I have a confession. When I first saw an ad for Nature’s Blend dog food, I rolled my eyes so hard I nearly hurt myself. A celebrity vet on TV, dramatic music, dogs running through fields, promises of transformation. It had every hallmark of the kind of marketing that makes me deeply suspicious. I scrolled past it at least four times.
Then a reader emailed me. She’d switched her French Bulldog to Nature’s Blend after months of digestive issues, and she wanted to know what I thought. I had to be honest with her: I’d never actually tried it. I’d dismissed it based on the ads without reading the label. That’s exactly the kind of lazy reviewing I built this site to avoid.
So I ordered a bag. Tried it on Churro, my French Bulldog, my resident food tester, the dog who has at various points rejected kibble, inhaled kibble, had opinions about kibble that I can only describe as intensely personal. Watched what happened. Read every ingredient. Dug into the brand, the vet behind it, the price, the complaints, and the science behind freeze-dried raw food.
Here’s my honest review of Nature’s Blend dog food. No brand deal, no affiliate cut, no ‘top 10 reasons this is amazing.’ Just what I actually found
QUICK ANSWER – Is Nature’s Blend dog food worth it?
Nature’s Blend by Dr. Marty is a legitimate, high-quality freeze-dried raw dog food with genuinely impressive ingredients, four real meat proteins in the first four spots, organ meats, superfoods, zero artificial anything. It has never been recalled. Dogs love the taste. The catch? It is expensive. Very expensive. And the marketing is aggressive enough to make anyone skeptical. But the food itself? The label holds up. Whether it’s worth the price for your specific breed is what the rest of this article is about.
What Is Nature’s Blend? Who Is Dr. Marty?
Let me start with the brand, because understanding who’s behind a product matters when you’re deciding whether to trust them with your dog’s diet.
Nature’s Blend is the flagship dog food line from Dr. Marty Pets, a brand founded by Dr. Martin Goldstein, a real, licensed veterinarian who graduated from Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine in He’s spent over 45 years in practice, written books on holistic animal health, and appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show, Good Morning America, and The Martha Stewart Show. The man is not made up.
His core belief, the one he’s built the brand around is that dogs thrive on real, minimally processed food, the way nature intended. Not kibble baked at high heat until half the nutrients are gone. Not bags full of fillers and mystery by-products. Real meat, real vegetables, real organs. That philosophy is what drives every formula in the Nature’s Blend range.
The company operates under Golden Hippo, a marketing and e-commerce firm, and produces its food at a dedicated facility in Wisconsin that opened in 2023. As of late 2023, they’d sold over 14 million units. That’s not a small operation.
What Makes Nature’s Blend Different From Regular Kibble?
Before I get into whether it’s good for your breed, I need to explain what freeze-dried raw actually means because it’s genuinely different from kibble and it matters for how you feed it.
What is Freeze-Dried Raw?
Standard dry kibble is made by cooking ingredients at very high temperatures and then extruding them into those little pellet shapes. The heat makes it shelf-stable and easy to produce at scale, but it also destroys a significant portion of the natural vitamins, enzymes, and nutrients in the original ingredients.
Freeze-drying works differently. The raw ingredients are frozen and then placed in a vacuum chamber where the moisture is removed without heat, a process called sublimation. The result is food that is shelf stable like kibble, but retains far more of the original nutritional content of the raw ingredients. Think of it as raw food that you don’t have to refrigerate.
This is the core argument for Nature’s Blend: same convenience as kibble, closer nutritional profile to raw. Whether that translates into measurable benefits for your individual dog depends on a lot of factors but the reasoning behind it is sound.
How Do You Actually Feed It?
This tripped me up the first time. Nature’s Blend isn’t a kibble you just pour into a bowl. It comes as freeze-dried chunks that you can either serve as-is or rehydrate with a little warm water before serving. Most dog owners and Churro firmly falls into this category, seem to prefer the rehydrated version. It smells more like real food and the texture is softer. You can also use it as a topper over existing kibble, which is what a lot of people do given the price. More
on that in a minute.
What’s Actually Inside Nature’s Blend – The Full Ingredient Breakdown
This is where I spent the most time. Because the ingredient list is genuinely the best argument for this food and I’m someone who was ready to dislike it.
