Whole-Animal Nutrition means we use the entire animal — muscle, bone, skin, tendons, connective tissue, fat, and organs — to deliver the nutrients nature already designed.
By using every edible part, your dog gets:

• Naturally balanced calcium + phosphorus

• Collagen-rich “meat fiber” for gut health

• Trace minerals from organs

• True biological availability (nutrients the body actually absorbs)

• No synthetic vitamins, no fillers, no seed oils

This is how carnivores are meant to eat — balanced by nature, not by additives.

Dogs are carnivores and digest meat fiber, not plant fiber.
Plant fiber:

• Can impair nutrient absorption

• Often causes gas, bloating, and diarrhea

• Can worsen IBD or sensitive stomachs

• Offers fewer benefits for carnivores

Whole-animal “meat fiber” (collagen, cartilage, tendon, trachea) naturally supports:

• Gut health

• Firm stools

• Reduced inflammation

• Healthy microbiome

• Better nutrient absorption

Yes — but not because of laboratory synthetic vitamin packs.

Our foods are complete and balanced the way nature intended:

• Poultry blends (chicken, duck, turkey) include natural bone, skin, fat, and organ = full mineral profile

• Red meat blends include heart, liver, kidney, spleen, fat, connective tissue

• True whole-animal ratios provide naturally occurring calcium, phosphorus, zinc, B-vitamins, iodine, omega-3s, and amino acids

Nothing synthetic. Nothing isolated.
Just real whole food.

Each protein supplies unique nutrients:

• Chicken: high in connective tissue (collagen)

• Beef: rich in blood-building minerals

• Pork: excellent for skin + digestion

• Duck: cooling, anti-inflammatory protein

• Turkey: lean and gut-friendly

Rotating proteins = natural balance without additives.

No — supplements should support, not replace, a whole-food diet.
Our blends meet natural nutrient needs through whole-animal ingredients.

However, specific issues (itchy skin, immune weakness, stress, pancreatitis, yeast, DM, arthritis, etc.) may benefit from targeted herbal support.
We only carry food-based, non-synthetic formulas.

Because synthetic isolates:

• Can disrupt mineral ratios

• Oxidize and cause inflammation

• Are less bioavailable

• Don’t behave like real food in the body

Whole-animal nutrients are complete and self-balancing.
Your dog recognizes them as food — not chemicals.

Many brands use:

• Industrial seed oils

• Synthetic vitamin packs

• Dicalcium phosphate / calcium carbonate

• Dried kelp powder

• Kale/flax/pumpkin fillers

• Low organ content

We use:

• Edible bone for minerals

• Heart, liver, spleen, kidney for vitamins

• Skin, trachea, tendon for collagen + meat fiber

• Real fat + yolk + brain for omegas and choline

No synthetics. No fillers. No kelp powder.
Just whole-animal nutrition.

Yes — and it’s a healthy change.

On a properly balanced raw diet, dogs produce smaller, firmer stools with far less odor and volume. This is normal and beneficial.

Firmer stools are important because they help naturally express the anal glands every time your dog poops. This prevents scooting, leaking, and gland infections.

Most raw-fed dogs also “train” themselves to poop less often because they’re actually absorbing the nutrients in the food.
This should not be confused with constipation.

How to adjust stool texture (easy at-home tweaks)

• If stools become too hard: Add a little organ meat or green tripe to soften.

• If stools are too soft: Add a bit more bone (from your poultry blends).

Balanced raw diets produce the healthiest stool patterns — small, firm, and easy to pass.

Raw food naturally contains 60–75% moisture, which is the hydration level a carnivore would get from eating real prey. Because the water is already in the food, the body doesn’t need to pull extra moisture from tissues or organs to digest it.

With kibble, the opposite is true.

Kibble is extremely dry (only 6–10% moisture).
To digest it, your dog’s stomach must pull water from the body to rehydrate the food before it can even begin breaking it down.

This creates a cycle of chronic, low-grade dehydration:

• The stomach pulls water from tissues to soften the kibble

• The body needs to drink afterward just to replace what it lost

• Many dogs never drink enough to fully compensate

• Long-term, this can stress the kidneys and digestive system

On a raw, moisture-rich diet:

• Hydration comes directly from the food

• The digestive system doesn’t have to work as hard

• Stools normalize

• Kidney load decreases

• Dogs naturally drink less because their hydration needs are being met through real food

Drinking less on raw is not a concern — it’s a sign of proper hydration.

Raw-fed dogs produce much smaller, firmer stools because more of the food is actually being used by the body. Whole-animal raw diets contain real, bioavailable nutrients — not fillers — so there is very little waste left over.

Here’s what’s happening:

✔ High absorption = less waste
Raw meat, organs, fat, and bone are highly digestible for carnivores.
Your dog absorbs the majority of the nutrients, leaving little residue to eliminate.

