Nature’s Variety Freeze Dried Raw (Dehydrated)

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Rating: ★★★★★

Nature’s Variety Freeze Dried Raw Dog Food earns the Advisor’s highest rating of five stars.

This special brand represents the dehydrated version of its sibling… Nature’s Variety Raw Frozen Diets.

Currently, the Nature’s Variety Freeze Dried Raw product line lists four dehydrated dog foods… each one intended for intermittent or supplemental feeding only.

  • Nature’s Variety Raw Dehydrated Beef Formula
  • Nature’s Variety Raw Dehydrated Lamb Formula
  • Nature’s Variety Raw Dehydrated Chicken Formula
  • Nature’s Variety Raw Dehydrated Venison Formula

Nature’s Variety Raw Dehydrated Venison Formula was selected to represent the other products in the line for this review.

Nature's Variety Freeze Dried Raw Venison Formula

Raw Dog Food

Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content

Protein = 42% | Fat = 26% | Carbs = 24%

Ingredients: Venison, lamb heart, lamb liver, pumpkinseeds, apples, carrots, ground lamb bone, butternut squash, ground flaxseed, chicken eggs, broccoli, lettuce, spinach, dried kelp, apple cider vinegar, parsley, honey, salmon oil, olive oil, blueberries, alfalfa sprouts, persimmons, duck eggs, pheasant eggs, quail eggs, inulin, rosemary, sage, clove.

Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 8.3%

Red items when present indicate controversial ingredients

The first ingredient in this product is venison. Like most meats, venison is naturally rich in all ten essential amino acids required by every dog to sustain life.

The second ingredient is lamb heart. Although it doesn’t sound very appetizing, heart tissue is pure muscle… all meat. So, of course, it’s rich in quality protein and minerals.

The third ingredient is lamb liver. This is an organ meat sourced from a named animal. So long as it’s not over-weighted in a dog food, lamb liver is a beneficial component.

The fourth item is pumpkin seeds. Pumpkin seeds are rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals and, more importantly, linoleic acid… an essential omega-6 fat.

The list goes on to include some healthy fruits and vegetables

  • Apples
  • Carrots
  • Squash
  • Broccoli
  • Lettuce
  • Spinach
  • Kelp
  • Parsley
  • Blueberries
  • Alfalfa
  • Persimmons

The seventh item mentions ground lamb bone… a natural source of calcium and phosphorous.

The ninth item lists ground flaxseed… one of the best vegetable sources of healthy omega-3 fatty acids. The seeds are naturally rich in both soluble and insoluble fiber.

We find no added vitamins or minerals on the ingredients list.

Nature’s Variety Freeze Dried Raw
The Bottom Line

Judging by the quality of its ingredients, Nature’s Variety Freeze Dried Raw looks like a top notch dehydrated dog food.

However, by design, the product was never intended to be fed as a complete and balanced canine diet.

This freeze dried raw food is a supplement… and a supplement only.

Because they probably lack some essential nutrients, supplements must not be fed continuously as the sole item in a dog’s diet.

We prefer to use a food like this as an occasional treat. Or as an appetizing topper… to be served along with other foods.

The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 42%, a fat level of 26% and an estimated carbohydrate content of 24%.

All four products featuring an average protein content of 42%… with fat clocking-in at about 26% for the group.

High protein. Above-average fat. And modest carbohydrates (when compared to a typical dry dog food).

This is the profile of a dog food containing an abundance of meat.

Bottom line?

Nature’s Variety Freeze Dried Raw is a grain-free dehydrated dog food using a generous selection of species-specific meats as its main sources of animal protein… thus earning the brand five stars.

Enthusiastically recommended… for supplemental feeding.

See a recap of all the product lines made by this company when you visit our summary page… Nature’s Variety Dog Food Reviews.

For more suggestions, be sure to visit the Advisor’s Recommended Raw Dog Foods summary page.

A Final Word

This review is designed to help you make a more informed decision when buying dog food. However, our rating system is not intended to suggest feeding a particular product will result in a specific health benefit for your pet.

For a better understanding of how we analyzed this product, please be sure to read our article, “The Problem with Dog Food Reviews

Remember, no dog food can possibly be appropriate for every life stage, lifestyle or health condition. So, choose wisely. And when in doubt consult a veterinarian for help.

Have an opinion about this dog food brand… or maybe the review itself? Please know… we welcome your comments.

Dog Food Advisor IconThe Dog Food Advisor publishes independent reviews to help pet owners make better choices when shopping for dog food.


  • sandy

    An inspirational story (Nala’s story- a diabetic dog) at K9Natural.

    http://www.k9natural.com/component/wordpress/nalas-song-the-results-are-in/?Itemid=12

  • sandy

    Don,

    Choose a dog food with lower glycemic ingredients (legume based). The more protein you have, the less carbs there are. A raw diet would be best if possible as it has the least carbs. And then a high protein canned food and then kibble.

