Are you on the lookout for a shelf-stable, extremely nutritious different to kibble? Air-dried pet food is rising in recognition for a lot of pup mother and father who wish to give their furry pals a flavorful, not-bone-dry eating choice. It’s typically cheaper than recent meals however nonetheless packs premium elements into minimally (however safely) processed canine chow. I’ve been an skilled on pet food developments for a few years, and air-dried chow is right here to remain. See which manufacturers I like to recommend if you happen to’re attempting to determine on the very best air-dried pet food in your canine companion.
Air-Dried vs Dehydrated Canine Meals
Air-dried pet food entails combining uncooked elements, equivalent to meat, greens, fruits, and typically grains, after which slowly drying them at low temperatures, gently eradicating some moisture from all of the elements. Dehydrated pet food removes a lot of the moisture. The result’s that the majority air-dried pet food is extra of a jerky-like texture versus a dry, crunchy texture with dehydrated pet food.
What Are The Advantages Of Air-Dried Canine Meals?
Air-dried pet food has a number of well being advantages for our pups, whether or not you serve it as an entire meal or as a mixer.
- Preserves dietary content material and style of the pure elements
- Shelf-stable whole-food elements (some are even human-grade)
- Nutrient-dense so, in lots of circumstances, you don’t must feed your pup as a lot as dehydrated pet food or kibble
- Has a jerky-like texture that many canines love
- Could be a nice different for canines with allergic reactions or delicate pores and skin resulting from restricted elements
- Simply digestible in comparison with many kibble choices
- Glorious different to kibble for choosy canines
Air-dried pet food is excessive in protein and fats making it an inappropriate eating regimen for some canines with well being issues, together with kidney illness, liver illness, pancreatitis, diabetes, and weight problems. It’s at all times a good suggestion to seek the advice of your veterinarian concerning the eating regimen you’re feeding your pup to make sure it’s secure for his or her medical considerations.
Finest Air-Dried Canine Meals Manufacturers
After in depth analysis, I’ve chosen your prime choices primarily based on model status, meals high quality and security, dietary content material, number of formulation, pricing, buyer suggestions, and extra. All of those manufacturers provide recipes that meet AAFCO pointers for a whole and balanced eating regimen. All air-dried pet food is costly, so an amazing different to full meals is utilizing it as a topper.
Winner: Badlands Ranch Assessment
Badlands Ranch Superfood Full pet food lives as much as its title by being full of nutritious superfoods in your furry good friend. Every of the 4 all-natural, grain-free recipes—beef, rooster, lamb & venison, and wildfish & turkey—includes a mix of organ meats, actual salmon, candy potatoes, pumpkin, carrots, broccoli, blueberries, chia seeds, flaxseed, turmeric, and different healthful elements. All elements are slow-cooked in small batches at low temperatures and air-dried to protect vitamins and freshness.
Based by actress and animal activist Katherine Heigl, the corporate selects solely high-quality, practical elements to help your canine’s digestion, immune well being, pores and skin and coat, and power. Each buy you make helps animals in want by way of a partnership with Heigl’s nonprofit, the Jason Debus Heigl Basis.
| Professionals | Cons |
|---|---|
| Complete-food elements with no preservatives or fillers | Costly |
| Freed from wheat, soy, corn, and dairy | No grain-inclusive recipes |
| Humanely raised meats | |
| 90-day money-back assure | |
| Proceeds and meals donated to animal shelters and no-kill advocacy organizations | |
| Made within the USA | |
| Additionally affords 100% freeze-dried beef liver, rooster, and salmon treats |
Value
Badlands Ranch affords reductions if you buy 3 or 6 baggage directly. Transport is free on orders over $49. Join a free account with no subscription dedication for the worth beneath.
In-Depth Badlands Ranch Assessment
Be taught extra about what Badlands Ranch affords plus my crew members’ private expertise in my full assessment of Badlands Ranch.
Runner-Up: The Pets Desk Assessment
Launched by the meals crafters behind Howdy Recent, the favored human meal supply service, The Pets Desk affords 4 premium air-dried meals recipes, beef, rooster, salmon & whitefish and lamb & beef. The lamb & beef recipe, that includes brown rice, is the one one which’s grain-inclusive. Recipes are crafted by their in-house board licensed veterinarian nutritionist and minimally processed with low warmth to protect vitamins and taste.
