Dog food comes in different forms. Some come as wet dog food, some dry, dehydrated, and some as freeze-dried dog food. Because of this, it might be hard to keep up with the new trend. It may also be difficult to decide which type of dog food your dog will prefer. Choosing dog food should be done based on the nutritional content of the food and the ingredients they are made of. Freeze-dried dog food is known to retain more of the natural vitamins and minerals contained in the ingredients it is made from when compared to dehydrated or dry foods.
Freeze drying involves the removal of moisture from raw frozen food using vacuum pressure. The raw food undergoes the process of dehydration (removal of moisture) under low temperatures (to freeze it). This helps to maintain quality and increase the shelf life of the food. Freeze-dried dog food is also a part of raw, meat-based foods containing ingredients from food animals that are not cooked. One major difference between freeze-dried food and raw food is that about 98 -99% of the moisture content has been removed while the product still maintains the nutrients whereas raw food still contains moisture.
Freeze drying can also be considered a method of preservation since it removes the water content from the raw product. The addition of any preservative is not necessary during this process because its low moisture content isn’t a hospitable environment for microorganisms.
There are several outstanding freeze-dried dog food brands on the market. Let us look at some of these freeze-dried dog food brands.
Open Farm Freeze-Dried Raw Dog Food
This brand of freeze-dried dog food is a premium product minimally processed with high protein content. It contains 85-95% of meat, organs, and bones and 15% of produce and supplements finely blended to make a tasty meal that will provide your dog the nutrition they need.
The Open Farm brand uses all-natural ingredients with humanely raised protein sources. They make high-quality freeze-dried raw dog food filled with the right blend of protein, vitamins, and minerals to supply your dog with the energy they need to live a happy and healthy life. They offer a variety of about six freeze-dried recipes including chicken, lamb, pork, turkey, beef, and the Surf & Turf, which is a mix of beef and salmon. At the open farm, there is a great variety of choices to cover every taste and need. Their general produce and supplements include organic fruits and vegetables such as blueberries, kale spinach, carrots, and pumpkin, plus other unique natural ingredients like turmeric and coconut oil for multiple health benefits. These recipes have been formulated carefully with no filler materials but it contains high-quality animal proteins and healthy fats. It is also low in carbohydrates making them an appropriate diet for dogs. Open Farm Dog foods is one of the best foods for your dogs. Unfortunately, this brand of dog food possesses an odor some see as unpleasant though so far, no dog has complained. One of their recipes is:
Homestead Turkey Freeze Dried Raw Dog Food.
This recipe is made with humanely raised raw turkey raised without antibiotics or hormones. It contains organic veggies and essential vitamins to support your dog’s growth process. This meal can be served as a complete meal or as a topper.
The ingredients includes: Turkey with ground bone, turkey livers, turkey necks, turkey gizzards, organic carrots, organic blueberries, organic squash, organic sunflower seeds, montmorillonite clay, organic fenugreek seeds, organic spinach, organic kale, organic pumpkin seeds, organic cranberries, organic coconut oil, non-gmo salmon oil, organic chicory root, organic dried kelp, organic apple cider vinegar, vitamin d3 supplement, vitamin e supplement, thiamine mononitrate, folic acid, choline, zinc amino acid chelate, copper amino acid chelate, sodium selenite, turmeric, cinnamon, mixed tocopherols, sea salt.
Nature’s Diet Freeze-Dried Fresh Simply Raw
Another awesome freeze-dried meal is Simply Raw which is made with premium human-grade ingredients. They offer about four recipes of freeze-dried meals including beef, turkey, chicken, and value assorted packs. These products have long shelf lives and have enough health benefits. It is packed with freeze-dried raw meat, organ meat, bone broth, whole egg, vegetables, fruit, nuts, seeds, OMEGA fatty acids, probiotics & prebiotics to provide your dog with strength, improve their good health, enhance their digestive system, and stability.
It does not require refrigeration as it is freeze-dried making it easy to store. These recipes are made for all breeds of adult dogs. It is filled with quality protein to help build your dog’s muscles and body tissues.
One of the recipes of Nature’s diet is the:
Freeze-Dried Fresh Simply Raw Beef.
This beef recipe contains premium ingredients including Beef, beef liver, beef bone broth, whole egg, carrots, sweet potato, pumpkin, banana, cranberries, purple potatoes, broccoli, apple, flax seed, chia seed, coconut, peas, tricalcium phosphate, brewer’s yeast, kelp, cinnamon, spinach, kale, prebiotic/probiotic blend, omega 3 & 6 from fish oil, ginger, basil, parsley, sage, thyme, rosemary, selenium yeast, vitamin a, vitamin d3, biotin, niacin, folic acid, vitamin b12.
