Dog roll vs raw mince: what's the difference?

7 July 20262 min read

Short answer

Most dog roll sold in New Zealand is cooked: a semi-moist roll of meat, usually with fillers such as cereal, plus preservatives so it keeps. Raw mince is uncooked meat, frozen and thawed as you need it. Raw rolls, like ours, sit in between: the roll shape, with raw meat inside.

“Dog roll” is a Kiwi staple, and a term plenty of New Zealanders search for. It’s worth knowing what’s inside one before you compare it with raw food.

What’s in a typical dog roll

A traditional dog roll is made by mixing meat with other ingredients and cooking it in a long casing. Check the label on any roll and you’ll often see:

meat and meat by-products
a cereal or starch, such as semolina
sugar, salt or both
preservatives, so the roll keeps longer

Some rolls don’t need to be refrigerated until they’re opened, which is part of their appeal. Recipes vary a lot between brands, and some newer rolls are grain-free or gently cooked, so the label is the thing to read.

What raw mince is

Raw mince for pets is uncooked meat, minced and frozen. Some minces include bone or organ. Ours come in 10 kg cartons cut into blocks, so you thaw only what you need. Our guide to pet mince versus supermarket mince covers the different kinds.

Raw rolls: the roll shape, raw inside

Our rolls are raw meat in a 1.8 kg roll, frozen, ten rolls to an 18 kg carton, with no fillers or preservatives:

Tripe Rolls: 100% NZ green tripe
Lamb & Heart Rolls: lamb and lamb heart
Chicken & Fish Rolls: chicken and fish

The rolls have had great feedback from customers. Many customers sign up to be told when they’re back in stock, using the form on each product page.

Side by side

	Typical dog roll	Raw mince	Raw rolls
Cooked?	Yes	No	No
Fillers	Often cereal and sugar	None in ours	None in ours
Storage	Often shelf or fridge	Freezer	Freezer
Format	Sliced from the roll	Blocks	Sliced from the roll

Using raw rolls

Thaw one roll at a time in the fridge, then slice off each meal. A 1.8 kg roll is about three and a half days’ food for a 20 kg dog, so rolls suit bigger dogs and multi-dog homes especially well. For a small dog, our minces in blocks are easier to portion.

Lamb & Heart and Chicken & Fish Rolls work as a main part of the bowl, and Tripe Rolls are usually fed as a topper or alongside other proteins. Rotate them with your dog’s other foods, and add some organ, for example with Balance Mix.