Is Freeze Dried Or Air Dried Better
But the sublimation process in freeze-drying keeps cell structure intact more effectively than the air-drying process. Finished air-dried products tend to have a more shriveled appearance. Due to higher moisture content, however, an air-dried product can have a higher color saturation than its freeze-dried counterpart.
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:
Freeze Dried Dog Food Benefits
- Best meal option for fussy and picky eaters.
- Delivers the nutrition correctly with overall health improved.
- The raw taste of meat is maintained for enhanced flavor.
- Although processed, the nutritional value is never lost in freeze dried food. Also, low fat freeze dried dog food helps in maintaining weight in adult dogs.
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Risk Of Bacteria And Parasites
The biggest concern with raw cat food is bacterial contamination, with E. Coli, Listeria, and Salmonella being the most common contaminants. Certain meats can also contain parasites and Clostridium.
For example, a recent outbreak of tuberculosis in cats and their owners in the United Kingdom was traced back to a commercial raw cat food diet.
Freeze-drying does help to decrease the number of pathogens in raw food, but many of these pathogens can survive freeze-drying, so no raw diet is truly safe, although commercial diets that have been freeze-dried may have a lower contamination amount than non-processed raw foods.
It is also important to note that even if food producers are frequently testing ingredients for contamination, these foods can easily become contaminated after the testing process.
While cats can get sick from eating raw diets, the biggest risk is posed to family members in the household. Normal cat activities such as grooming, playing, and cheek rubbing could cause humans to come into contact with contaminated saliva, not to mention handling the food, food bowls, and feces, which are likely to be contaminated.
Most Affordable Raw Dog Food
Feeding your pet raw food is bound to be more expensive than kibble, but weve compiled a list of optionsorganized by price, starting with the most affordable and concluding with the most expensive so you can keep an eye on your budget while making the best decision for your dog.
For the raw-curious but deeply budget-minded shopper, keep in mind that you can stretch some of these options as meal toppers or mix-ins to your dogs regular diet.
Instinct specializes in raw food and it has several variations of base proteins available, including beef, cage-free chicken, and grass-fed lamb. These recipes contain 85% meat and organs, which are frozen and cold-pressured to preserve freshness and nutrients. Instinct uses a USDA-recognized pathogen-reduction process called High Pressure Processing to ensure safe raw food.
Available in five protein choices, including rabbit and venison, these raw frozen patties are made with whole-food ingredients including single-source animal proteins and grain-free carbohydrates.
Natures Logic Raw Frozen Patties
Natures Logic frozen chicken patties are a great raw food option, including all whole food ingredients, 90% of which are poultry.
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Are There Other Options For Raw Dog Food
There are several options for raw dog food including frozen, air baked, lightly cooked, and homemade raw food. Each of these options come with pros and cons but the heating/cooking concern associated with dehydrated dog foodthe nutritional losscan also occur with air baked and other forms of cooked food.
Homemade raw food can also be a difficult choice. Either youre serving food that is in its raw form or cooking the ingredients. These purely raw ingredients can be difficult and expensive to access. If youre buying raw meat from the grocery store, you are getting meat thats intended for humans to cook and consume meaning there could be bacteria and other concerns that make this food unsafe for dogs. Additionally, youre relying on yourself, instead of commercially tested dog foods, to provide a balanced diet for your pup.
Frozen raw dog food is a great alternative to freeze-dried food. It maintains the nutritional value by starting frozen and staying frozen throughout the entire process, and offers the closest alternative to a wild dogs natural diet. The main concern with frozen dog food is it requires additional time and effort to thaw before serving .
Can I Feed My Dog Raw Treats
Q: My breeder recommends I give my new puppy small training treats made of freeze-dried raw liver. In the past, you’ve warned that raw diets can be contaminated with bacteria, parasites and other pathogens. Does freeze-drying make raw food safe?
A: No, the opposite is true. Microbiologists and veterinary nutritionists tell us that freeze-drying is one of the best ways to preserve bacteria. Because the technique helps bacteria remain viable and healthy for decades, freeze-dried raw food is just as risky as unprocessed raw food.
Treats and other small pieces of raw meat are even more easily contaminated than large chunks of raw food because their small size provides more surface area to which bacteria can adhere.
In the past year, 17 product lines of pet treats and diets were recalled, sometimes more than once, because of Salmonella and/or Listeria bacterial contamination. Freeze-drying preserves both types of bacteria.
Salmonella and Listeria cause disease in pets and humans, so by giving your pup freeze-dried liver treats, you risk contaminating your hands and then infecting yourself and other people. Over the years, raw dehydrated animal parts such as pigs’ ears and rawhide chews have also triggered bacterial infections in many people.
