Top 10 Best Freeze Dried raw Dog Food

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Top 10 Best Freeze Dried raw Dog Food

Looking for the best freeze-dried dog foods? You have come to the right place. In this blog post, we will be discussing 20 of the best options on the market. Freeze-dried dog food is a great way to keep your pup healthy and happy.

It is a high-quality food that is easy to store and perfect for on-the-go feeding. Keep reading for more information on the best freeze-dried dog foods available in 2022.

  • Grandma Lucy’s Freeze-Dried
  • Sojos Complete Freeze-Dried Raw
  • Bixbi Rawbble Freeze-Dried
  • Instinct Freeze-dried Raw Boost Mixers
  • Orijen Acana Regionals Grasslands
  • Nom Nom Dog Food
  • Woof Chicken Freeze-dried Food
  • Stella and Chewy’s Freeze-Dried Dinner Patties
  • Bravo Homestyle Freeze-Dried
  • Vital Essentials Freeze-Dried Raw Food for Dogs
  • TruDog Freeze-Dried Raw Superfood
  • Pupper Chicken Topper
  • Primal Freeze-Dried Nuggets
  • Open Farm Freeze-Dried Raw Dog Food
  • Nulo Freestyle Freeze-Dried Raw
  • Nature’s Diet Simply Raw Freeze-Dried Dog Food
  • Dr. Marty’s Nature’s Blend
  • The Simple Food Project Beef & Salmon Recipe
  • Merrick Backcountry Raw Infused Dry Dog Food
  • Instinct Raw Boost Whole Grain Dry Dog Food

What is freeze-dried dog food?

  • Freeze-dried dog food has been through a dehydration process. The food is first cooked, then frozen, and then put through a vacuum chamber.
  • This removes the moisture from the food, leaving behind only the nutrients and flavor. Freeze-dried dog food is not cooked again after this process, which means it retains all of its nutrients.

Is the best freeze-dried dog food better than dry kibble?

  • There are a lot of factors to consider when choosing the best food for your dog. Kibble is the most common type of dog food, but there are also many freeze-dried options on the market. So, which is better?
  • There are pros and cons to both kibble and freeze-dried foods. Kibble is usually less expensive and easier to find, but it can be lower in nutrients. Freeze-dried food is more expensive but is often more nutrient-dense.
  • The best food for your dog depends on their individual needs. If you’re looking for a high-quality, nutrient-rich food, freeze-dried may be the better option. However, if you’re on a budget, kibble is a good choice.
  • While the price of freeze-dried dog food may intimidate you at first, be sure to read the instructions. Most freeze-dried dog food lasts much longer than kibble because you don’t have to feed your dog as much of this natural food option.

What are the benefits of freeze-dried dog food?

  • There are many benefits to feeding your dog freeze-dried food. This type of food is easy to store and does not require refrigeration. Freeze-dried food is also lightweight and perfect for taking on the go.
  • Another benefit of freeze-dried dog food is that it is highly nutritious. This is because the food retains all of its nutrients during the dehydration process.

What is the one meat all dogs should avoid?

  • There is one meat that all dogs should avoid, and that is pork. Pork can be difficult to digest and can cause gastrointestinal issues in some dogs.
  • Some good meats for dogs include beef, chicken, lamb, and fish. These meats are all packed with nutrients that your dog needs to stay healthy.

Is freeze-dried dog food good for senior dogs?

Yes, freeze-dried dog food is a great option for senior dogs. This type of food is easy to digest and is packed with nutrients that can help support your senior dog’s health.

How to choose the best freeze-dried dog food?

When choosing the best freeze-dried dog food for your pup, there are a few things to consider, such as:

Freeze-Dried Dog Food Ingredients

As with any type of dog food, you want to choose a freeze-dried option that is made with high-quality ingredients. Avoid foods that contain fillers or artificial ingredients.

Dog’s Age and Health Status

When it comes to senior dogs, you want to choose a food that is easy to digest and packed with nutrients. For puppies or adult dogs, any of the options on this list would be a great choice.

Price

Freeze-dried dog food can be more expensive than other types of kibble. However, you only need to feed your dog a small amount of this food, so it will last longer.

What are the best freeze-dried dog foods?