✔ No fillers or indigestible plant material
Kibble often contains large amounts of starch, fiber, and plant matter that dogs can’t fully digest.
Those ingredients bulk up the stool — not the dog.

✔ Balanced bone creates firm, easy-to-pass stools
Edible bone provides natural calcium, which firms the stool and helps express the anal glands naturally.

✔ Improved gut health
Whole-animal “meat fiber” (collagen, cartilage, tendon) feeds beneficial gut bacteria without bloating or irritation, resulting in cleaner, smaller stools.

What to expect on raw:

• Smaller stools

• Less odor

• Less volume

• Firmer texture

• More regular elimination

This is completely normal — and a sign your dog is absorbing real nutrition instead of passing fillers.

No — dogs do not need vegetables added to their raw diet. Dogs are carnivores, and the type of “fiber” their gut is designed to use doesn’t come from plants — it comes from animal tissue.

This is called meat fiber, and it behaves very differently than plant fiber in the digestive tract.

What is Meat Fiber?

Meat fiber is the natural, fibrous material found in whole-animal ingredients such as:

• Collagen (muscle, tendons, skin, cartilage)

• Glycosaminoglycans (glucosamine, chondroitin)

• Edible bone

• Elastin (connective tissue)

• Keratin (skin, hair, feathers, nails, hooves)

These aren’t “fillers.”
They act as prebiotics for carnivores — feeding beneficial gut bacteria and producing short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) like butyrate, which:

• Reduce inflammation

• Support the gut lining

• Improve stool quality

• Strengthen the immune system

This is why whole-animal PMR grinds (like your whole-animal chicken) naturally improve digestion without needing plant fiber.

Why Meat Fiber Matters for Dogs

Research shows that animal-based fibers:

• Collagen ferments in the gut just like plant prebiotics — producing beneficial SCFAs

• Chicken cartilage ferments quickly and promotes good gut bacteria

• Bone broth + collagen peptides reduce bloating, gas, and improve gut lining

• Hide and skin (hair/fur) help reduce gut toxins and inflammation when included in prey-based diets

Bottom line: Meat fiber supports gut health, stabilizes stools, reduces inflammation, and improves digestion—without the negative effects that often come from plant bulk.

❌ Why Plant Fiber Isn't Ideal for Dogs

Plant fibers like pumpkin, kale, carrots, cellulose, beet pulp, or leafy greens can behave very differently in a carnivore gut:

• Slower digestion: 30g of cellulose can delay intestinal transit time in dogs by up to 900%

• Reduced nutrient absorption: Plant fiber binds minerals and reduces protein uptake

• More gas + odor: Plant roughage increases fermentation and flatulence

• Taurine depletion: Beet pulp can lower taurine levels (heart health concern)

• IBD flare-ups: Excess fermentable plant fiber can worsen inflammation

• Does not relieve constipation: Multiple studies show plant fiber does not improve constipation in dogs

Plant fiber isn’t “bad,” but it’s not necessary — and often counterproductive — in a properly built raw diet.

General guideline:

• Adult dogs: 1.5–2% body weight per day

• Puppies: 2.5–4% body weight (split into multiple meals)

• Very active dogs: May need slightly more

Every dog is different — start here and adjust. 

• Thaw overnight in the fridge

• Or float frozen portions in cold water for 20–30 minutes

• Serve at room temperature - I pour hot water on my dog's food. 

• Do not cook (destroys enzymes, collagen, and nutrients)

• Use within 2 days  - Our food does not contain preservatives.

• Keep covered in the refrigerator

• Safe to refreeze after portioning

flat surface at floor level — never in bowls, raised bowls, or slow feeders.

Here’s why flat feeding works best:

✔ Supports natural head + neck posture
Dogs are meant to eat with their head down. Raised bowls and stands interfere with how their digestive tract naturally moves food.

✔ Improves digestion
A flat feeding position encourages proper swallowing, reduces bloating, and allows the esophagus and stomach to work efficiently.

✔ Encourages natural licking + chewing patterns
Flat surfaces (like the Mine Pet Platter) promote wide, relaxed licking and chewing — the way carnivores process food in nature.

✔ Reduces air intake
Bowls — especially deep ones — cause dogs to gulp, which can contribute to gas, burping, and poor digestion.

✔ No slow feeders
Slow feeders restrict natural movement of the jaw and tongue. They work against the way dogs are built to eat and can create frustration, gulping, and poor digestive flow.

How to Feed (Best Practice):

• Serve the food at room temperature

• Place it on a flat platter or plate, not a bowl

• Always feed directly on the floor

• Allow your dog to lick and chew naturally

Feeding this way minimizes bloat risk, supports digestive health, and mirrors how dogs are designed to eat in the wild.

