleo Ridge Product Range
Paleo Ridge offers a range of raw dog food products, including pouches, minces, and complete meals. The company also offers a variety of toppers, which are designed to be fed along with your dog’s regular food as well as the DIY range to make your own recipes for your dogs.
Paleo Ridge Classic – from £4.29 per kg
The 80-10-10 raw dog food diet follows the prey model of raw feeding, with each meal containing 80% human-grade, outdoor-reared meat, 10% offal, and 10% bone. This offers optimum canine nutrition to keep your dog performing at its best.
Also available as Classic Mini in 250g pouches, which are my favourites for convenience, especially when travelling as they thaw out quicker and reseal easily.
Paleo Plus from £3.69 for 500g
Paleo Plus is a carefully formulated dog food, made with 95% high-welfare, outdoor-reared, grass-fed meat, offal and bone. The food also includes a 5% unique blend of sustainably-sourced superfoods, which helps to provide your dog with exceptional nutrition and top performance.
Both the Classic and Plus range also come as ‘hampers‘ which offers you a convenient way to buy the whole range and get plenty of variety. I’d recommend starting with one of these to see which flavours your dog might like the best!
Paleo Ridge Fish Treats £4.99 a bag
Their range of air-dried fish dog treats has been carefully selected for their nutritional benefits – perfect for keeping your pup happy and healthy. They come in cubes, or as whole sprats. As with all Paleo Ridge products, these fishy treats are ethically and sustainably sourced, and packaged in recyclable packs, so you can feel good about treating your best friend!
Paleo Ridge Strawberries & Cream Treats
Our favourite, well Dollys, are the Strawberries & Cream treats. These are 100% natural with kefir and an impressive array of sustainably sourced super-foods, and strawberries for their nutritional excellence. Dolly couldn’t get enough of her tongue on these. Definitely a firm favourite! Suitable for puppies from 14 weeks, so Miso & Mitsy our new Pekingese pups will be able to enjoy them soon. (Check their social media to follow their adventures.)
Paleo Ridge DIY from £2.49 a box
If you’re interested in making your own dog food, Paleo Ridge offers a great DIY option. All of their meats, bones and offal are human-grade and ethically-sourced, so you can be sure you’re giving your dog the best possible nutrition. Their products range from chunks of kangaroo and minced meats to duck necks, feet and lamb ribs, so you can make a variety of different recipes to suit your dog’s taste.
And if you’re not sure where to start, try our recipe for homemade gluten free dog treats using their DIY Mixed Offal ( There’s 20% off for new customers -and FREE SHIPPING). Your dog will love it!
First impressions – How did we get on?
After ordering the delivery was super quick and was well packed in eco-wool that you can also return to them for recycling.
I was really happy with the quality of the meat when I opened up the pouch. It looks like real meat chunks and you can actually see the fish skins in some of the products like the Surf and Turf.
The food is also very easy to portion out. I like that you can just rip open the pouch and squeeze out the food without having to use a knife or anything.
Although the pouches were better than the cardboard for me. I can see that they are being eco-friendly but the cardboard leaked a bit in the fridge. The solution was to take food out of the packaging and put it into another airtight container. Problem solved.
We were really happy with the variety of flavours. There are plenty to choose from including: Lamb, Chicken, Duck, Beef, and even Kangaroo (obviously not sourced in the UK!). With different combinations of meat and offal, it was easy to keep switching it up so the dogs didn’t get bored. Although research shows that dogs don’t get bored eating the same food every day. I would disagree!
Even the Lamb and Mint flavour, which I thought Dolly would turn her nose up at, she didn’t. It did smell tasty too, and not as stinky as the fishy ones!
Three months on….
I’ve been feeding my dogs Paleo Ridge for 3 months now and I have noticed a significant difference in their overall health. Their appetite has increased and they love the variety of flavours. After trying their food with our dogs, I can say without a doubt that Paleo Ridge is the best frozen raw food I’ve ever used. The quality of their food is outstanding, and our dogs love all of the flavours and always lick the bowl clean.
Another big benefit of feeding our dogs Paleo Ridge I should mention, is that our dog’s poops are smaller and don’t smell as bad! Their coat and skin look much healthier too and one of our Peke’s is allergic to chicken so feeding them the other meats available from Paleo Ridge has reduced her skin irritation and stopped her itching so much, which is great.
The Verdict
The verdict on Paleo Ridge is that we absolutely love it! The quality of the meat is fantastic and there is a great variety of flavours to keep your dog happy and healthy. The prices are also very reasonable when compared to other high-quality raw dog foods on the market. If you’re looking for high-quality, ethically sourced dog food that your pup will love, we highly recommend giving Paleo Ridge a try. With a variety of delicious flavours to choose from and reasonable prices, you can’t go wrong with this brand. So what are you waiting for? head over to their website and pick up some food for your furry friend today!
Pros:
- High-quality meat
- Ethically and sustainably sourced
- Plenty of variety in flavours
- Reasonably priced
- Dogs love it!
Cons:
• none really – only the leaky cardboard which was easily fixed.
If you’re looking for the best raw dog food, I highly recommend Paleo Ridge. Their product is of excellent quality and it’s affordable. Try it for yourself and see the difference it makes in your dog’s health.