Now that you know more about freeze-dried dog food, let’s take a look at 20 of the best options on the market. These foods are all high-quality and perfect for keeping your pup healthy and happy.

The 10 Best Freeze-Dried Dog Foods

Vital Essentials Beef Mini Nibs Grain-Free Freeze-Dried Dog Food – Best for Puppies

Vital Essentials Beef Mini Nibs Grain-Free Freeze-Dried Dog Food
Food type: Complete or topper
Flavor: Beef
Volume: 1 pound

Puppies need more protein, amino acids, and fatty acids than their adult canine counterparts. Freeze-dried food has much higher crude protein than kibble and even wet food, and Vital Essentials Beef Mini Nibs Grain-Free Freeze-Dried Dog Food contains herring oil and amino acid complexes that meet a puppy’s needs. The Mini Nibs are also smaller than patties and a lot of other freeze-dried foods, which make them suitable for puppies’ mouths.

Vital Essentials’ primary ingredients are beef, beef heart, beef liver, beef lung, and beef fat, so most of the the food’s protein is high-quality meat protein. It is also grain-free, gluten-free, and is a limited ingredient diet so is suitable for puppies with sensitive stomachs and dogs that are plagued with food sensitivities and allergies.

As with all freeze-dried food, the bag won’t last long if fed as a complete meal: for a large puppy, it will likely only last three or four days. It does last longer as a topper, though, and can also be used as a tasty training treat. The nibs are hard, even when soaked, which means they may not be suitable for smaller puppies, and it is difficult to crumble them over the top of food so you should consider another food if this is your preferred method of feeding.

Pros
  • Small pieces suitable for small mouths
  • Primary ingredients are all beef
  • Grain-free, gluten-free, limited ingredient diet
Cons
  • Bag doesn’t go far
  • Hard nibs are difficult to break up

Nature’s Diet Fresh Beef Simply Raw Freeze-Dried Dog Food – Best Value

Nature’s Diet Fresh Beef Simply Raw Freeze-Dried Dog Food
Food type: Rehydrated food
Flavor: Beef
Volume: 3 pounds

Some freeze-dried food, like Nature’s Diet Fresh Beef Simply Raw Freeze-Dried Dog, is meant to be rehydrated before feeding. This means that you add water according to the manufacturers’ instructions and leave it to rehydrate. In the case of this bag of food, the manufacturer recommends 1.5 parts water to 1 part food and leaving it for ten minutes.

It is inexpensive compared to other freeze-dried foods, by dry weight, and it has primary ingredients of freeze-dried raw beef, freeze-dried raw beef liver, and beef bone broth. It also contains vitamins and minerals, probiotics, and omega 3 & 6, all derived from natural food sources. You can alter the ratio of water to food, but Nature’s Diet’s recommendation leaves a very wet broth-style food.

Getting a decent consistency for a complete meal means that this bag will make around 10 pounds of food: still good value, hence the food’s inclusion as the best freeze-dried dog food for the money, but misleading compared to the company’s guidelines.

Pros
  • Cheap
  • Primary ingredients are beef-based
  • Easy to rehydrate
Cons
  • Manufacturer guidelines give a very wet consistency

Tylee’s Freeze-Dried Meals For Dogs

Tylee’s Freeze-Dried Meals For Dogs
Food type: Complete or topper
Flavor: Chicken & Salmon
Volume: 14 oz

Tylee’s Freeze-Dried Meals For Dogs is a freeze-dried food that can be served as is or rehydrated, and it can be used as a topper or fed as a complete meal solution. It comes in a patty shape and has the primary ingredients of chicken, chicken necks, chicken heart, chicken liver, and salmon. It also contains some fruit and vegetables as well as a host of vitamin and mineral supplements.

The patties are difficult to rehydrate effectively, and the ingredients would benefit from more natural sources of nutrients. Although it’s difficult to know exactly how much is in the food, salt appears high in the ingredient list, so you do have to ensure that your dog is getting enough water, especially considering Tylee’s doesn’t take on water very well with rehydration.