These air-dried recipes comprise helpful elements equivalent to antioxidant-rich veggies and fruits, fish oil, flaxseed, chicory root, a prebiotic that aids in digestion, and bovine plasma, a extremely digestible and nutritious protein supply. They’re additionally a bit decrease in protein content material than many different air-dried choices in the marketplace.
The Pets Desk additionally affords recent, human-grade meals (beef, rooster, and turkey) which are all grain-free. You’ll be able to go for 4 completely different subscriptions — full air-dried, half air-dried and half recent, or, full or half recent meals. This manufacturers get total glorious buyer critiques for the standard of meals and buyer help.
| Professionals | Cons |
|---|---|
| Complete-food elements with no preservatives or fillers | Can’t change your supply frequency |
| All recipes are freed from wheat, soy, and corn | No data on their website about ingredient sourcing |
| Custom-made parts primarily based in your pup’s age, weight, preferrred weight, and exercise stage | |
| Can pause, skip, or cancel subscription anytime | |
| 30-day money-back assure off your trial field | |
| Made within the USA | |
| Bins and liners are recyclable | |
| 3 air-dried deal with choices you possibly can add to your subscription |
Value
Costs are decided primarily based in your canine’s day by day calorie wants. In accordance with their website, plans begin as little as $1.38 per day. Every plan has a special value, however the recipes inside every plan all value the identical. I like to recommend you get a quote so that you’ll know the precise pricing in your distinctive pup. Their profile quiz solely takes a couple of minutes to finish, and also you’re not required to make any dedication to see your quote.
- Full Recent begins at $2.84/day (5-lb canine)
- Full Air-Dried begins at $1.78/day (5-lb canine)
- Combined Recent & Air-Dried begins at $3.10/day (9-lb canine)
- Half Recent begins at round $2.30/day (9-lb canine)
In-Depth Assessment of The Pets Desk
See my full assessment of The Pets Desk for extra details about this premium model’s recipes, subscription plans, and our private expertise.
Third Place: ZIWI Peak Assessment
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A premium model out of New Zealand, ZIWI Peak has soared in recognition in recent times. Its restricted ingredient recipes are glorious for canines with allergic reactions or delicate stomachs. It has six air-dried recipes to select from — beef, rooster, lamb, venison, mackeral & lamb, and tripe & lamb. All formulation are full of recent meat, organs, bones, and cartilage.
Every recipe is fortified with “Z-BOOST Superfoods,” together with inexperienced mussels, a pure supply of chondroitin and glucosamine to help joint well being, taurine for coronary heart well being, cold-washed inexperienced tripe, a pure supply of probiotics and fatty acids, natural kelp, and important nutritional vitamins and minerals. Utilizing a delicate twin-stage air-drying course of, ZIWI Peak naturally preserves all of the elements and eliminates pathogenic micro organism. Notice: ZIWI Peak’s air-dried meals has a tougher consistency than the standard jerky-like consistency.
| Professionals | Cons |
|---|---|
| 6 formulation to select from | Costly |
| All-natural, limited-ingredient, non-GMO recipes | No grain-inclusive recipes |
| All recipes are freed from corn, wheat, soy, and peas | A number of complaints concerning the odor of the meals |
| Ethically sourced elements from New Zealand | |
| All elements bear rigorous testing for contaminants |
Value
What About Open Farm, Sundays, Redbarn & Extra?
Though these air-dried pet food manufacturers didn’t make it into my prime picks, you could discover a higher match in your pup with the next manufacturers.
Open Farm Air-Dried Canine Meals Assessment
Open Farm is one among my favourite pet food manufacturers resulting from its moral and sustainable practices. This model just lately launched a line of air-dried pet food so as to add to its plethora of pet food choices — kibble, recent, moist, vegan, and so on. Their air-dried, jerky-like recipes are available harvest rooster, pollock & lamb, and surf & turf (beef, whitefish, and salmon). All three are grain- and legume-free, infused with bone broth and organ meats for a flavorful and nutritious increase, and have non-GMO vegatables and fruits equivalent to pumpkin, candy potato, carrots, and blueberries. They’re enhanced with flaxseed, taurine, nutritional vitamins, and minerals.
