Is Big Dog Pet Foods Beef Raw Dog Food for Small Dogs a good dog food?
We score it 61/100 (Average). This reflects the ingredient quality, composition and label transparency of the recipe as declared on the label.
Why this score?
This recipe achieves a total score of 61 out of 100 based on several key factors. The overall quality of the ingredient list adds +7.6 points, and being labelled nutritionally complete contributes an additional +2.3 points. However, ingredients without printed percentages deduct -10.6 points, and the carbohydrate content further reduces the score by -1.8 points.
100% of this recipe has no printed percentage. Estimated shares are model estimates, not label facts.
- Recipe61
- Nutritionalmedium100
- Transparency60
- Safety100
- Evidencemoderate100
The Recipe score measures how attractive and transparent the declared ingredient list is. It is not, by itself, proof that the food is nutritionally appropriate for long-term feeding. The Nutritional and Evidence scores measure what we can verify towards that stronger claim.
Why you might choose it
- Doesn't list grain ingredients.
- Nutritionally complete: formulated to be fed as the whole diet.
Why you might not
- 100% of the recipe mass has no printed percentage, so the exact split cannot be verified.
- Needs freezer space and defrosting before serving.
Estimated composition
Typical analysis (as fed)
- Protein
- 12.50%
- Fat
- 12%
- Fibre
- 1%
- Ash
- 3%
- Moisture
- 71%
- Carbohydrates
- 1.50%
- Omega-3 fatty acids
- 0.45%
- Calcium
- 0.60%
- Phosphorus
- 0.40%
Additives & feeding info
No additives recorded yet.
Storage
Store frozen. Be sure to keep raw food frozen until ready for thawing. Thaw before feeding, avoid re-freezing. To thaw, place portion in a container and allow to thaw in the fridge, or place in sink of lukewarm water for 15-30 minutes. Once thawed keep in sealed airtight container in refrigerator and use within 2-3 days. Do not cook as recipe contains bone.
Feeding guide
This table is a guide only. Check the Feeding Calculator for recommended serving size based on age and weight. Serving Size per serve according to product label is 125g (790 kJ per serve). Puppies 2-4 months: 4 meals/day; 4-6 months: 3 meals/day; 6-12 months: 2 meals/day.
Who is this food for?
Suits
- Labelled by the manufacturer for all lifestages
- Labelling or feeding guide is aimed at small dogs
- Grain-free: no grain ingredients listed
- Doesn't list turkey, lamb, venison, pork, duck as ingredients
Consider something else if:
- Your dog avoids chicken: the label lists chicken
- Your dog avoids beef: the label lists beef
- Your dog avoids fish: the label lists salmon
- You want a single-protein recipe: this one lists more than one animal protein
These points are derived from declared ingredients and analysis, not a substitute for veterinary advice. If your dog has a diagnosed condition, food choice is a medical nutrition decision: speak to your vet. Use the homepage filter to find foods that fit your dog.
Ingredients (17)
| # | As declared | Matched | Category | Tier | Declared % | Est. % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Beef (meat, washed tripe, crushed bone & cartilage, liver, kidney, spleen) | Beef | meat | medium | - | 7.7 |
| 2 | chicken (meat, crushed bone & cartilage) | Chicken | meat | medium | - | 7.5 |
| 3 | Tasmanian salmon | Salmon | meat | good | - | 7.2 |
| 4 | apple | Apples | veg | good | - | 7.0 |
| 5 | green bananas | Banana | veg | good | - | 6.8 |
| 6 | carrots | Carrots | veg | good | - | 6.6 |
| 7 | lettuce | Lettuce | veg | medium | - | 6.3 |
| 8 | green beans | Green Beans | veg | good | - | 6.1 |
| 9 | sprouted wheatgrass | Wheatgrass | carb | good | - | 5.9 |
| 10 | orange | Orange | veg | medium | - | 5.7 |
| 11 | strawberries | Strawberries | veg | good | - | 5.4 |
| 12 | blueberries | Blueberries | veg | good | - | 5.2 |
| 13 | whole chicken eggs | Chicken | meat | medium | - | 5.0 |
| 14 | psyllium | Psyllium | fibre | good | - | 4.8 |
| 15 | goats whey | Goat | meat | good | - | 4.5 |
| 16 | kelp | Kelp | veg | good | - | 4.3 |
| 17 | organic fulvic acid. | Fulvic Acid | supplement | medium | - | 4.1 |
Brand
- [email protected]
- Phone
- 07 3285 7444
- Address
- 106 Potassium Street, Narangba QLD 4504
- Contact page
- www.bigdogpetfoods.com
Trust and provenance
- Recall history
- No recalls recorded in our database
- Label data last checked
- 2026-09-19
- Scored with
- Model v3 (methodology)
- Product page
- bigdogpetfoods.com.au
Recall history is presentation-only and never affects the score. Dates are when we recorded the data, not when the manufacturer last changed the recipe.
