Q: Does It Matter Which Protein I Feed My Dog
A: If youre feeding your dog Vital Essentials products, the protein you choose is mostly a matter of preference for you and your pet. Thankfully, we have a lot to choose from to delight even the pickiest eater! Whether your pup enjoys more traditional proteins like beef or chicken, or you want to try rabbit, duck or salmon, we have something for you and your dog. Shop all of our dog food products here.
Is Freeze Dried Food Healthy For Dogs
Raw Freeze-Dried Dog Food is Still Raw Dog Food. Cooked foods may be safer for immune-compromised individuals. Some dogs digest cooked foods better. That said, freeze-dried dog foods don’t seem as raw as raw-frozen or fresh raw foods, but it’s important to understand that they are, in fact, uncooked.
Should You Freeze Dry Dog Food Pros Cons And Tips
Freeze drying is a fast-growing method of food preservation across the US. The availability of cheaper and more readily available home freeze-drying units means that many people are beginning to start doing this themselves. Of course, this extends beyond just peoples food, and many people are starting to see the benefits of feeding their canine companions freeze-dried foods too.
Freeze-drying dog kibble may not be worth it, as it already has a shelf-life of up to several months. Freeze-drying foods for a dogs consumption may be worth it both financially and for storage, especially if the dog eats a more natural or raw diet.
Freeze-dried food lasts for an extremely long time, as well as retaining taste and texture benefits that other storage solutions dont. But is this a good way to make feeding your pooch that little bit easier? Read on to find out more in our comprehensive guide to how you can make your dogs food last that little bit longer
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Healthy Dog Treats Instructions
Cut all pieces as uniform as possible to allow for even drying.
Note
At the 10 hour mark begin checking for a finished product. Dried liver will have the same consistency of jerky, and is shelf stable.
Natural Dog Treats Ingredients
As you would feed yourself, select only the cleanest food items for pets. Grow, or purchase, organic turmeric root and dehydrate it using a home dehydrator. Plan to grow parsley, not only for personal consumption but also for your pet.
Also, select grass fed or pasture raised meat in place of grain fed.
- 1 pound grass fed beef liver
- 1 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground organic peppercorn
- 2 tablespoons dried organic parsley
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The Pros Of Dehydrated Or Freeze
- Convenience. Both types of foods are easy to feed – you just addwater, and wait. They’re also great for packing in emergency or evacuationkits , or for power outages. And they’re great for travel.
How To Prepare Freeze
Preparing freeze-dried food for your dog is one of the easiest things you can do. Freeze-dried foods are usually part of a raw feeding diet for dogs and consist of raw ingredients like raw meat, and fresh food like vegetables, fruits, unpasteurized milk, and raw eggs.
Preparing freeze-dried dog food is very easy. Just add some warm water to the food and wait for a couple of minutes to rehydrate.In minutes, the food will be ready for your dog to enjoy it.
If you want to find out more about this type of dog food and how to prepare it then keep on reading this article till the end.
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Fresh Is Superior To Overly Processed Kibble
I don’t write this to slam a brand or attack people who feed kibble. Instead, I’m sharing information that I wish I had when I brought home two puppies nearly 7 years ago. I thought I was feeding my dogs the best kibble on the market instead, I was keeping my dogs sick.
We, the humans, are warned repeatedly about eating overly processed foods. We’re being told that fresh is best. However, when it comes to our pets, we’re encouraged to feed them a processed pellet day after day and we wonder why our dogs are sick.
Processed pet foods do not produce the lifetime of health promised by the pet food companies. They do not produce the lifetime of health seen when a properly formulated raw whole food diet is employed. Most degenerative disease processes in pet animals are the direct result of a lifetime being fed cooked and/or processed foods. This includes those so called super premium foods that have their own set of unique nutritional problems. Source: BarfWorld.com
DepositPhoto/happy_lark
Should I Be Worried About The Bacteria From Fresh Meat In Freeze
If you are thinking of feeding freeze dried dog food, its best to reach out to a brand in order to understand how they ensure the safety of their products. At Wellness, the quality and safety of every recipe we craft is paramount in all that we do. That is why every batch of meat that we freeze dry undergoes a special High-Pressure Pasteurization treatment step prior to the freeze-drying process. This innovative safety step adds additional pressure which destroys bacteria whilst maintaining the integrity of the ingredients.