The full ingredient list for Nature’s Blend Essential Wellness (the flagship adult formula) is: Turkey, Beef, Salmon, Duck, Beef Liver, Turkey Liver, Turkey Heart, Flaxseed, Sweet Potato, Egg, Pea Flour, Apple, Blueberry, Carrot, Cranberry, Pumpkin Seed, Spinach, Dried Kelp, Ginger, Salt, Sunflower Seed, Broccoli, Kale, Mixed Tocopherols.
Read that again. The first four ingredients are four different real meat proteins. The next three are organ meats, liver and heart. That’s seven ingredients before you hit anything that isn’t animal protein.
What I Genuinely Like About This Ingredient List
Multiple proteins from the start. Turkey, beef, salmon, and duck in the first four spots means your dog gets a broad amino acid profile without relying on a single protein source. For dogs with chicken sensitivities, Churro included, this is immediately interesting, because there is no chicken in the standard formula at all.
Organ meats are nutritional powerhouses. Beef liver, turkey liver, turkey heart, these are some of the most nutrient-dense foods you can give a dog. They’re rich in B vitamins, iron, zinc, and natural taurine. Most kibble brands either skip organs entirely or include them in tiny amounts far down the ingredient list. Having three organ ingredients in the top seven is genuinely impressive.
The fruit and vegetable variety is real. Blueberries, cranberries, kale, spinach, broccoli, carrots, sweet potato, these aren’t decorative inclusions. They contribute antioxidants, fibre, and micronutrients. Combined with dried kelp and flaxseed for omega-3s, this reads like a thoughtfully designed whole-food diet.
Mixed tocopherols as the only preservative. That’s natural vitamin E. No BHA, no BHT, no ethoxyquin. Same approach as Blue Buffalo, but applied to a far cleaner overall ingredient list
Things Worth Knowing
Pea flour appears on the list. It’s not in the first few positions so the quantity is relatively small, but it is there. Given the ongoing conversation about legumes and heart health in dogs, it’s worth noting, especially if you’re planning on feeding this as the sole diet long-term. Not a deal breaker, but something to be aware of.
No added vitamins or minerals are listed. Dr. Marty’s position is that the whole-food ingredients provide sufficient nutrition naturally. This is a legitimate philosophy in the raw-feeding world, but it’s different from how most commercial dog foods approach AAFCO compliance. The food does meet AAFCO standards, confirmed, but the mechanism is different from a vitamin-fortified kibble
What Happened When I Actually Fed It to Churro
Alright. The part you’re actually here for. What happened when I put this in front of my French Bulldog.
I started with rehydrated, mixed with warm water as recommended. Churro’s reaction was immediate and unambiguous. He finished the bowl in the kind of focused silence that means he was genuinely into it rather than just eating because food appeared. For context, this is a dog who has on multiple occasions eaten half a bowl of kibble, walked away, and then come back forty minutes later to finish it with the energy of someone
completing a chore. Not with this.
The palatability is legitimately excellent. Freeze-dried raw food smells intensely meaty, much more so than kibble and dogs respond to that. Churro’s reaction wasn’t unique. Reader reviews and customer feedback consistently rate palatability as the highest-performing aspect of Nature’s Blend. Even picky eaters tend to go for it.
After two weeks on Nature’s Blend as his main food, here’s what I noticed with Churro: stools were firmer and more consistent than they’d been on some kibble. Coat looked good shiny, which I’d expect from the salmon and flaxseed omega-3s. Energy was normal to slightly higher. Gas was notably reduced compared to when he was on a chicken-based kibble.
I want to be careful here, because I’m not a vet and I’m not making health claims. I’m a dog owner telling you what I observed over two weeks with my specific dog. Your dog’s experience will depend on their individual digestive system, age, activity level, and what they were eating before. These are observations, not promises.
”Churro ate it like it was the best thing he’d ever been given. He’s
dramatic, but even I had to admit the food smelled incredible.”
Let’s Talk About the Price. Because We Have To.
I’d be doing you a disservice if I glossed over this. Nature’s Blend is expensive. Not ‘slightly more than Blue Buffalo’ expensive. Significantly, noticeably, ‘I need to think about this’ expensive.
A 16-ounce bag of the flagship Essential Wellness formula typically runs around $40 to $50. For a small dog like Churro, that’s roughly a two-week supply as a complete diet. For a large breed, a German Shepherd or a Labrador that bag might last a week or less. The math gets uncomfortable fast.
