Warming Up to Frozen Raw Dog Food: 7 Best Benefits of Raw Feeding

Raw nutrition has been gaining popularity lately, and lots of dog lovers today are interested in feeding their dogs a raw diet because of the supposed advantages.

But for others who are not familiar with it, there are many questions: Does a raw diet offer complete and balanced nutrition? Do dogs thrive on it? What benefits does it offer pups? 

Let’s find out.

A raw diet is simply any meal that you give to your pup that has not been cooked. This includes fruits, vegetables, organ meat, meaty bones, and dairy, among others. Proponents of this diet say that it is great for improving skin and coat conditions, increasing energy, and keeping stools small and solid. 

There are many ways you can do raw feeding. There’s the freeze-dried or frozen route, the dehydration process, and also the air-drying procedure. For this article, we’ll put the focus on frozen foods.

Pick	Format	Main protein	Life stage	Buy
Stella & Chewy’s Duck Duck Goose Dinner Patties	Freeze-dried raw	Duck, turkey, goose	All life stages	Check price
Sojos Complete Turkey Recipe	Freeze-dried raw (add water)	Turkey	Adult	Check price
Primal Chicken Formula Nuggets	Freeze-dried raw	Chicken	All life stages	Check price
K9 Natural Lamb Feast	Freeze-dried raw	Lamb	All life stages	Check price
Instinct FreshRaw Beef Recipe	Frozen raw	Beef	Adult	Check price

 

Our Frozen Raw Dog Food Picks

1. Stella & Chewy’s Duck Duck Goose Dinner Patties

Stella & Chewy’s is a premium raw pet food company founded by Marie Moody and based in Oak Creek, Wisconsin (despite the name, it is not part of the retailer Chewy). It’s known for making nutritious recipes that harness natural and wholesome ingredients and none of the unsavory ones, like artificial colors or artificial preservatives.

This particular frozen recipe is designed to provide pups with a taste for poultry the full power of raw nutrition. 

While duck headlines the formula, there are also turkey and goose in it to deliver a protein-packed meal that will not disappoint even the most high-performing of dogs. 

It makes use of the entire animal by including organ meats and ground bone. Fresh vegetables and fruits that are certified organic round up the meal. 

According to purchasers, this product has made a world of difference for their dogs who now have increased energy, smaller and more solid poops, and no more digestive issues. It also helps that the patties smell good, like regular human food.

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2. Sojos Complete Turkey Recipe

Sojos is a company that combines the fresh taste and nourishment of raw with the convenience and affordable option that kibble provides. It uses a proprietary freeze-drying process that makes undone meat safe for dogs to eat without resorting to heat or chemicals.

This freeze-dried recipe keeps it ultra simple by using only one animal protein source — making it perfect for pups with food sensitivities.

Plus, it’s grain-free. There are very few ingredients, and these are made up mostly of vegetables, fruit, and other wholesome ingredients. 

Dog parents like that it is a dry mix so you don’t have to crumble it up to feed. It only needs to be rehydrated with water, and the whole box will make up 5 times its weight. 

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3. Primal Chicken Formula Nuggets 

Primal Pet intends to nourish pets the way nature intended by producing Biologically Appropriate Raw Food (BARF) that mimic how animals would consume in the wild. 

Every product in the brand’s lineup uses only high-quality ingredients, such as antibiotic- and steroid-free USDA proteins and certified organic produce.

This freeze-dried formula contains meat and organs from chicken — its only protein source. There’s also ground bone included as calcium supplementation. 

And to provide complete and balanced nourishment, they also put in organic minerals and unrefined vitamins to keep pups of all life stages healthy and happily active.

Many pet owners gave this freeze-dried product a positive rating for making feeding convenient, especially when traveling. The nuggets are very light yet dense in nutrients, so they make the perfect item on the go. 

Since it is highly digestible, dog poops are much smaller and with little to no smell. The high protein and fat ratio is also enough to give performance dogs a boost on any of their chosen activities. 

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4. K9 Natural Lamb Feast Raw Freeze-Dried Food

K9 Natural prides itself in creating nutritious and clean recipes that are 100% all natural. All of the nutrients come from the food itself and never from synthetic vitamin supplements.

The freeze-dried products it makes are made from free-range meats from New Zealand and the brand’s exclusive concentrate of fruit and veggies as natural sources of vitamins and minerals.

This dog food includes nutrient-dense ingredients like ground bone, organs, brown kelp and New Zealand Green Mussel.

Ground bone provides essential calcium and phosphorus for strong bones and teeth, while organs offer a rich source of vitamins, minerals and amino acids that support overall health.

Brown kelp is packed with iodine and antioxidants, promoting thyroid function and a healthy immune system. New Zealand Green Mussel is a natural source of glucosamine and chondroitin, aiding joint health and mobility.

Each recipe is free from common allergens to make it ideal for even sensitive dogs. There are also fiber-rich veggies included to aid in your pup’s digestion. 

These morsels are all-natural, grain-free and gluten-free, made with whole-food ingredients to provide essential nutrients without synthetic additives.

