Frozen Raw Dog Food
An Affordable and Tasty Diet!

What Is A Frozen Raw Dog Food Diet?

Raw dog food diets are becoming more popular in the United States. There are a variety of reasons why people choose to feed their dogs raw, including the fact that many raw dog foods have been tested and found to be free of harmful ingredients.

In his 1993 book, Give Your Dog a Bone, Dr. Ian Billinghurst, a veterinarian and nutritionist, outlined the benefits of home made raw food diets for dogs. Diets that consisted of mostly raw, meaty bones, with smaller amounts of organ meat, eggs, vegetables, etc.

Many people who followed his diet-formulation guidelines saw significant and almost immediate improvements in their dogs’ health, and just like that a revolution was underway. It wasn’t long after that when Commercial manufacturers of raw dog food diets started to appear.

This type of diet is not for everyone. Some dogs do better on a raw meat diet, while others need more variety in their meals. If you’re interested in feeding your dog a raw food diet, it’s important to talk with your veterinarian about what’s best for your pet.

What Are The Benefits of Raw Frozen Dog Food

A raw dog food diet has not been cooked or processed. It consists of meat, vegetables, fruits and grains that are naturally raw or uncooked. If you feed your dog grain-free food, it will be free of sugars, starches and yeast.

Because frozen dog food is often made with fresh or raw ingredients then it doesn’t require the preservatives that the majority of the kibble products does have.

Fresh Frozen Dog Food Lasts Longer Than Canned Or Fresh Food

Raw frozen dog food lasts longer than fresh or canned, because the freezing process kills all bacteria and parasites in the meat, thus making the meat safe to eat. It also contains less oxygen. Oxidation (the process of turning one substance into another), requires oxygen. The more time that passes between the time meat is harvested and the time it is sold as a finished product, the more oxidation occurs. In addition, if meat has been frozen before being packaged with additives and preservatives, there will be less oxidation even after it has thawed out.

Balanced For Nutritional Needs of Your Dog

Because your dog will require more than just raw meat in their diet, the best raw frozen dog foods also include bone and organ meats from animals raised on farms that adhere to the guidelines of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA).

The term “raw” means that the food has not been cooked or processed in any way, therefore all of the nutrients, vitamins and minerals have not been destroyed by the cooking or processing which helps to keep your dog healthy. 

Many Brands Of Raw Frozen Dog Food Are Available for Home Delivery

Some dog owners prefer to buy their dogs’ food from stores or pet supply stores. However as we all live very busy lives now there are many brands of frozen raw dog food available online for home delivery. This allows you to feed your dog a diet that is better suited for them without having to purchase it from a specialty pet food store.

How To Start Feeding A Raw Dog Food Diet

When starting your dog on a new diet some people believe that they should be able stomach an immediate switch to raw, since it is the natural diet of your dog. However, it is my belief that when introducing your dog to a new diet you should do it slowly, otherwise if your dog is transitioned onto a new diet too quickly, it could lead to them having a stomach upset. To avoid any issues then the best way is to swap your dogs food over gradually over a 7 – 10 day period. For this a lot of the raw dog food manufacturers have meal toppers that you can add to your dogs existing diet and just keep increasing the amount each day.

It is important to get the portion sizes right as well, because on average a dog should be fed 2-3% of their body weight, (or expected body weight), if they are still puppies.

The portion size of each meal depends on the size and breed of the dog. If the dog is not very active, you would feed them 2% of his body weight in organic dog food.

However, a playful dog which got a lot of exercise would need 3%, because he will burn it off with all the running around that he does.

It might seem strange but a larger dog would need only around 2%, because he has a slower metabolism than a smaller dog that may require as much as 3%.

Fruit and vegetables are not a necessary part of a dogs diet. If you do decide to feed your dog fruit, vegetables, and other things which are not in his diet, you will need to be aware that too much of them can actually harm them.

If you are going to add vegetables to your dog’s frozen raw dog food diet, please ensure that it is chopped up finely. 

These foods are not as easy for the dogs to digest at first.  You may think that vegetables wouldn’t be in your dogs raw diet; however, if they still lived in the wild they would have access to loads of berries and other fruits as well as their prey. 

It is surprising what your dog likes, so even though you wouldn’t immediately think to give them fruit and vegetables, they may surprise you by liking it. 

Let’s face it; they would even eat grass if they were in the wild because that helps their digestive system.  Would it surprise you to discover that they might like nuts contained in many healthy raw dog food recipes? 

Some of the nuts fall on the floor and they eat them up in seconds.  The only difference between the nuts we eat and those the dog would eat is that they are raw.

Frozen Dog Food Safety Tips

There are several important safety tips to follow when feeding your dog food that is frozen.

• Make sure the packaging of the pet food is sealed properly. If you can smell a strong odor coming from the freezer, it’s best to avoid using that brand of frozen pet food.
• Always read the label and follow the directions
• Be sure you always use fresh water for your dog after he has finished eating his meal.
• Never leave your dog unattended with any type of raw meat or poultry in his mouth for more than five minutes at a time. 
• As with our food fresh frozen dog food only has a shelf life of about six months, after that time you should not be using it.