Does Frozen Raw Dog Food Decrease in Nutritional Value?

Is Freezing Raw Meat Safe for My Dog? 

The answer depends on what you're comparing it to. As mentioned earlier, freezing does cause some changes over time. But let’s consider dogs that eat dry kibble. What happens to dry food during processing? Kibble is typically treated with extreme heat, which destroys living enzymes and significantly reduces the nutritional content. The heat treatment also alters the original protein, diminishing its quality. 

If nutrition is important to your dog’s health, then it’s crucial to provide them with a diet that offers the greatest nutritional benefit. A raw meat diet is a good option because it preserves living enzymes, proteins, and other essential nutrients, providing better nutritional support for your dog’s overall health. 

Another thing to consider: why can you leave a bag of dry kibble open for months without worrying about it spoiling? The answer is preservatives. The high heat used to process kibble helps preserve it, but at the cost of the original protein and nutrients. Raw meat, on the other hand, retains most of its nutritional value, including proteins and enzymes. This allows your dog to process the food more efficiently, potentially contributing to a better quality of life. 

Are Dogs Carnivores or Omnivores? 

There’s a lot of debate about whether dogs are carnivores or omnivores. To form an opinion on this, it’s helpful to define each classification. Carnivores primarily eat meat, while omnivores can eat both animal protein and plant-based food. Omnivores are opportunistic feeders, surviving by eating what’s available. 

Interestingly, the classification of dogs can be influenced by word choice. The dog’s anatomy, particularly its teeth, suggests that they are naturally carnivores. However, dogs are adaptable and can function as omnivores, when necessary, especially in the absence of sufficient meat. Over the past century, dry dog food manufacturers have convinced the public that dogs should primarily eat dry kibble or canned food, both of which are heat-processed. 

Yet, a dog’s natural anatomy and dentition suggest that they are designed to eat a carnivorous diet. In many cases, we prevent dogs from having this natural choice by feeding them processed, plant-based food. This differs from humans, who have a choice to be omnivores. We can choose to eat both animal and plant protein, even though our anatomy suggests we are more suited to a diet focused on animal protein. 

For dogs, it boils down to the choices we make for them. Based on this reasoning, it’s logical to feed dogs what they were naturally designed to eat—primarily animal-based foods like BARF World Frozenand Freeze-Dried, complete and balanced diets.