A dog’s nutrition is directly tied to the dog’s health. So it’s vital that you feed only the best dog food or dog treats to improve and maintain your pet’s good health.
And one of those being recommended by many animal care professionals are dehydrated dog foods. But what exactly are these? It is safe for dogs? Will it go rancid or carry pathogens? These are just common questions that will be answered.
Dehydrated foods (also called “raw dehydrated” foods) are actually dry dog foods, though they are not produced the same way as most kibbles.
The moisture in the food is removed using a drying process. The food is lightly cooked as it dries, though not for very long and not at a high temperature.
But this light cooking process is enough to alter the cellular structure of the food (meats, vegetables, fruits). This form of processing can preserve the nutrients in the food better than in foods cooked at high temperatures such as kibble or canned dog foods.
Manufactured by ZiwiPeak, an award-winning pet food manufacturer of 100% natural food, this recipe contains 96% meat, organs, bones, and New Zealand mussels.
The brand is known for its air-dried dog food recipes, which do not need rehydration before feeding. The food contains more moisture than kibble, but it’s completely safe, clean, and easy to handle.
Apart from its clean and meaty quality ingredients, this natural dog food only uses ethically- and sustainably-sourced wild-caught fish and free-range meats. No added hormones, antibiotics, or growth promotants were used in any of them.
What’s more, this air-dried dog food formulation has a high protein content (43%) to provide your pup with all the energy he needs to fuel his daily activities and all the nutrients he needs for proper muscle development and maintenance.
Pros
High protein content
Clean ingredients
Sustainably and ethically-sourced meats and fish
Cons
Has a slight fishy smell
What customers say:
This dog food recipe has a 4.6 stars out of 5 rating from 166 satisfied dog owners. A dog’s natural craving is for meat and a whole-prey formulation takes care of that.
Many buyers have reported that if their dogs were feeling particularly picky, this dog food is something their pets can never say no to. Any dog will love it.
The dehydrated dog food can work as a topper or a full meal. Since this grain-free dog food has a softer and thinner food form than kibble, it’s an ideal meal for pups of all life stages and breeds.
Some customers say, however, that the food has a fishy smell (due to the mackerel), which not all pet parents will like.
The Honest Kitchen is another well-known brand that features human-grade dehydrated dog food. It offers both complete meals and base mixes so you can add your own foods to the diets.
The brand has a wide selection of dog food diets including grain-free and meals with grains. You can also try samples of their foods for a modest price.
This particular dog food recipe combines cage-free chicken with gentle-on-the-tummy oats for a nutrient-rich diet that’s safe and healthy for your pup. The bite-sized clusters of raw pet food are cold-pressed and dehydrated to keep all of the essential nutrients intact.
The minimally-processed ingredients do not include gums, artificial flavors, carrageenan, feed-grade products, fillers, meat meals, or artificial preservatives. There are only clusters of whole foods that you’d recognize from your own kitchen.
Pros
Made for all breed sizes and ages
Human-grade ingredients
Crafted in small batches
Cons
A little bit hard
What customers say:
Many are satisfied with the quality of the dog food and the simple, clean ingredients that make up the diet.
In fact, one person reported that he has been feeding Honest Kitchen to his 9-year old pups, and they look and act great for their age.
Mealtimes are a breeze because even most picky eaters tend to lick their bowls clean. The dog food also smells amazing, which is a big plus for pet parents. You can also clearly see and recognize all the ingredients that go into the dog food.
I and Love You is an American company made up of a team of veterinarians and animal nutrition experts to create some of the best whole nutrition food in the market. Fillers, soy, and corn have no place in any of its dog food recipes.
This raw dehydrated dog food uses cage-free turkey as its first ingredient and follows it up with whole eggs for a protein-rich diet that has a protein content of 32%. In addition to the meat, wholesome veggies like carrots, spinach, and sweet potatoes balance the dog food out.
The minimally processed dietary option is grain-free, gluten-free, and low-glycemic, so it’s the perfect meal for healthy weight management and support for dogs with sensitivities.
Pros
Crafted for dogs of all ages and breeds
Low-glycemic, grain-free, and gluten-free
High protein content (32%)
Cons
Too many veggies in the food
What customers say:
This food for dogs has a combined rating of 4.1 stars out of 23 from 36 reviewers. According to them, the dehydrated raw dog food looks interesting and is a hit with picky eaters.
Not only does the food look healthy, the results can be seen too in their pets’ shiny coats, happy tummies, and healthy skin.
Most dogs who love canned food will also have no trouble transitioning to this type of raw pet food because once water is added, it’s basically the same.
Buyers also commended the price point, which is fair. However, one person mentioned that there is too much veggies in this raw pet food.
Addiction is a dog food brand that is dedicated to changing the lives of pets through a holistic nutrition approach. Not only are the dog food recipes wholesome, but the ingredients are also eco-friendly and sustainable.
This dog food recipe is crafted to be hypoallergenic so that even food sensitive dogs will enjoy. The single animal protein is brushtail possum, which is a novel and rare ingredient in dog food.
The real raw meat is packed with omega-3 fatty acids that, along with coconut oil, is responsible for giving your pup a beautiful coat and healthy skin.
A dog’s natural diet in the wild is raw, which gives them all of the nutrients they need to survive bleak conditions.
This food often makes use of raw nutrition by packing it with superfoods to supply all the natural vitamins, minerals, and essential fatty acids your pooch needs to be healthy.
Pros
Uses a single and novel animal protein
All natural dog food that’s gluten- and soy-free
Each box makes up three times the amount of food as the package weight
Cons
Smelly
What customers say:
35 reviewers gave this unique raw diet dog food formulation an average rating of 4.3 stars out of 5. Many adult dogs with severe food allergies or sensitive stomachs are reported to be doing well on this raw diet. There is less itching and less throwing up.