What I additionally love about this model is its dedication to clear ingredient sourcing, third-party testing of its pet food, and its rigorously chosen partnerships with Licensed Humane farms, Ocean Clever, and different organizations dedicated to animal welfare and the well being of our planet.
| Professionals | Cons |
|---|---|
| All-natural, whole-food elements | No grain-inclusive choices |
| Ethically sourced fish and meats raised with out hormones or antibiotics | Air-dried recipes are so new there’s not a lot buyer suggestions |
| Produce is recent, sustainably sourced, and non-GMO | |
| Freed from gluten, wheat, legumes, soy, corn, and dairy | |
| Firm is completely clear about all elements on its web site | |
| Made within the USA |
Value
In-Depth Open Farm Assessment
Try my full assessment of Open Farm to study extra about this premium model and different formulation you could wish to think about.
Pawstruck Air Dried Assessment
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Pawstruck Gently Air-Dried Premium Canine Meals isn’t fairly as dear as many different manufacturers I assessment right here, so it’s price consideration if value is a matter for you. They provide vet-approved grain-free beef, rooster, and fish formulation appropriate for all life levels. All are full of actual meat or fish, organ meats, salmon oil, flaxseed, nutritional vitamins, and minerals to help hip and joint well being. Pawstruck additionally carries air-dried meal toppers, chews, and treats.
| Professionals | Cons |
|---|---|
| Aggressive pricing | No grain-inclusive recipes |
| All-natural and limited-ingredients | Formulation don’t comprise any veggies or fruits |
| Freed from gluten, wheat, legumes, soy, corn, and dairy | Some complaints that the nuggets are very onerous and damaged up an excessive amount of into powder |
| Checks and inspects each batch of meals for security and high quality | No data on their website about ingredient sourcing |
| 100% satisfaction assure | |
| Made within the USA | |
| Eco-friendly packaging |
Value
Redbarn Air Dried Assessment
Redbarn could possibly be a improbable answer in case your pup has a delicate abdomen as a result of it carries a line of Digestive Well being air-dried pet food. Availaible in fish, beef & lamb, and rooster & turkey formulation, all are fortified with flaxseed, dried yeast, miscanthus grass, fructooligosaccharide (pure prebiotics), and a pure postbiotic to advertise a wholesome intestine and assist digestion.
Redbarn additionally affords its primary air-dried pet food in beef, rooster, and fish recipes, a small-breed rooster & blueberry method and a pet rooster method. These are enhanced with flaxseed and salmon oil for omega fatty acids, and a mix of important nutritional vitamins and minerals.
A household owned enterprise for over 25 years, Redbarn runs rigorous testing on each batch of meals and have become SQF-certified by the Protected High quality Meals (SQF) Initiative in 2021, an indication of their dedication to the security and high quality of their merchandise.
| Professionals | Cons |
|---|---|
| 8 recipes, together with small breed, pet, and digestive well being formulation | No grain-inclusive recipes |
| All-natural, limited-ingredient recipes free from synthetic flavors, colours, and preservatives | Most formulation don’t comprise any veggies or fruits |
| Checks all batches of meals for security and high quality | |
| 100% satisfaction assure | |
| Made within the USA | |
| Additionally affords kibble, stews, and treats | |
| Often donates meals merchandise to shelters and rescue teams |
Value
It can save you 10% by subscribing to auto-shipping. Transport is free over $79.
Sundays For Canines Assessment
Sundays For Canines combines human-grade proteins, grains, greens, and fruits and dries these whole-food elements at low temperatures to protect vitamins and taste. You’ll be able to select from beef, rooster, or turkey recipes. Protein contains recent USDA meat, organs, and floor bone. All recipes function simply digestible grains, equivalent to quinoa, millet, and oats, flaxseed and fish oil for omega fatty acids, chicory root (prebiotic), and turmeric. Veggies and fruits fluctuate considerably by recipe however embody pumpkin, kale, carrots, kelp, blueberries, cranberries, and related superfoods. No nutritional vitamins or minerals are artificial.
