Ingredient file // Named animal protein
Venison
The clean flesh of deer, used fresh.
Our read // In our catalog
In 1 of every 51 foods we track
Share of foods that list it
2%
63 of the 3,204 foods with an ingredient list on file, from 33 brands. 32 dry dog food, 19 wet dog food, 6 frozen dog food.
Each square is 1% of the catalog
Where it sits on the label
Median position 4. In the top five of 35 foods, so it is usually a main ingredient.
26
1st
5
2-3
4
4-5
13
6-10
15
11-20
0
21+
Top five
List position, heaviest first
Above the salt
Almost always listed before the salt, so there is more of it than a pinch.
Price per lb
Foods with it
$3.68
All foods
$3.25
Median of the cheapest bag price across 30 priced foods, 13% above the catalog. The price is the food's, not the ingredient's.
Who leans on it
17%
of the foods that list it are from Blue. 33 brands use it in total.
What it is
Why it turns up in dog food
- Very lean with lots of iron, and uncommon enough for dogs that react to the usual meats.
Who uses it
Brands, best sellers and the company it keeps
Top brands, by foods that list it
Foods that list it / all the brand's recipes we track.
Plus 23 more brands.
Amazon best sellers that list it
Rank on Amazon's dog food best seller list, checked October 2026.
Usually listed with, share of the foods that list it
- Beef 30%
- Peas 29%
- Mixed Tocopherols 24%
- Lamb 21%
- Flaxseed 21%
- Sweet Potatoes 19%
- Potatoes 19%
- Pea Protein 19%
- Natural Flavor 17%
- Dried Egg Product 17%
- Venison Liver 16%
- Chicken Meal 16%
On the shelf
Foods that list Venison
63 foods in our catalog list it. These 60 list it highest on the label.
We Feed RawWe Feed Raw Venison Recipe Frozen Dog Food
Only Natural PetOnly Natural Pet PowerStew Venison & Duck Feast Grain-Free Wet Dog Food
OrijenOrijen Tundra Freeze-Dried Dog Food
PrimalPrimal Canine Raw Nuggets - Venison Frozen Dog Food
OC Raw DogOC Raw Dog Venison & Produce Freeze-Dried Dog Food
ZIWIZIWI Air-Dried Venison Dog Food Topper
ZIWIZiwi Venison Wet Dog Food
KohaKoha Limited Ingredient Diet Venison Entrée Dog Food Topper
Carna4Carna4 Easy-Chew Venison Dry Dog Food
Nature's LogicNature’s Logic Original Canine Can: Venison Wet Dog Food
Evanger'sEvanger’s Grain Free LID Venison + Beef Dinner Wet Dog Food
ZignatureZignature Original Food Venison Formula Grain-Free Wet Dog Food Show 48 more
Health ExtensionHealth Extension Grain Free Venison & Sweet Potato Recipe Dry Dog Food
Health ExtensionHealth Extension Grain Free Little Bites Grain Free Venison & Sweet Potato Little Bites Recipe Dry Dog Food
Open FarmOpen Farm Ancient Grains New Zealand Venison with Ancient Grains Dry Dog Food
ZignatureZignature Original Venison Formula with Probiotics Grain-Free Dry Dog Food
LotusLotus Pasture Raised Venison Recipe Raw Frozen Dog Food
LotusLotus Pasture Raised Venison Recipe Raw Frozen Dog Food
LotusLotus Pasture Raised Venison Recipe Raw Frozen Dog Food
Taste of the WildTaste of the Wild Pine Forest Canine Recipe with Venison & Legumes Grain-Free Dry Dog Food
Taste of the WildTaste of the Wild Appalachian Valley Small Breed Canine Recipe with Venison & Garbanzo Beans Grain-Free Dry Dog Food
Stella & Chewy'sStella & Chewy’s Venison Blend Frozen Raw Dinner Patties Frozen Dog Food
Solid GoldSolid Gold Buck Wild Sensitive Stomach with Venison, Potato & Pumpkin Grain-Free Dry Dog Food