Many dogs love the taste of this recipe, according to their owners. Bowls are always licked clean when it’s this lamb feast that’s served.

Feeding this one also offers many benefits, such as getting rid of loose stools, keeping weight at an optimum level and increasing energy. 

Each pack comes in resealable packaging, which is a bonus for many fur-rents, because it helps in maintaining its freshness.

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5. Instinct FreshRaw Beef Recipe

Instinct offers your pupper with minimally processed and never cooked formulation for maximum freshness and to keep all the nutrients intact.

Because uncooked food retain all its vitamins and minerals, the result is a nutrient-dense meal that needs no added flavoring to keep it enticing for pups. 

The brand uses only real meat that is responsibly-sourced for its recipes and non-GMO fruits and veggies. There are no grains, corn, wheat, soy, nor artificial flavors or preservatives.

This specific formula is crafted for adult pups. The mixture of muscle meat with organ meat, such as beef, beef liver and beef kidney boosts the protein levels to promote healthy muscle development in your puppy.

Added vitamins and minerals work to make the meal complete. Consumers of this product say that this is much better for their dogs’ health than cooked kibble recipes.

This food contain none of the harmful or unnecessary ingredients that you’d normally find in ordinary kibble. In this way, digestive issues are reduced and a remarkable increase in activity and healthy development are seen in their pups.

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What You Should Look For

If you’ve looked into making a raw diet yourself you probably already know that it’s not always easy to buy the meat and other ingredients in large quantities, store them at home, balance the meals, much less find time to put together meals for your dog.

As an alternative, you can buy raw dog food that is already prepared. Companies that sell raw dog food diets sell it in a range of formats such as dehydrated, freeze-dried, and frozen. You can often find these food products in the freezer section of pet stores today. Some are also available online.

There are some things you can do to make sure you are buying frozen raw food from a good source:

• Check the manufacturer’s website and make sure it makes all food in a sterile facility;
• Make sure the meat comes from a USDA-inspected facility;
• Look for a manufacturer that is transparent about where its food is produced, where it is warehoused, how it is distributed, and where the ingredients are sourced.
• Look for a manufacturer that has good quality control measures and testing procedures for bacteria.
• Look for a company that works with an animal nutritionist to formulate their foods.

Some companies use high pressure processing (HPP) to kill bacteria in raw food. This is a non-thermal process (no cooking) but it does alter the food so some people who feed raw don’t like it. You can read more about it here.

The Benefits of Raw Food

Raw feeders report plenty of benefits for their dogs. Keep in mind that most of these come from owner experience; there are few controlled studies comparing raw and cooked diets, and many vets prefer cooked food because of the bacteria risk. If your dog has a health condition, talk to your vet before switching. 

Here are the many advantages that pooches gain when you feed raw:

1. Maximum Freshness – Uncooked food is superior to cooked ones, like kibble, in terms of freshness. Since there is very minimal processing involved, when you feed raw, your dog gets a meal that is almost as fresh as the day it was harvested and packed.

2. Natural Nutrition – Since raw does not go through a cooking process, the dog food will retain much of the natural nutrition that were present in each of the ingredients in the beginning. Even so, a raw diet still needs to be carefully balanced; most complete raw foods add vitamins and minerals so they meet AAFCO nutrient profiles, and homemade raw diets are often missing nutrients.

3. Healthy Skin and Shiny Coat – Raw meat is full of fatty acids, essential fatty acids, and all the good things that benefit your pup’s skin and coat in their purest form. This diet makes the skin less oily and greasy, leading to a softer and shinier coat.

4. Healthy Teeth – it’s not only sugary dishes that are bad on the teeth. It’s also carb-filled ones. When you feed your dog kibble that’s formulated with carbs and fillers, it can cause a quicker build up of plaque on his teeth.

5. Reduced Stool and Odor – Because an uncooked diet is made up of highly digestible ingredients, more is absorbed by your dog’s body and less needs to come out. Your pup’s digestive system is able to utilize most of the nutrients that it needs, leading to a smaller amount of stool with very little odor.

6. Increased Vitality – Your pup’s energy needs are filled mostly by proteins and fats, instead of by carbohydrates, leading to long-term energy that is able to see them through the most exhaustive of activities.

7. Optimal Weight – There are virtually no fillers in frozen dog food as opposed to cooked kibble. Raw food is often high in fat and calories, though, so measure portions with the feeding guide on the package and adjust to keep your dog at a healthy weight.

The Argument: Pros and Cons

Not everyone likes frozen raw dog food. Dr. Wysong, who sells his own line of dog foods, has attacked frozen raw food products. You can read his argument here in “The Case Against Raw Frozen Pet Foods”.

He argues that frozen raw pet foods are prone to bacteria and their manufacturers have little oversight, among other things.

Dr. Wysong’s argument against frozen raw pet foods has been rebutted by Steve’s Real Food and you can read the company’s thoughtful response on this site.

Anyone interested in feeding frozen should look at these pros and cons of feeding frozen raw. Dr. Wysong makes some good points, though