Freeze-Dried Raw

Yesterday, we learned that Purina dog foods may be the cause of a spike in food-related deaths in pets since January 2024.

More investigation is needed, but please be extremely cautious when feeding your dog Purina dog food brands at this time.

In our previous email, we also looked at dog food alternatives, such as:

1. whole prey raw
2. pre-made raw
3. grain free kibble w/additives

However, one of our email subscribers reminded me that I forgot to mention an interesting rising dog food trend…

Freeze-dried raw

Combining the nutritional benefits of raw food, because the freeze-drying process doesn’t cook out essential natural nutrients, with the convenience of kibble, freeze-dried raw has a real potential to replace highly process kibble.

I haven’t looked into it as much as I eventually will, especially if it becomes a more affordable option, but I have often used freeze-dried raw organ meats as a topper to the grain-free kibble we feed.

One of our American Dirus owners says, “Another really great option is freeze dried raw. It keeps 97% of all fresh vitamins and minerals in it and it is convenient. I have found that this is the only raw food that [my American Dirus dog] can tolerate and he loves it! Simplefoodproject.com is a pretty good one that includes ground bone in a lot of their recipes.”

So, I went to their website to check it out.

simplefoodproject.com

I prefer no peas, so I like the looks of the third option best with chicken and turkey.

Freeze-dried raw is not cheap, so there is that, but nutrition and convenience is definitely represented.

If you don’t like the inconvenience of feeding raw…

If you don’t have the freezer or fridge space for pre-made raw…

If you want to avoid the problems with kibble…

Then, perhaps freeze-dried raw might work for you.

If not your dog’s entire diet, then consider it as a topper to a high-end kibble.

I often use Stewart’s freeze-dried beef liver as a topper to the Taste of the Wild High Prairie kibble we use.

https://www.amazon.com/Gimborn-Stewart-Liver-Freeze-Dried/dp/B0002DGRSY

The dogs LOVE it!

They specifically pick out the beef liver morsels and gobble them up.

NOTE: These are NOT affiliate sponsors… yet… I simply want to share the best options for optimal nutritional health for your dogs.

Your dog’s health starts with a great genetic background, which we work hard to provide, but continued health throughout your dog’s life is up to you.

The absolute worst thing to do for your pet would be to feed a grain-based kibble (wheat and/or corn)  daily without adding any other nutrients.

It would even be better to add table scraps of meat and meat drippings to your dog’s kibble than never supplementing a highly processed grain-based kibble throughout your dog’s life.

But, the very best nutrition you can provide is whole prey raw meat and bones.

Somewhere in between those two things, you’ll find a good balance for you between: nutrition, convenience, and affordability.

One last thing I want you to know.

Yes. Many dogs live fine lives on grain-based kibble diets.

But, do they thrive?

Are their bodies being provided the optimal fuel they need on a daily basis?

Could they live a longer life with fewer trips to the vet on a more species appropriate diet?

I believe we can do much better for our pets than prioritizing convenience and price over nutritional value.

There is a lot of confusion out there on what to feed.

Take a lesson from nature, the model for optimal canine diets.

The closer you come to that ideal, the better for your pet.

Jennifer Stoeckl is the co-founder of the Dire Wolf Project, founder of the DireWolf Guardians American Dirus Dog Training Program, and owner/operator of DireWolf Dogs of Vallecito. She lives in the beautiful inland northwest among the Ponderosa pine forests with her pack of American Dirus dogs.