Feeding Resources

Freeze-Dried vs Raw vs Kibble: Which Dog Food Is Right for Your Dog?

Freeze-dried raw, frozen raw and kibble can all be complete, balanced dog foods. What changes is how they are made, how much water they hold, how you store and serve them, and what they cost each day. This guide compares the three side by side, with UK veterinary and food-safety sources, so you can choose with confidence.

The quick answer

Freeze-dried raw is raw food with the water taken out. It is high in meat and stores in the cupboard, but costs the most per day.
Frozen raw is similar food in its natural moisture. It needs freezer space and thawing, and usually costs less than freeze-dried.
Kibble is cooked, dry and the most affordable and convenient, but meat content varies a lot between brands.

Both raw formats need careful hygiene, because freeze-drying does not make raw meat sterile.

Freeze-dried vs raw vs kibble at a glance

Freeze-dried raw, frozen raw and kibble dog food compared
Feature	Freeze-dried raw	Frozen raw	Kibble
What it is	Freeze-dried raw: Raw meat, offal and vegetables with almost all the water removed	Frozen raw: Raw meat, offal and vegetables, sold frozen	Kibble: Dry food made by cooking a dough and pressing it into pieces
Cooked?	Freeze-dried raw: No, it is still raw	Frozen raw: No	Kibble: Yes, at temperatures above 100°C
Water content	Freeze-dried raw: Very low, around 5–8%	Frozen raw: High, around 70%	Kibble: Low, usually around 10% or less
Storage	Freeze-dried raw: Cupboard, no freezer needed	Frozen raw: Freezer, then thawed in the fridge	Kibble: Cupboard
Preparation	Freeze-dried raw: Scoop; serve dry or add warm water	Frozen raw: Plan ahead to thaw; use within 24 hours of thawing	Kibble: Scoop and serve
Handling	Freeze-dried raw: Treat like raw meat	Frozen raw: Treat like raw meat	Kibble: Normal kitchen hygiene
Meat content	Freeze-dried raw: Often high (ours is 80% meat or fish)	Frozen raw: Often high	Kibble: Varies widely, so check the label
Cost per day as a full diet	Freeze-dried raw: Highest	Frozen raw: Middle to high	Kibble: Lowest to middle
Travel	Freeze-dried raw: Very easy: light and shelf-stable	Frozen raw: Difficult: needs to stay frozen	Kibble: Easy

Somewhere in between? Cold-pressed dog food is dry and easy to store like kibble, but is pressed at a lower temperature into dense pellets.

What is freeze-dried raw dog food?

Freeze-dried raw dog food starts as a raw recipe of meat, offal and vegetables. It is frozen, then placed in a vacuum chamber where the ice turns straight into vapour. What is left is light, crunchy food that keeps its shape, smell and flavour, with only a few per cent of water remaining.

Because nothing is cooked, it is still a raw food. You can serve it dry or add warm water to soften it. With the water gone, a day's portion weighs much less than the same meal as frozen raw, so the amounts on the pack look small.

Our freeze-dried raw dog food recipes are 80% meat or fish, grain-free and complete. The feeding guide shows how much to feed by weight.

What is raw (frozen) dog food?

Commercial raw dog food is minced meat, offal, bone or vegetables, sold frozen in blocks, trays or nuggets. It is the closest format to fresh meat and keeps its natural moisture, which is around 70%.

The trade-off is practical: you need freezer space, you need to thaw portions in the fridge ahead of time, and the PDSA advises feeding thawed food within 24 hours and never refreezing it.

What is kibble?

Kibble is the most common dry dog food in the UK. Ingredients are mixed into a dough, cooked under pressure at temperatures above 100°C (a process called extrusion), shaped into pieces and dried.

Cooking makes kibble shelf-stable, affordable and quick to serve. Quality varies widely: some recipes are high in meat, others rely mainly on cereals. Read the composition list, which starts with the largest ingredient, and the percentage of named meat.

Nutrition: what processing changes, and what it does not

"Complete" matters more than format. A food labelled complete is made to provide everything a dog needs as its whole daily diet. A complementary food, like a topper or treat, is not. Check this on any pack before comparing anything else.

Heat. Cooking can reduce some heat-sensitive vitamins, so kibble makers add vitamins and minerals to make sure the finished food still meets its nutrition targets. Freeze-dried and frozen raw foods are not cooked, so their ingredients stay closer to their natural state.

Water. Frozen raw is about 70% water; freeze-dried and kibble are both dry. Dogs on dry food get more of their water from the bowl, so keep fresh water out, or rehydrate freeze-dried food.

What the evidence says. The PDSA says there are no studies showing raw feeding is better than traditional dog food, and that benefits owners report, like a glossier coat, can often be achieved with any balanced diet. Some research is promising: a University of Helsinki survey linked raw feeding in early puppyhood with less inflammatory bowel disease later in life. But that study shows an association, not cause and effect, and the authors called for further trials.

Safety: freeze-dried raw is still raw

Many owners assume freeze-drying makes raw meat safe. It does not. Veterinary microbiologist Professor Scott Weese describes freezing and freeze-drying as food preservation, not bacterial control: they may reduce bacteria a little, but not by enough to rely on.

