Victor Raw Blend Fishermen's Salmon vs Open Farm RawMix Wild Ocean: two fish kibbles with freeze-dried pieces, compared

The short answer

These two foods are closer than their marketing suggests. Both are dry, grain-inclusive, fish-first kibbles with freeze-dried pieces blended in, both are formulated for all life stages, and both earn the same 8.8 out of 10 on KibbleLab, with identical marks across all four scoring verticals. If you are choosing between them, the decision comes down to four concrete differences: Victor is higher in protein and fat (34% and 18% versus 31% and 14%), Victor's AAFCO statement covers large-breed puppies and Open Farm's does not, Victor uses pork fat and peas where Open Farm uses coconut and sunflower oil with no legumes, and Victor is made in its parent company's own Texas plant while Open Farm uses contract manufacturers.

You can see every number side by side on the head-to-head comparison page. This article walks through what those numbers mean for an actual dog.

What each food is

Victor Raw Blend Fishermen's Salmon Recipe is a salmon-and-menhaden kibble with freeze-dried salmon pieces mixed into the bag. It is made by Mid America Pet Food at the company's own facility in Mt. Pleasant, Texas. The first eight ingredients are salmon, menhaden fish meal, pork fat, grain sorghum, peas, blood meal, whole grain millet, and whole grain brown rice, with freeze-dried salmon ninth.

Open Farm RawMix Wild Ocean Ancient Grains is a multi-fish kibble with a freeze-dried raw coating and freeze-dried chunks. Open Farm, based in Toronto, owns no plants and co-packs at audited partner facilities; its dry food is reportedly made in Brainerd, Minnesota. The first eight ingredients are ocean whitefish, menhaden fish meal, barley, brown rice, herring meal, coconut oil, ocean rockfish, and salmon.

Side-by-side comparison

Guaranteed analysis values are the minimums and maximums printed on each label, as fed. Dry-matter figures remove the 10% maximum moisture so the two foods can be compared on the same footing.

Protein, fat, and calories: who each food suits

Victor's 34% protein and 18% fat put it firmly in the performance-kibble range. Open Farm's 31% and 14% are still above average for a dry dog food but noticeably more moderate. On a dry-matter basis the gap is about three and a half points of protein and four and a half points of fat. The calorie difference is smaller than the fat gap implies, 390 versus 380 kcal per cup, because Open Farm has slightly more fiber and carbohydrate filling the same volume.

• Active, working, or hard-keeping dogs: Victor's higher fat gives more energy per bite, which is useful for a dog that burns through calories or struggles to hold weight.
• Average household dogs and easy gainers: Open Farm's lower fat leaves more room for treats and makes portion control a little more forgiving. Neither food is low-calorie, so measure portions for either one. Our feeding guide covers how to work out the right amount.
• Dogs on a fat-restricted plan: neither food is appropriate. At 14% as fed, Open Farm is the lower of the two but is not a low-fat diet.

Which one for a large-breed puppy?

Only one of these carries the AAFCO statement for it.

The AAFCO statement is the clearest dividing line

Both foods are labeled complete and balanced for all life stages, and both substantiate that by formulation rather than by feeding trial. The difference is in the fine print about large dogs. Victor's statement reads "All Life Stages, including growth of large size dogs (70 lb or more as an adult)." Open Farm's reads "All Life Stages except for growth of large size dogs (70 lb or more as an adult)."

That exclusion matters. AAFCO's large-breed growth profile caps calcium and tightens the calcium-to-phosphorus ratio, because large and giant puppies that grow too fast on too much calcium are at higher risk of developmental orthopedic problems. Open Farm guarantees a minimum of 1.2% calcium, and its label does not claim to meet the large-breed growth profile. If your puppy is expected to top 70 pounds as an adult, Victor is the only one of these two that is labeled for them. For adult dogs of any size, and for puppies that will stay under 70 pounds, both statements cover the dog in front of you. Our AAFCO explainer goes into what these statements do and do not guarantee.

Ingredient differences that matter

Fish sources

Victor leans on salmon: whole salmon first, menhaden fish meal second, and freeze-dried salmon ninth. Open Farm spreads its protein across ocean whitefish, menhaden fish meal, herring meal, ocean rockfish, and salmon. Neither is a limited-ingredient food, and both list fish throughout, so neither is a fit for a dog with a suspected fish sensitivity. If your dog has reacted to one specific fish in the past, Victor's narrower species list is easier to reason about, but a label can only tell you what is listed, not what shares a production line. Confirm anything critical with your vet, and see our food sensitivity guide for how a structured food trial works.

