Steve’s Real Food Review: Is This the Best Frozen & Dehydrated Raw Dog Food?
A Dehydrated, Raw (Commercial) Dog Food That's Worth the Money?
Today we’re diving into one of the most requested topics from our YouTube channel: a full review of Steve’s Real Food Dog Food—both their frozen raw and freeze-dried/dehydrated raw formulas.
If your dog loves food (and if you follow this channel, they probably do!), this one’s for you. We’ll go through the real pros, the one major con, and whether it’s worth adding to your dog’s bowl—especially for adult senior dogs, and dogs with chronic conditions.
❌ First, the Negative: The Cost
Let’s get this out of the way upfront because it’s the only real downside.
A 2–2.2 kg bag (about 5 lbs) of Steve’s freeze-dried raw runs around €50, depending on the retailer.
And remember: freeze-dried food expands when rehydrated, so you are getting more volume—but the upfront cost is still high.
Who will feel this cost the most?
🐕🦺 Owners with multiple dogs (if you have 6 - 8 dogs like we do… well… good luck 😅)
💼 Dog moms and dads trying to feed this as the entire diet for BIG doggos
✈️ Anyone wanting a convenient travel food but on a tight budget
Who will probably NOT mind the cost?
🐶 Single-dog households
🧳 Pet parents using it as a topper or supplement
💚 Owners who want premium, BARF-style food without home cooking
💰 Anyone who prioritises ingredient quality over price, and have the budget to cover the cost
If you’ve got the budget, the positives are honestly staggering for a commercial, non-homemade food.
NOTE: We are NOT paid for this review in any way.
🌟 The 5 Major Benefits of Steve’s Real Food
Below are the standout features that make Steve’s one of the strongest commercial raw brands on the market.
1. Real Food Ingredients (BARF Protocol)
Steve’s follows the BARF approach—Biologically Appropriate Raw Food.
This means the food is built around raw meat, organs, bones, and fresh produce.
The Lamb & Emu formula we’re using as an example contains:
🥩 80% meat, organ, and bone
🥦 15% vegetables and low-sugar fruits
🐐 5% supplements (green-lipped mussel, goat milk, and more)
Why this matters (Nerd Alert 🧬)
A BARF-style composition is much closer to what dogs are physiologically designed to digest:
*Raw bone provides calcium and phosphorus in biologically appropriate ratios.
Meat and organs supply natural taurine, essential amino acids, and bioavailable vitamins.
Low-glycemic vegetables add fibre and antioxidants without spiking insulin.
This avoids the common issue in kibble where nutrients must be synthetically added after extreme heat destroys everything natural.
*Note: If your dog has kidney disease, I strongly recommend avoiding bones, and any high phosphorous foods.
2. Exceptional First Five Ingredients
This formula’s first five are:
🍖 Ground lamb
🥩 Lamb heart
🍖 Emu liver
🥩 Ground emu
🥦 Broccoli
That’s an elite list of ingredients, especially for a commercial dog food.
While we always suggest healthy homemade dog food, if you want a back up or you need to, for whatever reason, feed a commercial food, this list of ingredients is pretty damn great.
Unless you’re home-cooking or sourcing locally farmed raw blends, it’s hard to find better.
Why the first five matter
Commercial dog food ingredients appear in order of weight before cooking.
In kibble, this often means:
🤢 Rendered meat meals
🗑️ By-products
😬 Pulverized peas
🍰 Filler starches
With Steve’s, the top ingredients are whole food proteins—not powders, not fractions, not synthetics.
This guarantees:
🐕 Better digestibility
🐾 Higher nutrient density
🔥 No heat-damaged proteins
💩 Less waste (smaller, firmer stools—common with raw feeders)
3. Zero Fillers — a Modern Miracle
One of the biggest problems with dog food is that it is filled with junk. Frankly, most dog food is downright dangerous for dogs.
The majority of commercial dog food contains fillers like:
Corn
Soy
Wheat
Rice
Peas
Lentils
Potato starch
These make the food cheaper to produce…
But they also dilute nutrition and contribute to inflammation, insulin spikes, and weight gain.
Steve’s contains none of them.
Why this matters (Nerd Alert 2 🧬)
High-carb foods (peas, lentils, potatoes) increase post-meal glucose, which:
🦠 Stresses the pancreas
😱 Can worsen inflammation
🦮 Can aggravate arthritis in seniors
😳 May promote cancer cell metabolism (via the Warburg effect)
Steve’s extremely low-carb profile is beneficial for:
Senior dogs
Dogs with metabolic issues
Dogs with cancer
Overweight dogs
Dogs with chronic inflammation
You are paying for meat, not cereal grains.
Note: again, Steve's Real Food would NOT be ideal for dogs with kidney disease. They need to follow a special diet.
4. Grass-Fed, Pasture-Raised, Humanely Sourced Ingredients
One of the most overlooked aspects of dog nutrition is the diet of the animals used in the food.