    Dogswell Nutrisca, Horizon Legacy/Amicus/Pulsar, Canine Caviar, Nutrisource Grain Free, Grandma Lucy’s Pureformance, EVO Herring & Salmon. EVO Weight Management, California Natural Grain Free Chicken Meal.

    http://www.amicuspetfood.com/why.html
    http://nutrisca.dogswell.com/
    http://www.horizonpetfood.com/
    http://grandmalucys.com/dog.html
    http://www.nutrisourcedogfood.com/nutrisource/

  • Don

    I have a 2 and half yr old Dalmation who was diagnosed with diabetes last year (insulin dependent). He has been on wellness his whole life and despite the vets advice to switch him over to a 3 star prescription diet, we chose to keep him on wellness. Over the year he has been fairly stable. Last week we tried switching him to a freeze-dried food hoping it might keep his blood sugar lower and more stable than a kibble. Unfortunately he doesn’t like it and never finishes. Any advice for a good diabetic food?

  • Gigi

    Amanda,
    You might want to try Stella and Chewy freeze dried raw food; my little Porki (Pom/Yokie) loves it. It was introduced to me by two friends who both have picky eaters.

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Sharron… Though some may disagree, I don’t see any reason why you couldn’t mix these two together.

  • sharron

    Hi Mike

    i am wondering if i can mix nature’s variety premade frozen raw with ziwipeak canned dog food.
    It would be 1/2 medallion with 1/2 tbsp of can twice a day.
    Lexee is a 2 1/2 yr old 9 lb. yorkie/chihuahua female.

    thanks
    Sharron

  • Aaron

    From my additional reading, it can take 6 months or more to go through the trials, so maybe that is something they are working on and have not completed yet…

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Aaron… You make an excellent point. It just seems logical if the products are made with “the exact same formula”, their AAFCO profiles should be the same, too. Strange.

  • Aaron

    I received this note from the company:

    “Our Instinct Freeze Dried Raw is recommended as intermittent or supplemental feeding/treats only because it is not considered complete and balanced. To define a product as complete and balanced it must go through AAFCO feeding trials, which hasn’t been done with our Instinct Freeze Dried Raw. However, our Instinct Freeze Dried Raw Diets are the exact same formula as our Instinct Raw Frozen Diets, only without the moisture.”

    It seems that if the formula is the same, then it should be OK to make this a dog’s primary food source….?

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Aaron… Unlike the Raw Frozen product, Nature’s Variety does not appear to recommend its Dehydrated Raw product to be the sole item in a dog’s diet. Here’s the actual text I copied from the company’s website:

    “Nature’s Variety Instinct Freeze Dried Raw is intended for intermittent or supplemental feeding only. Feed as a singular meal, supplement, treat, or wholesome palatant. If using Freeze Dried Raw as the sole food for a given day, feed 6-7 mini medallions or 4-5 regular medallions per 10 pounds of body weight. Decrease proportionally with the amount of other foods fed.”

    Hope this helps explain my report.

  • Aaron

    Hi. Are you sure that Nature’s Variety Dehydrated Raw is intended for supplemental feeding only as the review above states? I think the only difference between the frozen and the dehydrated is that they freeze-dry @ low pressure instead of just frozen. Yet, your review of the frozen does not indicate that it is supplemental feeding only.

    Love the site and your reviews…

    –Aaron

  • Louise

    Amanda,

    Two other kibbles you might try for your picky Yorkie are Dogswell Nutrisca and Wellness Small Breed. Both excellent kibbles that my two extremely finicky chihuahuas love!

    Wellness Core is great — except that the kibbles are very big. My two chis has trouble eating them.

    If you are looking for a good canned food to put over/with the kibbles, Blue Buffalo makes a Small Breed canned that my two go crazy for!

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Amanda… Our Bailey is also a picky eater. That’s why we routinely mix his kibble with a wet food. This kind of feeding method is known as topping. However, since your dog doesn’t appear to like the different kibbles you mention, it just seems to defeat one of the most important benefits of topping by mixing two dry products together. If you like Nature’s Variety Raw, why not use their raw frozen (wet) product with your dog’s kibble? Or try using a quality canned food. Hope this helps.

  • Amanda

    Hi Mike, I have a 3 pound Yorkie. He is a VERY picky eater. So far I’ve tried: Bil Jac, RoyalK Yorkie, Natural Balance, and Amicus. I still haven’t had the luck to have a food that he likes. I’m thinking to switch to Wellness Core and mix some of this Freeze dried food in it. I have two concerns about this though.
    Will this freeze dried food mix well with it so that he doesn’t pick it out and leave the wellness kibble?
    Also I’ve heard that you shouldn’t mix the raw food with the processed food because one digests faster than the other. Is this true?
    Thanks for your time.