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Which Companies Make Freeze Dried Foods
The same companies that make raw food diets sometimes make freeze dried foods if they have the equipment to do so, but it takes special equipment to freeze dry food. In general, the formulas for freeze dried foods are very similar or identical to the formulas for the raw food diets.
Some of the companies which make freeze dried diets include:
- Addiction
- Steves Real Food for Dogs
- Wysong
Again, when you are selecting a freeze dried product for your dog, make sure that you choose a food that is complete and balanced for your dogs life stage and not a product that is intended to be used as a supplement unless you wish to add other foods to your dogs diet and try to balance it yourself.
Freeze dried foods are often a good alternative for people who like to feed a raw diet. Your dog gets the same nutritional benefits of eating raw without the mess. The foods are nutritionally balanced, easy to handle and store, plus they keep a long time. Freeze dried foods can be a good gateway product if you are thinking of feeding a raw diet.
We Answer Your Questions Around Dog Treats
- What makes Open Farm Dehydrated Dog Treats special?
Treats dont sound healthy, but ours are. Theyre made with 100% ethically raised and antibiotic and growth hormone free meats, or sustainably sourced wild-caught fish. And theyre free from glycerin, grain, corn, wheat or soy. Thats pretty special.
- Are the treats breakable?
Yes! Weve made sure of it. After all, we know theres a fine line between rewarding and spoiling. So, you can quite easily portion the treats as you would wish, or based on your pets preference and size.
- Do you have any single ingredients treats?
Our Cod Skin treats are just cod and a fan favorite. Theyre crunchy. Theyre made with 100% sustainably sourced cod skins from the Pacific Coast. And theyre high in Omega 3 & 6 fatty acids, which improves your dogs skin and coat. Thats a single ingredient with multiple benefits.
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Freeze Dried And Dehydrated Pet Foods Are In The Raw Spectrum
Now that Ive heard differing points of views on freeze dried and dehydrated pet foods, I really dont know if its raw or not, but Im going to quote Lauren Novak and say its in the raw spectrum.
Our dogs eat ground raw meat that is mixed with The Honest Kitchen base mixes . They are on a raw food diet.
Despite if a dog owner feeds a freeze dried or dehydrated blend or base mix, they are still feeding a quality diet to their dogs. This is what we should celebrate not the semantics that can distract our community.
To keep up with the raw feeding series, and bookmark the post and visit weekly, I will hyperlink each letter as I publish each post. Or you can sign up for the Keep the Tail Wagging newsletter and receive updates weekly to your email box and a code to try The Honest Kitchen for FREE.
What’s The Difference Between Raw Dehydrated Freeze Dried And Air Dried Dog Food Anyway
Raw dog foodRaw dog food is fresh food in its natural state, i.e. uncooked and unprocessed. Proponents of this diet believe that dogs thrive by eating what canines ate before they were domesticatedlargely raw meat and no grains. Raw muscle meat forms the foundation of a raw food diet. Added organ meat provides the multi-vitamins, ground bone offers calcium, and fresh vegetables like kale or broccoli provide the veg dogs would have gotten from the stomach of the prey animals they consumed. Raw dog food is frequently frozenjust defrost to feed your dog.
Recommendation:Try Primals Raw Frozen Mixes, made of organic raw meat and incorporating fresh ground bone for calcium and certified organic produce for additional fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Find it at primalpetfoods.com.
Dehydrated raw dog foodRaw food can also be dehydrated. Dehydration involves a slow, gentle process of using warm air to remove water or moisture from raw ingredients to preserve them. It is free of artificial preservatives and still has nutrients and enzymes intact. Dehydrated dog food offers the benefits of a raw diet with none of the defrosting hassle, making it ideal for camping or travelling, as dehydrated food is lighter and more nutrient dense than frozen raw, and does not require refrigeration.
Recommendation:
Recommendation:We love Primal Pet Foods natural, raw freeze-dried formulas, such as the delicious duck, lamb, and rabbit nuggets! Check it out at primalpetfoods.com
Recommendation:
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Kibble Leads To Poor Dental Health
One of the lovely benefits of feeding a raw food diet is the workout our dogs get when they’re dining on raw meaty bones or satisfying their chew drive with recreational bones. These raw bones not only make our dogs happy, they keep the teeth clean by scraping away tartar and flossing the teeth. But that’s not all, this activity also gives the dogs a workout as they tear meat from the bone.
Kibble can’t offer this benefit, even when freeze-dried meat has been added.
