Frequently asked questions

We have recreated the mixture of fruits, herbs and vegetables that would have been available to dogs through the stomach contents of their herbivorous prey and natural foraging. This vegetable matter provides an enormous variety of micro-nutrients which are largely lacking in other complete foods. We use ingredients like cinnamon to promote a healthy heart, yucca to help with blood pressure and arthritis, cranberries to help with urinary tract and boost overall health, apples for antioxidants, carrots for vitamins and minerals, camomile to aid digestion and seaweed for a whole raft of special nutrients. It is this specific combination that really sets Natural Dog Food apart and means that we don’t have to add any artificial vitamins or minerals to our food. We let nature do the hard work and simply reap the benefits for your dog.

In our Sensitive range, all added vitamins and minerals are derived from natural sources wherever possible and are included in forms that are gentle, highly bioavailable, and easy for dogs to absorb. For example, we use chelated minerals, which are bonded to natural amino acids to aid digestion and absorption, and we source our vitamins from plant-based ingredients.

We’ve chosen to add these nutrients to ensure that every batch of our Sensitive food provides the exact same levels of key vitamins and minerals—something that’s particularly important for dogs with dietary sensitivities or underlying health concerns. While our ingredients already contain naturally occurring nutrients, this additional step allows us to guarantee consistency and give both vets and owners complete confidence in the nutritional profile of every meal.

We don’t add vitamins or minerals to our Original range because it’s designed to provide complete nutrition naturally, using only the finest quality ingredients. Every ingredient is chosen not just for taste and digestibility, but also for its natural nutritional value. For example, chicken liver is rich in essential vitamins like A and B12, while ingredients such as seaweed and vegetables contribute important minerals like iodine and potassium.

Thanks to this careful formulation, the Original range consistently exceeds recommended nutritional guidelines without the need for artificial additives. While there may be minor seasonal variations—as is natural with real food—we are confident that every batch provides safe, balanced nutrition for healthy dogs. It’s this commitment to natural, honest feeding that sets our Original range apart.

Our Original range is crafted to suit the needs of everyday dogs—those who thrive on exceptionally high-quality, natural food. We take great pride in the fact that we do not add synthetic vitamins or minerals to the Original recipes. Instead, we rely entirely on the naturally occurring nutrients found in our carefully selected ingredients. Thanks to the superior quality of these ingredients, every batch of our Original food consistently exceeds the recommended guideline levels for key vitamins and minerals. While there may be some natural seasonal variations, we are confident that each batch is both safe and nutritionally complete for healthy dogs.

In contrast, our Sensitive range is designed specifically for dogs with known dietary sensitivities or intolerances—dogs who may require more consistent, predictable nutrition. To meet these needs, we add a precise blend of vitamins and minerals to ensure that every batch is identical in its nutritional profile. This not only removes any variation but also gives vets and owners the confidence to make informed decisions when feeding dogs that require extra care. By fortifying the Sensitive range, we’re able to provide exact figures for each nutrient, offering the peace of mind that comes with precision and consistency—something particularly important when managing dogs with complex dietary requirements.

Chelated minerals are minerals that have been bound (or “chelated”) to natural compounds—amino acids or peptides—to improve how well they’re absorbed by the body.

In simpler terms, when a mineral like zinc or iron is chelated, it’s attached to something your dog’s body easily recognises and absorbs—like a protein fragment. This helps the mineral pass through the digestive system more efficiently, so your dog gets more benefit from it.

Chelated minerals are especially useful in sensitive or specialist diets, as they’re typically gentler on the stomach and more reliably absorbed than standard mineral forms. That’s why we include them in our Sensitive range—to ensure dogs with delicate digestion or specific nutritional needs get the best possible support from every bowl.

We use fresh, human-grade meat which is carefully reared and cared for. Whether it is grass fed lambs, free range chickens or sustainably farmed salmon the animals used are highest quality and ethically reared as possible in the UK.

Unlike many other companies, all of the fresh meat that we use is fit for human consumption, and does not include any derivatives whatsoever. We are proud to say that we only use the finest ingredients, and would not include anything in the food that we wouldn’t eat ourselves.

In dog food, ash is not as we know it. Ash represents the mineral content of the food & is determined chemically by burning the product. It is not an ingredient but rather a measurement for food analysis.

The Natural Dog Food Company is a family run business based in Lincolnshire, our food is made in the UK.

Natural dog food is formulated as a balanced complete diet and as such provides everything your dog needs to remain fit and healthy. Nevertheless, we think that dogs are individuals with individual tastes and should be treated as such.

Like humans, they thrive on variety and this can be provided through ‘optional’ extras such as fresh fruits or vegetables, meat and raw bones. To ensure the correct nutritional balance is maintained, we suggest feeding Natural Dog Food as at least 90% of the total diet.

All of our recipes are made up so that the basic constituents of each flavour stay the same, all 100% natural, nutritional and balanced. The only thing that changes is the meat source. This means you can swap between flavours with no digestive upset whatsoever.

We recommend changing gradually over a period of up to seven days, this gives your dog’s digestive system a chance to adjust to Natural Dog Food. Start by mixing a small amount of Natural Dog Food with the old food. Gradually increase the amount of the Natural Dog Food while reducing the amount of the old food, until you are feeding your dog entirely on Natural Dog Food.
Some more sensitive dogs and puppies it may take time to settle but stick with it, others may be able to switch almost immediately.

As a rough guideline, we say around 7-8 years old is classed as a senior dog, however this depends on the breed and individual dog, you should not feel as though you need to change foods if your dog is doing well on our Adult food. The senior recipe benefits from herbs and vegetables tailored to help with joint strain, impaired major organ function and reduced mobility. It also has slightly increased protein to help prevent muscle wastage that is often seen in older dogs.

We have recreated the mixture of fruits, herbs and vegetables that would have been available to dogs through the stomach contents of their herbivorous prey and natural foraging. This vegetable matter provides an enormous variety of micro-nutrients which are largely lacking in other complete foods. We use ingredients like cinnamon to promote a healthy heart, yucca to help with blood pressure and arthritis, cranberries to help with urinary tract and boost overall health, apples for antioxidants, carrots for vitamins and minerals, camomile to aid digestion and seaweed for a whole raft of special nutrients. It is this specific combination that really sets Natural Dog Food apart and means that we don’t have to add any artificial vitamins or minerals to our food. We let nature do the hard work and simply reap the benefits for your dog.

Our ingredients are chopped, combined and added to a mixing bowl, then it goes into a machine which gently steam cooks the mix to form biscuits. This process does not denature the ingredients whatsoever due to low temperatures and low pressure.

Our products are tested thoroughly all the way through the process.

We make sure that out bags have the longest shelf lives possible when sending them out to our customers, which can be up to 18 months.

All of Natural Dog Food’s ingredients are of the highest quality we can find; therefore sourcing them can come at quite a cost. As each individual piece of kibble is so densely packed with nutrients, our feeding amounts are surprisingly low, meaning the daily cost of feeding Natural Dog Food per day is reduced. Our food remains competitive when compared to other brands.

Natural Dog Food bags are made of entirely natural products; they are recyclable, biodegradable and even compostable!

This means they are breathable and perfect for storing the food, it also means that the bags are not harmful to your pets or the environment.

Our shiny outer coating is made from clay, we used water based ink and the rest of the bag is made from sustainable paper stocks. Which means for every tree that goes into our bags, three more are planted!