Fat source

Victor's third ingredient is pork fat, an animal fat that also supplies the linoleic acid guaranteed on the label (2.6%). Open Farm uses coconut oil and sunflower oil, both plant fats, plus the fat carried in its fish meals. Dogs digest both kinds well. The practical differences are palatability (many dogs find animal fat more appealing) and a protein-sensitivity edge case: a dog on a strict fish-only trial would be getting pork in Victor's recipe, where Open Farm's listed animal ingredients are all fish.

Grains and legumes

Both are grain-inclusive, which is the main structural difference between either of these and a typical grain-free "raw-coated" kibble. Victor uses sorghum, millet, and brown rice. Open Farm uses barley and brown rice. Victor also lists peas fifth; Open Farm's top ten contain no legumes at all. The FDA's investigation into diet-associated dilated cardiomyopathy focused mostly on grain-free diets heavy in peas, lentils, and potatoes, and it did not establish a cause before the agency stopped issuing updates in 2022. Victor is not grain-free, and peas are one ingredient among several carbohydrate sources here, but if your veterinarian has asked you to limit legumes, Open Farm is the one of these two that does so. Our grain-free explainer covers the background.

Functional extras

Victor guarantees glucosamine (400 mg/kg), chondroitin (250 mg/kg), and L-carnitine (100 mg/kg), and lists two probiotic strains along with inulin as a prebiotic. Open Farm guarantees a higher taurine minimum (0.2% versus 0.1%) and adds organic fruits and vegetables, fish bone broth, turmeric, and cinnamon. Whether any of these moves the needle for a healthy dog is hard to say from a label; the quantities of the botanicals are not disclosed, and the joint supplement levels in a kibble are well below what a therapeutic supplement delivers. Treat them as tie-breakers, not reasons to choose.

The freeze-dried pieces

Both bags contain freeze-dried components alongside extruded kibble: Victor adds freeze-dried salmon pieces, and Open Farm coats its kibble in freeze-dried raw and mixes in freeze-dried chunks. Freeze-drying removes moisture without cooking, so the FDA's handling guidance for raw pet food applies to the freeze-dried portion of either bag: wash hands and bowls after handling, and keep the food away from household members in high-risk groups. The kibble itself is cooked during extrusion. Our freeze-dried dog food article explains the format in more detail.

Who makes each food

Mid America Pet Food manufactures Victor in its own plant in Mt. Pleasant, Texas, and lists SQF certification and HACCP procedures among its quality standards. Open Farm owns no manufacturing and partners with facilities in the US, Canada, and Iceland that hold GFSI-recognized food safety certifications; it reports that formulation is led by an in-house team including a board-certified veterinary nutritionist, with third-party test-and-hold verification before release. Open Farm also publishes lot-level ingredient traceability and sources its seafood under Ocean Wise and Seafood Watch guidelines. Both parent companies are accredited members of the Pet Sustainability Coalition.

Neither model is inherently better. In-house manufacturing gives a company direct control over the line; a well-audited co-packer arrangement can deliver the same result with more transparency about sourcing. Open Farm's label was updated in August 2026, so if you are comparing against an older bag, check the product page for the current panel.

The bottom line

Pick Victor Raw Blend Fishermen's Salmon if you have a large-breed puppy, a highly active dog, or a dog that needs more calories per cup, and you have no reason to avoid pork or peas. Pick Open Farm RawMix Wild Ocean if you want a more moderate fat level, a recipe with no legumes and all-fish animal ingredients, or sourcing transparency is a priority for you, and your dog is either an adult or a puppy that will stay under 70 pounds. Both are well-formulated fish kibbles that score the same on KibbleLab; the label details, not the score, should make the call.

Based on each product's published ingredient panel, guaranteed analysis, and AAFCO statement as recorded in KibbleLab's product database on October 8, 2026, plus FDA and AAFCO guidance. Labels change; the product pages carry the current data.

KibbleLab Explains articles are educational, and are not veterinary advice. Before starting an elimination diet, a weight plan, or any major diet change, talk to your veterinarian.