Introducing freeze dried food into your pet’s diet is a great way to provide them nutritious, healthy meals and snacks. If you’re new to this type of food, you probably have some questions. Luckily, we’ve got the answers you need to know on how to feed freeze dried dog food so that your pet stays healthy, happy, and well-fed.

How to begin feeding freeze dried food

You may be wondering, are freeze dried dog treats safe? Yes, they are safe for your pet to consume. The process of freeze drying begins with raw foods, which is what our meat-eating pets were used to eating long before grain-based pet foods became commonplace. All of the moisture is removed from the raw foods yet the nutritional value remains. This makes freeze-dried foods shelf-stable, so they can be stored for long periods of time and stay fresh. They’re convenient, contain high-quality ingredients, and can be easily taken on the go.

To begin incorporating freeze dried foods into your pet’s diet, consider their weight and their typical activity level. You can replace a complete meal of dry or wet food with freeze dried food. To do so, simply replace the amount of cups of food per meal with the corresponding amount of grams of freeze dried food. Make the transition easier for your pet by doing a gradual replacement, starting with one meal per day for several days. From there, you can continue to increase the amount of freeze dried food that they eat. This can take place over a week to 10 days to avoid any digestive issues your pet may experience.  

Your pet’s age is also a factor when feeding and making the switch to freeze dried food. For puppies and kittens, they require more food than a full-grown pet and eat more frequently. You can give them 2-3 times the amount of an adult meal to meet their nutritional and developmental needs.

Keeping an eye on your pet’s health

You know your pet’s habits and become familiar with what’s normal for them, in terms of activity level, output, and appetite. Transitioning to a new diet may be intimidating at first since you don’t want to upset your pet’s routine in any way. However, the benefits of freeze dried foods make them an excellent choice with numerous benefits.

If you’re switching from a diet of mainly dry kibble or wet foods, do a gradual transition to give your pet time to adjust. It's a good idea to just start from freeze dried raw snacks. What’s best for your pet will be determined by their size and how active they are. The best freeze dried dog food for large dogs will not necessarily be the same as the best freeze dried dog food for small dogs, so consider each pet’s specific needs. Keep an eye on their weight gain or potential weight loss, as this can indicate that an adjustment is needed in their meal portions.

Freeze dried foods can become your pet’s main source of nutrition or can be fed in addition to other foods. The key is to find the right one for your pet that meets your standards for quality ingredients. Not only does this type of food benefit your furry friend nutritionally, but it also has a long shelf life, is easy to take on the go, and is an excellent alternative to grain and gluten-heavy diets.