Raised bowls work against a dog’s natural eating mechanics.
Dogs are designed to eat with their head down, close to the ground — the same posture they use when eating prey in nature. This position:

• Promotes proper swallowing

• Supports natural saliva flow (important for digestion)

• Helps the stomach stay in the correct position for safe digestion

• Encourages a calm, grounded eating posture

Raised bowls (and feeding stands) can:

• Change natural esophageal angles

• Make gulping more likely

• Increase bloating risk in deep-chested dogs

• Reduce saliva production

• Interrupt the normal “head-down” chewing/licking pattern dogs are built for

Dogs digest best when eating from a flat plate or Mine Pet Platter placed directly on the floor — never elevated.

Slow feeders work against how a dog’s body is designed to eat. Dogs are built to take in larger amounts of food at a time, not tiny bites spread out over minutes.

Here’s why slow feeders aren’t recommended:

1. Dogs have flexible tracheas and a stomach built for real meals

Dogs evolved to swallow chunks of food efficiently. Their anatomy supports this:

• A flexible trachea designed to allow gulping and swallowing larger pieces

• A large, expandable stomach built to receive a full meal at once

• A strong pancreas ready to release the enzymes needed for a substantial meal

Slow feeders interrupt this natural process and force dogs to take in unnaturally small, restricted mouthfuls.

2. They create frustration, not “mindful eating”

Slow feeders can cause:

• Scraping, pawing, pushing, and frantic behavior

• Anxiety around meals

• Overthinking the eating process instead of naturally licking, chewing, and swallowing

Feeding should feel instinctive and calming — not like a puzzle or a chore.

3. Not necessary for raw feeding

Raw food (especially whole-animal blends) naturally slows eating because:

• It requires licking and chewing

• It engages jaw muscles

• It provides natural resistance (collagen, skin, tendons, fiber)

• It satisfies appetite quickly, reducing overeating

Slow feeders were created for kibble, which is dry, crunchy, and easy to inhale. Raw diets don’t have this problem.

4. Better alternative: flat plates or Mine Pet Platter

Serving on a flat platter encourages:

• Natural licking

• Slow, rhythmic chewing

• Better digestion

• Less air intake

• A calm, grounded feeding posture

Our beef and pork blends are boneless, which means they do not provide the natural calcium and phosphorus needed for a complete whole-animal diet.
The simplest and healthiest way to keep your dog’s meals balanced is through rotation, not synthetic powders.

Here’s how to balance boneless red meats naturally:

✔ Use poultry as your daily base
Poultry blends (chicken, turkey, duck) include soft, fully digestible bone — nature’s perfect calcium source. Feeding poultry most days of the week naturally balances Ca:P without any additives.

✔ Add beef or pork several days a week
Red meats provide heme iron, zinc, taurine, and B-vitamins and should be fed in rotation with poultry.

✔ Recommended ratio:
70% poultry + 30% beef/pork

If your dog cannot eat poultry: (This could be a yeast issue - we can help)
Choose bone-in red meats as your base:

• Carnos Beef with Bone

• Carnos Pork with Bone

These provide natural calcium and phosphorus from real edible bone — no synthetics, no powders, no premixes.

Rotation keeps meals naturally balanced — the way carnivores are built to eat.

Absolutely — puppies thrive on whole-animal foods.

Benefits:

• Stronger joints + connective tissue

• Better immune development

• Fewer digestive issues

• Shinier coat

• Lean growth, not fat growth

Just feed 2.5–4% of body weight. Feed 2% of the adult weight if known.

Most dogs do best on one meal per day.

Here’s why:

1. Raw food digests cleanly and doesn’t ferment

Whole-animal raw doesn’t contain starches, grains, legumes, or sugars.
It does not ferment, does not spike blood sugar, and does not cause gas.

This means dogs can comfortably eat a full daily meal without bloating.

2. Studies show dogs fed once daily are healthier

Recent research found that dogs fed one meal per day had:

• Better cognitive function

• Lower inflammation markers

• Lower risk of age-related disease

Raw-fed dogs benefit even more because their food is stable and low-glycemic.

3. Great for blood sugar & Type 2 diabetes risk

Because your food contains:

• No starch

• No sugar

• No high-glycemic carbohydrates

…it does not create the blood sugar spikes that kibble does.

This makes once-daily feeding especially beneficial for:

• Insulin resistance

• Weight issues

• Pre-diabetes

• Pancreatic stress

Constant snacking is for humans — not dogs.

For kibble-fed dogs:

Kibble is ultra-processed and high in starch.
To digest kibble, the body must:

• Pull large amounts of water into the stomach

• Rehydrate the dry food

• Release heavy pancreatic enzyme loads

• Manage blood-sugar spikes from carbohydrates

This process can cause:

• Gas

• Upset stomach

• Bloating

• Fluctuating energy

• Hunger swings

Kibble-fed dogs often need 2 meals per day because the food is harder to digest and stresses their GI system.

