What's the Difference Between Raw, Dehydrated, Freeze Dried, and Air Dried Dog Food?

Confused by the options? We explain dog food prep styles so you can decide what's best for your pup!

Last Updated:April 17, 2024

Raw dog food

Raw dog food is fresh food in its natural, uncooked, unprocessed state. Proponents believe dogs thrive on what canines ate before domestication—largely raw meat and no grains. Raw muscle meat forms the foundation. Added organ meat provides multivitamins, ground bone provides calcium, and fresh vegetables like kale or broccoli provide the veg from prey stomachs. Raw food is often frozen—just defrost to feed.

Try Primal's Raw Frozen Pronto formulas, made of organic raw meat (chicken, beef, duck, lamb, pork, turkey and sardine) with fresh ground bone for calcium and certified organic produce for fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Find it at primalpetfoods.com

Dehydrated raw dog food

Raw food can also be dehydrated. Dehydration slowly uses warm air to remove water and preserve. It's free of artificial preservatives and keeps nutrients and enzymes intact. Dehydrated food offers raw benefits with no defrosting hassle—ideal for camping or travel, lighter and more nutrient dense than frozen raw, and needs no refrigeration.

We love Amore's MEGA Morsels dehydrated dog food—just serve as is or add water! Recipes come in many proteins, from human-grade chicken, beef and turkey to novel kangaroo, perfect for allergic dogs. Protein is mixed with veggies, salmon or olive oil, kelp and ground bone for a complete meal. Free-range meats are antibiotic-, steroid- and hormone-free, bought directly from personally checked farms. That's amore! amorepetfoods.com

Freeze-Dried raw dog food

Freeze-drying, like dehydration, removes water to preserve food. But while dehydration uses warm air, freeze-drying uses three steps: a freezing phase (lower temperature until liquid turns solid), a primary drying/sublimation phase (reduce pressure to remove water), and a secondary drying/absorption phase (raise temperature to break water bonds). Freeze-drying preserves more nutrition than dehydrating, as proteins, vitamins, and minerals stay intact due to freezing first.

We love Primal Pet Food's natural, raw freeze-dried formulas, like delicious duck, lamb, and rabbit nuggets! Check it out at primalpetfoods.com

Air Dried raw dog food

Air-drying, while similar to dehydration, produces an extremely nutrient-dense food with scoop-and-serve convenience. Air-drying slowly and gently evaporates moisture from raw ingredients, eliminating harmful pathogens while preserving vital nutrients, offering nutrition similar to raw.

Ziwi uses this gentle process to make nutrient-dense, glycerin- and filler-free, limited-ingredient food and snacks—in their own facility, with all meats and fish from New Zealand and no outsourced production! They provide higher organ/meat content, meaning smaller servings and lower cost to feed. Ready-to-feed and shelf-stable at room temperature—no refrigeration or added water. Try their air-dried mackerel and lamb & venison formulas, good for any breed or life stage! Available at ziwipets.com