Pros
  • Primary ingredients are chicken and salmon
  • Can be used as topper or complete meal
Cons
  • Difficult to rehydrate effectively
  • Salty and dry

Open Farm Freeze-Dried Dog Food – Best Overall

Food type: Meal or mixer
Flavor: Chicken, lamb, pork, turkey, beef, and Surf & Turf
Volume: 3.5 oz, 13.5 oz, 22 oz

Open Farm Freeze-Dried Dog Food takes the winning run in our selection. The Open Farm brand products are simply superior because they use all-natural ingredients with humanely raised land protein sources and wild-caught fish sources. The recipes are high in quality animal proteins and healthy fats and low in carbohydrates, making them an appropriate diet for dogs. Their product selection is extensive, covering every single need. Their freeze-dried line offers six recipes, including chicken, turkey, pork, lamb, beef, and the Surf & Turf, which is a mix of beef and salmon. You are guaranteed to find one or more products for your dog’s specific needs. Open Farm’s freeze-dried raw recipes are 85% meat protein and bone from animal sources. The remaining 15% comes from the best quality fresh produce and supplements. The recipes include organic fruits and vegetables such as blueberries, spinach, kale, pumpkin, and carrots, plus other unique natural ingredients like coconut oil and turmeric for multiple health benefits. Unfortunately, Open Farm Freeze-Dried Dog Food has a strong smell that can be unpleasant for humans, though dog seem to enjoy it. Products are on the expensive side, but you will be paying for top-quality natural ingredients from a company with ethical and sustainable standards and vision. Your dog will enjoy great health with this species-appropriate top-quality food. You can feed these as a complete meal, but if your wallet does not allow that, even adding them to the current diet as a topper will result in highly improved nutrition.

Pros
  • Species-appropriate diet
  • Humanely-raised protein sources
  • Great variety of products
Cons
  • Strong smell
  • Pricey

Stella & Chewy’s Stella’s Super Beef Meal Mixers Freeze-Dried Raw Dog Food Topper

Stella & Chewy’s Stella’s Super Beef Meal Mixers Freeze-Dried Raw Dog Food Topper
Food type: Topper
Flavor: Beef
Volume: 8 oz

Stella & Chewy’s Stella’s Super Beef Meal Mixers Freeze-Dried Raw Dog Food Topper has the main ingredients of beef, beef liver, and beef kidney. In fact, it is 95% beef and organs, combined with organic fruit and vegetables to deliver the vitamins and minerals that your dog needs daily. The food can be rehydrated or fed as is, and it can be given as a topper or a complete meal.

An 18-ounce bag contains 8 scoops per bag, but feeding recommendations are to give between one and three scoops per day, so a single bag could only last three or four days and Stella & Chewy’s is expensive by dry weight and can be fed without rehydrating, so it doesn’t go far.

Although the Meal Mixers are expensive, they are made with 95% premium beef ingredients, which means that you are getting very good quality food. Note that the high content of beef means that some dogs with sensitive stomachs may struggle to keep it down.

Pros
  • Contains 95% beef
  • Includes organic fruit and vegetables
  • Can be fed as is or rehydrated
Cons
  • Expensive
  • Might be too rich for some dogs

Instinct Freeze Dried Raw Boost Mixers Grain-Free Gut Health Recipe Dog Food Topper

Instinct Freeze Dried Raw Boost Mixers Grain-Free Gut Health Recipe Dog Food Topper
Food type: Topper
Flavor: Chicken
Volume: 5.5 oz

Instinct Freeze Dried Raw Boost Mixers Grain-Free Gut Health Recipe Dog Food Topper is a topper rather than a complete meal. It is designed to be added to the top of kibble and dry biscuits to create a nutritious and tasty meal without having to pay a fortune. Its main ingredients are chicken, chicken liver, and pumpkin seeds. It also contains probiotics to promote good gut health, and the ingredients do not include grain, corn, wheat, soy, or any artificial ingredients.

A food topper like Instinct Freeze Dried topper can liven up dull food so is a good choice of picky eaters. It also offers a wide range of vitamins and minerals, and it does so without you having to pay for whole raw-food meals. A sudden change to a raw diet can have a detrimental effect on the digestive system, too, causing diarrhea or vomiting. A topper allows you to first determine whether this type of diet is a good choice for your dog’s appetite and tastes before committing fully and because it only makes up a portion of each meal, it enables a gradual introduction of the new food type.