Spotted a mistake in this listing? Report it here and we'll take a look.
Recipe: how the 1-100 score is calculated
Scored with model v3 on 2026-09-26. Each component is the feature value for this product multiplied by the model's published coefficient.
| Component | Input | Coefficient | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base score | - | 30.909 | +30.91 |
| Average ingredient quality | 0.8 | 9.191 | +7.58 |
| Carb share of dry matter | 15.5% | -0.115 | -1.79 |
| Vegetable share of dry matter | 33.7% | -0.005 | -0.17 |
| Supplement share of dry matter | 11.2% | -0.012 | -0.14 |
| Undeclared quantities | 100.0% | -0.106 | -10.56 |
| Complete diet | yes | 2.294 | +2.29 |
| Low meat (under 10% of dry matter) | yes | -3.158 | -3.16 |
| Processing multiplier | 1.12 | 33.786 | +37.84 |
| Processing: Raw | yes | -0.054 | -0.05 |
Show all 40 components
| Component | Input | Coefficient | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base score | - | 30.909 | +30.91 |
| Average ingredient quality | 0.8 | 9.191 | +7.58 |
| Meat share of dry matter | 0.0% | 0.096 | +0.00 |
| Carb share of dry matter | 15.5% | -0.115 | -1.79 |
| Oil share of dry matter | 0.0% | -0.092 | +0.00 |
| Vegetable share of dry matter | 33.7% | -0.005 | -0.17 |
| Additive share of dry matter | 0.0% | 0.163 | +0.00 |
| Supplement share of dry matter | 11.2% | -0.012 | -0.14 |
| Other share of dry matter | 0.0% | -0.375 | +0.00 |
| Unrecognised share of dry matter | 0.0% | -0.027 | +0.00 |
| Recipe graded poor | 0.0% | -0.065 | +0.00 |
| Poor-quality meat in recipe | 0.0% | -0.179 | +0.00 |
| Number of poor ingredients | 0 | -0.876 | +0.00 |
| Largest single poor ingredient | 0.0% | 0.060 | +0.00 |
| Undeclared quantities | 100.0% | -0.106 | -10.56 |
| Prints ingredient percentages | no | 0.000 | +0.00 |
| Complete diet | yes | 2.294 | +2.29 |
| Frozen or chilled fresh | no | 0.000 | +0.00 |
| High meat (30%+ of dry matter) | no | 0.707 | +0.00 |
| Low meat (under 10% of dry matter) | yes | -3.158 | -3.16 |
| High carb and low meat | no | -1.180 | +0.00 |
| Meat share × printed percentages | 0.0 | 0.000 | +0.00 |
| Meat share × fresh | 0.0 | 0.000 | +0.00 |
| Fresh × high meat | 0.0 | 11.084 | +0.00 |
| Additive penalty | 0.00 | 0.222 | +0.00 |
| Processing multiplier | 1.12 | 33.786 | +37.84 |
| Processing: Raw | yes | -0.054 | -0.05 |
| Processing: Fresh Chilled | no | -2.354 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Fresh Frozen | no | -2.354 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Fresh Refrigerated | no | 0.000 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Fresh Shelf | no | -0.672 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Dry Freeze Dried | no | 6.629 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Dry Air Dried | no | 6.331 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Dry Cold Pressed | no | -6.713 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Dry Baked | no | -6.713 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Dry Extruded | no | -6.713 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Dry Semi Moist | no | -6.174 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Dry Muesli | no | -10.146 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Wet Pate | no | -0.672 | +0.00 |
| Processing: Wet Chunks | no | -0.672 | +0.00 |
- Processing-type offset
- -1.74
- Subtotal
- 61.0
- Final score
- 61/100
Contributions are rounded to two decimals, so they may not sum exactly to the subtotal. The full coefficient table is published on the methodology page.