Poultry and red meat play very different roles in a whole-animal raw diet. Both are essential — but for different reasons.

POULTRY (Chicken, Turkey, Duck)

Your dog's daily foundation

Poultry proteins naturally include:

• Soft, fully digestible bone → real calcium + phosphorus

• Skin, connective tissue, collagen → gut health + joint support

• Balanced fat

• High moisture

• Easily digestible amino acids

Why poultry is the base of the diet:

• Provides the natural mineral balance (no synthetic powders needed)

• Extremely digestible for all ages

• Gentle on sensitive stomachs

• Creates small, firm stools

• Supports healthy anal gland expression

• Ideal for puppies, seniors, and GI issues

Poultry = balanced daily nutrition.

RED MEAT (Beef, Pork)

Nutrient-dense rotation proteins

Red meats add nutrients poultry does not:

• Heme iron

• Zinc + copper

• Taurine + CoQ10

• Creatine

• Heavier, richer amino acids

• More robust B-vitamins

BUT beef and pork blends are boneless, meaning:

• They do NOT provide calcium

• They do NOT balance the diet alone

• They must be rotated with poultry or fed as bone-in red meat

👉 Red meat = powerful rotation, not a complete base by itself.

How to Use Each Protein

Best practice for balanced feeding:

70% Poultry
30% Red Meat

This provides:

• Natural mineral balance

• Collagen + meat fiber

• Strong blood-building nutrients

• No synthetics

• No kelp powder

• No bone powders

If your dog cannot tolerate poultry:

Use bone-in beef or bone-in pork (Carnos) as your calcium source.

True poultry allergies are extremely rare.

Most dogs who “can’t tolerate poultry” are actually reacting to:

• Yeast overgrowth

• Sebum imbalance

• Gut inflammation

• Carb-heavy past diets

• Poor-quality kibble or cooked poultry

• Synthetic vitamin packs

• Environmental triggers

These issues make it look like the dog can’t handle poultry — but in reality, the gut and skin simply need to be reset.

In most cases, we can fix the underlying problem so your dog can eventually eat any protein, including poultry.

If your dog currently cannot eat poultry:

Use bone-in red meats as your natural calcium source:

• Carnos Beef with Bone

• Carnos Pork with Bone

These provide:

• Edible bone for natural Ca:P balance

• Collagen + connective tissue

• Complete trace minerals

• Whole-animal nutrition with zero synthetics

This keeps the diet naturally balanced while we address the real issue.

Most dogs CAN return to poultry once the underlying issue is fixed

Poultry intolerance almost always comes from:

• Yeast

• Sebum imbalance

• Leaky gut

• Prior high-carb diets

• Environmental triggers

• Overactive immune response

• Chronic inflammation

With your protocols (internal yeast, external yeast, whole-animal raw feeding), dogs typically regain tolerance and can eventually rotate all proteins.

For young dogs, it is especially important to correct the issue early — so they grow up able to eat a full variety of proteins.

Summary

• Use Carnos bone-in beef or pork while avoiding poultry short-term

• Fix the underlying imbalance (not the symptom)

• Most dogs return to poultry once the gut and skin are healed

• Poultry is ideal long-term because it naturally provides digestible bone + balanced minerals

Dogs should rotate proteins every 2–3 days, always returning to poultry as the daily base. This matches how whole-animal diets stay naturally balanced without kelp powder, vegetables, or synthetics.

For Adult Dogs

Use the 70/30 pattern shown on your Step 1 poster:

• Poultry = 70% of the diet (daily base)

• Red meats (beef or pork) = 30% (rotation)

This usually looks like:
Poultry → Poultry → Red Meat → Poultry → Poultry → Red Meat → repeat

Why? Because poultry provides the nutrients that keep the diet stable:

• Soft, digestible bone (natural calcium)

• Iodine from neck/skin tissues

• Collagen + cartilage for “meat fiber”

• Gentle, gut-friendly digestion

Red meats (beef, pork) add important nutrients — iron, zinc, B vitamins — but they are boneless, so they must not be fed for long stretches without returning to poultry.

Why aren’t boneless red meats considered complete?

Boneless red meats like beef and pork do not provide the natural calcium and minerals dogs need, because:

1. Beef and pork bones are too dense to grind safely

Unlike poultry bones, which are soft and fully digestible, beef and pork bones are extremely dense.
Even if ground, they are not consistently digestible for dogs.