In dogs and humans, these bacteria cause loss of energy and appetite, fever, vomiting, diarrhea, dehydration, abdominal pain and sometimes death. Puppies and children, seniors and those with compromised immune systems are most susceptible.
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When Kibble Is Your Only Option
After what I’ve learned about the pet industry and kibble dog food, I’m not a fan of kibble. However, we have to be realistic not everyone can feed a home-cooked or raw diet to their dog for a variety of reasons. And those dog parents have to rely on kibble brands for their dog’s nutrition. If this is you, I recommend that you buy the best dog food that you can afford and add fresh food to your dog’s diet.
Here is a short list of foods that I would feed to my dogs if I had to return to feeding kibble. I buy organic for my dogs because of my concern over GMO foods . I prefer fresh and frozen foods to canned due to the amount of sodium in canned foods. And I would soak their food in bone broth.
- broccoli
What Dog Foods Are Killing Dogs
A pet food recall is widening after the Food and Drug Administration announced that more than two dozen dogs died after eating Sportmix brand dry kibble. The statement issued on Monday said that the suspect is aflatoxin, a byproduct of a corn mold Aspergillus flavus, which at high levels can kill pets.
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Veterinary Concerns And Opportunities With Clients Feeding Raw Diets To Their Pets
Dog and cat patients fed raw diets raise some concerns for veterinarians:
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Safety for ourselves and our staff is the same as for our clients. We have to assume that all pets can be carriers of zoonotic microorganisms . Veterinarians and staff must engage in hygienic practices at all times.
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Our responsibility to advise our clients about safety, and potential problems for our patients. As we inform our clients about the risks of feeding RMBDs we need to record our recommendations and advice in the patients medical record.
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Various veterinary associations have issued position statements discouraging the use of RMBDs including the CVMA, AVMA, WSAVA, and AAHA . The CVMA and the BSAVA recommend that veterinarians advise owners who feed RMBDs to ensure that hygiene measures are in place to minimize the risk of the transmission of communicable disease .
As a veterinary specialist, I decide which therapies and pet management approaches I discuss with my clients, and:
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recommend a specific diet
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recommend medication use that is off-label
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advise owners who choose a strategy that I am unenthusiastic about
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refer the client to a colleague or
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disagree with but still support the client and the patient .
And in every case, I record my advice and the owners decision in the pets medical record, a copy of which is provided to the owner. I work with my clients so they have the best information for their decisions about the care of their pets.
How Do You Prepare Freeze
While freeze-dried, raw-coated kibble does not have to be rehydrated and is usually fed like normal dry cat food, many freeze-dried products do require rehydration with water or a pet-safe broth. If using a broth, it is best to check with your veterinarian first, as some broths may contain an unhealthy amount of sodium.
Some freeze-dried products recommend using raw goat or cow milk to rehydrate the food, but that is not advised, as dairy can cause significant gastrointestinal upset in cats, and raw milk also has a high risk of pathogen contamination.
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How Do You Store Freeze
Freeze-dried cat food should be shelf-stable at room temperature. While storage and shelf-life can differ from product to product, most should be refrigerated once opened and should not be left out for more than an hour due to the risk of food poisoning. Remember, when in doubt, throw it out for safety!
Any freeze-dried cat food product should have the expiration date and storage instructions clearly labeled.
What Is A Raw Meat Diet
Raw meat diets generally consist of various muscle meats, organ meats, and sometimes fruits and vegetables. Some diets contain whole bones or ground bone while others do not. They can be homemade from various recipes and are also available commercially from a variety of companies. Commercial raw diets are typically frozen or freeze-dried but some can even look like regular dry food . No matter whether they are homemade or commercial, they all have similar concerns.
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Kibble Leaches Away Our Control
One thing I love about making dog food at home is the ability to control what goes into the food.
- Rodrigo is allergic to chicken, turkey, and guinea hen. He also has digestive issues that require a pancreas supplement .
- Sydney is on a diet and has joint/ligament issues. I’ve modified the amount she can eat, making up the difference with fresh green beans and adding a joint supplement.
- Scout can’t eat chicken and green tripe gives him diarrhea. On green tripe days, he gets 1/4 of a 1-pound chub of tripe mixed with Olewo carrots and his regular raw meal.
- Zoey is on a diet. Like with Sydney, I reduce the amount she eats, making up the difference with fresh green beans.
Although I can make some adjustments with kibble as well, the one thing I can’t control are the allergens in the food. When I fed Rodrigo and Sydney a kibble diet, Rodrigo went to the vet a lot: daily diarrhea, chronic ear infections, regular skin rashes, and more. I tried several high-quality kibbles and we always ended back at square one. Adding freeze-dried meat doesn’t take away these issues.
With a raw food diet, if one of my dogs has a reaction I can quickly identify the culprit because I know each ingredient that was in their food.
