# Dehydrated food?



## Spoobark (Jul 17, 2013)

Does anyone use a dehydrated or freeze-dried food as their everyday food? I see see a lot of people use it for travel or as a topper but what are some thoughts as a replacement for kibble? I'm looking specifically at Honest Kitchen and Grandma Lucy's.


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## Suddenly (Aug 8, 2013)

We use Stella and Chewys as a topper only. We also use Fromm kibble, tripe, evangers can, cottages cheese.


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## Spoobark (Jul 17, 2013)

Suddenly, How is Brandon doing on fromms? Has he always been on it or just since you brought him home?


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## Suddenly (Aug 8, 2013)

Spoobark Brandon was not on Fromm but was recommended to me. He is doing great with it. We also crumble 1 Stella and Chewy On top also with 2 tbs of cottage cheese or 2 tbs of plain Greek yogurt plus 2 tbs of tripe plus 2 tbs of evangers. If you want feel free to pm me and we can talk on the phone if you want. Here is a picture of my boy.









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## Minnie (Apr 25, 2011)

Yes we feed Stella and Chewy's dehydrated raw. The only way this is at all economical though is that Bella is a 4 pound toy.


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## Servicepoodlemomma (Jun 22, 2013)

My Italian Greyhound has a lot of food allergies - she gets Grandma Lucy's Pork or Venison, or Honest Kitchen Zeal. Both dogs get organic coconut oil, fish oil (rotating between salmon and krill), and digestive enzymes. I wish I could go back to raw, but I don't have the space for a chest freezer, and I have Chrons and have to eat carefully - and the natural food stores are all a ways away, so my freezer on the fridge is usually full of the foods I have to keep around for myself. 

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## cliffdweller (Jan 31, 2011)

Rain eats mostly fresh raw, but always with "sides" of other foods. Usually the "sides" include a dehydrated raw, either Stella & Chewy's or Ziwi Peak or both.

Though I am currently feeding a small amount of kibble (Orijen) in the AM, I have fed dehydrated raw for the AM meal.

My emphasis in feeding this way is on providing an healthy variety.


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## Poodlebeguiled (May 27, 2013)

I use Stella's as treats. The dogs love them. I feed pre-made raw to the Chi's and Canidae canned to the Poodles and am starting to add raw for them too.


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## liljaker (Aug 6, 2011)

I love the freeze dried food. Much more convenient than raw although a bit pricey. I guess it would depend on how large the dog and how much food you need. Orijen has come out with a freeze dried that is fantastic. Sunny tried the Tundra and it is wonderful; it is prey model (90/10) and I am waiting for my local pet store to get their order. I like it much better than Stella & Chewy's, although Sunny likes the S&C, too. I use a grain free kibble as a base and rotate some raw or freeze dried but since he is mini, it's not that expensive.


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## Poodlebeguiled (May 27, 2013)

Does anybody know if the freeze dry process takes nutrients out of the food more so than raw? Or is it preserved that way and since it's not under heat I assume, it leaves everything in there just as it was?


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## MollyMuiMa (Oct 13, 2012)

Molly gets fed Sojo's Complete Turkey as her a.m. meal, but I customize it with 'By Nature's 95% Meat' to add protein. I mix a batch of this once a week and freeze it in 1/4 cup portions to defrost as needed, since she is on a one day raw meat - one day dehydrated raw, rotation. I also feed her kibble as part of her daily meals. I want her to be able to eat anything in case of an emergency! LOL!(at least that's what I tell myself Haha!)


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## Spoobark (Jul 17, 2013)

P&Z just began eating raw chicken backs and necks with some beef liver for their AM meal, but still eating Acana kibble in the evening. I've been bouncing around through all of the Acana flavors both dogs like it, but they LOVE their raw in the morning. And finally their poo is where I think it should be. I've been thinking of using a meatless dehydrated food to add to the Morning feeding to get a more balanced meal but I'm not sure if its needed (?)


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## Minnie (Apr 25, 2011)

liljaker said:


> Orijen has come out with a freeze dried that is fantastic. Sunny tried the Tundra and it is wonderful; it is prey model (90/10) and I am waiting for my local pet store to get their order. I like it much better than Stella & Chewy's, although Sunny likes the S&C, too.


What is it about the Orijen freeze dried that you like better than S&C? Bella loves the Orijen kibble and we currently feed S&C but always looking at other options. Thanks!


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## liljaker (Aug 6, 2011)

Minnie said:


> What is it about the Orijen freeze dried that you like better than S&C? Bella loves the Orijen kibble and we currently feed S&C but always looking at other options. Thanks!


First of all, Sunny loves it. It has novel protein, is 90/10 prey model, which I think is preferable if you are cutting carbs as I am. S&C is great, too, but it has more fruits and vegetables and I think higher carb. 

Tundra | Orijen


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## liljaker (Aug 6, 2011)

Spoobark said:


> P&Z just began eating raw chicken backs and necks with some beef liver for their AM meal, but still eating Acana kibble in the evening. I've been bouncing around through all of the Acana flavors both dogs like it, but they LOVE their raw in the morning. And finally their poo is where I think it should be. I've been thinking of using a meatless dehydrated food to add to the Morning feeding to get a more balanced meal but I'm not sure if its needed (?)


Honest Kitchen Preference is protein free and can be used as a base to which you can add to protein.