2. Without edible bone, the calcium-to-phosphorus balance is off

Muscle meat alone is high in phosphorus and missing calcium, which can lead to:

• Poor bone density

• Loose stools

• Nutrient imbalance

• Long-term skeletal issues in puppies and adults

Dogs need natural bone to balance phosphorus—not powders or synthetics.

3. Poultry provides complete mineral balance naturally

Poultry frames (chicken, turkey, duck) contain:

• Fully digestible bone (natural calcium)

• Cartilage + collagen

• Bone marrow nutrients

• Trace minerals

This makes poultry a complete, biologically available base.

4. Red meats are meant for rotation, not as a standalone base

Red meat provides:

• Iron, zinc, B-vitamins

• Taurine + CoQ10

• Rich flavor and higher fat

…but without bone, red meats are only balanced when paired with poultry.

5. We don’t recommend bone powders or calcium additives

Synthetic calcium (bone meal, dicalcium phosphate, carbonate) can:

• Cause constipation

• Throw off the Ca:P ratio

• Provide inorganic minerals the body doesn’t absorb well

• Increase kidney strain

Whole-animal calcium from poultry bone is always safer and more complete.

Yes, you can mix proteins — but rotating by meal or by day is usually better.

Why mixing is fine:

• Dogs are carnivores; they’re built to handle a variety of proteins.

• Their stomach acid is strong enough to digest chicken, beef, pork, duck, etc. all at once.

• It will not “confuse” their digestion or cause imbalance.

Why rotating proteins is often better than mixing:

Rotating gives the body a chance to get the full nutrient benefit of each protein instead of diluting them all together.

• Poultry gives natural calcium + bone

• Beef gives heme iron, zinc, taurine, B-vitamins

• Pork gives selenium, healthy fats, and skin benefits

• Duck gives cooling, anti-inflammatory nutrition

When you rotate, your dog receives the full nutrient profile of each one.

Mixing is totally fine — but rotation is more intentional.

When mixing is recommended:

• Transitioning picky eaters

• Dogs new to a novel protein

• Puppies who need more variety

• Dogs on bone-in red meats (beef/pork) to balance with poultry

• When you want to increase fat or collagen depending on the day

When NOT to mix proteins:

• During the first 1–2 weeks of transitioning to raw (keep it simple)

• When doing a yeast reset (stick to one protein for consistency)

It depends on your dog.
Healthy adult dogs and puppies can usually switch cold turkey. Dogs with sensitive stomachs, IBS/IBD, yeast, or chronic soft stool will do better with a slow, supported transition.

1. Young, healthy dogs

Cold turkey is best.
Stop the kibble, start raw at the next meal.
This avoids mixing two opposite digestion speeds and prevents gas, bloating, or mushy stool.

Most healthy dogs adjust within 24–48 hours.

2. Dogs with sensitive digestion, IBD, chronic diarrhea, or yeast

Use a slower transition so the gut has time to adjust.

Slow Transition Plan

• Day 1–3: 25% raw / 75% old food

• Day 4–6: 50% raw / 50% old food

• Day 7–9: 75% raw / 25% old food

• Day 10+: 100% raw

Tip: Do NOT mix in the same bowl for very sensitive dogs — alternate meals (AM old food, PM raw) for the first few days.

3. Include Adoptrex for gut support (recommended for sensitive dogs)

Use Adoptrex (Gold Standard Herbs) once daily during the first 10–14 days.
It helps support the liver and gut while reducing:

• Detox symptoms

• Loose stool

• Gassiness

• Yeast flare-ups

4. Puppies

Cold turkey is almost always easiest.
Puppies have extremely adaptable digestion and usually transition instantly.

5. What to expect

During the first week, it’s normal to see:

• Firmer stools

• Smaller stools

• Less odor

• A bit more thirst

• A natural daily “reset” of the gut microbiome

6. When to pause or slow down

If your dog experiences:

• Repeated vomiting

• Very soft stool for more than 48 hours

• Sudden itch flare (detox)

• Reluctance to eat

→ Slow down the transition and add Adoptrex.

Soft stool during the transition to raw is common and fixable. It usually means the gut is adjusting or the bone–organ ratio needs a small tweak.

First: Don’t panic — this is normal for new raw feeders

Mild softness (pudding texture) in the first 3–7 days is usually just the microbiome resetting.

Adjust the bowl to firm things up

Use ONE of these at a time:

• Add more bone
  Best choices: chicken neck, chicken backs, turkey neck.
  Bone adds natural calcium + firming minerals.

• Add less organ
  Too much liver/kidney can loosen stool — go lighter for a few days.

• Add a spoon of green tripe
  Helps normalize digestion and restore firm stool.

If stool is very soft (like applesauce)

Switch to all poultry for 2–3 days (chicken or turkey).
Poultry has more natural bone → firmer stool.

