Freeze-Dried, Dehydrated & Air-Dried
Less processed. More good.
We carry a variety of freeze-dried, dehydrated, and air-dried foods that bridge the gap between raw or home-cooked diets and dry kibble or canned food. While there are differences in the processing methods between freeze-dried, air-dried, and dehydrated foods, they all provide similar benefits in that they are high in nutritious animal proteins while being much less processed.
- Freeze-Dried Raw: Although it can vary a bit by manufacturer, the basic process involves placing frozen meat into a freeze-dryer that applies a vacuum while at extremely cold temperatures. This transforms ice into water vapor, which turns the frozen product into a dry, shelf-stable product without ever thawing out.
- Dehydrated: Made by slowing cooking at a low temperature for a long period of time. This dehydration process removes all of the water from the food.
- Air-Dried: Made in the same way as jerky for humans; typically meat is salted and hung to dry or placed on a specially-designed rack. Over a period of weeks, the water content slowly evaporates from the meat.
They’re shelf-stable.
In their natural state, whole foods and fresh ingredients would spoil. With the water removed they can be stored in their un-opened packaging for an extended period of time without the use of added preservatives. Their light weight makes them especially convenient for travel.
They retain 95% of their natural nutrition.
This means that if they are properly formulated when fresh they don’t need any additional supplementation added to offset the processing. This is in contrast to canned and dry foods that lose 60%-80% of their natural nutrition.
They blend well with other types of diets.
This makes them an easy fresh-food addition. Their enticing smell and taste are also helpful for pets who need some extra enticement.
Brands We Carry
Freeze-Dried Raw
Primal
Made from their raw formulas, this freeze-dried diet comes in a convenient nugget (the equivalent of their raw 1 ounce nugget). Available in both dog (10%-20% vegetables) and cat (5% vegetables) formulas.for dogs with sensitivities to more common meats.
Stella & Chewy’s
Made from their raw formulas, this freeze-dried diet comes in a convenient mini-patty (the equivalent of their raw 1.5 ounce patty) for their dog formulas, and in small nuggets for their cat formulas. This food does contain a wide array of added vitamins and minerals. Approximately 4%-5% vegetables. Learn more about their freeze-drying process on their website.
Vital Essentials
VE starts with fresh, high-quality, raw USDA meats, bones, and whole organs and then runs them through a freeze-drying process that retains all the active nutritional elements and allows the food to be safely and conveniently stored without refrigeration.
K9 Natural
K9 Natural creates a variety of innovative dog and cat foods from free range, grass-fed meat and New Zealand green lipped mussels that provide essential vitamins, minerals, and oils.
Brands We Carry
Dehydrated
The Honest Kitchen
This human-grade dehydrated diet comes in a wide variety of formulas: 8 complete diets for dogs (both with and without grains), 2 for cats, and 3 premixes. This allows for rotating between formulas for variety, or choosing one diet for specific needs. The consistency of the food makes it a good choice if you want to make a gravy to mix into other types of food.
Grandma Lucy’s Pureformance
A low-glycemic freeze-dried diet made in California. Just add warm water & let sit for 5 minutes to rehydrate. Made with chickpeas, it’s one of the few brands of freeze-dried food to offer formulas made with unusual meats like goat and rabbit for dogs with sensitivities to more common meats.
Sojos
Sojos offers both pre-mixes and complete diets. Premixes allow you to customize the diet and provide your choice of fresh protein. Their premixes come in a grain/vegetable mix and a vegetable only option. Complete diets are grain-free and are available in turkey, beef, and lamb. All include supplements like calcium for basic nutritional balance, simply add warm water and let sit for 15 minutes.
Brands We Carry
Air-Dried
Ziwi Peak
A high meat content makes this air-dried food very attractive for even fussy pets. It’s 90% meat, and includes green-lipped mussel in the formula, along with added vitamins and minerals. The bite-size pieces are a texture similar to soft jerky treats (some folk even use this food in their training pouches!).
Real Meat
Real Meat products are sourced from free-range farms without the use of growth hormones, antibiotics, artificial preservatives, or artificial flavorings. All our products are packed in the USA with meats sourced from USA, New Zealand, and Australia.