This matters because raw meat can carry bacteria such as Salmonella, Listeria and E. coli. In a US FDA study, Listeria was found in about a third of 196 raw pet foods tested and Salmonella in about 8%, compared with 2 of 480 dry foods. A University of Bristol study of 600 UK dogs found raw feeding was the only significant risk factor for dogs carrying antibiotic-resistant E. coli. The BVA has also said the risks of raw feeding should be highlighted while more research is done.

None of this means raw feeding cannot be done safely. It means both raw formats need the same simple habits. The PDSA and UK Pet Food recommend:

Choose a commercially made raw food from a manufacturer that follows UK raw pet food hygiene standards, not supermarket meat.
Wash your hands before and after handling the food and after touching your dog.
Wash bowls and utensils in hot soapy water, and clean surfaces after feeding.
Store raw food away from food for people.
Pick up dog poo promptly: dogs fed raw can shed more bacteria.

The PDSA advises not feeding raw if someone in your home is pregnant, very young, elderly or has a weakened immune system. In that case, kibble or cold-pressed dog food is the safer choice.

Cost: how to compare fairly

Price per bag is misleading, because each format is fed in very different amounts. Freeze-dried food has had its water removed, so you feed far fewer grams than frozen raw. Compare the cost per day instead:

Find your dog's daily amount (grams) in the feeding guide on the pack.
Divide the pack price by the pack weight in grams.
Multiply by the daily amount.

As a full diet, kibble is usually the cheapest per day, frozen raw and cold-pressed usually sit in the middle, and freeze-dried raw usually costs the most. That premium pays for a slow drying process and a light pack that needs no freezer.

On a budget? Use freeze-dried raw as a topper on your dog's usual food, and reduce the main meal a little so the total calories stay the same. A dog food subscription also lowers the price of repeat orders.

Which should you choose?

Choose freeze-dried raw if you want a high-meat raw diet without freezer space or thawing, you travel with your dog, or you have a small dog where the daily cost stays modest.
Choose frozen raw if you are committed to raw feeding, have freezer space and want the lowest cost per day for a raw diet.
Choose kibble if budget and convenience come first, or someone at home is at higher risk from food-borne bacteria. Pick one with a named meat as the first ingredient.
Choose cold-pressed if you want a dry, scoop-and-serve food that is not raw but is made at lower temperatures than kibble. See our freeze-dried, cold-pressed and air-dried guide.
Mix them if you want some of the benefits of each: kibble or cold-pressed as the base with freeze-dried raw on top.

If your dog has a medical condition, is on a prescription diet or has a sensitive stomach, speak to your vet before changing food.

Switching to a new format

Whichever you choose, change food gradually over 7 to 10 days to avoid an upset stomach. Dogs moving from frozen raw to freeze-dried raw can usually switch faster. Our guide to switching dog food has day-by-day schedules from kibble, wet, raw and fresh food.

Frequently asked questions

Is freeze-dried dog food raw?

Yes. Freeze-dried raw dog food is made from uncooked ingredients. It is frozen, then the water is removed under a vacuum at low temperature, so the food is dried rather than cooked. Because it is still raw, handle it with the same hygiene as raw meat.

Is freeze-dried dog food better than kibble?

Neither is best for every dog. Both can be complete foods that meet a dog's daily needs. Freeze-dried raw is uncooked, usually higher in meat and easy to store, but costs more. Kibble is cooked, cheaper and very convenient. The PDSA notes there are no studies showing raw feeding is better than conventional dog food, so choose on your dog, your budget and your routine.

Is freeze-dried raw safer than frozen raw?

Not necessarily. Freeze-drying preserves food but is not designed to kill bacteria, so freeze-dried raw should be treated like any raw meat: wash your hands, bowls and surfaces after feeding. Buy from manufacturers who follow UK raw pet food hygiene standards.

Do I have to rehydrate freeze-dried dog food?

No. You can serve Pets True House freeze-dried food dry or add warm water first. Rehydrating suits dogs that drink little, fussy eaters and older dogs. Always keep fresh water available, because freeze-dried food contains very little water.

Can I mix freeze-dried raw with kibble?

Yes. Many owners add freeze-dried raw to kibble as a topper, or feed one meal of each. Reduce the kibble when you add freeze-dried food so your dog does not get too many calories, and introduce any new food gradually.

Why does freeze-dried dog food cost more?

Freeze-drying is a slow process in specialist equipment and starts from a high-meat raw recipe, which costs more than the ingredients and cooking used for most kibble. In return, you get a light, shelf-stable food that needs no freezer. Using it as a topper is a lower-cost way to add it to your dog's bowl.

Is frozen raw or freeze-dried raw better for my dog?

The recipes can be very similar; the main difference is format. Frozen raw needs freezer space and thawing but often costs less per day. Freeze-dried raw is easier to store, serve and travel with. If your dog already eats frozen raw, switching between the two is usually straightforward.

Can puppies eat freeze-dried raw food?

Puppies need a food labelled complete for puppies or for all life stages, fed at puppy amounts. Our freeze-dried raw chicken puppy food is made for growing dogs. Speak to your vet if your puppy has health problems, and keep hygiene especially careful around young children.

Try freeze-dried raw or cold-pressed

Pets True House makes complete, high-meat freeze-dried raw and 80/20 cold-pressed recipes, delivered across the UK.

Shop freeze-dried raw Shop cold-pressed

Sources

This guide is general information, not veterinary advice.