Steve’s uses:
🌱 Grass-fed beef & lamb
🐔 Pasture-raised poultry
🦆 Free-range duck
🐐 Local, humanely raised sourcing whenever possible
Why this matters for your dog (Nerd Alert 3🧬)
Grass-fed meat has:
🐶 Much higher omega-3 levels
🐶 Lower inflammatory omega-6
🐶 More vitamin E, CLA, and antioxidants
In fact, grass-fed beef’s omega profile is similar to wild salmon.
Dogs eating grass-fed meat typically show:
🐾 Shinier coat, healthier skin and fur
🧠 Better cognitive function
🔥 Lower systemic inflammation
🦴 Better joint health
🍃 Improved digestion
This is a huge, huge advantage for adult and senior dogs.
5. Easy to Adapt into a Ketogenic Diet
If your dog is:
🥊 Fighting cancer
🐶 Managing seizures
💪 On an anti-inflammatory protocol
🐶 Overweight
🐶 Wanting to spend more years with you...
You’ll love this one.
Steve’s is naturally low-carb, making it extremely easy to adapt into a therapeutic ketogenic diet for dogs.
All you need to do is increase the fat content by adding:
🥥 Extra-virgin coconut oil
🫒 Extra-virgin olive oil
🐟 High-EPA/DHA fish oil
The transition is straightforward because the protein and carb ratios are already close to keto-friendly.
Why Keto Works for Dogs with Cancer (Nerd Alert 4 🧬)
Reduce glucose availability—cancer cells’ preferred fuel
Increase ketones—used by healthy cells, but not by most cancers
Lower inflammation
Support neurological health
Steve’s low carbohydrate base makes it one of the few commercial foods that can be adapted safely.
🐟 A Note on Omega-3 Oils (Not a Negative—Just a Reminder)
Steve’s does not include a high-EPA/DHA fish oil in the formula, but this is NOT a downside. In fact, you should be adding omega-3s to almost any diet—raw, home-cooked, or kibble.
You can add:
🐠 Wild salmon oil
🐠 Sardine oil
🐠 Krill oil
🐠 High-EPA/DHA concentrated fish oil
🐠 Cod liver oil (for dogs with low vitamin D, but not for dogs with Kidney Disease)
Unless your dog is already eating a fish-heavy diet every day, they need omega-3 supplementation.
Why?
Because omega-3s:
💪 Reduce chronic inflammation
💪 Support cognitive function
💪 Protect joints
💪 Balance the omega-6 load even in grass-fed meats
💪 Improve skin and coat quality
💪 Support heart health
Steve’s real food provides a superb base—you finish the job by adding high EPA/DHA fish oil.
⭐ Final Verdict: Is Steve’s Real Food Worth It?
If price were no object, Steve’s Real Food would likely be one of the single best commercial dog foods available.
Pros
🥩 Real, raw, biologically appropriate ingredients
🌱 Grass-fed and humanely raised sourcing
🥦 Excellent first five ingredients
🚫 Zero fillers, zero grains, zero synthetic junk
🌱 Natural produce for antioxidants
🔥 Low carb, keto-adaptable
🧬 Supports gut, joint, and immune health
Cons
💸 Pricey—especially for multi-dog households
🐟 Requires adding a fish oil (but you should anyway)
Who Should Buy Steve’s?
Dog owners who want the best possible commercial raw food
People feeding senior dogs with inflammation
Owners of dogs with cancer or metabolic issues
Those who want a travel-friendly raw option
Anyone using it as a topper to boost kibble or homemade meals
Who may want to look elsewhere for dog food?
Large multi-dog homes feeding only Steve’s
Owners on a tight budget
People who prefer completely DIY home-prepared meals
If you can afford it, it’s absolutely one of the best out there.
❓ FAQ
Is Steve’s Real Food safe for senior dogs?
Yes—its low-carb, high-protein, anti-inflammatory profile is ideal for seniors. Always introduce raw slowly, especially for dogs with pancreatitis or digestive sensitivity.
Does Steve’s work for dogs with kidney disease?
Steve’s does not follow low-protein kidney-diet protocols. This is not a knock on the brand. Dogs with CKD need to follow a highly-specific diet
Is Steve’s better than kibble?
Nutritionally, yes. It avoids:
Ultra-processing
High heat destruction of enzymes
Fillers
Synthetic vitamin packs
Carbohydrate loads of 35–60%
Raw diets simply match canine biology more closely.
Do I need to add vegetables or supplements?
No additional veggies are required, but you should add:
🐟 High-quality omega-3 oil
🧂 Homemade bone broth (optional, but ALWAYS a great idea for longevity)
Is freeze-dried or frozen better?
Frozen is slightly fresher and cheaper.
Freeze-dried is more convenient, lighter, and travels well.
Nutritionally—they’re nearly identical.
Can I feed Steve’s as a topper to kibble?
Yes! Even 20–30% raw added to kibble dramatically improves:
Longevity
Coat quality
Stool quality and GUT health
Inflammation levels
📺 What Should You Do Next?
You can check out how to make healthy, homemade dog food - Click Here
You can check out Steve's Real Food for yourself (NOT an affiliate link, we make ZERO money from this product)
👉 Go watch the next dog food review! Click Here for the Dog Food Review Playlist
We compare raw brands, break down ingredient panels, and help you choose the best possible food for your dog.
