Is Freeze-Dried Dog Food Healthy for Dogs? Everything You Need to Know

Freeze-dried dog food is obtained by going through the freeze-drying process that preserves the raw ingredients, including fresh meat, to deliver safe, lightweight, and shelf-stable food.

This food is absolutely healthy and safe to feed your adult dogs. It might be hard to chew for pups, but still, the food is safe and healthy. Let’s know more about freeze-dried dog food to make sure if you should buy it or not.

*Discloser: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning, I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through one of my links, at no cost to you.

What to Look for in a Freeze-Dried Dog Food?

Besides checking the price tag, there’s a lot more to look for when buying freeze-dried dog food because you have to meet your dog’s body requirements in every possible way. Ingredient lists and nutritional analysis can be made instantly when looking at the food bag, but what’s more important is listed below:

Fat Content

Depending on your dog’s daily activity, fat content is considered. For example, an active dog who regularly follows a walk and running schedule should go for higher fat content because it provides more energy to meet the dog’s energy needs.

Fruits and Vegetables

Going for only meat might not be a good option, especially when you’re transitioning from commercially cooked dry and wet food. In that case, the addition of fruits and vegetables is always helpful as they provide micronutrients and valuable fibers.

Protein Content

Protein quality differs a lot which means they come in high quality and low quality. So, always go for high-quality proteins or food having more protein content, so you can meet the requirements without using probiotics or hormones.

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Price

Since you’ve to buy a lot of food every month or week, it has to be reasonable. Otherwise, you would be spending a lot of money on expensive food when a cheaper one can deliver the same nutrition. Look for a reasonable price in the market and go for a monthly subscription because that gets more discounts.

Quality and Safety

Always look for balanced and complete diet labels while also considering certified stamps by relevant food testing authorities. This way, you would be confident that you’re feeding healthy and safe food.

When looking for these factors in the best freeze-dried dog food, we came across Bixbi, a well-known brand delivering quality food to dog parents for years at a reasonable price.

You can verify all the “look for factors” mentioned above in their provided food with a monthly subscription to get food at discounted prices. Also, they deliver food to your doorstep while keeping your comfort as the priority.

Moreover, they offer a wide range of cat and dog food, including freeze-dried dog food, at affordable prices while maintaining the quality and safety standards to ensure your dog gets safe and healthy food every day.

The company claims to deliver fresh meat that contains other high-protein ingredients as well. Multiple flavors options give you a choice to buy what your dog likes.

Why is Processed Kibble So Bad for Your Dog?

When raw food is processed to give the final product in the form of kibbles, chances are many nutrients are lost during the heat process. So, to add the required nutrients, artificial flavors and by-products are added that are never healthy and cannot provide as nutrients as present in raw food.

However, pets usually go for kibble food because they come in a relatively small size that’s easy to eat. Also, such food is stomach-friendly and quite easy to digest. When compared with freeze-dried food, it has far fewer advantages than dried raw food.

Let’s go through some pros and cons of kibble food, so you can decide if this is the diet you need for your dog or not.

Pros

Cost-Effective Diet
No Deficiency
Available in Wide Colors, Flavors, and Costs
No Preparation Require

Cons

Fewer Nutrients
Carb-heavy
You have to trust the company.
Low-Quality Ingredients Included
By-Products and Fillers are Added

Difference Between Dehydrated and Freeze-Dried Foods

Before choosing the right food for your dog, it’s important to differentiate them first, so you can have a clear picture of each type of food. Once you know the differences, it will be a lot easier to choose the right one. Let’s go through dehydrated and freeze-dried food in detail for a final decision.

Dehydrated Food

It is not fully processed but rather minimally processed food to remove water only while keeping the rich nutrients inside the raw food for dogs of all ages. When raw food, including other all-natural ingredients, is partially processed, which involves dehydrating, so a little moisture is left, it gives dehydrated food. It can be the first step toward a raw diet when shifting from cooked kibbles that are not as healthy as a raw diet.

