Best Dehydrated Dog Food
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Dehydrated dog food is made by gently removing moisture from fresh ingredients at low temperatures, preserving nutrients while extending shelf life. It typically requires rehydration with water before feeding.
What’s the difference between dehydrated dog food and dry food (kibble)?
What are the pros and cons of dehydrated dog food?
Pros:
✔ More Nutrient-Dense – Preserves vitamins, minerals, and natural flavors better than kibble.
✔ Less Processed – Uses minimal processing, often with whole-food ingredients.
✔ Lighter & Easier to Store – Lighter than fresh or raw food but still high-quality.
✔ Long Shelf Life – Doesn’t spoil quickly like fresh or frozen food.
✔ Better Digestibility – Gentle processing makes it easier on sensitive stomachs.
Cons:
✘ More Expensive – Costs more than kibble due to higher-quality ingredients.
✘ Requires Preparation – Needs rehydration with water, which takes a few minutes.
✘ Less Convenient for Travel – Not as easy as grabbing a handful of kibble.
✘ Shorter Shelf Life Once Opened – More prone to moisture absorption than kibble.
What are the best dehydrated dog foods?
If you’re looking for the best dehydrated dog food for your pet, see our list, below. These recommendation are made by the Dog Food Advisor team of experts made up of researchers, vets and pet nutritionists.
Best Dehydrated Dog Food February 2026
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Best Dehydrated Dog Food
The Honest Kitchen Grain-Free Turkey
The Honest Kitchen Grain-Free Turkey is made with cage-free turkey and includes dehydrated potatoes, lentils, and peas as the primary sources of carbohydrates and fiber.
The Honest Kitchen is a reputable brand that offers high-quality, human-grade foods, ensuring the best nutrition for pets.
Dry matter label analysis reveals the recipe contains 31.5% protein, 19.5% fat and 41% estimated carbs… which creates a fat-to-protein ratio of about 62%.
Read our review of the full The Honest Kitchen Wholemade Grain Free Dog Food (Dehydrated) range here
Things we like
- Human-grade ingredients
- Gently dehydrated, finely diced ingredients help support digestion
- non-GMO ingredients
Main Ingredients Dehydrated turkey, flaxseed, dehydrated potatoes, dehydrated spinach, dehydrated carrots Type Grain-Free Protein Percentage 31.5% AAFCO Standards All Life Stages Best For All Dogs Sample buyer review...
Read more buyer reviews at thehonestkitchen.com"I have been purchasing HK high quality products for around 16 years. I believe it’s the best of the best! HK used only “human” grade quality ingredients and has approval of the FDA to do so! They are much more than a pet food company. If you spend some time perusing their website you will see that they are a genuine, total pet caring company. From Read more about review stating Better than pet food!health care to training tips they do it all with sound professional quality."
We also highly recommend
A Pup Above Chicka Pupatouille
A Pup Above Whole Food Cubies are crunchy whole food "cubies". The gentle cooking technique, provides the flavor of fresh food with the convenience of dry food.
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Best Raw Dehydrated Dog Food
Addiction Homestyle Venison & Cranberry Dinner Raw Dehydrated Dog Food
Addiction Homestyle Venison & Cranberry Dinner is a raw, dehydrated dog food that serves as a great alternative for pet owners. The venison used in this formula is a rich and novel protein source, making it ideal for sensitive dogs that are allergic to chicken, beef, or lamb. Additionally, it is formulated with essential amino acids to promote healthier and shinier coats.
Addiction foods are made using only the safest ingredients and high-quality proteins.
Our dry matter label analysis reveals the recipe contains 25% protein, 13.6% fat and 53.4% estimated carbs… and a fat-to-protein ratio of about 55%.
Read our review of the full Addiction Dog Food (Dehydrated) range here
Things we like
- Nutrient packed superfoods
- Sustainably-sourced Venison
- Gently air-dried raw ingredients
Main Ingredients Venison, oats, potatoes, carrots, coconut oil Type Grain-Inclusive Protein Percentage 25% AAFCO Standards All Life Stages Best For All Dogs Sample buyer review...
Read more buyer reviews at Chewy.com"This was my first raw feed of any kind, and I thought my bull terrier was going to eat the bowl. It smells good, and the texture is awesome..not gummy like another leading brand. Definitely buy again and others in this family."
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Best Dehydrated Dog Food for Small Breeds
CaniSource Grand Cru Grain Free Chicken and Duck
CaniSource Grand Cru Grain-Free Chicken and Duck is formulated to provide the benefits of a raw diet in an easy-to-serve, dehydrated kibble formula. It is an ideal kibble size for small dogs.
High-quality ingredients are easier to digest, making this recipe suitable for small dogs prone to digestive issues.
Our dry matter label analysis reveals the recipe contains 30.4% protein, 17.4% fat and 44.2% estimated carbs… and a fat-to-protein ratio of about 57%.