Stewart Raw Freeze-Dried Dog Food
Stewart Raw offers over five recipes of Freeze-Dried dog food including beef, chicken, turkey, chicken and wild salmon, and a lamb recipe. These recipes are formulated with wholesome ingredients intended to nourish your dog’s body and promote good health. These foods can be fed to dogs of different breeds since they enjoy it as an easy-to-chew food. Though a bit more expensive than some other freeze-dried dog food, Stewart Raw Naturals are high-quality products with great taste and health benefits. They are gluten and additive-free meals fully packed with protein. One of their freeze-dried meals is the:
Chicken and wild Salmon recipe.
The recipe is made of two premium quality proteins sourced from healthy chicken fused with nutrient-rich salmon for maximum nutritional value. The addition of fruits, vegetables, and essential supplements makes this recipe a complete and balanced diet that will boost the overall wellness of your dog. The ingredients used to formulate this recipe include:
Chicken, ground chicken bone, chicken liver, salmon, broccoli, carrots, cantaloupe, egg, ground flaxseed, inulin, salmon oil, apple cider vinegar, blueberry, cranberry, dried kelp, potassium chloride, sodium chloride, whole ginger, whole parsley, whole garlic, zinc proteinate, iron proteinate, vitamin e supplement, copper proteinate, manganese proteinate, mixed tocopherols (as preservative), vitamin d supplement.
Sojos Complete Raw made Easy
Looking for a simple and easy-to-use freeze-dried dog food, Sojos Complete Raw Made Easy is a good option to try. This premium dog food is made with carefully selected high-grade ingredients including finely blended fruits and veggies to maintain your dog’s health. It is packed with essential vitamins and minerals necessary to improve your dog’s overall wellness. It is made with special flavors that will excite your dog’s taste buds. It is easy to use as you just need to add water to the meal and wait a few minutes, then your meal is ready. All these are made available at an affordable price. One of their recipes is the:
Sojos Complete Dog Food Beef Recipe.
The ingredients contained in this dog meal include:
Beef, sweet potatoes, carrots, whole egg, cabbage, flax seed, cranberries, celery, beef liver, tricalcium phosphate, papaya, pumpkin, rosemary, parsley, ginger root, dried kelp, vitamins, and minerals.
Sojos Complete recipes do not contain genetically engineered ingredients, fillers, preservatives, or anything artificial.
Halo Freeze-Dried Raw Meal Bites
Halo freeze-dried dog foods are high-quality dog food minimally processed to help retain the essential nutrients and flavors contained in the ingredients used in making them. This makes all the food remain healthy as it provides your dog with all the nourishment their body needs to maintain good health and a healthy skin coat. The recipes are meat based containing no produce but are filled with 4 minerals and one vitamin (vitamin C) in each. It is also packed with raw beef and organs. The food is complete and balanced according to AAFCO standards. One of the recipes is the Halo Freeze-Dried Raw Beef Meal Bites. It contains the following ingredients: Beef, beef heart, beef liver, beef lung, beef kidney, beef tripe, herring oil (source of omega 3 fatty acids), mixed tocopherols (preservative), vitamin e supplement, ascorbic acid (source of vitamin c), iron amino acid complex, zinc amino acid complex, manganese amino acid complex, copper amino acid complex.
Conclusion
Freeze-dried dog foods can be considered as foods filled with nutrients that do not need much carefulness about preservation as they have lost about 98% of their water content but still retain all the essential nutrients and vitamins as fresh raw foods will contain. We have talked about some brands that offer premium meals that can help you give your dog the health and happiness they need to live an active life as they also excite their taste buds.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Freeze-Dried Dog Food Healthy for Dogs?
Freeze-dried raw food is packed with goodness. It contains no moisture (unlike frozen raw), so your dog gets their meat in almost its purest form – as long as you pick food made from a quality, fresh ingredients. The added benefit is that vitamins and enzymes that are often lost during the cooking process are preserved. When you rehydrate it, freeze-dried food is very close in nutritional value to fresh raw food.
How Do I Switch To Freeze-Dried Raw Diet?
If you’re switching your dog from traditional dry or canned food, we recommend a quick transition to a raw diet: don’t feed your dog for 12 to 16 hours after their last meal, and then feed the new raw food. There are always exceptions to this rule though. A slower transition to a raw diet is recommended if your pet has difficulty switching between various diets, experiences digestive upset from time to time, is suffering from a degenerative disease, or is a senior dog.
What is Freeze-Dried Food?
Like a magic carpet, freeze-drying makes it possible to whisk our fresh raw recipes into your pet’s bowl with all their original nutrition and taste. Like dehydrated food, freeze-drying removes the moisture, making it much lighter to ship (good for the earth and your wallet) and giving it a longer shelf life. But freeze-drying is superior for two reasons. First, it takes out more water. And secondly, it preserves all the nutrition.