Dr. Marty Freeze Dried Nature's Blend Essential Wellness Dog Food

Dr. Marty Nature's Blend Essential Wellness Freeze-Dried Raw Dog Food

Essential Wellness is the original Nature's Blend formula from Dr. Martin Goldstein, the veterinarian whose name is on the bag. It is built on four animal proteins and three organ meats, rounded out with fruits, vegetables and seeds, and then freeze-dried instead of cooked. That single difference is what makes it shelf-stable without ever passing through a kibble extruder.

What freeze-dried raw actually means

Freeze-drying pulls the moisture out of raw ingredients at very low temperature rather than driving it off with heat. What comes out of the bag is uncooked and weighs a fraction of what it did going in, which is why a cup of it looks like so little food for the money. You add warm water at a two-to-one ratio... two parts food to one part water... let it sit for three minutes, then stir it together. What reaches the bowl is close to the texture and smell of a fresh raw meal, except the bag lives in your pantry rather than your freezer.

Because this food is genuinely raw and not cooked, handle it the way you would handle raw meat in your own kitchen. Wash your hands and your dog's bowl after serving, and don't leave a rehydrated portion sitting out at room temperature.

What is actually in it

Turkey, beef, salmon and duck lead the recipe, followed immediately by beef liver, turkey liver and turkey heart. The organ meat placement is deliberate rather than incidental. Liver is one of the densest natural sources of vitamin A, copper and B12 that exists, which is why it sits near the top of the list instead of appearing as an afterthought near the preservative.

From there the formula moves into whole plant foods: flaxseed and pumpkin seed for fat and fiber, sweet potato for digestible carbohydrate, whole egg, then apple, blueberry, carrot, cranberry, spinach, broccoli and kale. Dried kelp contributes trace minerals including natural iodine, and ginger finishes the list. Mixed tocopherols, a natural form of vitamin E, are the only preservative in the bag. There is no corn, wheat, soy or added grain, and no synthetic colors or flavors.

On paper that works out to a guaranteed 40% protein and 33% fat. Both numbers are far above a typical dry food, where 24% protein and 14% fat would be unremarkable, and the fat figure in particular is worth reading twice before you switch a dog onto it. Omega-3 is guaranteed at 2.5%, largely from the salmon and flaxseed.

Which dogs this suits, and which it doesn't

Essential Wellness is a sensible fit for an adult dog whose owner wants to move toward raw feeding without committing freezer space, and for picky eaters who have stopped finding their kibble interesting... the aroma once it is rehydrated is considerably stronger than dry food. It also suits dogs whose owners want a short, recognizable ingredient list they can read without a glossary.

It is a poor fit in a few specific cases. At 33% fat this is a rich food by any standard, so a dog with a history of pancreatitis, or one a veterinarian has put on a low-fat diet, is not a candidate without that vet's say-so. Dogs who cannot have poultry, beef or fish are ruled out by the protein list; for those dogs, Sensitivity Select uses turkey, duck, goose and quail and contains no beef, no fish and no egg at all.

This formula is labeled for adult maintenance, which means it is not a puppy food. Across the whole Nature's Blend line, Healthy Growth is the only formula carrying an AAFCO growth statement, and the only one cleared for large-breed puppies. If you are feeding a growing dog, that is the bag you want. And because raw food requires safe handling, households with immune-compromised members may want to talk to their own physician first.

Full ingredient list

Turkey, Beef, Salmon, Duck, Beef Liver, Turkey Liver, Turkey Heart, Flaxseed, Sweet Potato, Egg, Pea Protein, Apple, Blueberry, Carrot, Cranberry, Pumpkin Seed, Spinach, Dried Kelp, Ginger, Salt, Sunflower Seed, Broccoli, Kale, Mixed Tocopherols (preservative).

Guaranteed analysis

• Crude Protein (min) ... 40%
• Crude Fat (min) ... 33%
• Crude Fiber (max) ... 4%
• Moisture (max) ... 6%
• Calcium (min) ... 0.5%
• Iron (min) ... 40 mg/kg
• Leucine (min) ... 2%
• Vitamin A (min) ... 50,000 IU/kg
• Omega-3 Fatty Acids (min) ... 2.5%*

*Omega-3 fatty acids are not recognized as essential nutrients by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles.

This is Dr. Marty's official guaranteed analysis. Dr. Marty confirmed these figures to us in October 2026. With their move to in-house manufacturing, Dr. Marty now guarantees higher protein and fat minimums in every bag. The recipe itself has not changed, and neither have the calories or the feeding amounts. Some older bags still on shelves print the previous figures (37% protein, 27% fat), so you may see either set of numbers on a package for a while.

