Raw Lamb & Turkey Grind for Dogs - 9 lb

Raw Bistro builds this raw dog food grind from 100% grass-fed, pasture-raised lamb raised across New Zealand's open hill country — animals that never see a feedlot or a confinement barn — paired with free-range Minnesota turkey as a secondary protein and bone source. Nothing is added: no synthetic vitamin packs, no plant fillers, no flavor enhancers, no rendered by-product meal. Just raw lamb, organ, and ground bone, ground fresh in Raw Bistro's own NICS-certified organic facility in Cannon Falls, MN.

Each 9 lb box comes packaged as two 4.5 lb bags of 2 oz patties, pre-portioned so you thaw only what your dog needs per meal. The named-organ blend — lamb heart, lamb kidney, lamb liver, turkey neck, and turkey heart — gives this grind an organ-and-bone ratio a muscle-only formula can't replicate: 17% minimum crude protein, 11% minimum crude fat, 0% max crude fiber, at 1,781 kcal/kg (about 101 kcal per 2 oz patty).

Most raw or "fresh" dog food on supermarket shelves is built from trimmed muscle cuts alone, with organ meat added back in isolation — or left out entirely — and little visibility into how the animals were raised. This grind starts from whole animals: lamb raised exclusively on pasture in New Zealand, never fed grain in a feedlot, never treated with antibiotics or added hormones, so the organ-to-muscle-to-bone ratio mirrors what a dog would eat in the wild rather than what's left over after retail cuts are pulled.

Thaw a patty in the refrigerator for 12-24 hours before feeding, or portion directly into the bowl as part of a rotational raw diet alongside other proteins. This grind is complete enough to serve as a stand-alone meal but works equally well as a topper over a base diet.

Suited for dogs on raw, prey-model, or grain-free feeding plans, including dogs managing sensitivities to common kibble fillers. Keep frozen until ready to use; thawed product should be fed within 3-4 days and never refrozen.

Ingredients: Lamb, Lamb Heart, Turkey Neck, Turkey Heart, Lamb Kidney, and Lamb Liver.

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Common Questions

How does the fat and protein profile of this grain-free, grass-fed lamb grind compare to a conventional grain-finished lamb or beef grind?
This grind runs 17% minimum crude protein and 11% minimum crude fat at 1,781 kcal/kg, which is leaner than most feedlot-finished beef or lamb grinds that typically land closer to 15-18% fat once muscle trim and rendered fat are blended back in for palatability. Grain-finished ruminants also carry a different fatty acid profile: studies from Utah State University and Texas A&M have measured grain-finished beef and lamb at omega-6 to omega-3 ratios of 8:1 to 20:1, compared to roughly 2:1 to 3:1 in 100% grass-fed animals. That shift matters because dogs, like humans, process an excess of omega-6 linoleic acid into pro-inflammatory eicosanoids at a higher rate than omega-3s, so a lower ratio reduces that inflammatory load per calorie. The organ inclusion here also raises micronutrient density per ounce compared to a muscle-only grind, since liver and kidney carry far more retinol, iron, and B12 than trimmed muscle meat.

What is CLA and why does grass-feeding increase it in this product?
CLA, or conjugated linoleic acid, is a fatty acid produced when rumen bacteria in grass-fed lamb ferment the alpha-linolenic acid found in fresh forage; grain diets suppress this fermentation pathway because starch lowers rumen pH and shifts the bacterial population away from the biohydrogenation step that produces CLA. Research out of Australia's CSIRO and multiple US land-grant studies has measured 200-500% more CLA in the meat and fat of 100% grass-fed ruminants compared to grain-finished animals. CLA has been studied for anti-inflammatory and immune-modulating effects in mammals, including reduced markers of oxidative stress in canine trials feeding grass-fed tallow. Because this lamb is raised exclusively on pasture in New Zealand with no grain finishing step at any point, that CLA content is retained rather than diluted.

Does this grind fit a prey-model raw, keto-style, or carnivore feeding protocol for dogs?
Yes. At 17% protein, 11% fat, and 0% fiber, the macro split closely mirrors prey-model raw ratios that many raw feeders target, roughly 80% muscle meat, 10% bone, and 10% organ, which this recipe achieves through whole lamb plus a five-organ blend rather than isolated cuts. There are no grains, legumes, or starch-based binders in the ingredient list, so it fits a strict carnivore or ketogenic-style raw protocol without needing to check for hidden carbohydrate fillers. The 0% max crude fiber guarantee is the number to point to if you're tracking net carbs for a dog on a therapeutic ketogenic or elimination diet. It also works as a single rotational protein in a prey-model raw plan since it already contains its own bone and organ ratio rather than requiring you to source those separately.

Can this lamb and turkey grind replace beef or pork grind in a rotational raw diet, and does anything need to change?
Yes, this can be swapped one-for-one by weight for a beef or pork grind in any raw feeding rotation, meal-prep base, or homemade treat recipe such as raw meatballs, dehydrated training bites, or a mixed bowl topper. Because lamb runs slightly leaner than most pork grinds and closer to standard 80/20 beef, you generally don't need to adjust portion size for calorie matching if you're currently feeding an 80/20 beef ratio. No cooking adaptation is needed since this is formulated to be fed raw; if a recipe calls for cooking, sear or gently cook the patty whole rather than crumbling it first, since the pre-portioned 2 oz patty shape holds together better than loose ground meat during cooking. The main practical difference is flavor and fat texture, since lamb fat has a higher melting point than beef fat, so cooked applications will feel slightly firmer once cooled.

How can I verify the grass-fed, organic, and pasture-raised claims on this product?
The organic claim is backed by NICS (National Independent Certification Services) certification of Raw Bistro's Cannon Falls, Minnesota facility, meaning the grind meets USDA National Organic Program standards for handling and ingredient sourcing, which is a stricter bar than a marketing label since it requires third-party annual audits and full ingredient traceability. The 100% grass-fed claim matters because USDA grass-fed labeling rules were withdrawn in 2016, meaning any US producer can currently print grass-fed on a package even if the animal was grain-finished for the last 90-120 days of life, a common industry practice called grain finishing that boosts marbling before slaughter. Because this lamb is sourced from New Zealand, where pasture-based grazing is the default production system and grain feedlots are rare due to climate and land use, the grass-fed claim reflects the country's standard farming practice rather than a US labeling loophole. You can ask Raw Bistro directly for the NICS organic certificate number or the New Zealand supplier documentation if you want the paper trail before feeding.

Why does this grind include five different organ and bone sources instead of just muscle meat?
Lamb heart, lamb kidney, lamb liver, turkey neck, and turkey heart are included specifically to replicate the nutrient and mineral ratio a dog would get from consuming a whole prey animal rather than a single muscle cut. Turkey neck supplies the ground bone content for calcium and phosphorus, lamb liver and kidney supply concentrated vitamin A, copper, and B12 that muscle meat alone lacks, and the heart tissue from both species adds taurine and CoQ10, which support cardiac muscle function. Most commercial raw grinds use a single organ, usually liver, added back at a small percentage, which under-delivers the mineral density found in kidney and the taurine concentration found in heart tissue. This five-source blend is what pushes the crude protein to 17% and crude fat to 11% while keeping the fiber at 0%, since none of the volume comes from plant-based filler used to bulk out cheaper organ blends.