[Kelly P]

I am going to be getting a Malamute/Husky/Wolf puppy in the near future, I plan on feeding raw making the portions myself. I’ve done extensive research for the past year on raw feeding as to help make sure I get the proper ratios for nutrients etc. However, I know that I’m going to run into at some point needing to go on a trip and going to need food for my puppy, obviously carrying around frozen food isn’t the most ideal because I don’t want to potentially harm my dog.

If I were to use my food dehydrator to dehydrate the food would that work? but wouldn’t I have to feed a bit more because of the lost nutrients? And what about the calcium portion? I could just buy something like Blue Buffalo for these occasions, but I’d rather try to stick to me preparing their food.

[Jonathan S]

I’m up against a similar issue as I’m getting one of my dogs into K9 Search and Rescue. When/if we deploy I’m expected to pack 3 days of food for myself and my dog. Obviously my frozen raw mix isn’t going to work with this scenario.

I’m still researching, but my intent is to find a good, freeze dried raw food (I found one that comes in flake form, so I think I’ll be going with that) that can be reconstituted quickly with water. That’ll keep the weight down in the pack as well.

Just remember, as long as you keep it to a quality food that you trust, you shouldn’t have to worry too much about variance from your dogs regular food as (I’m assuming) you won’t be changing their diet up for a really long time.

Finally, and this is just my two cents, it seems to be easier for adult dogs to switch back and forth on food, while puppies need to be transitioned over a week or so. If it were me, I’d try to stay consistent until the pup is older, ie, no trips for a bit.

[Coonhound Mama]

Hi Kelly,

I’m afraid I would not be much help as far as balancing food nutrients requirements with homemade diets, but you may be able to buy a bag of freeze dried raw food (guaranteed to be balanced) just for these certain times. I don’t know if this is any easier, but I use premade raw when we travel (Stella and Chewy’s and Nature’s Variety) simply because it stores easier than a whole mess of odds and ends does. Of course that doesn’t eliminate the issue of cold storage. Check out some of the 5 star freeze dried bag foods though if you are looking for convenience.

[Kelly P]

Alright, Thanks, I will look into Freeze Dried raw food. I have heard and read a lot about how sometimes switching foods can be hard on their digestive systems, but I guess if I stick to one source of protein before a trip and then buy that source as freeze dried I should be alright. To be honest all the dogs I had growing up just got your run of the mill grain infested kibble.

I do not plan to go on long trips with my puppy until they’re a year or two and trained to some degree, but you never know what the future holds and I prefer to be educated and prepared.

[Coonhound Mama]

I totally understand your worry, and mine had grain-infested kibble for a long time, too! They are lucky we know better now 😉 As long as you feed on rotation and offer some kibble and/or canned in advance, (oh the dreaded kibble), you should be fine. I’ve found my dog’s system does best when I feed her canned food when I absolutely have to during travel as opposed to kibble. Much easier to carry than raw, and luckily Nature’s Variety Instinct does make a very, very good 95% single protein canned food.

[Dori]

Kelly P. You could also look in to dehydrated dog foods. You just add water to them to rehydrate. Some are The Honest Kitchen, Sojos, Grandma Lucy’s. I’m sure there must be others but right now these are the three that come to mind. Both Primal and Vital Essentials make pretty good freeze dried foods that do not need to be rehydrated. Just scoop and serve. Just make sure your dog has plenty of water. You could try adding water to the freeze dried I mentioned but it takes a very long time for them to absorb any liquid. I’ve tried doing that and it just didn’t work out well.

Edit: Forgot to mention that both Primal and Vital Essentials Freeze Dried are both rated 5 stars on this site.

Good luck with whichever you choose. I will just add that I wouldn’t go from homemade or raw and then feed a kibble (Blue Buffalo or any other for that matter). That’s a pretty dramatic switch.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 3 months ago by Dori.

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