By Grazyna, Founder of North Hound Life Β· Last updated October 2026
The short answer
It depends on what kind of raw diet your dog eats. A commercial raw food labeled "complete and balanced" doesn't need a vitamin or mineral supplement. A DIY raw diet usually does: in one study of 95 home-made raw diets, about 60% had nutrient imbalances, most often in calcium, iodine, zinc, copper and vitamins A and D. Fix those gaps with a properly formulated recipe first. After that, targeted supplements like omega-3s, joint support or probiotics can support specific goals on top.
Already feeding a complete raw diet? Our single-ingredient supplements fit right into a raw bowl. Omega 3+ is pure Canadian harp seal oil, and Hip & Joint Health is 100% New Zealand green-lipped mussel.
Does a raw-fed dog need supplements?
Whether your dog needs supplements comes down to whether their raw diet is already complete:
| Type of raw diet | Needs a vitamin and mineral balancer? | Targeted supplements? |
|---|---|---|
| Commercial raw, labeled "complete and balanced" | No. Adding one can push some nutrients too high. | Optional, for specific goals |
| DIY raw from a professionally formulated recipe | Only what the recipe calls for | Optional; check with whoever formulated it |
| DIY raw, unformulated ("prey model" or "80/10/10" by eye) | Very likely. Get the recipe formulated first. | Only after the base is balanced |
| Raw toppers on a complete food | No, if toppers stay under about 10% of daily calories | Optional |
Common nutrient gaps in DIY raw diets
When researchers analyzed 95 home-made raw (BARF) diets fed to adult dogs, about 60% had one or more nutrient imbalances. The most common gaps were:
- Iodine: about half of the diets were below the minimum requirement.
- Zinc and copper: often low.
- Vitamin A: about a quarter supplied 70% or less of the recommended amount.
- Calcium and vitamin D: some diets were badly short on calcium, often alongside low vitamin D. Others had too much calcium from bone.
Muscle-meat-heavy diets made from conventionally raised meat also tend to be low in omega-3s compared with omega-6s, which is why many raw feeders add an omega-3 source.
A raw diet can look varied and still be off. Organ meat, bone and fish each cover some nutrients but not others, and the amounts matter. If you make your own, have the recipe formulated by a veterinary nutritionist or a qualified canine nutrition consultant, or use a recipe-specific balancer.
Balancing a raw diet vs targeted support
These are two different jobs, and mixing them up is the most common raw-feeding mistake we see.
| Balancing | Targeted support | |
|---|---|---|
| Goal | Make the diet nutritionally complete | Support one area, like joints, gut or coat |
| How | A formulated recipe, or a vitamin and mineral balancer matched to it | Single-ingredient or purpose-built supplements |
| Amount based on | The recipe | Your dog's weight |
| Can it fix an incomplete diet? | Yes | No |
Our supplements are targeted support. They're designed to add to a complete diet, not to make a raw diet complete. For more on balancing, see our guide to balancing home-made dog food.
The best supplements to add to a complete raw diet
Once the base diet is complete, these are the add-ins raw feeders most often reach for:
| Goal | What to add | Our option |
|---|---|---|
| Omega-3 balance, skin and coat | A marine omega-3 oil with EPA and DHA | Omega 3+: 100% Canadian harp seal oil, with EPA, DHA and DPA |
| Joints and mobility | Green-lipped mussel, collagen | Hip & Joint Health: 100% NZ green-lipped mussel. For more support, add Hip & Joint Elite+. |
| Gut balance | A canine-specific probiotic | Probiotic+: five strains from healthy Canadian dogs and wild wolves, plus prebiotics |
| Stool quality | A little fiber | Pumpkin+: a fiber-rich pumpkin blend |
Tips: add one new supplement at a time, every 5 to 7 days, so you can see how your dog does with each. If your recipe was professionally formulated, check before adding anything that contains fats, minerals or vitamins. Probiotic+ should be given 2 hours apart from medications, kept refrigerated after opening, and not used in immunosuppressed dogs.
Are your supplements raw?
No, and we think honesty matters here. "Raw" makes sense for meat, but for supplements, some careful processing is often what makes them work and keeps them safe:
- Hip & Joint Health is snap frozen and flash dried, which keeps the mussel's natural fats in.
- Immune Support+ (turkey tail) is hot-water extracted, because the mushroom's beta-glucans are locked inside cell walls dogs can't digest.
- Drying also lowers moisture, which helps keep powders stable in the jar.
What we do promise: whole-food or single-ingredient formulas, human-grade ingredients, no fillers, and Health Canada registration product by product.
Raw feeding safety
Raw meat can carry bacteria like Salmonella and Listeria, which can affect dogs and the people who handle their food. The U.S. FDA advises extra care with raw pet food. If you feed raw:
- Keep it frozen until use, and thaw it in the fridge.
- Wash hands, bowls and surfaces after every meal.
- Take extra care in homes with young children, older adults or anyone with a weakened immune system.
- Use clean, dry scoops for supplements so jars stay uncontaminated.
What to skip
- A general multivitamin on a complete food. If the diet is already complete and balanced, adding vitamins and minerals on top can lead to excess, especially vitamins A and D.
- Kelp as your iodine plan. Kelp's iodine content varies widely, and too much iodine is as much of a problem as too little. Our Skin & Coat Health+ is labeled for up to 6 weeks of use, not as a long-term iodine source for a raw diet.
- Guessing at bone content. Too little bone leaves calcium short, and too much causes excess. Weigh it, or follow a formulated recipe.
Need help formulating a raw diet?
See our list of canine nutrition consultants who formulate raw and cooked diets. Already feeding complete? Take our 1-minute quiz to find targeted support.
Frequently asked questions
Do raw-fed dogs need supplements?
Dogs on a commercial raw diet labeled "complete and balanced" don't need a vitamin or mineral supplement. DIY raw diets usually do, unless they were formulated by a professional. Targeted supplements like omega-3s, joint support or probiotics are optional extras on top of a complete diet.
What nutrients are most often missing from raw dog food?
In a study of 95 home-made raw diets, the most common gaps were iodine, zinc, copper, vitamin A, and in some diets calcium and vitamin D. About 60% of the diets had at least one imbalance.
Should I add fish oil to my dog's raw diet?
Many raw feeders do, because diets based on conventionally raised meat tend to be low in omega-3s. A marine oil like our Omega 3+ (harp seal oil) adds EPA and DHA. If your recipe was professionally formulated, check whether it already includes an omega-3 source.
Can I use kelp for iodine in a raw diet?
Only in the amount a formulated recipe calls for, since kelp's iodine content varies and excess iodine is a problem. Our Skin & Coat Health+ kelp is labeled for up to 6 weeks of use, not as a long-term iodine source.
Can supplements make a DIY raw diet complete?
Targeted supplements can't. Only a properly formulated recipe, or a vitamin and mineral balancer matched to the recipe, can make a DIY raw diet complete.
Are North Hound Life supplements raw?
No. Some of our ingredients are dried or extracted, because that's what makes them stable and their nutrients available. They are single-ingredient or whole-food formulas with no fillers, made with human-grade ingredients.
Have another question? Visit our FAQ page.
Sources
- Dillitzer N, Becker N, Kienzle E. Intake of minerals, trace elements and vitamins in bone and raw food rations in adult dogs. Br J Nutr. 2011. Cambridge
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Get the facts: raw pet food diets can be dangerous to you and your pet
This article is for general education and is not a substitute for veterinary advice. Talk to your veterinarian or a veterinary nutritionist before changing your dog's diet.