This is about average price for freeze-dried food, but it does come in a small bag and although the 5.5-ounce packet says that it contains enough for 20 servings, there is only enough for ten days maximum and more like 4 days for an average-sized dog. Despite that, the quality of the ingredients and the flexibility of the topper food make it our choice as the best overall freeze-dried dog food.

Pros
  • Food topper is added to the top of dry kibble
  • Primary ingredients are chicken and chicken liver
  • No grain, corn, wheat soy, or artificial ingredients
Cons
  • Small bag doesn’t last long

Stella & Chewy’s Chewy’s Chicken Dinner Patties Freeze-Dried Raw Dog Food

Stella & Chewy’s Chewy’s Chicken Dinner Patties Freeze-Dried Raw Dog Food
Food type: Patties
Flavor: Chicken
Volume: 25 oz

Stella & Chewy’s Chewy’s Chicken Dinner Patties Freeze-Dried Raw Dog Food are grain-free and gluten-free, made from 95% cage-free chicken and supplemented with organic fruit and vegetables and vitamin and mineral supplements. The primary ingredients are chicken with ground bone, chicken liver, and chicken gizzard.

The food comes in pattie, or puck, shape, and can be rehydrated, fed as is, or crumbled over food. It can be used as a topper or fed as a complete meal. To rehydrate the pucks, you simply add cold or warm water. A new formula means that, rather than waiting 15 minutes, the food is ready to give straight after rehydration.

However, the same formula change also means that the pucks are harder, difficult to crumble or break up, and not as palatable especially when fed dehydrated. This is a 25-ounce bag and contains approximately 50 patties: it’s bigger than a lot of other freeze-dried food bags, which means that it should last a week in most circumstances.

Pros
  • 95% chicken
  • Contains vitamin and chelated mineral supplements
  • A bag contains approximately 50 patties
Cons
  • Very hard pucks

Nulo Freestyle Duck Recipe With Pears Grain-Free Freeze-Dried Raw Dog Food

Nulo Freestyle Duck Recipe With Pears Grain-Free Freeze-Dried Raw Dog Food
Food type: Complete or topper
Flavor: Duck
Volume: 13 oz

Duck is rich in iron and high in easily-digestible protein, making it a great food for dogs. It is also recommended as a protein source for dogs with allergies. Nulo Freestyle Duck Recipe With Pears Grain-Free Freeze-Dried Raw Dog Food contains 82% duck, which is lower than the 95% meat content of other freeze-dried products.

Its primary ingredients are duck, duck necks, duck heart, duck wings, and duck liver. One of the benefits of a natural diet is that the dog eats more of the components of the animal: in the wild, dogs would get a lot of essential vitamins and minerals from these sections of the meat, but they are lacking in some dry kibble and wet foods.

Additional ingredients include fruit and vegetables for extra nutritional value; vitamin supplements; and probiotics, added to help enhance gut health. Overall, the food is good, although it does tend to be quite dusty: still suitable as a topper for dry kibble, but less so as a complete meal. Also, its 82% meat content is lower than in a lot of other freeze-dried products.

Pros
  • Duck is advised as an alternative to allergenic meats
  • Supplemented with fruit, veg, and vitamin supplements
  • Grain-free and gluten-free
Cons
  • 82% meat could be higher
  • Food can become dusty in the bag

Primal Chicken Formula Nuggets Grain-Free Raw Freeze-Dried Dog Food

Primal Chicken Formula Nuggets Grain-Free Raw Freeze-Dried Dog Food
Food type: Complete or topper
Flavor: Chicken
Volume: 14 oz

Primal Chicken Formula Nuggets Grain-Free Raw Freeze-Dried Dog Food contains 80% chicken with primary ingredients of chicken and chicken livers, as well as fruit and vegetables for added vitamins and minerals. The food is dehydrated chunks that are rehydrated easily, by adding a tablespoon of water, broth, or goat milk for every nugget of food served.

The food does have a strong smell, the nuggets are hard and somewhat difficult to break up, and the feeding recommendations are high, which means that a 14-ounce bag, which rehydrates to produce 3 pounds of food, won’t last long. Although the ingredients appear to be of a good quality, 80% meat content is lower than other brands of similar food.

