In most reviews I compare the ingredients of various kibbles (or biscuits as we shouldn’t glamourise them as in Australia), but if you ask my honest opinion I’m more an advocate for raw dog food rather than the kibble which most of us consider the “norm”.
Our dogs are more carnivore than omnivore, right?
For this reason, in 2024, it’s great to see Scratch – an already decent Australian dog food company – bring out a new line of raw dog food as well!
Take a look at the bowl of kibble and raw above. Have you ever thought about doing this?
Accordingly, this review will cover the original Scratch dry dog food (which for many will be the most practical choice), but also the new range of raw dog food.
So, if you’re scratching your head trying to decide whether to feed your dog dry or raw, my advice is read this review and settle on a mix of both!
Let’s take a look:
Scratch dog food review
What the marketing says
On the Scratch Pet Food website we find comparisons between store-bought kibble and Scratch, highlighting how most kibble you buy is owned 95% by big multinationals (they’re referring to the likes of Mars and Nestle if you want to know), with unregulated and misleading labelling.
I agree completely.
Although there is regulation around the labelling of pet food, they’re 100% right about how misleading it can be. For example, most of us are duped by terms like “Meat first ingredient”, which in truth means very little if the next several ingredients are inappropriate crap for your meat-loving pooch.
In contrast, Scratch is 100% Australian owned, using whole Australian produce and “premium” Australian meat. They state the labelling is fully transparent (we’ll take a look at that later), as well as being fresher for your dog (with a shorter turn around from being made to hitting your dog’s food bowl).
A lot of the marketing around Scratch dog food is how good it is for clearing up symptoms of dietary reactions, intolerances, and what we often incorrectly term as “allergies” (it’s not an allergy if it’s caused by ingredients your dog shouldn’t be eating anyway).
The above is certainly true, and I’ll tell you why in this review.
Scratch is a “subscription” dog food.
It’s worth noting Scratch works on subscription rather than being an off-the-shelf dog food.
This will suit you if you’re happy for your dog food to be delivered as and when you need it, and also cuts out the costs of the retailer as the “middle man”. The benefit to you, or more specifically your dog, is those costs can be put towards better quality ingredients (and arguably increased profits to a smaller independent pet food company).
What the ingredients really say
Kibble
Right then, let’s take a look at the ingredients to see if they truly are as transparent as they claim…. starting with the dry dog food (we’ll focus on Premium Turkey, Lamb & Beef Kibble as the benchmark).
The first point is the food can be considered expensive at over $10 per kilo, but perhaps not quite as much when you consider how cheaply most store-bought kibble is made. Processed nuggets of wheat can be made very cheaply, but are they healthy for your dog? (The answer to that is no, of course not).
Scratch boasts over 30% protein, which is what I would class as a high-protein dog food. That’s a great thing, as your dog will benefit far more from protein than starchy carbs from grains.
Fat content, another important factor in your dog’s diet, sits at 16%, and thanks to the transparency of Scratch we’re told total carbohydrates are respectably low at 32.5%. Find me a supermarket brand of dog food which tells you how heavy they are on carbs – they don’t tell you, because they don’t want you to know.
It’s great to see more transparency with the Scratch pet foods than other brands, and I really appreciate they have listed percentage amounts for all main ingredients. This really helps us understand what the food is made from.
It has to be said, like other similar dog foods in this price bracket, the recipe is more plant based than meat based.
We have 27% broad beans, and a further 27% of chickpeas. That’s 54% of the formula already.
When it comes to animal ingredients, which you should consider as more nutritious for your dog, we have 24% turkey meal (a protein dense form of turkey), boosted with 4.5% lamb meal, and 5% beef liver digest which I consider very welcome in the formula.
Combine the above 33.5% animal ingredients with a further 7% beef fat, and we have a figure of 40.5% animal ingredients. That’s decent for a dry dog food.
In case I’ve bored you too much with maths, let’s summarise the above and say the Scratch dry dog food is actually pretty decent, using better ingredients than most dog foods.
As a kibble, I feel Scratch is a good choice, and I have a good suggestion:
If you’re bothered by a kibble being more plant based than meat based, why not combine the convenience of the kibble with raw dog food (either home made or the Scratch raw dog food)?
There’s still some great points to make about the Scratch dry dog food when we consider the more minor inclusions.
It’s great to see a range of oils – not just the beef fat, but salmon, flaxseed, coconut, and sunflower oils – a good mix of omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids. It’s nice to have a mix, right?
We find a few veggies – carrots, pumpkins, spinach – and also chicory, beet pulp, alfalfa, and yucca extract for fibre and probiotics.
These more minor ingredients should benefit your dog and tick off the “gut health” box.
Why is Scratch good for digestive health, and dietary sensitivities?
In my experience, the Number 1 cause of itchy scratch dogs is the many poor quality excuses for “dog food”, particularly those made of cheap cereal grains, wheat, ambiguous antioxidants and preservatives, food colourings, or poor quality ingredients in general.
When it comes to Scratch you don’t have those inclusions, which offers you a much better option for your dog.
My main concern is the significance of Scratch being more plant-based than meat-based, but if you’ve looked at whole-prey kibbles like Orijen, or the growing range of freeze and air-dried raw dog foods, then you’ll note they come at a significantly higher cost.
Conclusion
If you’re looking for a decent Australian brand of kibble, and you’re happy with the subscription style, then Scratch could be a good choice for you.
Raw
When it comes to raw dog foods, mixes, or BARF (biologically appropriate raw food) you can get purist animal-based raw or a mix of animal and veggies.
The Scratch raw dog food falls into this latter category, but don’t let you put off – it’s a really good mix of meats, organs, salmon frames, and a range of veggies and other nutrients which I see as beneficial for your dog.