NutriSourceNutriSource PureVita Grain-Free Venison & Red Lentils Entree Dry Dog Food
MerrickMerrick Grain-Free Real Venison + Sweet Potato Recipe Dry Dog Food
Go! SolutionsGo! Solutions Sensitivities Limited Ingredient Grain-Free Venison Recipe Dry Dog Food
Dr. MartyDr. Marty Nature’s Blend Premium Origin Freeze-Dried Dog Food
WellnessWellness Complete Health Venison & Salmon Wet Dog Food
OrijenOrijen Tundra Dry Dog Food
Natural BalanceNatural Balance L.I.D. Limited Ingredient Diets Grain-Free Sweet Potato & Venison Dry Dog Food
K9 NaturalK9 Natural Lamb & Venison Feast Grain-Free Freeze-Dried Dog Food
WellnessWellness CORE Beef, Venison & Lamb Grain-Free Wet Dog Food
WellnessWellness Complete Health Petite Entrees Shredded Medley Braised Lamb, Venison, White Sweet Potatoes & Carrots Wet Dog Food
WellnessWellness Core Hearty Cuts Beef & Venison Wet Dog Food
MerrickMerrick Wilderness Blend Grain Free in Gravy Wet Dog Food
Edgard & CooperEdgard & Cooper Free-Run Duck with Venison Adult Dog Grain-Free Dry Dog Food
I and Love and YouI and Love and You Naked Essentials Moo Venison Stew Dog Cans Wet Dog Food
NutriSourceNutriSource High Plains Select Wet Dog Food
PurinaPurina ONE True Instinct Grain Free Turkey & Venison Wet Dog Food
BlueBlue Wilderness Denali Dinner Wild Salmon Venison Halibut Dinner Wet Dog Food
BlueBlue Wilderness Snake River Grill Wet Dog Food
NutriSourceNutriSource Field and Forest Wet Dog Food
PurinaPurina ONE True Instinct Tender Cuts in Gravy Turkey & Venison Wet Dog Food
Open FarmOpen Farm RawMix Great Plains Ancient Grains Dry Dog Food
AboundAbound Wild Beginnings Adult Beef, Venison & Lamb Dry Dog Food
Rachael Ray NutrishRachael Ray Nutrish Healthy Weight Real Turkey, Brown Rice & Venison Recipe Dry Dog Food
MerrickMerrick Backcountry Raw Infused Big Game Recipe Grain-Free Dry Dog Food
BlueBlue Wilderness Snake River Grill Adult Trout, Venison & Rabbit Grain-Free Dry Dog Food
PurinaPurina One True Instinct with a Blend of Real Turkey & Venison Dry Dog Food
Open FarmOpen Farm RawMix Great Plains Grain-Free Dry Dog Food
Nature's RecipeNature’s Recipe Prime Blends Beef, Barley & Venison Recipe Dry Dog Food
MerrickMerrick Full Source with Healthy Grains Raw-Coated Kibble with Lamb & Venison Dry Dog Food
BlueBlue Wilderness Denali Dinner Adult Wild Salmon, Venison & Halibut Grain-Free Dry Dog Food
Taste of the WildTaste of the Wild High Prairie Canine Recipe with Bison in Gravy Wet Dog Food
Dave's Pet FoodDave’s Pet Food Dave’s Stewlicious Chunky Cowboy Dinner with Beef and Pork for Dogs / Wet Dog Food
FrommFromm Four-Star Zealambder™ Recipe Dry Dog Food
BlueBlue Wilderness Adult Red Meat Recipe Grain-Free Dry Dog Food
BlueBlue Wilderness Rocky Mountain Recipe Small Breed Adult Red Meat Grain-Free Dry Dog Food
BlueBlue Wilderness Rocky Mountain Recipe Senior Red Meat Grain-Free Dry Dog Food
BlueBlue Wilderness Rocky Mountain Recipe Large Breed Adult Red Meat Dry Dog Food On labels as
Other names for this
Manufacturers do not all use the same wording. These all mean the same thing.
Deboned Venison
An ingredient on its own tells you very little.
What matters is how much of it there is and where it sits in the list. That is why we weigh
the top five rather than reacting to any single name further down.
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