I’ve been a practicing small-animal veterinarian for a little over a decade, and nutrition conversations make up a larger share of my exam room time than most people expect. Dr. Marty’s dog food comes up fairly often, usually brought up by owners who are frustrated with chronic itching, loose stools, or a dog that’s gone off its food.

They want to know whether the ingredients are genuinely different or just marketed that way. I’ve spent enough time reading labels, reviewing cases, and seeing dogs on this diet to have an opinion worth sharing.

Dr. Marty’s brand is best known for its freeze-dried formulas, especially Nature’s Blend. Ingredient lists vary slightly by recipe, but the overall structure stays consistent, and that consistency is what makes it interesting from a clinical standpoint.

The Protein Base: What Stands Out First

The first thing I always look at is the protein source, because most diet-related problems I see trace back to it. Dr. Marty’s recipes rely heavily on animal proteins such as beef, turkey, salmon, duck, or lamb, depending on the formula. These proteins are typically listed whole, not as meals.

In practice, that matters. A few years ago, I had an older mixed-breed dog come in with persistent muscle loss despite eating well. The owner had rotated through several kibble brands with heavy plant protein content. After switching to a freeze-dried diet with whole meat as the primary ingredient, including Dr. Marty’s, the dog gradually regained condition. I don’t attribute that solely to one brand, but the higher bioavailability of animal protein played a clear role.

Freeze-drying preserves much of the original protein structure without the extreme heat used in kibble manufacturing. From a digestion standpoint, many dogs handle this better, particularly seniors and dogs with borderline pancreatic function.

Organ Meats: Nutrient Density Without Supplements Doing All the Work

Another defining feature is the inclusion of organ meats like beef liver, turkey liver, or heart. Organ meats provide naturally occurring vitamins and minerals—vitamin A, B-complex vitamins, iron, and zinc—that otherwise have to be added synthetically.

I remember a case last spring involving a young working dog with a dull coat and recurring minor infections. Bloodwork didn’t show anything dramatic, but the diet was heavily processed and low in naturally sourced micronutrients. After transitioning to a diet rich in organ meats, including Dr. Marty’s for part of the rotation, coat quality and immune resilience noticeably improved within a couple of months.

That kind of improvement isn’t magic; it’s what happens when nutrition stops fighting the body and starts supporting it.

Fruits and Vegetables: The Supporting Cast

Dr. Marty’s formulas include produce like sweet potatoes, carrots, peas, blueberries, apples, and spinach. These ingredients contribute fiber, antioxidants, and phytonutrients rather than acting as calorie fillers.

I tend to caution owners about overemphasizing vegetables in dog food, but here they’re used in moderation. In my experience, dogs with sensitive digestion tolerate these ingredients well, especially when they’re freeze-dried rather than extruded. I’ve seen fewer complaints of gas or bloating with high-legume kibbles than with high-legume kibbles.

That said, peas are present, which may give pause to owners concerned about diet-associated heart disease. Based on current evidence and what I see clinically, the issue is more about heavy reliance on legumes as protein replacements. In Dr. Marty’s food, peas don’t play that role, which lowers my concern.

Fats and Oils: Energy and Skin Health

Animal fats and salmon oil appear in many of the recipes. These provide essential fatty acids, particularly omega-3s, which I routinely recommend for dogs with joint stiffness or chronic skin irritation.

One client with a middle-aged Labrador experiencing year-round itching saw fewer flare-ups after switching to a diet higher in marine-based fats. We didn’t eliminate medication, but the dosage dropped, and flare-ups became less frequent. Diet wasn’t the only variable, but it was a meaningful one.

What You Won’t Find — and Why That Matters

Equally important is what’s missing. Dr. Marty’s dog food avoids corn, wheat, soy, and artificial preservatives. I’ve treated countless dogs misdiagnosed with “allergies” when the real issue was poor ingredient tolerance. Removing common irritants doesn’t fix every dog, but it removes unnecessary obstacles.

The brand also avoids vague terms like “animal by-products.” As someone who’s had to explain those terms to confused owners more times than I can count, clarity earns points in my book.

Practical Concerns I Discuss With Owners

Despite the quality of the ingredients, I don’t recommend this food without reservation. Freeze-dried diets are calorie-dense, and I’ve seen weight creep happen fast when portions aren’t adjusted. A small terrier I saw last year gained noticeable weight within two months simply because the owner fed it by volume rather than calorie content.

Cost is another factor. Many owners underestimate how quickly freeze-dried food adds up, especially for large breeds. For some, using it as a topper or rotating it with other high-quality foods makes more sense than feeding it exclusively.

My Professional Take

From an ingredient standpoint, Dr. Marty’s dog food is thoughtfully formulated. Whole animal proteins, meaningful organ meat inclusion, moderate produce, and minimal fillers align well with what I’ve seen dogs thrive on over the years. I tend to recommend it most often for dogs with digestive sensitivities, poor appetite, or those transitioning away from highly processed kibble.

It’s not the right choice for every household or every dog, but based on what’s actually inside the bag—and what I’ve observed in real exam rooms—it earns a place among the better options available.