Comparable freeze-dried raw brands, Stella and Chewy’s, Primal are typically 40 to 50 percent less expensive for similar formulas. That gap is real and it matters when you’re budgeting for a dog’s food long-term.
| Usage | Dog Size | Approx. Monthly Cost | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Complete diet | Small (Frenchie) | ~$80–$100/mo | Manageable for small breeds |
| Complete diet | Large (Lab, GSD) | ~$200–$300/mo | Very expensive |
| Kibble topper | Any size | ~$30–$50/mo | The sweet spot for most owners |
The topper approach is genuinely the smart middle ground. Use a good quality kibble as the base something with real meat and no artificial anything and add a tablespoon or two of rehydrated Nature’s Blend on top. You get the palatability boost, the nutrient density of the raw ingredients, and the organ meats, without committing to the full cost of feeding it exclusively. A lot of owners I’ve spoken to land here.
The Subscription Model – Read This Before You Order
This is the part of the brand that generates the most complaints and I think you deserve to know about it before you order.
Dr. Marty Pets uses an aggressive subscription and auto-ship model. Multiple customers have reported being enrolled in subscriptions they didn’t fully understand, billing amounts that were higher than expected, and difficulty cancelling. The BBB shows complaints along these lines, though Dr. Marty Pets does have an A+ rating there and their team does respond to and resolve complaints.
My honest take: This appears to be a marketing and e-commerce issue, not a food quality issue. The food itself doesn’t seem to be the problem, it’s the way the company sells it. If you decide to try Nature’s Blend, I’d suggest reading the subscription terms carefully before completing your order and checking exactly what you’re signing up for. That’s just common sense with any auto-ship programme.
It’s also worth noting: The food has never been recalled. Not once. For a brand that’s sold over 14 million units, a zero-recall history is genuinely significant and a meaningful contrast to some larger brands with longer histories of safety issues.
The Nature’s Blend Product Lines – Which One Is Right for Your Dog?
Nature’s Blend isn’t just one formula. Here’s what’s in the range and which dogs each one suits:
Essential Wellness
The flagship adult formula. Turkey, beef, salmon, duck, four proteins, organ meats, superfoods. This is the one I tested on Churro. Suitable for healthy adult dogs of all breeds. The starting point for most new customers.
Sensitivity Select
Limited ingredient, novel proteins, designed for dogs with food allergies or sensitivities. Fewer ingredients, single protein source. If your dog has known sensitivities and you want to try freeze-dried raw, this is the line to start with rather than Essential Wellness.
Active Vitality (Senior)
Formulated for senior dogs. Includes green-lipped mussel for joint support, antioxidant-rich superfoods, and a nutrient profile adjusted for older dogs who need extra support. If you have an ageing Lab or Golden with joint issues, this deserves a look.
Healthy Growth (Puppy)
A puppy-specific formula with a nutrient profile designed for growth and development. Higher protein and fat ratios appropriate for young dogs. Always worth a vet conversation before switching a puppy’s diet.
Is Nature’s Blend Good for Your Specific Breed?
This is the BreedAndBowl section. Because a food that’s great for a Golden Retriever might need a different approach for a French Bulldog. Let me break it down for each of the four breeds I cover.
French Bulldog
Frenchies and Nature’s Blend are actually a pretty interesting match and here’s why. The Essential Wellness formula has no chicken, which is one of the most common sensitivity triggers for this breed. The multi-protein blend is rich but not dominated by any single ingredient. The limited ingredient Sensitivity Select line is also worth considering if your Frenchie has known allergies. Two things to watch: The pea flour content if you’re worried about legumes, and the price as a topper over kibble this is much more manageable for small breeds than as a complete diet. Churro did well on it. I’d use it as a topper or rotate it in rather than making it the only food.
Labrador Retriever
Labs are the biggest argument for the topper approach. A full freeze-dried raw diet for a 40kg Lab would cost a serious amount per month. But as a topper? Labs respond incredibly well to the palatability of Nature’s Blend – which, for a breed known for eating anything and everything, means it turns mealtime from routine into an event. The organ meats and omega-3s from salmon and flaxseed are genuinely beneficial for this breed. The Active Vitality senior formula is worth knowing about for older Labs with joint issues.
Golden Retriever
Goldens are perhaps the breed that benefits most obviously from what Nature’s Blend offers. The salmon and flaxseed for coat and skin health, the blueberries and cranberries for antioxidant support, the green-lipped mussel in the senior formula for joints, it reads like it was designed with Goldens in mind. If you have a Golden with a dull coat or early joint stiffness, the Active Vitality formula used as a topper is something I’d genuinely consider trying.
