Get Joy vs Dr. Marty's: Which Freeze-Dried Raw Is Better for Your Dog's Gut?

Updated: July 2026 · Reviewed against verified competitor data and Get Joy product facts · See our vet & nutrition experts

Both Get Joy and Dr. Marty's are a genuine step up from standard kibble, so the honest question is not which brand is better in the abstract. It is what the food actually does for your dog once it is in the bowl, and which approach fits your household. If your priority is a simple single-protein recipe and gut function, Get Joy is likely the better fit; if you specifically want a familiar, vet-founded, multi-protein blend, Dr. Marty's is worth a look.

Here is what most raw comparisons miss. The question is not just how many proteins are in the bag or how familiar the brand is from TV. It is what the food actually does for your dog once it is in the bowl. That is where Get Joy takes a different path: we start with the gut, because gut health is whole-body health, and we build our Belly Biotics blend of prebiotics, probiotics, and postbiotics directly into every meal. Raw is the format. Gut function is the outcome.

What is the main difference between Get Joy and Dr. Marty's?

The main difference is that Get Joy is a single-protein meal built around gut function, while Dr. Marty's is a multi-protein blend built around a vet-founded brand story. Dr. Marty's Nature's Blend combines several proteins in one recipe, adds pea protein, sweet potato, and a wide produce list, and is often marketed as a mixer or topper through direct-response advertising. Get Joy focuses on what happens after your dog eats: better digestion, immune support, and a cleaner bowl, powered by biotics built into the food.

Both brands make freeze-dried raw, so the fairest head-to-head is Get Joy Freeze Dried Raw versus Dr. Marty's Nature's Blend. Get Joy pairs a single protein (Beef or Chicken) with a published gut system at 3 billion CFU per pound. Dr. Marty's pairs a multi-protein blend with a broader ingredient list but no comparable published CFU count. That contrast, simple and functional versus broad and blended, is the heart of Get Joy vs Dr. Marty's.

Get Joy vs Dr. Marty's at a glance

Here is the head-to-head on the factors dog parents ask about most.

Which is better for your dog's gut health?

Get Joy is the clear choice for gut health because it builds a live pre-, pro-, and postbiotic system into every meal at a published potency. Our Belly Biotics blend delivers 3 billion CFU per pound across five probiotic strains (Bacillus coagulans, Lactobacillus acidophilus, L. casei, L. reuteri, and Bifidobacterium animalis), plus inulin as a prebiotic and yeast culture as a postbiotic. This is not a sprinkle-on afterthought. It is a structural part of the recipe.

Why does this matter so much? Gut health drives far more than digestion. A balanced microbiome supports immune function, skin and coat, steady energy, and a healthy inflammatory response, a link well documented in the veterinary literature on the canine gut microbiome and metabolome. Dr. Marty's mentions added probiotics and prebiotics on some lines, which is a fair point, but it does not publish a comparable CFU count, so it is hard to know the actual potency. Get Joy publishes its numbers and does the gut-support job in the same scoop. If you want the science first, start with Gut Health 101 and our guide to pre, pro, and postbiotics.

Single protein vs multi-protein: which is better for sensitive dogs?

For dogs with sensitivities, a single-protein recipe is usually the safer starting point, and that is exactly how Get Joy is built. Each Get Joy recipe features one clearly identified protein, Beef or Chicken, which makes it far easier to pinpoint what agrees with your dog and what does not. Dr. Marty's Nature's Blend combines several proteins in one recipe, for example turkey, beef, salmon, and duck, which is variety some dogs enjoy but also more potential triggers to sort through if a sensitivity shows up.

Get Joy also skips pea protein and pea flour, which Dr. Marty's includes. Pea protein is an inexpensive way to boost protein percentages on a label, but many dog parents prefer to keep the protein coming from named animal sources. With Get Joy, the protein is animal-first and single-source, paired with the built-in gut system that helps support digestion for sensitive dogs. As always, transition gradually and check with your vet for your dog's individual needs.

Which has better ingredients?

Both brands use real, freeze-dried ingredients, but Get Joy pairs a cleaner single-protein base with functional gut support. Our Freeze Dried Raw uses USDA-sourced beef or chicken with organ meat, plus purpose-chosen whole foods and the ancient grain sorghum, which is gluten-free and low glycemic. We hold the Omega-6 to Omega-3 ratio at no more than 3:1 for anti-inflammatory support, source 100% from the USA, and include no seed oils, fillers, byproducts, pea protein, or artificial anything. Every recipe is single-protein, non-GMO, and gluten-free.

