Novel proteins are animal proteins your dog has eaten rarely — or sometimes never — before. They can be a useful way to add variety to a raw diet and may also be considered when owners are looking for alternatives to commonly fed proteins such as chicken, beef or lamb.
At The Raw Dog Food Co, we have access to a particularly wide range of New Zealand wild and less-common proteins, including possum, hare, goat, venison, rabbit and kangaroo.
This guide explains what novel proteins are, why raw feeders use them, and how to introduce different proteins into your dog's diet.
A novel protein is simply a protein source that is new or relatively unfamiliar to an individual dog.
There isn't one universal list of novel proteins because it depends on what that particular dog has eaten previously.
For example, venison may be completely new to one dog but something another dog has eaten regularly for years.
Commonly used novel or less-common proteins can include:
Novel proteins can give raw feeders more choice when rotating proteins and can be especially useful for dogs whose owners want to move away from commonly fed meats.
Variety is one of the advantages of raw feeding.
Different animal proteins naturally have different nutritional profiles, flavours, fat levels and textures.
Rotating suitable proteins can:
That doesn't mean your dog needs a different protein at every meal. Many dogs do very well with a sensible rotation of proteins over time.
New Zealand wild possum is one of the more unusual proteins available to raw feeders.
Because possum is not commonly found in mainstream commercial dog foods, it may represent a genuinely unfamiliar protein for many dogs.
Our wild possum options provide raw feeders with another way to introduce variety while making use of a New Zealand wild-sourced protein.
Internal link: link the words Wild Possum Raw Dog Food to your Wild Possum product.
Wild hare is another less-common protein that works particularly well within a varied raw diet.
Whole-prey style hare products can provide muscle meat, bone and organs in naturally occurring proportions depending on the product formulation.
Because hare is rarely used in conventional dog food, it can also provide an alternative to everyday proteins.
Internal link: link Wild Hare Raw Dog Food to your Hare product.
Goat is becoming increasingly popular with raw feeders but is still considerably less common than beef, chicken or lamb.
It can provide another useful red-meat option for dogs eating a varied raw diet.
At The Raw Dog Food Co we offer New Zealand wild goat in different formats, making it easy to include goat within a broader protein rotation.
Internal link: link Wild Goat Raw Dog Food to your Goat product.
Venison is well known in New Zealand but is still a less-common protein in many dogs' everyday diets.
It can be used as part of a varied raw feeding plan and provides another red-meat alternative to beef or lamb.
Our New Zealand venison range includes options suitable for owners wanting to introduce more variety into their dog's bowl.
Internal link: link Raw Venison for Dogs to your main Venison product.
Rabbit is another protein that many dogs encounter less frequently than traditional meats.
Depending on the product, rabbit can be fed as part of a balanced rotation alongside other raw proteins.
Because rabbit is relatively uncommon in mainstream dog food, it can be a useful option when owners want to broaden their dog's protein selection.
Internal link: link Raw Rabbit for Dogs to your Rabbit product.
Kangaroo is widely recognised as an alternative protein in pet food and can provide another option for dogs eating a varied diet.
It is particularly useful for owners who want to rotate away from more conventional farmed proteins.
Internal link: link Raw Kangaroo for Dogs to your Kangaroo product.
Not necessarily.
The term novel protein simply means that the protein is new or relatively unfamiliar to the individual dog.
A protein being novel does not automatically mean it is hypoallergenic, and no individual protein can be guaranteed to suit every dog.
If your dog is being investigated for a suspected food allergy or intolerance, an appropriate elimination diet should ideally be planned with veterinary guidance so that ingredients are controlled properly.
That distinction is important and makes this page much more trustworthy than simply claiming unusual meats are “hypoallergenic”.
If your dog already eats raw food comfortably, a new protein can usually be introduced gradually alongside foods they already tolerate well.
Start with a relatively small amount and observe how your dog responds before making it a larger part of their diet.
When introducing something new, avoid changing numerous parts of the diet simultaneously. That makes it easier to understand how your dog responds to the new ingredient.
Not necessarily at every meal.
The goal is not to create as much variety as possible in a single bowl.
Instead, many raw feeders use a sensible rotation across days or weeks, allowing their dogs to receive different protein sources over time.
The overall nutritional balance of the diet remains more important than simply feeding a large number of different meats.
Some of our wild protein products are available in 80:10:10-style blends, generally referring to approximately:
80% meat
10% bone
10% organ
An 80:10:10 approach is popular within prey-model raw feeding, but percentages alone don't automatically make every diet nutritionally complete for every dog.
If you're building your dog's diet yourself, variety and overall nutritional balance still need to be considered.
Link the words 80:10:10 raw feeding to the most relevant existing guide you have on the subject.
If you'd like to introduce something different into your dog's raw feeding rotation, explore our range of wild and less-common proteins including:
Wild Possum Raw Dog Food
Wild Hare Raw Dog Food
Wild Goat Raw Dog Food
Raw Venison for Dogs
Raw Rabbit for Dogs
Raw Kangaroo for Dogs
Make each of those six phrases link to the corresponding product.
If you're just starting out, begin with our Raw Dog Feeding Guide NZ for practical information on quantities, transitioning and everyday raw feeding.
If you already know your dog's ideal weight and want to estimate their daily amount, use our Raw Dog Food Feeding Calculator NZ.
There isn't one best novel protein for every dog. The most appropriate choice depends on what the individual dog has eaten previously, their nutritional needs and how well they tolerate different foods.
Possum may be considered novel for many New Zealand dogs because it is not commonly used in mainstream commercial dog food. However, whether it is genuinely novel depends on the dog's previous diet.
Venison can be a novel protein for a dog that has not eaten it before. Dogs that regularly consume venison-based foods would no longer consider it a novel dietary protein.
Yes. Many raw feeders rotate suitable protein sources over time. The overall balance of the diet is more important than changing proteins simply for the sake of variety.
If a food allergy is suspected, simply choosing an unusual meat isn't the same as conducting a controlled elimination diet. Veterinary guidance is recommended when investigating food allergies.