If your dog is transitioning from kibble

Soft stool is very common in days 1–5 because the gut is switching from carb fermentation to protein digestion.

Support with:

• Adoptrex (Gold Standard Herbs)
  Helps the liver/gut adapt and reduces detox diarrhea.

• Slower transition
  Go back to 50/50 for a few days if needed.

If your dog has a history of yeast, IBD, or chronic diarrhea

Soft stool may be a temporary yeast purge or a normal detox response.

Use:

• Adoptrex daily

• Stick to poultry only for the first week

• Avoid rich red meats until stool is firm

When to worry

Contact your vet or pause the transition if:

• Stool is watery for more than 48 hours

• There is blood in the stool

• Vomiting + diarrhea occur together

• Your dog becomes lethargic

Quick firmness guide (easy reference)

If stool is too soft → add:

• More bone

• Less organ

• Green tripe

• Poultry-only meals

If stool gets too firm → add:

• More organ

• Green tripe

• Less bone

All of the Marin Raw brand comes from Marin Sun Farms, a trusted Bay Area producer committed to humane, regenerative, and transparent sourcing.
Our raw food is made for us at their USDA-inspected, human-grade facility in Petaluma, California — the same facility where their own premium meats are processed.

This gives your dog:

• Human-grade, locally sourced proteins

• Whole-animal ingredients (meat, organs, fat, skin, edible bone)

• Clean, transparent sourcing

• No industrial commodities or mystery meat

• No synthetic vitamin packs or fillers

We only use meats that meet the same standards we expect for our own food — raised responsibly, handled safely, and processed with full USDA oversight.

Yes.
Our Marin Raw line is fully human-grade — both in sourcing and processing.

• All meats come from Marin Sun Farms, a human-grade, pasture-raised supplier.

• Every batch is produced in a USDA-inspected, human-grade facility with on-site inspectors present.

• Nothing feed-grade. Nothing denatured. Nothing from rendering plants.

Your dog gets the same quality we would eat ourselves — just in whole-animal, species-appropriate form.

USDA Human-Grade Facility

(This is what Marin Raw uses.)

A USDA human-grade plant is inspected every single day by a federal USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) officer.
To be considered human-grade:

• All ingredients must be human-edible at every step

• Every room, tool, grinder, and table must meet human-food sanitation standards

• The facility must follow strict HACCP food-safety plans

• The product must remain human-edible the entire time (never downgraded to feed-grade)

• No denatured ingredients are allowed

• Traceability + recordkeeping must meet human-food standards

This is the highest level of food safety oversight in the U.S.

State-Inspected Facilities (feed-grade)

Most raw pet foods are made in state-inspected or feed-grade facilities, not human-grade.

These facilities:

• Follow animal feed standards, not human-food standards

• Can use feed-grade meat, trim, leftovers, or denatured product

• Are not required to have a USDA inspector on site

• Can legally process ingredients that are not fit for human consumption

• Follow fewer sanitation, handling, and HACCP requirements

• Typically have less documentation, less oversight, and lower ingredient regulations

These facilities can produce safe pet food, but it is not held to human-grade standards.

“Whole-animal” sourcing means we don’t cherry-pick pieces of an animal and fill the rest of the bowl with cheap plants, powders, or synthetic additives.
We use the entire animal, the way carnivores are designed to eat.

❌ What most pet food companies do

To cut costs, many brands use:

• Vegetable fillers (pumpkin, kale, carrots, flax)

• Synthetic vitamin packs/premixes

• Kelp powder for iodine

• Cheap seed oils (canola, sunflower, flax oil)

• Low organ content

• Added calcium powders instead of real bone

This creates a bowl that is plant-heavy, low in animal nutrients, and dependent on lab-made additives to appear “balanced.”

✅ What Marin Raw does (true whole-animal sourcing)

We grind the entire edible portion of the animal, including:

• Real bone (natural calcium + phosphorus)

• Real organs: heart, liver, kidney, spleen

• Connective tissue: tendon, cartilage, trachea

• Skin + fat (natural omegas)

• Blood (iron + minerals)

No fillers.
No powders.
No synthetic vitamins.
No kelp.
No seed oils.
No plant fiber.

Just whole-animal nutrition, exactly as nature intended.

⭐ Why we don’t use kelp powder

Other companies rely on kelp to meet iodine requirements because they don’t use enough thyroid-rich tissues from the neck, trachea, and surrounding connective structures.

Kelp powder:

• Varies wildly in iodine content

• Can easily overdose thyroid function

• Forces “balance” through isolated minerals, not real food

We get natural iodine directly from whole-animal tissues, not seaweed powder.