I used to believe that kibble cleaned my dog’s teeth because that’s what the vet said however, now I laugh at myself for not thinking this one through. I remember Rodrigo and Sydney eating kibble and it doesn’t stay in a dog’s mouth long enough for any teeth cleaning to happen.
Will Freeze Dried Food Last Forever
While freeze drying can suspend spoilage for years, there is still a very small amount of moisture left in the dog food, so eventually it will go bad. However, most of us are not going to purchase a year’s worth of dog food in advance, so spoilage really shouldn’t become an issue.
If you ever find you’ve kept a package around for a few years, simply give it the sniff test to see if it has turned rancid before you feed it to your pet.
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Ingredient Transparency In Freeze Dried Dog Food
While home preparation of ingredients is a great and healthy option for your pet, it isnt always cost-effective or time-efficient. Nevertheless, you want to feed your pet the healthiest ingredients without having to start your own farm. Thats where freeze dried dog food comes in!
The ingredients in freeze dried dog food make this pet food choice stand out from other choices like kibble. Freeze dried dog food takes whole ingredients and freeze dries them to retain the ingredients natural nutrients! The result? Easy to serve freeze dried dog food with the natural nutrients and whole ingredients of a raw dog food diet.
Another unique thing about freeze dried dog food is the ingredient transparency that comes with some brands like Side by Side. Take a moment to picture the last bowl of dog food you served your pet. Can you point out each ingredient listed in the foods ingredients list? Chances are you likely cant. Because of the foods processing, many dog food brands lack ingredient transparency.
Common Ingredients in Freeze Dried Dog Food
To give you an idea of some of the tasty ingredients youll find in freeze dried dog food, here are various ingredients we use at Side by Side when preparing our freeze dried diets:
- Whole duck with bones
- Dried kelp
- Beets
Each whole food ingredient is carefully chosen to create a nourishing and species-appropriate meal. In the end, your pet enjoys real food in every bite!
What’s Involved In Our Freeze
Our freeze-dried pet foods use the same great formulas that our frozen foods do we simply use a cold freeze-dry process to remove the moisture. That means we can take our formula from frozen to freeze-dried without thawing or cooking it. By freeze-drying, we preserve nutritional quality and consistency, removing only the moisture. We’re essentially putting the food “on hold” for an extended time. Removing moisture from raw pet food deactivates any bacteria or enzymes that would otherwise greatly shorten its shelf life and compromise its nutritional quality.
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Choosing A Freeze Dried Food
When choosing a freeze dried pet food you should look at the ingredient list and consider the same things you would consider when choosing a raw food diet for your dog. Look at the amount of protein, fat, and fiber on the guaranteed analysis. Make sure that the food has an AAFCO statement saying that it is adequate for your dogs life stage. Many raw food companies make products that can be used as supplements they may feature lots of meat or vegetables, but they are not intended to provide complete nutrition. Be sure you are buying a freeze dried product that is for all life stages or for adult maintenance, for example.
When looking at the guaranteed analysis for raw and freeze dried foods you will need to convert the food to a dry matter basis, just as you do for canned food. Heres an example using Northwest Naturals Freeze Dried Lamb Nuggets:
Homemade Raw Dog Food
Home » Guides » Homemade Raw Dog Food
An easy recipe and guidelines for making homemade raw dog food that you can tweak as necessary to what best fits your dog.
For as health conscious as I am about what kind of foods I put in my own body, I have to admit for the better part of six of her seven years, I pretty much fed Ginger the equivalent of fast food to humans.
Sure, it was the good fast food but after awhile, even Chick-Fil-A isnt healthy any more if you know what I mean.
Of course, occasionally I made her homemade pumpkin dog treats but more often than not her food was anything but homemade.
Then one day earlier this year it was like a switch got flipped.
The guy who sold us our water softener system was sitting in our kitchen and as Ulysses looked over models trying to figure out which one made the most sense, the sales guy and I started talking about dog food.
He explained how he starting feeding a raw food diet for his dogs and how their energy levels were through the roof , their coats were shinier than ever and their teeth in great shape.
It made sense.
I completely buy into the same theories from a human perspective, why wouldnt it be the same for dogs?
So, next trip to Petco, I was forking over some serious money for frozen raw dog food patties and giving this whole thing a shot.
The first meal I gave her the homemade raw dog food, she came running back into the kitchen after licking the bowl clean as if she was begging for more.
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