German Shepherd
GSDs need high protein and often have sensitive digestive systems. Nature’s Blend Essential Wellness ticks the protein box convincingly 81% protein from real meat and organs is exceptional. For GSDs with sensitive stomachs, the Sensitivity Select limited ingredient formula reduces the complexity. The main consideration for German Shepherds is cost: feeding a 35-40kg GSD on Nature’s Blend as a full diet is expensive. As a topper or a rotation food alongside a good quality kibble, it makes a lot more sense financially.
My Honest Verdict: Is Nature’s Blend Dog Food Worth It?
| What I Like | What to Watch |
|---|---|
| ✔ Four real meat proteins in the first four ingredients | ■ Very expensive as a complete diet for large breeds |
| ✔ Organ meats (liver, heart) in top seven ingredients | ■ Pea flour present -worth noting for legume concerns |
| ✔ Freeze-dried retains more nutrients than kibble processing | ■ Subscription billing complaints read terms carefully |
| ✔ Zero recalls in entire brand history | ■ Aggressive marketing can feel misleading vs competitors |
| ✔ Exceptional palatability, even picky dogs eat it | ■ No chicken formula may not suit all breed preferences |
| ✔ No artificial preservatives, fillers or grains | ■ Rehydration step adds prep time vs standard kibble |
Here’s where I land on Nature’s Blend: the food is genuinely good. I went in sceptical and came out impressed by the ingredient list. The zero-recall history is meaningful. Churro responded well to it. The freeze-dried format is a legitimate step up from heavily processed kibble in terms of ingredient preservation.
But ‘good food’ and ‘worth the price’ are two different questions. For small breeds like French Bulldogs, the cost as a complete diet is manageable and possibly worth it if your dog has sensitivities that cheaper foods haven’t solved. For large breeds like Labs and German Shepherds, feeding it exclusively is financially unsustainable for most people. The topper approach makes a lot more sense.
And before the marketing please just ignore the marketing. Judge this food on its ingredient list, your dog’s response to it, and whether the cost fits your budget. The dramatic TV ads are not the food. The label is the food. And the label, honestly, is pretty impressive.
”The marketing is loud. The label is genuinely good. Judge the food, not the ads.”
FAQs – What People Ask Me About Nature’s Blend
Q: Is Nature’s Blend the same as Dr. Marty dog food?
Yes, Nature’s Blend is the name of the product line made by Dr. Marty Pets, the brand founded by veterinarian Dr. Martin Goldstein. When people search for Dr. Marty dog food or Nature’s Blend, they’re referring to the same product.
Q: Is Nature’s Blend grain-free?
Yes, the Essential Wellness formula is grain-free. There are no grains in the standard ingredient list. Pea flour does appear as a minor ingredient, which is worth noting given ongoing conversations about legumes in dog food but it’s not a grain.
Q: Can I use Nature’s Blend as a topper rather than a complete diet?
Absolutely and for larger breeds or budget-conscious owners, I’d actually say this is the smarter approach. A tablespoon or two rehydrated over good quality kibble gives you the palatability boost and the nutrient density of the organ meats without the full cost of feeding it exclusively. It’s what a lot of people end up doing.
Q: Has Nature’s Blend ever been recalled?
No, as of the time of writing, Dr. Marty Nature’s Blend has never had a product recall. That’s a meaningful track record for a brand that has sold over 14 million units. Always worth checking a current recall database before committing to any food.
Q: Is Nature’s Blend good for French Bulldogs specifically?
In my experience with Churro, yes particularly because the Essential Wellness formula has no chicken, which is a common sensitivity trigger for this breed. The multi-protein blend and organ meats are a genuinely good nutritional profile for Frenchies. Watch the cost and consider the topper approach if budget is a concern.
Final Word from Raza
I went into this review sceptical. Really sceptical. The aggressive advertising, the ‘as seen on Oprah’ angle, the price none of it made me want to take it seriously. And then I read the label. And then Churro ate it like it was the greatest thing that had ever happened to him.
Nature’s Blend is a legitimately good food. The ingredient quality is real, the zero-recall history is meaningful, and the freeze-dried format makes sense for dogs who need something more digestible than heavily processed kibble. The price is the honest limitation but the topper approach makes it accessible even if a full diet isn’t.
As always, judge it yourself. Try it on your dog, watch their response over two weeks, and make your call based on that rather than any review including this one. Questions? Contact page. I read everything myself.