A crew of consultants, together with world-leading animal nutritionist Ph.D.s, meals scientists, and board-certified veterinary nutritionists, helped founder Dr. Tory Waxman (a vet herself) develop Sundays For Canines’ meals. The result’s a mixture of elements that assist promote immune, intestine, joint, and coat well being that meets AAFCO pointers for all life levels, together with the expansion of enormous canines (70 lb. or extra as an grownup).
| Professionals | Cons |
|---|---|
| Human-grade and whole-food elements with no preservatives or fillers | A number of destructive buyer critiques about billing points and delayed deliveries |
| Freed from gluten, wheat, legumes, soy, corn, potatoes, and dairy | Many customers say that customer support is extraordinarily poor |
| Each batch of meals is examined for foodborne ailments and high quality | No grain-free recipes |
| You’ll be able to strive a free 2.5-oz pattern of every recipe (simply pay for delivery) | |
| Free auto-shipping that you may pause, regulate, or cancel anytime | |
| Full refund on first-time orders inside 14 days and 50% refund for subscription reorders | |
| Made within the USA |
Value
Sundays For Canines bases its pricing in your canine’s age, present weight, physique situation, breed, and exercise stage. They provide three protein choices: beef, rooster, and turkey. Right here’s how the completely different recipes evaluate in beginning costs for a five-pound grownup canine at a super weight who’s reasonably lively.
In-Depth Assessment of Sundays For Canines
My full assessment of Sundays for Canines air-dried meals offers you extra details about this model’s recipes, meals security practices, and my private expertise.
Steadily Requested Questions
Listed below are some questions pup homeowners typically ask about air-dried pet food. Don’t see yours right here? Hit us up in our feedback or ask in our boards, and we’ll do our greatest to reply your questions.
Is Air-Dried Canine Meals Higher Than Kibble?
Air-dried pet food and kibble every have their advantages and downsides. Figuring out which is best is determined by your canine’s particular wants and your preferences. Whereas air-dried meals is nutrient-dense, some high-quality, all-natural kibble might be equally as nutritious.
Is There An Natural Air-Dried Canine Meals Accessible?
I’ve been unable to search out 100% natural air-dried pet food in the marketplace. Nonetheless, a couple of manufacturers incorporate some natural elements into their recipes. For instance, ZIWI Peak makes use of natural kelp in all of its recipes.
Not Positive About Air-Dried Canine Meals?
Whereas many pups and homeowners love air-dried pet food, it’s not for everybody. It’s costly, and if in case you have freezer and fridge room, recent pet food is price contemplating for positive if you happen to’re keen to spend a bit extra. In the event you’re on a tighter funds however need the healthiest eating regimen in your pup, learn my critiques of the greatest all-natural pet food.
Our Methodology
We analyze a whole lot of pet food manufacturers and particular person formulation to supply our suggestions for the very best vitamin. Every of the next components helps us decide the very best pet food for any dietary want. Our in-depth analysis contains:
- Scrutinizing all elements included in each method
- Having firsthand expertise with our canines for most of the meals we advocate
- Assessing the assured evaluation for each method, together with protein, fats, fiber, and caloric content material
- Investigating the newest scientific research on canines’ dietary wants and advantages of elements
- Researching the precise dietary wants for breed sizes and well being circumstances
- Studying a whole lot of buyer critiques
- Staying knowledgeable on each pet food recall
- Diving into each pet meals model’s historical past and status
- Maintaining on prime of pet meals developments
In contrast to many different assessment websites, we give unbiased critiques primarily based on numerous hours of analysis. Our aim is to supply our readers with the healthiest choices for his or her pups.
Why Belief Canine Journal?
Sally has researched and reviewed a whole lot of various pet food manufacturers and particular formulation. She’s an skilled at analyzing pet food elements primarily based on present dietary pointers and scientific research for the healthiest meals for our pups. She’s a part of a crew of canine specialists at Canine Journal who’ve over a decade of expertise in researching, testing, and writing about the whole lot you should know to maintain your pup wholesome and comfortable.
