The Best Raw Food Alternatives for Dogs: Freeze-Dried, Air-Dried, Dehydrated or Gently Dried
- Red Dog Blue Kat
- 9 minutes ago
- 3 min read
Choosing a raw food alternative for your dog can feel overwhelming—with so many new options on the market, where do you start?
Whether you’re exploring shelf-stable alternatives to raw dog food for convenience, storage, travel, or just personal preference (we know frozen raw isn’t for every human or dog), this guide will help you compare the most popular options: freeze-dried, air-dried, dehydrated, and gently dried raw dog food.
In This Post:
What Are Raw Dog Food Alternatives?
Raw feeding is still one of the best ways to give your dog clean, whole-food nutrition, and it remains the #1 diet we recommend. However, not every pet parent has the freezer space or lifestyle to commit to feeding their pet a fresh raw food diet. That’s where shelf-stable raw food alternatives come in.
These options are minimally processed to preserve nutrients while offering more convenience for storage, food preparation, and travel. Because they undergo an extra drying step, they’re typically a bit pricier than frozen raw — but for many pet parents, the saved time and added flexibility are well worth it.
But which shelf-stable raw option is truly the best for your dog?
Here’s how we rank them, based on current market options, customer feedback, and our own research at Red Dog Blue Kat — so you can choose the best raw food alternative for your dog.
Gently Dried Raw Dog Food
Our #1 Choice — Best Overall
Gently dried raw dog food is made with GentleDry™ technology — an innovative blend of vacuum, microwave, and infrared drying methods that gently removes moisture while preserving 95% + of nutrients, along with raw-like texture and taste. Perfect for busy weeks, travel, camping with your dog, van life, boarding, picky eaters, or as an emergency backup when frozen raw isn’t available.
Best nutrient preservation
Most eco-friendly option with 75% lower emissions
Quick to prepare, rehydrates in 5 minutes
Maintains raw-like texture, taste, and smell
One consideration: While perfect for small to medium dogs, or as a topper for large dogs, full-time feeding for large breeds may be less cost-effective than our frozen raw options — many pet parents combine it with our Everyday Raw frozen raw line.
Freeze-Dried Raw Dog Food
#2 Runner-Up — Second Best Nutrient Retention
Freeze-dried dog food is made by first freezing raw ingredients, then using low-pressure heat (sublimation) to remove moisture. The result is a lightweight, shelf-stable food with a dry, powdery texture.
Lightweight and portable
Second-best nutrient retention
Rehydrates well (varies by brand)
Consideration: Often expensive for full-time feeding, especially for large dogs. The dry, crumbly texture may not appeal to some dogs. High energy use due to the cold → heat processing method. Want to dive deeper into how gently dried compares to freeze-dried raw? Check out our full guide here.
Air-Dried Raw Dog Food
#3 Convenient — Feed Straight from the Bag
Air-dried raw dog food is made by circulating warm air over ingredients for extended periods, removing moisture through evaporation.
Convenient feeding straight from the bag
Soft, chewy, jerky-like texture may appeal to some dogs
Often contains additives, like binders or starches
Consideration: The long drying process and higher heat can lead to more nutrient loss and greater energy use. In our experience, it also does not rehydrate well—pieces tend to float, showing poor absorption and limited moisture return.
Dehydrated Raw Dog Food
#4 Most Budget-Friendly
Dehydrated dog food is made using direct, high heat to remove moisture, one of the oldest methods of food preservation.
Budget-friendly option
Hard, compact texture
Long prep time (15 - 30 min soak)
Consideration: Of all the raw food alternatives, dehydrated has the lowest nutrient retention due to high-heat drying. In our experience, it was also the least preferred texture for dogs, the furthest from raw in both appearance and palatability.
So, which raw alternative is best for your dog? Let’s sum it up:
Final Verdict: What’s the Best Raw Food Alternative for Dogs?
Everyday Raw Anywhere gently dried raw dog food delivers the closest experience to real raw — in nutrition, taste, texture, and convenience, making it our top choice. Freeze-dried raw ranks second for nutrient preservation, but tends to have a chalkier texture. Air-dried and dehydrated options are more budget-friendly, but they come with trade-offs in terms of nutrient retention and palatability.
Curious about the innovation behind gently dried raw dog food? Learn more about GentleDry™ technology in this industry feature from Pet Food Processing.
Here’s a quick side-by-side comparison to help you choose what’s right for your pup:
Ready to try a better raw alternative?
Find Everyday Raw Anywhere gently dried raw dog food at select Canadian retailers. 👉 Find a store near you.
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