Freeze Dried Dog Treats: Everything you need to know.
Freeze dried treats have gained a ton of popularity over the last few years and for good reason. They are travel friendly, packed with nutrition, and usually aren’t too messy which is a big win for us as pet parents! After all, who really likes reaching their hand into a dirty plastic pouch and digging those oily treats out?
Even though they’ve gotten a lot more popular, there are still a lot of misconceptions out there about freeze dried treats and whether or not you should feed them to your dog.
We actually put together a video on this subject and you can watch it here!
For those of you who would rather read about it, we've got you covered.
Before we dive in, lets talk about freeze drying.
When you freeze dry a food, you’re trying to remove moisture and preserve the food. The food is rapidly frozen at an extremely low temperature, and then any of the existing moisture is removed using a special vacuum.
Most organisms and germs need water to survive, by removing the water from the food we are freeze drying we can ensure that our dogs will be eating something that won’t be harmful to them. If the removal of water doesn’t do it, the freezing process certainly will.
Freeze drying is a very healthy alternative to using preservatives and other chemicals with unknown ingredients. After all, we’re not adding anything to the food when we freeze dry it, we’re simply removing water.
The best part about freeze dried treats is they tend to be very healthy and very pure. In fact, many of the good treats on the market will be a single, raw ingredient. The North Winds Premium Sun Seeker Chicken Breast treats are an example of this. The ONLY ingredient is pure chicken breast. There are no grains, no gluten, and no preservatives.
Even our Ranch Strider Freeze Dried Beef Liver Dog Treats are single ingredient, featuring ONLY the pure beef liver. Once again, no preservatives! The same can be said about our Free Roamer Freeze Dried Lamb Liver which is pure Lamb Liver as well!
Now, before we go further I have to make one thing clear. There are companies out there that are using the freeze dried process on meats that already contain other chemicals and ingredients. As always, it’s extremely important to read and understand the treat label before you buy anything for your pup!
I do highly recommend that you read each label carefully when it comes to freeze dried treats. While the process itself is very healthy and safe, some companies still insist on adding ingredients to the treats that just don't belong.
We have never liked the idea of unnecessarily adding dyes, artificial preservatives or other harmful chemicals to our pet’s food and treats. We’re pet parents too and want the best for our pets and want to make sure they’re happy, healthy, and safe.
The biggest advantage to freeze dried treats is their portability and the amount of nutrition-per-ounce that they provide. They are undeniably one of the most nutrient dense treats you could bring along with you on an adventure, and since all of the water has been removed they weigh very little.
Visualize beef jerky! Bringing the raw meat along with you on a hiking trip would be impractical at best, but when it’s been dehydrated? It’s perfectly packable. The same idea applies here. By removing all of that water weight, you're left with a food source that is a very healthy option for your pet.