AAFCO statement

Formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for adult maintenance.

Calorie content

4,990 kcal/kg ... 256 kcal per cup

What we mean by a cup

Every cup figure on this page means a standard 8-fluid-ounce dry measuring cup, filled and levelled off... the same cup you would use for flour, not a scoop that came in the bag.

One thing worth saying plainly, because it trips people up: an 8 oz measuring cup does not hold 8 ounces of this food by weight. Freeze-dried food is extremely light. A level 8 oz cup of Nature's Blend weighs about 51 grams, which is roughly 1.8 ounces on a kitchen scale. If you measure by weight instead of volume, you would be feeding about four and a half times too much.

Feeding guidelines

These are Dr. Marty's published daily amounts for Essential Wellness, measured as dry food in level 8 oz cups before you add any water. Split the total across two meals.

A 35 lb dog falls between the rows above, so start at roughly 2¼ cups. Treat every figure here as a starting point rather than a prescription. Two dogs of the same weight can differ by a third in what they actually need depending on age, metabolism and how much they move. Check your dog's body condition after two or three weeks... you should be able to feel ribs under a thin layer of cover without pressing hard, and see a visible waist from above... and adjust up or down from there. Working dogs, dogs living outdoors in winter, and pregnant or nursing females all need more. Ask your veterinarian if you are unsure.

How to rehydrate

Measure the food, add warm water at a two-to-one ratio (one cup of Nature's Blend to half a cup of water), let it stand for three minutes, then mix it through before serving. Always leave fresh drinking water out alongside the meal.

Switching your dog over

Dr. Marty recommends a ten-day transition rather than an overnight swap, which matters more than usual here because 33% fat is a real step up from most dry foods. Replace 25% of your dog's current food for days one through three, 50% for days four through six, 75% for days seven through nine, and serve 100% Nature's Blend from day ten.

Sizes, and how many cups you get

Available in 6 oz, 16 oz, 48 oz and 80 oz bags. The 6 oz bag is the sensible way to find out whether your dog likes it before committing to a large one.

Those counts come from dividing each bag's net weight by the roughly 51 grams a level 8 oz cup holds, which in turn comes from the bag's own 4,990 kcal/kg and 256 kcal per cup. Read against the feeding chart above, a 50 lb dog eating 2¾ cups a day gets about sixteen days out of an 80 oz bag, and a 20 lb dog eating 1½ cups gets about six days out of a 16 oz bag. Freeze-dried pieces settle and break down as a bag is handled, so treat these as close estimates rather than an exact count.

Storage

Seal the bag completely after every use and keep it somewhere cool and dry. Dr. Marty notes that an opened bag keeps for up to three months, with heat and humidity in your house being the main factors that shorten that.

Common questions about Dr. Marty Essential Wellness

Is Dr. Marty Essential Wellness raw?

Yes. It is freeze-dried raw, which means it is never cooked. Handle it the way you would handle raw meat... wash your hands and the bowl after serving, and don't leave a rehydrated portion sitting out.

Is it grain-free?

Yes. There is no corn, wheat, soy or added grain. The carbohydrate comes from sweet potato, fruits, vegetables and seeds.

Can I feed Essential Wellness to a puppy?

No. It is labeled for adult maintenance. In the Nature's Blend line, Healthy Growth is the formula made for puppies, including large-breed puppies.

Is it a good choice for a dog with pancreatitis or on a low-fat diet?

Not without your veterinarian's approval. It is guaranteed at a minimum of 33% fat, which is a rich food by any standard.

How much Dr. Marty should I feed a 50 lb dog?

Dr. Marty's published amount is 2¾ level 8 oz cups of dry food a day, measured before adding water and split into two meals. Adjust after two or three weeks based on your dog's body condition.

How do I prepare it?

Add warm water at a two-to-one ratio... one cup of food to half a cup of water... let it stand for three minutes, then stir and serve.

How long does an 80 oz bag last?

An 80 oz bag holds about 44 level cups. A 50 lb dog eating 2¾ cups a day gets about sixteen days out of it.

Where can I buy Dr. Marty Nature's Blend?

Right here at The Hungry Puppy, a family-owned pet and farm supply store at 1288 Highway 33 in Farmingdale, NJ, serving Monmouth County since 1987. Freeze-dried food ships free nationwide on orders over $75. Locally, choose curbside pickup at our Farmingdale store or delivery on our own truck, Tuesday through Friday, across Monmouth County and parts of Ocean, Middlesex and Mercer counties. Questions? Call 732-938-4470.

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