Have you guys ever heard of freeze dried dog food? It seems to be the newest revolution in the dog food world. Here's a fairly simple explanation of what freeze dried dog food is;
Freeze drying is a different process than simply dehydrating. Freeze dried food is (obviously) frozen, then a process removes the moisture from the frozen material. Freezing the food before removing the moisture preserves more vitamins and minerals than a dehydrating process. Heat destroys many nutrients, so from a pet nutrition standpoint, reconstituted freeze dried food is as close to fresh as possible.
Freeze dried dog foods come in both cooked and raw formulas. In this regard, it has got be be the most convenient way of feeding your dog a raw diet. It's obviously not going to be as natural as feeding your own raw diet or even a pre packaged raw diet but it's the next best alternative.
Here are some advantages of the freeze dried diet;
More bioavailable nutrients, amino acids, and enzymes than commercial dry foods
Light weight - excellent for camping trips
Easy to store; takes up less room
Long shelf life
Highly palatable
Not subject to mold and spoilage
Freeze dried foods obviously have more nutrients intact than other kibbles because of nutrients being destroyed during processing but when it comes to a raw diet this is a much more convenient/clean alternative with those raw nutrients still intact;
If you are considering transitioning your dog to a raw food diet, freeze dried foods are a good place to start. They are nutritionally complete and easy to add in incremental amounts. The foods come with feeding instructions, so there is no guesswork involved.
Busy schedules and limited space are often cause dog owners to opt for the convenience of bagged, commercial foods. Freeze dried foods require little preparation and require no space in your refrigerator or freezer.
A true BARF diet - raw meat and bones - is simply beyond the scope of daily dog feeding for many people. Freeze dried products that contain ground raw muscle meat, organ meats, and ground bones provide a similar nutritional profile without the mess. Freeze dried foods mimic the healthy diet of your dog's wild ancestors, and it fits neatly into your kitchen cabinet.
*In my opinion this is a great concept! To me it sounds better than most traditional kibble diets because it still contains nutrients that are lost during the traditional dehydration process carried out with regular kibble, although the ingredients of the particular formula must be evaluated first. It also sounds like a very reasonable alternative to a raw diet because it is not cooked and not traditionally dehydrated. It is a very futuristic approach to dog heath and sounds very interesting. I still continue to feed all raw I prepare myself but this is defiantly something to look into for those of you who don't or won't.
Word Of Wisdom: Always add some water to the food because although this process doesn't the traditional dehydration process it still removes most moisture which is essential for dogs.
Here are some freeze dried dog food and dog treat brands (both cooked and raw) and their websites;
RAW
Steve's Real Food For Pets- Frozen & Freeze-dried Raw Pet Food Diets
Search Results | Nature's Variety
Stella & Chewy's - Dinners
Fresh from the Farm Freeze Dried Dog Food
Kruncheros Freeze Dried Raw Dog Food
COOKED
Millers Products Page
Online Store - animalfood.com
Beefeaters Freeze-Dried Liver Treats - Treats & Biscuits - Dog - PetSmart
My local natural pet store has maybe one or two brands of these types of foods but it looks like this could possibly be the new pet food craze lol
Let me know what you guys think!
Freeze Dried Dog Food!
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