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## schnauzerpoodle (Apr 21, 2010)

Nickel eats his raw (and RMBs a few times a week) for his 2 regular meals. He has to gain some weight so I'm feeding him some dehydrated raw as lunch. He gets one or two patties of S&C (rabbit or venison) or Ziwipeak air dried (venison or venison & fish). He likes both. 

He was on Honest Kitchen and Sojo's for a while when he was a puppy. He liked them but I didn't. We tried Primal too and it gave him some hard, dry and chalky poop.

I use fish kibbles (Orijen or Acana, depending which one is on sale) as training treats and he loves it. If we go to a morning class, he won't get his breakfast and then I use the ZP air dried as treats in the class. That way he won't get overfed.


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## Spoobark (Jul 17, 2013)

HK Preference is something I've been looking at. Our local pet food store does not carry it. I would have to order it directly from HK, but I'd like to try a sample first. If Pongo and Ziggy like it then that might be the tipping point for going to an all raw diet!!
-I've been told not to feed raw and kibble in the same meal because of digestion issues. Does anyone know how much time is needed between alternating raw and kibble?


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## liljaker (Aug 6, 2011)

Spoobark said:


> HK Preference is something I've been looking at. Our local pet food store does not carry it. I would have to order it directly from HK, but I'd like to try a sample first. If Pongo and Ziggy like it then that might be the tipping point for going to an all raw diet!!
> -I've been told not to feed raw and kibble in the same meal because of digestion issues. Does anyone know how much time is needed between alternating raw and kibble?


You can order sample size online -- that's what I did. And, BTW, occasionally Sunny would get a dollop of raw WITH his grain free kibble. I am not a purist on raw feeding, etc., and it is totally fine. My vet (holistic) also said it is fine, although they say you should separate since they digest differently. Honestly, I have never had an issue.


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## Shamrockmommy (Aug 16, 2013)

I used to be a HUGE THK fan. The problem is the poop. They poop so much on it! The stopping point for me was when my chihuahua decided THK poop was delicious! 

When I switch her off of it, she stops the poop eating. Which means nobody can eat THK here. 

 

As for adding raw with kibble, I do it all the time and the dogs' digestion is just fine.


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## MaryEdwards (Oct 29, 2012)

*dehydrating in the oven*

I have not tried it yet, but it was suggested to dehydrate in the oven overnight. Cut the meat, i'm going to try liver first, and see how it goes. Has anyone else tried this, and how did it work for you


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## liljaker (Aug 6, 2011)

Shamrockmommy said:


> I used to be a HUGE THK fan. The problem is the poop. They poop so much on it! The stopping point for me was when my chihuahua decided THK poop was delicious!
> 
> When I switch her off of it, she stops the poop eating. Which means nobody can eat THK here.
> 
> ...


I agree with you there; apparently it is from all the vegetables and fruits, high carb bulk. Same thing here.


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## Lplummer52 (Oct 26, 2013)

OMG! I am so confused! I'm feeding Madeine Nature's Variety Instinct. She's doing well, but the guy at the pet shop said you should get her liver checked periodically, because some dogs don't do well on such high protein. I feed her Instinct Lamb kibble with cottage cheese which is what her breeder was feeding. Her stools are well formed, but not hard. She is my only dog and I want to give her the best, but I don't want to keep switching either. What do you think? She also gets a little scrambled egg at breakfast, a little yogurt at lunchtime and a few fish tidbits at dinner. My brother says I spoil the dogs and that you should only feed them dog food, never people food. He has a Scottie that's never been sick a day in its life. Fabulous, wonderful dog that Scottie is. He really lucked out I think when he picked out that dog.


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## Spoobark (Jul 17, 2013)

Im curious, when you were feeding THK, did you use it as a topper, as a straight meal or alternate with kibble? I've tried samples of Sojos, Grandma Lucy's, and THK Embark, but it was always given with kibble or just before a kibble meal. I'm nervous about soft poo. I've figured out that duck (even in kibble), and raw apples are ingredients that our dogs don't do well on.


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## Shamrockmommy (Aug 16, 2013)

We'll I will update. Since I posted that I won't feed it Because of the poo eating, I got a great coupon on a box of Embark. This time I also got digestive enzymes. I'm happy to report no poop eating! 
This is great for my chihuahua who has a hard time chewing even tiny kibbles. So she gets all thk, and I use it as a topper for the other Three dogs. 
So my Portuguese Water dog gets 3/4 cup dry Fromm, plus 1/8 cup dry measure thk plus 1/8 cup warm water twice daily. My bichon and toy/mini poodle get each 1/4 cup kibble plus 1 T thk plus the same amount of Warm water twice daily. Then everyone gets digestive enzymes and there have been small poops and no poo eating! I love feeding thk and I'm happy it's working better this way!


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## 12489 (Apr 2, 2013)

Servicepoodlemomma said:


> My Italian Greyhound has a lot of food allergies - she gets Grandma Lucy's Pork or Venison, or Honest Kitchen Zeal. Both dogs get organic coconut oil, fish oil (rotating between salmon and krill), and digestive enzymes. I wish I could go back to raw, but I don't have the space for a chest freezer, and I have Chrons and have to eat carefully - and the natural food stores are all a ways away, so my freezer on the fridge is usually full of the foods I have to keep around for myself.
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


What is the coconut oil for? I'm reading about people using it but I'm not sure why? Is this like what you find in the grocery store, or do you purchase it from health food stores? I'm wanting to make sure I keep my girl healthy. 

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