Rating: 
Stella and Chewy’s Freeze Dried Raw Dog Food earns the Advisor’s top rating of 5 stars.
The Stella and Chewy’s product line includes seven freeze dried raw dog foods, each claimed to meet AAFCO nutrient profiles for all life stages.
The following is a list of recipes available at the time of this review.
- Chewy’s Chicken Freeze Dried Dinner
- Stella’s Super Beef Freeze Dried Dinner
- Stella & Chewy’s Surf N Turf Freeze Dried Dinner
- Stella & Chewy’s Dandy Lamb Freeze Dried Dinner
- Stella & Chewy’s Simply Venison Freeze Dried Dinner
- Stella & Chewy’s Absolutely Rabbit Freeze Dried Dinner
- Stella & Chewy’s Duck Duck Goose Freeze Dried Dinner
Stella & Chewy’s Duck Duck Goose Freeze Dried Dinner was selected to represent the other products in the line for this review.
Stella and Chewy's Duck Duck Goose Freeze-Dried
Freeze-Dried Dog Food
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Ingredients: Duck with ground bone, turkey, turkey liver, goose, turkey gizzard, pumpkin seed, potassium chloride, organic cranberries, organic spinach, organic broccoli, organic beets, sodium phosphate monobasic, organic carrots, organic squash, organic apples, organic blueberries, choline chloride, dried Pediococcus acidilactici fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, dried Bifidobacterium longum fermentation product, dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product, taurine, tocopherols (preservative), calcium carbonate, zinc proteinate, zinc sulfate, iron sulfate, iron proteinate, vitamin E supplement, niacin, copper sulfate, copper proteinate, manganese sulfate, sodium selenite, manganese proteinate, thiamine monohydrate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, vitamin D3 supplement, calcium iodate, vitamin B12 supplement
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 4.2%
Red items when present indicate controversial ingredients
| Estimated Nutrient Content | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Method | Protein | Fat | Carbs |
| Guaranteed Analysis | 40% | 28% | NA |
| Dry Matter Basis | 42% | 30% | 20% |
| Calorie Weighted Basis | 31% | 53% | 15% |
The first item in this dog food lists duck. Duck is considered “the clean combination of flesh and skin… derived from the parts or whole carcasses of duck”.1
Duck is naturally rich in the ten essential amino acids required by a dog to sustain life. Plus this particular meat also includes ground bone… an excellent source of natural calcium.
The second ingredient includes turkey, another poultry item with a nutrient profile similar to duck.
The third ingredient is turkey liver. This is an organ meat sourced from a named animal and thus considered a beneficial component.
The fourth ingredient is goose, yet one more poultry item.
The fifth ingredient lists turkey gizzard. The gizzard is a low-fat, meaty organ found in the digestive tract of birds and assists by grinding up a consumed food. As foreign as it may seem to us humans, the gizzard is a favored delicacy to a dog.
The sixth ingredient is pumpkin seed. Pumpkin seeds are rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals and, more importantly, linoleic acid — an essential omega-6 fat.
The next several items includes a number of nutrient-rich fruits and vegetables…
- Organic cranberries
- Organic spinach
- Organic broccoli
- Organic beets
- Organic carrots
- Organic squash
- Organic apples
- Organic blueberries
From here, the list goes on to include a number of other items.
But to be realistic, ingredients located this far down the list (other than nutritional supplements) are not likely to affect the overall rating of this product.
With two notable exceptions…
First, we note the inclusion of dried fermentation products in this recipe. Fermentation products are typically added to provide enzymes to aid the animal with digestion.
And lastly, this food also contains chelated minerals, minerals that have been chemically attached to protein. This makes them easier to absorb. Chelated minerals are usually found in better dog foods.
Stella and Chewy’s
Freeze Dried Raw Dog Food
The Bottom Line
Since this recipe contains a number of organic ingredients, we feel compelled to grant this line a more favorable status as we consider its final rating.
That’s because organic ingredients must comply with notably more stringent government standards — standards which significantly restrict the use of any synthetic pesticides, herbicides, insecticides, hormones or antibiotics.
With that in mind…
Judging by its ingredients alone, Stella and Chewy’s Freeze Dried Raw Dog Food looks like an above-average raw product.
But ingredient quality by itself cannot tell the whole story. We still need to estimate the product’s meat content before determining a final rating.
The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 42%, a fat level of 30% and estimated carbohydrates of about 20%.
As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 43% and a mean fat level of 32%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 17% for the overall product line.
And a fat-to-protein ratio of about 73%.
Above-average protein. Above-average fat. And below-average carbs when compared to a typical raw dog food.
Free of any plant-based protein boosters, this looks like the profile of a freeze-dried raw dog food containing a significant amount of meat.
Bottom line?
Stella and Chewy’s Freeze Dried is a meat-based raw dog food using a significant amount of named meat and organs as its main sources of animal protein, thus earning the brand 5 stars.
Enthusiastically recommended.
Please note certain recipes are sometimes given a higher or lower rating based upon our estimate of their total meat content.
To read about another raw food from the same company be sure to see our review of Stella and Chewy’s Raw Frozen Dinners.
For more suggestions, be sure to visit the Advisor’s Recommended Raw Dog Foods summary page.
Special Alert
Rice ingredients can sometimes contain arsenic. Until the US FDA establishes safe upper levels for arsenic content, pet owners may wish to limit the total amount of rice fed in a dog's daily diet.
A Final Word
The descriptions and analyses expressed in this and every article on this website represent the views and opinions of the author.
Although it's our goal to ensure all the information on this website is correct, we cannot guarantee its completeness or its accuracy; nor can we commit to ensuring all the material is kept up-to-date on a daily basis.
Each review is offered in good faith and has been 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 specific health benefits for your pet.
For a better understanding of how we analyze each product, please 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 qualified veterinary professional for help.
In closing, we do not accept money, gifts or samples from pet food companies in exchange for special consideration in the preparation of our reviews or ratings.
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Notes and Updates
06/15/2010 Original review
01/14/2011 Updated (chelated minerals)
10/19/2012 Review updated
11/02/2013 Review updated
12/30/2012 Rating adjusted to 4.5 stars due to modified protein, fat and carb guidelines for our raw dog food category
11/02/2013 Last Update
- Adapted by the Dog Food Advisor from the official definition for chicken published by the American Association of Feed Control Officials, 2008 Edition ↩