Nutritional: declared analysis vs reference ranges
How the declared analysis compares with FEDIAF reference ranges for adult dogs. The label prints as-fed values; we convert to a dry-matter basis before scoring, and the bands are dry-matter ranges. Scores rise to 100 at the band midpoint: the reference is adequacy, not maximisation. Nutrients with a published upper limit taper again above it; fat is policed through calorie density rather than a direct penalty.
| Nutrient | As fed (label) | Dry matter (scored) | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protein | 12.5 | 43.1 (band 18 to 40%) | 100 |
| Fat | 12 | 41.4 (band 5.5 to 20%) | 100 |
| Fibre | 1 | 3.4 (band 0.5 to 5%) | 100 |
| Calcium | 0.6 | 2.1 (band 0.5 to 2.5%) | 100 |
| Phosphorus | 0.4 | 1.4 (band 0.4 to 1.6%) | 100 |
| Calcium:phosphorus ratio | 1.5 | 1.5 (band 1 to 2%) | 100 |
Scored over 6 declared nutrients (combined weight 80); undeclared nutrients do not affect the score.
Medium confidence: the full five-part analysis is on file; where moisture was not declared it was estimated from the food type.
This measures agreement with published reference ranges, not suitability for an individual dog. For medical conditions, follow veterinary guidance.
Transparency: what the label discloses
How much the manufacturer discloses, measured against the FEDIAF Code of Good Labelling Practice and Regulation 767/2009. Mandatory items dominate the weighting.
| Item | Points |
|---|---|
| Ingredient list on the label (mandatory) | 10/10 |
| Printed percentages on the label (voluntary) - not on file | 0/20 |
| Analytical constituents declared (mandatory) | 15/15 |
| Additives declared (mandatory) - not on file | 0/10 |
| Energy value declared (voluntary) - not on file | 0/5 |
| Complete/complementary designation (mandatory) | 5/5 |
| Feeding guidance given (mandatory) | 10/10 |
| Manufacturer identity and address (mandatory) | 10/10 |
| Country of manufacture stated (voluntary) | 10/10 |
| Batch and date labelling (mandatory) - not on file | 0/5 |
Capped at 60: mandatory items missing (Additives declared, Batch and date labelling).
Safety: recall history
Recall and safety-notice history, time-decayed. This dimension is shown alongside the score and never feeds the headline number.
No recalls recorded in our database.
Evidence: what the brand claims, and what supports it
The claims made on the pack and product page, checked against the declared label. We record claims as stated; "consistent" means our stored label data supports the claim, "contradicted" means it conflicts with it. Functional claims are recorded but never scored.
100/100 · moderate — 2 checkable claims: 2 consistent, 0 contradicted.
Consistent with the label
- "Complete and balanced for puppies and adult dogs" — supported by the declared complete and balanced data.
- "Big Dog Beef for Small Dogs is Complete and Balanced by AAFCO standards for healthy growth in puppies and maintaining health in adult dogs" — supported by the declared complete and balanced data.
9 further claims on file that we cannot check against the label.
Moderate: every checkable claim is consistent with the declared label.
| Claim | Type | Check | Substantiation |
|---|---|---|---|
| At Big Dog we always use the highest quality human grade food sourced from Australian suppliers and local farms (on page) | provenance | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Made from 100% Aussie beef, chicken and ocean fresh Tasmanian salmon (on pack) | provenance | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Skin Health (on page) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Bone, Nail & Dental Health (on page) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Immune Health (on page) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Muscle Repair & Growth (on page) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Joint Health (on page) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Gut Health (on page) | Functional | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Complete and balanced for puppies and adult dogs (on page) | Content | consistent | Manufacturer assertion |
| High quality Raw Ingredients.. Always (on page) | Content | not checkable | Manufacturer assertion |
| Big Dog Beef for Small Dogs is Complete and Balanced by AAFCO standards for healthy growth in puppies and maintaining health in adult dogs (on page) | Content | consistent | Manufacturer assertion |
The full scoring method is published. See the methodology for exactly how the headline score and each dimension are calculated.
Other products from Big Dog Pet Foods
See all products from Big Dog Pet Foods
Alternatives to Beef Raw Dog Food for Small Dogs
Foods in our database that are similar on ingredients, protein, format or price. Scores and figures are from the same deterministic model used everywhere on the site.
Community
Comments (0)
No comments yet. Be the first to share how this went down with your dog.