⭐ Whole-animal sourcing = naturally balanced

Using the entire animal provides:

• Naturally balanced iodine, zinc, copper, selenium

• Complete amino acids

• True meat fiber (collagen + cartilage)

• Skin, coat, and joint support from real omega-rich fat

• A gut-friendly calcium-phosphorus ratio

• No need for synthetic vitamins or mineral premixes

This is why our food is complete and self-balancing without fillers or additives.

No — Marin Raw does not add plant-based antioxidants, fruits, or vegetables.

Dogs do not absorb plant antioxidants the same way humans do.
Dogs have a very short digestive tract and lack the enzymes needed to efficiently use polyphenols, beta-carotene, and many other plant-based compounds. Most of these simply pass through the digestive system without providing meaningful benefit — and many plants can even interfere with mineral absorption or cause gas and bloating.

This is why we rely entirely on whole-animal nutrients, not plant fillers.

Animal-based antioxidants dogs actually use

Our blends contain natural antioxidant-rich tissues that dogs can absorb and utilize:

• Liver – vitamin A, copper, glutathione precursors

• Heart – CoQ10 and B-vitamins

• Spleen – powerful natural antioxidants + iron

• Kidney – selenium and detox support

• Egg yolk + brain – DHA, choline, omega-3s

• Collagen + connective tissue – anti-inflammatory glycine

These are the bioavailable antioxidants dogs evolved to eat, not plant polyphenols.

Why we don’t add blueberries, turmeric, or vegetables

Other brands use fruits and vegetables because they rely on:

• Low organ content

• Plant fiber as stool bulk

• Marketing ingredients (“superfoods”)

• Kelp or synthetic vitamins to cover nutrient gaps

We don’t need any of that.

Marin Raw formulas supply complete antioxidant, vitamin, and mineral support through the whole animal itself — exactly the way a carnivore’s body is designed to absorb nutrients.

No. Dogs are carnivores whose digestive systems are designed to use animal tissue, not plant fiber, as their primary “fiber” and gut support.

Studies looking at wild wolves (the closest model we have for natural canine diets) show that their food is made up almost entirely of meat, fat, organs, and bone. Plant material, when it’s present at all, is a very small percentage of the diet and usually comes from:

• Berries or grass eaten occasionally

There’s no evidence that wolves depend on the partially digested plant material in a prey animal’s belly for nutrition. Most of that plant fiber is poorly digested by a carnivore gut and simply passes through.

Dogs have the same basic digestive design:

• Short, simple intestines built for protein and fat, not fermenting plant fiber

• Very acidic stomachs made to break down meat, bone, and connective tissue

• Enzymes geared toward animal tissue, not cellulose and lignin from plants

Instead of plant fiber, dogs are meant to get their “fiber” and prebiotic support from whole-animal parts, including:

• Collagen, cartilage, and tendons (“meat fiber”)

• Edible bone and bone marrow

• Skin, fat, and connective tissue

These act like natural prebiotics: they feed the gut lining, support good bacteria, and create small, firm stools without diluting the diet with bulky, indigestible plant matter.

That’s why we don’t add pumpkin, kale, flax, or other plant fibers to our formulas. We rely on:

• Whole poultry with soft, digestible bone

• Red meats rotated in for iron, zinc, taurine, and B-vitamins

• Organs, collagen, and connective tissue for gut and joint health

In short:
Dogs don’t need plant fiber the way humans do. They need whole-animal “meat fiber” from real prey parts. When the diet is built on those ingredients, extra veggies and pumpkin become unnecessary.

Whole Eggs with Shell

Why: Eggs are one of the most complete foods in nature — rich in amino acids, choline, healthy fats, and B-vitamins.
How: Feed raw or lightly poached. Crush the shell for natural calcium + trace minerals.
Benefit: Skin health, shiny coat, muscle support, brain function, and balanced minerals.

Raw Sardines (or Canned in Water, No Salt)

Why: Sardines provide true, whole-food omega-3s (EPA + DHA) — these reduce inflammation, support joints, nourish the skin barrier, and help brain + heart health.
How: Raw or canned in water, no added salt, no oil.
Benefit: Anti-inflammatory support, joint health, skin/coat improvement, cognitive benefits for seniors.

Raw Meaty Bones (2–3× per week)

Why: RMBs are nature’s toothbrush — they provide mechanical cleaning, scraping away plaque and stimulating the gums.
Benefits include:

• Dental health: Removes tartar, strengthens gums, freshens breath

• Jaw strength: Dogs exercise the jaw properly

• Mental enrichment: Satisfies chewing instincts, reduces stress

• Nutrition: Provides collagen, marrow, minerals, and “meat fiber” for digestion

Examples: Chicken necks, turkey necks, duck frames, chicken feet, wings.
(Always feed raw, never cooked.)

Goat Milk or Gelatinous Bone Broth (Optional)

Goat Milk

Why: Rich in probiotics, enzymes, and easily digestible fats.
Benefit: Digestive support, gut microbiome health, hydration, immune resilience.

