Why the 80/10/10 Raw Food Ratio Isn’t Always Enough for Dogs — and How We Can Do Better

If you’ve been in the raw feeding world for any amount of time, you’ve probably heard of the 80/10/10 model — 80% muscle meat, 10% bone, and 10% organ. It’s simple, easy to remember, and feels close to what a “whole prey” meal might look like.

But as more feeders (and even nutritionists) dig deeper, we’re learning that the 80/10/10 ratio might be more of a starting point than a perfect formula. A recent article on RawFeederLife made that point beautifully — and it’s worth exploring why it matters for our dogs’ long-term health.

The 80/10/10 Rule Was Inspired by Nature… But It’s Not the Whole Story

The idea behind 80/10/10 was to mimic a natural prey animal — a rabbit, bird, or rodent — and what a wild canine would eat if it caught one. The problem? Most of us aren’t feeding entire prey animals.

Even if you’re sourcing great ingredients, chances are you’re missing a few things your dog’s wild cousins would eat without thinking twice — fur, feathers, brains, eyes, glands, and gut contents. Each of these contributes trace nutrients and compounds that don’t show up in muscle meat, liver, or bone.

• Brains are rich in DHA, a fatty acid essential for brain and eye health.
• Eyeballs contain taurine, zinc, and vitamin A.
• Guts and tripe carry beneficial enzymes and vitamin K2.
• Fur and feathers add insoluble fiber that supports digestion.

When we skip those, we skip the nutrients too. And that’s exactly what the RawFeederLife article points out.

What’s Missing from 80/10/10 Diets?

Even if your raw meals are balanced by weight, that doesn’t mean they’re balanced by nutrition. Several studies — including reviews from the AVMA and Baldwin et al. (2010) — have shown that homemade raw diets often miss key micronutrients unless carefully formulated.

Common nutrients missing or low in 80/10/10 include:

• Vitamin E
• Iodine
• Zinc
• Manganese
• Vitamin D
• Copper
• Choline
• Folate
• Selenium

These nutrients are vital for energy metabolism, thyroid function, and immune health. Over months or years, small gaps can lead to dull coats, skin issues, fatigue, or thyroid changes — things many pet parents dismiss as “just aging.”

Whole Prey vs. 80/10/10: The Subtle but Important Difference

The term “whole prey” gets thrown around a lot — even by kibble brands. But in marketing, “whole prey” usually just means they used multiple animal parts, not that the product mirrors a real carcass.

A true whole prey diet includes everything: organs, glands, blood, brain, and sometimes fur or feathers. It’s nutritionally broader, but most feeders can’t or don’t want to handle all that — and that’s okay. What matters is understanding what’s missing so you can fill in the gaps intelligently.

Building a More Complete Raw Diet (Without Losing Your Mind)

You don’t need to throw out your feeding plan or run for a degree in animal nutrition. The goal isn’t perfection — it’s awareness.

Here are a few easy ways to upgrade from a “bare-bones” 80/10/10 approach to a more rounded, whole-prey-inspired diet:

1. Rotate proteins often. Each meat brings different nutrients. For example, beef is rich in zinc, chicken in selenium, and pork in thiamine.
2. Add oily fish weekly. Sardines or mackerel supply vitamin D and omega-3s. They’re a safer alternative to fish oil supplements, which can oxidize quickly.
3. Use sea vegetables in moderation. A small sprinkle of kelp or seaweed powder adds iodine — but be cautious, as excess iodine can stress the thyroid.
4. Add a vitamin E source. Dogs can’t get enough vitamin E from meat alone. A natural supplement or small amount of wheat germ or sunflower oil works well.
5. Don’t skip organs beyond liver. Include kidney, spleen, and pancreas when you can find them — each provides unique vitamins and enzymes.
6. Incorporate greens or “superfood toppers.” Blended spinach, kale, or even spirulina can mimic the phytonutrients found in prey gut contents.
7. Keep track and tweak. Rotate ingredients and monitor your dog’s coat, energy, and digestion. Balance happens over time, not in one bowl.

What About Proof of Better Health?

This is where things get a little controversial. Some nutritionists claim there’s no proof that raw or whole-prey diets yield better long-term health outcomes — but that’s not entirely true.

While there are few large-scale, long-term studies (they’re expensive and hard to fund), consistent clinical and observational evidence shows that dogs fed minimally processed, whole-food diets experience improved digestion, coat quality, and energy compared to those eating ultra-processed kibble.

Research on human nutrition supports the same trend: whole foods outperform processed foods in nearly every health marker. It’s reasonable — and increasingly supported — to believe the same applies to dogs (LaFlamme et al., 2021).

So, while 80/10/10 isn’t perfect, moving toward a more diverse, whole-food model does make a meaningful difference.

Rethinking “Balance” for Real Life

The takeaway isn’t to make feeding more complicated — it’s to make it more thoughtful. The 80/10/10 model helped thousands of people start raw feeding confidently. It gave structure and made the concept approachable. But like all simple systems, it has limits.

As we learn more, the goal isn’t to throw it out — it’s to evolve it.

If your dog is thriving on 80/10/10, that’s great — keep doing what works. Just stay open to fine-tuning. Add new organs, rotate proteins, or include natural supplements. Your dog will thank you with a shinier coat, calmer digestion, and steady energy.

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References and Further Reading

• RawFeederLife: Why the 80/10/10 Raw Food Diet Isn’t Balanced for Dogs
• AVMA: Raw Food Diets for Dogs and Cats — A Review
• Baldwin, K. et al. (2010). Evaluation of Nutritional Adequacy of Home-Prepared Diets for Dogs and Cats
• LaFlamme, D. P. et al. (2021). Nutritional Advances in Canine and Feline Diets: What’s New and Why It Matters
• NRC (2006). Nutrient Requirements of Dogs and Cats.