The dog food provides great value because it makes up about three times the amount of food the package weighs once water has been added in.
A lot of dogs also seem to love the taste and have no problem transitioning to it. However, a buyer has complained that while she has no problem with the dog food quality, the scent is something else entirely.
Sojos is a dog food brand that believes in making raw food easy. It offers raw food diets that combine the shelf-stable and easy prep convenience of kibble with the high nutrition found in raw.
This particular pre-mix recipe makes it easy for dog owners to customize their pups’ meals according to sensitivities or taste preference. The pre-mix is filled with wholesome farm-fresh produce like kelp, cranberries, and ginger root to create a delicious and nutrient-rich feast.
The only thing missing is the meat and water. Adding meat to it (per directions) makes it a complete and balanced meal. Otherwise, it’s perfect as a supplement to your dog’s diet. It is free from gluten, grains, GMO, fillers, and artificial ingredients.
Pros
Uses non-GMO ingredients
Can be used as a supplement or as a complete meal
Makes five times the amount of food compared to weight
Cons
Expensive
What customers say:
230 reviewers combined to give this Sojos recipe an average rating of 4.5 stars out of 5. Dog owners are happy that their pets are thriving on the food—gaining needed weight, getting shiny and thick coats, and scratching less (due to allergies).
Even though it’s a veggie mix, dogs are gulping it down and licking their bowls clean. It’s perfect on its own as a topper or supplement, but when meat is added, it becomes a complete meal. However, even with its many benefits, it is still an expensive option for some.
While it is a little confusing to consumers, retailers often lump dehydrated dog foods and freeze-dried foods together, as Chewy.com does. We place freeze-dried foods with raw frozen foods instead.
Some people confuse dehydrated food with freeze-dried dog food because in both, raw food goes through a drying process to remove all moisture, but they’re not the same. Some dog food brands add to the confusion by labeling freeze-dried food as dehydrated. This usually happens when the freeze-dried dog food needs to be rehydrated again before feeding.
In order to be called dehydrated, the dog food must have 90-95% of its moisture content removed. Freeze-dried dog food will usually have around 98%-99% of their moisture removed. The process that freeze-dried dog food goes through removes more moisture than dehydrating does.
Both have the advantage of having longer shelf life than regular kibble or canned food.
Types of Dehydrated Food Processes
You may have heard dehydrated dog food brands label their foods differently like, “air-dried dog foods,” or “smoked dog foods.” That’s because there are many ways to make dehydrated food. Dog food brands differ in how they craft dehydrated food.
Some use an air-drying process, some use smoke, others prefer wind, and some do it by sun drying (although this takes a long time and is mostly done by small home-based dog food businesses.)
Benefits of Feeding Dehydrated Dog Foods
Why feed your pet dehydrated pet food? What are the advantages? The answer is, plenty.
1. It goes a long way.
With the moisture removed from the dog food, the food doesn’t take up much space. But when you rehydrate, the dog food expands. The Honest Kitchen has a nice page showing you how 10 pounds of their food makes 40 pounds when you rehydrate it.
Dehydrated food does seem expensive when you compare it to kibble but you have to adjust the cost according to how much dog food it will make once it is rehydrated. In many cases you will feed your dog less food when you are feeding a dehydrated dog food.
2. It’s convenient.
Dehydrated food is also easy to carry and store. And it does not require any freezing, refrigerating, or special care before you are ready to use it. Many dehydrated foods only need water mixed in to create a complete and balanced meal. For some, no water is required. Lastly, the long shelf life is a big bonus.
3. It’s healthier.
Because there is very minimal processing involved and no artificial preservatives added in, you can be sure that your pet is eating only a safe, healthy, and delicious meal.
And of course, since most of the nutrients of the dog food is preserved, your dog gets more nutrition per mouthful.
4. Dogs love it.
Who wouldn’t if you’re presented with dog food that smells really good to your doggy senses? Since the dehydrated dog food is minimally processed, the natural scent of the ingredients, especially of the meat, will smell really enticing even to finicky canines.
Wellness Core Raw Boosters
Our Conclusion
Dehydrated raw dog food is one of the best meals you can feed your pup. If you love the nutrition that raw dog food provides but don’t want the messiness or the inconvenience of one, going the dehydrated route is one of your next best options (another healthy alternative is to feed your pet freeze-dried dog food).
Although a common criticism of dehydrated dog food diets—even those with complete meals, but especially pre-mixes—is that when tested by outside sources, they do not always seem to provide a complete and balanced diet. This could be because dog owners do not follow the directions correctly when it comes to mixing the meals.
On their own, most dehydrated foods are nutritionally complete. All the nutritional benefits you’d expect from kibble or canned food, like essential amino acids as well as essential vitamins and minerals, should be present.
The health benefits with a dehydrated food diet is even better because there is less or no cooking process involved, meaning more healthy nutrients remain intact and there are no dangerous chemicals or ingredients added.
Our advice when feeding dehydrated dog food if you want your pup to get the most out of this raw diet: Strictly follow feeding directions. If you are supposed to add any supplements or meat to the meals, make sure that you do. If the directions advise against adding supplements, follow the directions.
If your dog fails to thrive on one of these diets, by all means, change the diet to something that suits him better because each dog is a unique individual with his own specific nutritional needs. The best dehydrated dog food for one may not be the best for another.
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He is a seasoned writer who has more than 10 years of experience in creating engaging and optimized content for various platforms and audiences. He has worked on diverse projects ranging from articles, social media posts, newsletters and ebooks, covering different topics and niches.