Raw foods are almost always healthier and more appropriate for your dog, which is why my heart lies in raw feeding, and pre-made raw like this is undeniably convenient.
In the Scratch raw dog food you’ll find beef muscle meat (30%), beef heart (25%), Atlantic salmon frames (8%), beef liver (4.5%), and beef spleen (3%).
This is excellent for your dog whether you consider them an omnivore or a carnivore (I view dogs as more carnivore than the pet food industry wants me to do so).
All other ingredients are well chosen, including sweet potato (10%) as one of the best carb inclusions, green beans (4%), zucchini (4%), and in smaller moderations peanut butter, kale, blueberries, wheat germ, bone flour, cold pressed wheat germ oil, aquamin (a mineral complex good for bone and joint health), salt, kelp, fortified yeast, and zinc yeast.
The ingredients really speak for themselves, and I would highly recommend the Scratch raw dog food. You can combine it with kibble (good for cost saving and practicality), or feed it as a 100% nutritionally complete and balanced diet.
My one gripe with all raw dog foods or BARF like this is your dog won’t benefit from gnawing and chewing on raw meaty bones – what I consider optimal for dental health – but you can cater for that with decent animal-based chews.
Ingredients
Please note the ingredients of Scratch dog food (Premium Turkey, Lamb & Beef Kibble) are taken from the Scratch Pet Food website, and are not the conventional form you would usually find on an ingredients panel. The types of ingredients are categorised rather than being list in a descending order of significance.
Note: The ingredients of Scratch raw dog food are covered above, so won’t be repeated here.
Meat Turkey Meal 24%, Lamb Meal 4%, Beef Liver Digest 5%, Veggies Broad Beans 27%, Chick Peas 27%, Beet Pulp, Chicory, Alfalfa, Yucca Extract, Carrots, Chia, Spinach, Pumpkin, Kelp, Turmeric, Fats & Oils Beef Fat 7%, Sunflower Oil 2.7%, Salmon Oil, Flaxseed Oil, Coconut Oil, DHA from Algae, Vitamins & Minerals Monosodium Phosphate, Salt, DL Methionine & Taurine, Zinc Sulphate Monohydrate, Essential Vitamins & Minerals, Natural Antioxidants, Mixed Tocopherols and Rosemary Extract.
Turkey Meal 24%,
Most dog food ‘Turkey’ has plenty of chicken in it. Not here! Our Turkey comes from Inghams, is 100% Australian and with no added hormones.
Lamb Meal 4.5%
100% Australian pasture-fed lamb with no added hormones.
Beef Liver Digest 5%
We top it off with some Beef Liver. While it does have some nutritional value, our premium liver digest makes dogs go nuts for the taste. Veggies
Broad Beans 27%,
Great source of protein, fibre and vitamins & minerals. “I guess veggies are ok…. As long as it means it is Grain & Soy Free”
Chick Peas 27%,
Great source of protein, fibre and complex carbs.
Beet Pulp,
Moderately fermentable fibre to support good gut health
Chicory,
Prebiotic that promotes beneficial gut bacteria
Alfalfa,
Protein, fibre and vitamins & minerals
Yucca Extract,
Plant extract to help reduce stool odour. You’re welcome, Poo Slave.
Carrots,
Natural Source of Vitamin A & Beta Carotene. “Carrots help me see better right? All the better to see you with!”
Chia,
Omegas, fibre & B vitamins
Spinach,
Antioxidants, Vitamin K & Iron. “Soo much tastier than Kale”
Pumpkin,
Fibre, Vitamins & Potassium
Kelp,
Concentrated source of iodine, zinc, iron & copper
Turmeric
Source of Curcumin, a powerful antioxidant. “Like a daily Golden Latte! Hey, when’s our next trip to Byron?” Fats & Oils
Beef Fat (7%),
Great tasting source of energy. “Can I pleassse lick the bowl?”
Sunflower Oil (2.7%),
Excellent source of Omega-6 to help maintain healthy skin and glossy coat. “Shiny fur helps me get my strut on at the dog park”.
Salmon Oil,
Tasmanian Salmon oil is a great source of Omega-3 EPA & DHA to support brain development in puppies.
Flaxseed Oil,
Included for its high percentage of Omega 3
Coconut Oil,
Concentrate source of energy that helps maintain healthy skin. “This is paleo right?”
DHA from Algae
Long-Chain Omega-3s that help brain development in puppies and promote a healthy coat and skin. Vitamins & Minerals
Monosodium Phosphate,
Needed for healthy bone development.
Salt,
Salt is required to maintain the electrolyte balance, organs and nervous system.
DL Methionine & Taurine,
Extra amino acids for heart and eye health. Especially important for large breed dogs and breeds predisposed to some heart conditions.
Zinc Sulphate Monohydrate,
Important for a healthy coat, skin, and immune system. “Silky smooth skin = more belly rubs”
Essential Vitamins & Minerals
Concentrated supplement of vitamins and minerals to ensure that your woofer has everything he needs to thrive. Bet you can’t say them in one breath! – Choline chloride, Calcium carbonate, Zinc sulphate, Vitamin E, Ferrous Sulphate, Vitamin C, Copper Sulphate, Vitamin B3 Niacin, Vitamin B5 D-Calpantothenate, Vitamin B2 Riboflavin, Vitamin A, Vitamin D, Vitamin B12 Cyanocobalamin, Vitamin B1 Thiamine, Selenium, Manganous oxide, Vitamin B6, Pyridoxine, Potassium Iodide, Vitamin B9 Folic Acid. Natural Antioxidants
Mixed Tocopherols and Rosemary Extract
Vitamin E and other natural mixed Tocopherols combine with Rosemary Extract to make sure everything stays fresh.