Read our review of the full CaniSource Grand Cru Dog Food (Dehydrated) range here
Things we like
- Meats are carefully selected and sourced from HACCP-certified food plants
- Low temperature, slow dehydration process preserves nutrients of raw foods
- No by-products, meat meal or fishmeal
Main Ingredients Chicken, duck, lentils, chickpeas, green peas Type Grain-Free Protein Percentage 30.4% AAFCO Standards All Life Stages Best For All Dogs Sample buyer review...
Read more buyer reviews at Chewy.com"My dog has been on this brand for a while now and he loves it. He always jumps up as soon as it is dinner time. He has many food allergies but this food hasn't given him any issues."
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Best Dehydrated Dog Food for Large Breeds
Ziwi Peak Tripe & Lamb
Ziwi Peak Tripe & Lamb is a diet that consists of fresh meat, organs, bones, and green mussels, providing a natural source of chondroitin and glucosamine to support joint health, which is especially needed by larger dogs.
Ziwi uses air-dried technology to preserve the nutrition from their naturally sourced ingredients, providing a safe alternative to raw dog food.
Our dry matter label analysis reveals the recipe contains 51.2% protein, 27.9% fat and 12.9% estimated carbs… which results in a fat-to-protein ratio of about 55%.
Read our review of the full Ziwi Peak Air Dried Dog Food (Dehydrated) range here
Things we like
- Natural ingredients with no artificial preservatives, additives, fillers, or grains
- Ethically sourced proteins
- Superfoods for added nutrition
Main Ingredients Lamb tripe, lamb lung, lamb heart, lamb, lamb liver Type Grain-Free Protein Percentage 51.2% AAFCO Standards All Life Stages Best For All Dogs Sample buyer review...
Read more buyer reviews at Chewy.com"Our notoriously picky eater loves everything about this food. He chomps it doe eagerly as a meal or as a treat. He is a large breed puppy, so we are breathing a sigh of relief now that we found something he will without a doubt eat."
How we review dog foods
We read the label.
This may sound simple, but there are thousands of dog foods on the market, and the label is the only source of reliable, standardized and government-regulated data available on every one of them. This includes the AAFCO nutrient profile, the Guaranteed Analysis and the ingredients.
We use our algorithm.
We take the data and enter it into our unique algorithm to produce a different set of figures, including the Dry Matter Analysis (the nutrient levels after water has been removed). This algorithm gives us a base score range on our five-star rating system.
We refine the score.
We take into account other factors, such as the quality of ingredients and the nature of the first few ingredients on the list (and therefore the most prevalent in the food), and narrow the score. The key ingredients are explained in-depth in the review.
Our expert nutritionist takes over.
At this point, our expert pet nutritionist, Laura Ward, goes through the review to check and approve it. She has the authority to make small discretionary changes to the star-rating based on her judgment of a food. We now have our final star-rating.
What other information do we include for dog parents?
Each dog food review includes sample consumer reviews and links to other reviews. It also includes the brand’s recall history. Our Best Dog Food pages also include consumer reviews.
Why we don’t just feed foods to our dogs.
Despite what other dog food review sites claim, simply giving a food to a dog and seeing if they eat it is completely unscientific and has little value as a review method. If you give a kid candy, they’ll happily eat it, but it doesn’t mean it’s good for them. And no one food suits every dog.
It’s also dangerous for dogs. We rate every dog food, good and bad. Why would we deliberately feed a dog bad dog food?
That said, we understand that personal experience of a food is important to dog parents and include consumer reviews on our pages.
What about lab-testing dog food?
Lab-testing dog food can provide useful, in-depth information, but as mentioned, there are thousands of dog foods on the market. We’d love to test them all, but there isn’t a facility in the country that could. Therefore, it’s impossible to have a fair universal rating system using lab tests.
It’s worth noting that dog food brands carry out their own testing. This ensures compliance with AAFCO and FDA pet food standards, as well as checking for pathogens.
Why you should trust our dog food reviews
Dog Food Advisor has been impartially reviewing dog food since 2008. We are the most trusted dog food review site in the United States, with a 4.9-star TrustPilot rating.
Here's why:
We do not accept money, gifts, samples or any other incentives in exchange for special consideration in writing our reviews.
We rate every dog food in the same way, using the only information we believe is equally available for all foods, reliable and therefore fair: what’s on the label. It’s the only way for any review site to rate every dog food on the market.
We focus on ingredients, nutrient profiles and recipes. We look at the ingredients used, including their quality, and review the nutritional analysis and macronutrient balance. We take into account any controversial or harmful ingredients.
Every review is expertly checked and approved by our highly qualified in-house animal nutritionist, Laura Ward.
We report all dog food and dog treat recalls through our Dog Food Recall Alert service, no matter the brand.
For more information, read our How We Rate Dog Food and Disclaimer and Disclosure pages.
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Final word
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