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Bev… Inulin is a good thing. It’s a starch-like compound made up of repeating units of carbohydrates and found in certain roots and tubers (like chicory). Not only is inulin a natural source of soluble dietary fiber, it’s also a prebiotic used to promote the growth of healthy bacteria in a dog’s digestive tract.

    As I mention in my FAQ pages, “rosemary is frequently used in dog food as a natural anti-oxidant and preservative. It’s also considered an anti-cancer agent. However, we’ve never been able to find any scientific studies linking rosemary extract with seizures in dogs. We’ve only found mention of its potential relationship in humans. And then, only rarely in subjects prone to epileptic seizures in the first place.”

    Not sure about the other two. Probably there for their anti-oxidant capabilities, too.

  • Bev Thomas

    Noticed these “inulin, rosemary, sage, clove” were in the ingredient list above. Why would anyone add these to dog food Are good or bad for a dog to eat. Thank you.

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Dennis… Hypoglycemia is a condition of low blood sugar. It should not be confused with hyperglycemia or diabetes. If hypoglycemia is indeed a disease your dog suffers from, he needs to be under the management of a quality veterinary professional. Wish I could be more help.

  • Dennis

    Hi Mike, I have a 4lb. yorkie.Eighteen months old.Very,very finiky.Likes a food one day,not the next.I’m worried about him losing weight.Hypoglycemic(low sugar).I’ve been feeding him Dogswell Nutrisca,which is a low glycemic food.He seems to like it.In your opinion,is this the wrong food for him.It seems geared to dogs that are overweight.Also been looking at Natures Variety and Wellness.All foods are kibble.Your opinion please.

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Shelby… I’ve heard that one before myself. But so far, I’m unable to find any scientific reports to back those claims. Almost anything close to “fresh” (even canned food) can’t help but make a significant improvement to kibble.

  • Shelby

    Would it be ideal to mix this supplemental raw dog food with dog kibble?

    I’ve read that one should not do this because dogs digests the raw food much more quickly than dog kibble.

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Ann… As long as both foods meet AAFCO nutritional profiles, you should be just fine no matter how you proportion the two. Orijen is a 5-star food because it has good protein content. To see why we shamelessly prefer meat-rich dog foods, please be sure to see our FAQ page. Look for the topic, “Dog Food Protein”.

  • Ann Phillips

    -I would like to know if it’s ok to feed a dehydrated raw food in the am and Wellnesskibbles at night.
    -If there foods have everything in them the dog’s need then are we upsetting those combinations by adding our own additional items
    - I’ve heard that Origen has too much protein.

    Thanks

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Sherry… I’m so sorry to hear about your dog’s cancer. And I can certainly understand how important it is for you to find a good food to help your dog get well. Unfortunately, since I’m not a veterinarian, you’ve asked a question I don’t feel qualified to answer. Although I’m sure there are specific dog foods that could help, we try to limit our reviews to reading and interpreting pet food labels only. We never attempt to judge the ability of any dog food to treat certain conditions or deliver specific health benefits.

    That said, my best recommendation would be to choose a 3, 4 or 5-star dog food that your dog enjoys and feed it in amounts designed to maintain a healthy weight. Be sure your choice is agreeable with your dog’s treating veterinarian. Hope this helps.

  • Sherry

    Hi,
    I feed my dog wellness core kibble and the canned stews. I just found out that she has cancer. Should I be changing anything in her diet to help her during her fight with cancer?

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Matt… It would be misleading (and untrue) for me to tell you we use the same combination of foods every time we feed Bailey. We prefer to rotate his menu periodically… so we use a different 4 or 5-star kibble and top it with a 4 or 5-star wet food.

  • matt

    What dog food do u use and what raw food toping do u give your dog?

  • Melissa

    Thank you so much Mike for the advice! She will love it!

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Melissa… We refer to the feeding method you’re using as “topping”. My Bailey is fed this way, too. We take a 5-star kibble and top it with a good quality canned food. You can also do this with a quality raw frozen food, too.

    Bailey gobbles it up… and the variety is good for him, too.

    Nothing is further from nature (and a dog’s natural ancestral diet) than a kibble. So there’s no need to question adding fresher meats to your dog’s meals.

    Your Golden/Lab mix is one lucky dog!

  • Melissa

    I have been feeding my Golden/Lab mix Wellness Core (dry) for quite a while. She likes this food but loves it when I mix with about two tablespoons of the Core (canned). I have thought about giving her a bit more variety in her diet and just as an extra healthy boost. I am considering giving her this food along with the Core. ( I would like to keep her on Core) Will this be too much for her stomach to handle? I do not want her stomach to get upset.

    Thanks so much!