Dr. Marty's Nature's Blend uses a multi-protein mix with sweet potato and a wide produce list, plus pea protein and pea flour. It is a real freeze-dried raw food with a recognizable following. The difference is focus: Dr. Marty's leans into a long, varied ingredient list, while Get Joy keeps the recipe simple and layers a functional gut system on top of a clean base. Get Joy also reaches 99% starch digestibility (95%+ gelatinization, versus most competitors under 80% gelatinized) and up to 97% nutrient retention, for high bioavailability and a smaller, firmer stool.

Is Get Joy safer than Dr. Marty's?

Both brands take safety seriously, and both do meaningful testing, but they get there in very different ways, and Get Joy's method protects nutrients and probiotics better. Dr. Marty's relies on high-pressure processing, or HPP, in an FDA-audited, BRC-certified facility with per-lot pathogen testing. That per-lot testing is a genuine strength worth crediting. HPP itself, though, is a harsh step that can degrade delicate nutrients and reduce live probiotics.

Get Joy uses Competitive Inhibition instead. This is an FDA-approved, natural kill step where beneficial probiotics claim the space and resources that harmful bacteria like Salmonella, E. coli, and Listeria would need to survive. Picture a dog park where all the good dogs already took the best spots, so the troublemakers have nowhere to go. Because we do not lean on HPP, high heat, irradiation, microwave, or acidifiers, and we keep our max product temperature at 125°F, we preserve the nutrients, texture, and 3 billion CFU per pound of probiotics that make freeze-drying worth doing. Get Joy is also made in the USA in an SQF-certified facility and third-party tested.

Which has more published probiotics?

Get Joy has more published probiotics, by a clear margin, because it actually publishes the number. Get Joy builds Belly Biotics into every meal at 3 billion CFU per pound across five named strains, plus a prebiotic and a postbiotic. Dr. Marty's mentions added probiotics or prebiotics on some lines, but it does not publish a comparable CFU count, so there is no verified figure to compare against Get Joy's.

Transparency is the point here. When gut support is a reason you are buying freeze-dried raw, a published potency you can verify beats a claim you cannot measure. Get Joy pairs that published number with a full pre-, pro-, and postbiotic system, so you know exactly what is going into the bowl and why. This transparency is a big part of why dog parents weigh Get Joy vs Dr. Marty's in Get Joy's favor for gut health.

The final verdict: Get Joy or Dr. Marty's?

Get Joy is the best choice for dog parents who want a simple single-protein meal with a published, high-potency gut-health system and clear per-day value. Dr. Marty's is worth considering if a familiar, vet-founded, multi-protein blend appeals to you. This is the core of Get Joy vs Dr. Marty's: simple and functional, or broad and blended.

Frequently asked questions

Is Get Joy better than Dr. Marty's?

For dog parents who want a simple single-protein recipe and a published gut-health system, Get Joy has an edge because it builds Belly Biotics into every meal at 3 billion CFU per pound and uses a natural kill step instead of HPP. Dr. Marty's is worth a look if you prefer a familiar, vet-founded, multi-protein blend.

Does Dr. Marty's have probiotics in the food?

Dr. Marty's mentions added probiotics or prebiotics on some lines, but it does not publish a comparable CFU count. Get Joy publishes 3 billion CFU per pound across five strains, built into every meal.

Does Get Joy use HPP?

No. Get Joy uses Competitive Inhibition, an FDA-approved natural kill step, instead of high-pressure processing, high heat, irradiation, microwave, or acidifiers. This keeps nutrients, texture, and probiotics intact. Dr. Marty's uses HPP.

Which is better for a dog with a sensitive stomach?

Get Joy keeps each recipe single-protein, skips pea protein, and adds a built-in gut system of prebiotics, probiotics, and postbiotics, which can help support digestion and a cleaner, firmer stool. Dr. Marty's blends multiple proteins in one recipe. Always transition gradually and check with your vet.

Can I use Get Joy as a topper?

Yes. Get Joy Freeze Dried Raw works as a complete meal, a topper over your dog's current food, or a training reward. Even a small daily scoop adds real raw nutrition and gut support.

Competitor details (multi-protein blend, pea protein, HPP use, per-lot testing, probiotic positioning) are drawn from Dr. Marty's own website and public retailer listings as of July 2026; prices and specs can change, so confirm current details on each brand's site at publish. Get Joy figures are from getjoyfood.com and internal product documentation. This article is for education and is not veterinary advice; consult your vet for your dog's individual needs.