Pros
  • Primary ingredients are chicken and chicken liver
  • Grain-free and gluten-free
Cons
  • Hard nuggets
  • Only 80% meat

Stella & Chewy’s Stella’s Solutions Skin & Coat Boost Freeze-Dried Dinner Morsels

Stella & Chewy’s Stella’s Solutions Skin & Coat Boost Freeze-Dried Raw Grass-Fed Lamb & Wild-Caught Salmon Dinner Morsels
Food type: Topper
Flavor: Lamb and salmon
Volume: 13 oz

One of the benefits of a raw diet is said to be that it encourages a healthier coat and skin. It is not as heavily processed as dry or even wet food and benefits from the use of natural ingredients. Stella & Chewy’s Stella’s Solutions Skin & Coat Boost Freeze-Dried Raw Grass-Fed Lamb & Wild-Caught Salmon Dinner Morsels take coat and skin care even further.

The omega-3 in the salmon, as well as the linoleic acid found in sunflower oil and other ingredients can improve the general health of your dog’s skin and coat and may help with certain dermatological and coat conditions.  The food’s primary ingredients are lamb, salmon, lamb heart, and lamb liver and the formula is grain-free and gluten-free.

This is another of Stella & Chewy’s foods that has undergone a formula change, and while the morsels used to be soft and easy to break up, they are now more resolute and difficult to crumble.

Pros
  • Grain-free and gluten-free
  • Primary ingredients are lamb and salmon based
  • Formulated to improve skin and coat health
Cons
  • Hard pieces are harder to break up

Orijen Original Grain-Free Freeze-Dried Dog Food & Topper

Orijen Original Grain-Free Freeze-Dried Dog Food & Topper
Food type: Complete & topper
Flavor: Chicken, turkey and fish
Volume: 16 oz

Orijen Original Grain-Free Freeze-Dried Dog Food & Topper comes in freeze-dried patty shape. It contains 90% meat, although this is a mixture of several different meats, and it can be fed as a topper or rehydrated as a complete meal.

The main ingredients are chicken ground with bone, chicken liver, turkey, and whole herring. This combination means that the food offers a good combination of amino acids and vitamins and minerals but, when combined with other ingredients like egg and flounder, it isn’t suitable if you’re looking for food with a single or limited protein sources.

The patties can be rehydrated or crumbled, and they do crumble well, but the bags arrive with a lot of crumbled food and dust at the bottom.

Pros
  • 90% meat content
  • Can be used as complete food or a topper
Cons
  • Food crumbles in the bag
  • Not suitable as a single-protein food

Buyer’s Guide – Choosing the Best Freeze Dried Dog Food

Freeze-dried dog food enables you to feed a raw, natural diet, without having to worry about measuring, weighing, and preparing the food every day. The ingredients are subjected to freezing temperatures, removing up to 99% of the moisture, effectively locking in nutrients and flavor.

The kibble, nibs, or patties can usually be fed dry, crumbled on top of existing food, or rehydrated and fed as a complete meal. It is an expensive option compared to dry kibble and even wet food, but proponents claim that it not only helps ensure a balanced diet but leaves coat and skin healthy and can even remedy depression and anxiety.

Food type

When buying freeze-dried food, you will find a selection of toppers, as well as complete meals, and some foods that are best given as healthy, nutritious treats:

  • Topper – Some complete meals can also be fed as a topper, and some freeze-dried foods are best served as toppers. Toppers are meant to go on top of a complete meal kibble. They are usually used to offer additional nutrients or to convince a picky dog to eat all of its food. Because freeze-dried food is expensive, using it as a topper provides a beneficial way to offer some of the goodness of a natural diet without having to buy multiple bags each week.
  • Treats – If the freeze-dried food comes in a suitable size, it can also be used as a tasty treat. Look for nuggets or nibs because these don’t need breaking up before giving them. Dogs tend to appreciate the real meat and other natural ingredients, and freeze-dried pieces are lower in calories than other commercial treats.
  • Complete Meal – To be considered a complete meal, food must meet all the nutritional requirements of dogs. This means that it has appropriate protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals, without being too high in calories, and even contains trace minerals. Buying a complete meal means that you don’t have to mix the food with other ingredients or other sources, and it will make up the whole meal. The benefit of a complete meal is that it contains everything you need, so you don’t have to buy additional kibble or incorporate supplements to provide a nutritious meal.