Can Dogs Eat Freeze
Most of these freeze-dried dog food products are meant to be rehydrated with water before serving, though the products that come in small cubes can be fed as treats without rehydrating. In general, though, adding water will bulk up the food, making it more filling for your dog, as well as easier to digest.
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Can You Get Salmonella From Freeze Dried Dog Food
Many veterinarians also worry about illness-causing bacteria. Freeze-drying alone, without a prior heating/cooking step, is not an effective way to eliminate microbial pathogens like Salmonella, E. coli and Listeria, says veterinary nutritionist Dr. And the same bacteria can make your dog sick, too.
Freeze Dried And Dehydrated Pet Foods Are Raw
Sara brought up an interesting point that made me think that if we place freeze dried and dehydrated pet foods in the not raw camp, we will probably need to add many premade brands that use high-pressure pasteurization when processing their chicken recipes.
Sara believes that The Honest Kitchen Zeals recipe, for example, is raw, because the only difference between it and a fresh meal is the moisture. By adding water back into the dehydrated formula I feel that it is the same product as feeding a fresh or frozen raw.
Sara Buettner, Dog Nutritionist, The Dog Pawlour
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Instinct By Natures Variety Raw Boost Grain
Rating:
Top 5 Ingredients: 1. Chicken, 2. Chicken Meal, 3. Peas, 4. Chicken Fat, 5. Tapioca
- Life Stage: Adult
- Analysis: Protein 37%, Fat 20.5%, Fiber 4%, Moisture 9%
- Form: Dry Food, Freeze-Dried
This grain-free, raw formula by Instinct is a mix of kibble and real chicken and other amazing ingredients to provide your dog with the best of nutrition.
The recipe is not only delicious for your furry friends but is ideal for growth and maintenance at all life stages.
Whats The Best Way To Feed My Dog Liver
Preparing liver for your dog at home is easier than you may think. But even if youre not quite ready to jump into the cooking and preparation of organ meats, there are still options for adding liver to your dogs diet:
Dog Food Containing Liver Many nutritionally complete wet dog foods sell formulas that contain a healthy dose of beef or chicken liver. Some of our favorites include Purina Beyond Wild Turkey, Liver & Duck Pate, Wellness CORE Turkey, Chicken Liver & Turkey Liver Formula and Natural Balance Liver Formula.
Freeze-Dried Raw Liver More than one reputable dog treat company sells 100% freeze-dried raw liver containing no additives, including Stewart Pro-Treat Beef Liver and PureBites Freeze-Dried Beef Liver. Use them as training treats, stuff them into puzzle toys or sprinkle them on top of your dogs daily meals for tons of flavor and nutritional benefit.
Home-cooked Liver Liver can be cooked on the stovetop or in the oven. Pop it in a pot of boiling water and simmer for about 15 minutes until tender, pan-fry it over low-medium heat, or place it on a baking sheet and cook in the oven for 15-20 minutes at 375 degrees. When preparing liver for your dog, avoid adding butter, oil, salt or any other spices. Once cooked, dice the liver into small pieces.
Home-baked Treats Get more creative with liver by preparing your own healthy dog treats at home. Our Liver Training Treat Recipe below is an easy way to go the extra mile for your pup.
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Toxins From Food Packaging
The main concern here is toxins that might leach from packaging into the food.
BPAs are chemical compounds in food packaging. Theyre known endocrine disruptors, linked to thyroid issues and obesity in pets and people.
One study concluded,
There is a need for further research on HPP effects on mass transfer processes between food, packaging films, and storage environment. The possibility of packaging components and packaging degradation substances formed during high temperature and pressure processing, transferring into foods where they can experience further chemical changes has to be investigated.
But in general, research shows the pressures and hold treatment times used for raw dog foods dont cause any transfer of packaging chemicals into the food.
If you buy HPP foods, ask the manufacturer about their packaging. Make sure they use BPA-free packaging materials. And ask them if theyve tested the food for any leaching of chemicals.
Freeze Dried Salmon For Dogs Coupon Coupon Or Promo Codes
AltuDog: Freeze Dried Salmon Menu – 100% Natural Dog Food AltuDog Freeze-dried SALMON Menu Adult 250G, a complete natural food for adult dogs of all breeds. In this case, the salmon has been lyophilized: this process consists of freezing the product and subsequently dehydrating it until it loses practically all its moisture.
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How Can I Incorporate Freeze Dried Food Into My Dogs Diet
Dog food diets that are made of completely freeze-dried ingredients can be quite costly, may be hard to find, and may not be suitable for all dogs. Our recommendation is to incorporate some freeze-dried nutrition into your dogs diet, while still maintaining the convenience of feeding your dog on their regular schedule.