Gelatinous Bone Broth

Why: A slow-simmered broth that turns “jiggly” when cooled — this indicates high gelatin and collagen content.
Benefits:

• Joint support (collagen, glycine)

• Gut lining repair

• Hydration

• Gentle nutrition for dogs recovering from GI upset

• Helps picky eaters

• Supports aging dogs with stiffness or mobility issues

Tip: Choose broth that gels — that’s the good stuff.

We do not recommend synthetic mineral powders or lab-made premixes.
These products use isolated minerals that can:

• Disrupt natural calcium–phosphorus ratios

• Overload the kidneys

• Cause digestive upset

• Create inflammation

• Throw off the body’s mineral balance

Our philosophy is Whole-Animal Nutrition — nutrients should come from real food, not chemicals.

We balance minerals naturally using edible bone, organs, collagen, connective tissue, and rotation between poultry and red meats.
These sources provide:

• True bioavailability

• Natural ratios

• Complete trace mineral profiles

• Zero synthetics, zero isolates, zero fillers

If your dog cannot rotate poultry (your natural calcium source), we recommend bone-in beef or bone-in pork — never powders.

Whole food first — support, not replace.

Choosing the right mushroom or herb depends on your dog’s symptoms, health history, and what you’re trying to support. Mushrooms and herbs are not one-size-fits-all — each has a specific job.

Here’s a simple guide:

Start with the symptom or concern

Match the mushroom/herb to what your dog is showing:

Immune support / chronic infections

• Turkey Tail

• Agarikon

• Reishi (immune + calming)

Skin issues, yeast, itching, allergies

• Lion’s Mane (gut lining repair)

• Agarikon (anti-yeast + antiviral)

• Adoptrex (Gold Standard Herbs) — detox + yeast support

Digestive problems (loose stool, IBD, sensitive gut)

• Lion’s Mane

• Reishi

• Adoptrex during transitions

Anxiety, stress, reactivity

• Reishi (calming)

• Ashwagandha (if herbal support appropriate)

Joint pain or mobility issues

• Chaga (antioxidants)

• Cordyceps (stamina + tissue oxygenation)

Low energy or seniors

• Cordyceps (energy + lung support)

• Reishi (well-being)

Keep it simple

Start with one mushroom or herb, not multiple at once, so you can clearly see how your dog responds.

Use whole-extract, no-filler formulas

We only carry supplements that are:

• 100% fruiting-body mushrooms

• No starch, no grains, no mycelium

• No synthetic additives

• Human-grade, practitioner-level potency

This ensures the product actually does something.

When in doubt, choose based on the body system

• Gut issues? → Lion’s Mane

• Immune issues? → Turkey Tail / Agarikon

• Yeast or detox? → Adoptrex

• Stress? → Reishi

• Energy? → Cordyceps

 If symptoms overlap

Start with the gut.
A stronger gut = stronger skin, immunity, behavior, and digestion.

Most dogs do best starting with:

• Lion’s Mane

• Reishi

• Adoptrex (if yeast or detox issues)

Dogs are biologically designed to eat one large meal, not graze. When dogs are offered food too often, or free-fed, they never build natural hunger — and the behavior looks like “pickiness.”

If a dog skips a meal, it’s usually because they’re not hungry, not because they dislike the food.
When you switch to one meal per day, appetite returns within a few days and most “picky” behavior disappears entirely.

That said, here are gentle, whole-food add-ins you can use to encourage eating without masking the diet or causing stomach upset:

1. Warm the food slightly

Not cooking — just taking the chill off can release aroma and boost interest.

2. Add warm water or broth

Homemade, unsalted broth or simply warm water makes the food smell richer and easier to lick.

3. Add a small amount of raw toppers

• A spoon of raw goat milk

• A little sardine (in water, not oil)

• A tiny crumble of freeze-dried beef liver

• A splash of bone broth

These add aroma and moisture without changing the balance of the meal.

4. Lightly sear the outside of the meat (for transitioning dogs)

A 5-second sear on the outside only can help new-to-raw dogs understand it’s “food.”
Do this only temporarily — most dogs stop needing it within a few days.

5. Keep training treats away from mealtime

Too many treats during the day suppress real hunger at meals.

6. Stick to a 24-hour reset if they refuse food

If your dog refuses a meal:

• Pick the food up after 10–15 minutes.

• Refrigerate it.

• Offer fresh food at the next scheduled meal (usually the next day).

This resets natural hunger and digestion — not eating for 24 hours is normal for carnivores.

7. Avoid sweet or plant-based mix-ins

Pumpkin, fruit, cheese, peanut butter, or sweet toppers teach dogs to hold out for flavor bombs and worsen pickiness.