To Rehydrate Or Not

  • The freeze-drying process removes up to 99% of moisture from ingredients. This means that the food has a longer shelf life, and it also helps retain more of the nutrients, protein, and vitamins and minerals, in the food. In most cases, the food can be fed as is, without rehydrating, and this can be a good option when using it as a topper on dry or especially wet food. Alternatively, it can be rehydrated.
  • Most manufacturers provide instructions on how best to rehydrate their food, but the general principle is to add water, cold or warm, at a ratio of between 1:1 to 3:1 water to food. Adding water does not increase or decrease nutrients, so your dog is getting the same benefits from the food, but it is more appealing, yields a more substantial amount of food, and gives an improved texture. You can use bone broth or even goat’s milk to rehydrate the food, if preferred.

Primary ingredients

As well as the type of food, there is a wide variety of primary ingredients used in dehydrated foods. The most common primary ingredients are chicken, turkey, beef, and lamb, all of which are suitable for many dogs. Generally, the choice of primary ingredient will come down to whether your dog is sensitive or allergic to any particular meat proteins, and also which of the flavors it prefers.

Is Frozen Or Freeze-Dried Dog Food Better?

Freeze-dried food undergoes dehydration using a blast freezer. Frozen food is simply frozen for storage.

There are some differences between the two types of food:
  • Frozen food needs to be stored in the freezer until it is fed but it does not need to be rehydrated before serving because it retains all the moisture in the original ingredients. It is completely unprocessed and comes in its original form. Your dog might prefer that it be thawed before serving, although this isn’t strictly necessary.
  • Freeze-dried food is placed in a blast freezer. The process removes 99% of the moisture in the ingredients and the food can be compressed into a kibble or patty shape. Once freeze-dried, the food can be stored in a cupboard or other container and does not need to be frozen. This also means that it does not need to be thawed before serving, but because there is virtually no moisture in the food whatsoever, it is usually beneficial to rehydrate the ingredients before serving.

Do You Have To Add Water To Freeze Dried Dog Food?

Some freeze-dried dog foods can be served as they arrive. This is especially true of those that come as chunks, nibs, or small pieces. However, the freeze-drying process does remove almost all moisture, which leaves a dried and potentially unappealing meal. Rehydrating ensures your dog gets some moisture with its food and can give it a more appealing smell and flavor. Most picky dogs will prefer the food rehydrated, although other than moisture, it really doesn’t add any nutritional value to the food. Most manufacturers recommend using cold or warm water, but you can use a bone broth or raw goat’s milk to rehydrate the food.

What Is The Difference Between Freeze Dried And Dehydrated Dog Food?

Although freeze-dried food has been dehydrated, and benefits from being rehydrated before being fed, it is different from dehydrated dog food, which is also available.

  • Manufacturers use hot air to remove moisture from dehydrated food. This process removes approximately 95% of the moisture and the dehydration process does remove some of the essential vitamins and minerals that were present in the original ingredients. Rehydration usually takes about 10 minutes and can still leave a somewhat leathery food.
  • Freeze-dried food uses freezing cold temperatures, rather than high temperatures. It removes 99% of moisture and is a much gentler process that does not remove nutrients and other components in the ingredients. Rehydration times can vary between two and 15 minutes

Final Thoughts

Freeze-dried food is a more convenient alternative to a raw diet and offers greater nutritional benefits compared to dry kibble or wet food. However, it is expensive, and there is an increasingly wide range of freeze-dried foods on the market, making it difficult to be sure that you’re getting the best product for your dog. Hopefully, our reviews above have helped you find the best nutritious food for your dog.

We believe that the high meat content and high-quality ingredients of Open Farm Freeze-Dried Dog Food make it the best overall freeze-dried dog food, while Nature’s Dit Fresh Beef Simply Raw offers the best value for money.

Edward Hollon is an avid dog lover and writer, knowing all there is to know about our furry friends. Edward has been writing for petdii for three years now, wanting to use her knowledge for good and share everything she can with new dog owners. Edward has two dogs herself - a German shepherd called Banjo and a chocolate labrador called Buttons. Edward knows more than anyone how adjusting to new life with a puppy can turn your life upside down, and she wants to ease some of the burdens through her articles.