Pros

Its Lasts for Prolonged Time
Convenient to store because a freezer is not needed.
It delivers better nutrition.
Nutrients are not damaged through the process.
No Starch Needed

Cons

Wrinkled Appearance
The freeze-drying process can be expensive
Hard to chew for pups
More water is needed to rehydrate

Freeze-Dried Food

The process involves completely removing moisture by putting the food in a vacuum chamber and then lowering the temperature until it’s below freezing. As a result, obtained food is freeze-dried food. The process is absolutely healthy as it includes high pressure; chances are most bacteria are killed during the process.

Pros

Food is lightweight and portable
It is extremely shelf-stable
Minimally processed
Contains high-quality ingredients
Good for dogs with poor appetite

Cons

It might be a little expensive
Available in a few stores
You need to check the “balanced and complete” label.

Differences

People often mix these two types of foods and rather consider one, but there are many differences in both types. Have a look at these differences, and you won’t mix them ever again.

Freeze-dried food doesn’t go under heat, but dehydrated food changes entirely after its final form.
Almost all the moisture is removed from the freeze-dried food, but there’s a little moisture left during dehydration.
According to American Institute for Cancer Research, freeze-dried food retains most of its original vitamins, but that’s not the case in dehydration.

Freeze-Dried Foods vs. Totally Raw Foods

It can be a little confusing when freeze-dried food is compared with dehydrated food. But when compared with entirely raw food, everything is clear. Raw food is the initial form of every food, and let’s discover more about raw food in detail.

Raw Food

Raw food includes totally uncooked meat, organs, and bones. It can be cooked at home, and you can also get commercially cooked food. It might be challenging when meeting the AAFCO requirements for a Balanced and Complete diet when feeding raw dog food. Even when ingredients are mixed, they are not processed, which means your dog gets the maximum nutrients for your dog.

Pros

Complete Nutrients
It shows health improvements within a few days.
It doesn’t contain preservatives or artificial products.
It’s the closest to a wild diet.
Fresh and unprocessed food.

Cons

Chewing is hard
Difficult to travel
Takes more space
Safe temperature needed

Differences with Freeze-Dried Food

Let’s go through a few differences, so you can have a clear idea about both types of food, which helps when choosing your dog.

There’s no moisture in freeze-dried food, but that’s not the case in raw food.
There are no other ingredients included in the raw diet, but you can add more in other cases.
Freeze-dried food can be stored for a prolonged time, but raw food can’t.
Freeze-dried food preserves nutritional quality and consistency, but raw food doesn’t go through any process.

Freeze-Dried Dog Food Benefits

Since freeze-dried food is all-natural, there are many benefits that you should know before you make your final decision. These advantages to your dog’s body are enough to settle for this food. Let’s go through each major benefit in detail.

High-Quality Ingredients

Raw is the first ingredient that is further minimally hydrated to get the final product. You can add other quality ingredients as well. There will be no place for by-products or artificial flavors and colors under this food category.

Long Shelf Life

The freezing process always increases the shelf life, which means if you have bought more food because it was sold cheaper, you haven’t made the wrong decision. You can store it for a prolonged time before it gets wasted.

Raw Diet Alternative

When switching to either from kibble to raw diet or from raw diet to kibble, freeze-dried food is always the medium. It’s the best alternative to a raw diet because it contains all the nutrients present in raw food.

Lightweight and Portable

It is lightest in weight when compared with totally raw, kibble, and dehydrated food. It means you can port the food across multiple places, especially on trips. There’s no temperature required to maintain it for its safety.

Easy to Prepare

Freeze-dried is not as easy to prepare as kibble, but since there are many other benefits to it, you can spend a few minutes preparing it. As the process involves removing moisture in the vacuum chamber by lowering the temperature, it might not be more difficult to prepare.

Conclusion

When you look for the best food for your dog, you also consider many benefits for yourself. This way, you and your buddy are happy by getting the best food that delivers everything your dog needs, and at an affordable price, so you don’t have to spend more money. Freeze friend dog food is a choice of many pet parents because of its benefits and surety that no artificial by-product is added. So, you should try it as well if you haven’t tried yet.

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