Freeze-dried raw dog food toppers, boosters, or meal mixers are diet enhancers added to regular canine diets to help improve nutrition, palatability or provide certain specific benefits we will mention later. They are among the many commercially available dog food toppers and mixers, others being raw, dry, or wet.
While most are intended for supplemental or intermitted feeding, some are complete and balanced, meaning you can serve then alone. If for supplemental purposes, keep amount NOT MORE THAN 10% of your dog’s daily calorie requirement.
On the other hand, if they are complete and balanced, ensure they are bearing AAFCO’s nutritional adequacy statement for the specific life stage. Don’t assume.
Why buy freeze-dried dog meal mixers – benefits
These dog toppers or meal mixers bear all the benefits of the best freeze-dried dog foods we looked at, which include:
- Closely resemble their original ingredients, i.e., their formulation uses raw or minimally process and handled ingredients and freeze-drying retain most nutrients, natural enzymes, texture, shape, and the appearance of the end products.
- They are made using quality ingredients that comprise of predominantly humanely raised, cage-free or grass-fed animals meats, organs, and bones, with some having a small percentage of organic produce, especially vegetables and fruits for enhanced nutrition.
- Most don’t have grains, artificial preservatives, colors, fillers, and other worthless ingredients.
- Last longer and rehydrate faster than dog kibble.
Best freeze-dried toppers and mixers review
Because freeze-dried dog foods are expensive, the most practical way is to instead go for dod food toppers and meal mixers. They will serve you longer while bringing superior nutrition and all the other benefits we have seen.
Secondly, when buying any brand, look at the product label for the ingredient list, nutritional adequacy statement, guaranteed analysis, expiry date, among other vital pieces of information.
Thirdly, avoid cheap brands that poorly package. Instead, go for reputed brands, especially those made in countries with stringent manufacturing and quality control rules like New Zealand, Western Europe, the US, Canada, or Australia.
Finally, consider your dog’s preference or if they have a specific benefit that your Fido needs, such as meal mixers that aid in digestion, boost skin and coat health, managing food allergies, and so on.
Here are the top 9 best freeze-dried dog toppers and meal mixers.
1. Stella & Chewy’s Stella’s Super Beef Meal Mixers Freeze-Dried Raw Dog Food Topper
Life stages: All life stages
Stella’s Super Beef Meal Mixers should be your first choice of a freeze-dried dog topper if you want to turnaround your ordinary canned or dry dog diet. Just add a few scoops and see your dog go crazy with their meal or serve it as a complete and balanced meal for adult dogs for adult small, medium, and large dog breeds.
Key benefits
- Made with 95% raw beef, organs, and bones source from grass-fed beef together with antioxidant, mineral, and a vitamin-rich blend of organic veggies and fruits.
- Gluten-free, grain-free, and doesn’t have artificial flavors, preservatives, pea, lentil, potatoes, or other fillers.
- Easy to feed. You can serve it with or without rehydration.
- It is antioxidant-rich, has added vitamins, minerals, taurine, and probiotics (promote gut health).
Additional information
- First ingredients: Beef, beef liver, beef kidney, beef heart, beef tripe, beef bone, pumpkin seed, organic cranberries, organic spinach, organic broccoli.
- Calorie content: it has a calculated 4940 kcal ME /kg or 56 kcal/ 0.25 a cup
- Guaranteed analysis: Crude protein (min): 44%, Crude Fats (min): 35%, crude fiber (max): 5.0%, moisture (max) 5.0%, microorganisms (min): 50,000,000 CFU/Oz.
2. K9 Natural Freeze-Dried Dog Food Booster – Lamb Green Tripe Topper
Feeding: Supplemental or intermittent only
K9 Freeze-dried Lamb Green Tripe is a high protein, premium quality, and one of the best daily natural dog food topper or supplements in the market. All you need to do is sprinkle it over your Fido’s regular diet, and it will be bursting with goodness.
Benefits
- Made in New Zealand using a single protein source, i.e., grass-fed 100% protein-rich lamb grain tripe.
- Loaded with naturally occurring prebiotics and probiotics that will boost your dog’s digestion while minimizing stomach upsets.
- It has no grains, wheat, corn, cereals, rice, soy, potato, dairy, or fillers.
- Promotes appetite
- Supports immunity, great for seasonal allergies, will promote a healthy dog skin and a shiny coat as well as helps a canine’s anti-inflammatory response.
Additional information
- Ingredients: Green lamb tripe
- Calorie Content ME: 4165kcal/kg or 125kcal/cup
- Guaranteed analysis: Crude protein (min): 60%, Crude Fats (min): 18%, crude fiber (max): 2.4%, moisture (max) 8.0%, lactobacillus acidophilus (min): 2,200,000 CFU/lb
Besides Lamb Green Tripe, other good toppers from K9 Beef Feast, Beef Green Tripe, Chicken, Hoki & Beef Feast, Lamb & Salmon, Lamb Feast, and Puppy Beef Feast Toppers.
3. Instinct Freeze Dried Raw Boost Mixers– Gut Health
Feeding: Supplemental or intermittent
Instinct Raw Boost Mixers Gut Health is a healthy, flavorful, and nutritious intermittent or supplemental diet mixer ideal for maintaining your dog’s digestive.
Key benefits
- It is formulated with cage-free chicken (chicken, chicken organs, and ground bones) together with other wholesome ingredients, including dried pumpkin, sweet potato, and pumpkin seeds.
- Fiber-rich and has live natural prebiotics to support your dog’s digestive health.
- It doesn’t have grains, corn, potato, wheat, soy, as well as artificial preservatives or flavor.
Additional information
- First ingredients: chicken (including ground chicken bone), chicken liver, pumpkin seeds, chicken heart, dried pumpkin, sweet potato, dried chicory root.
- Calorie content: It has metabolizable energy 4,555 kcal/kg or 291 kcal/cup
- Guaranteed Analysis: Crude Protein (min): 36%, Crude Fats (min): 30%, crude fiber (max): 15%, moisture (max) 6%, Lactobacillus coagulans (min): 200,000,000 CFU/lb.
Besides gut health, you can also buy mobility support, immune health, or the skin and coat health depending on your dog’s specific needs.
4. Merrick Backcountry Freeze-Dried Raw Meal Mixer Real Beef Recipe Dog Food
Life stage: Adult maintenance
Provide nutritional boost or a whole meal to your dog with Merrick Backcountry Freeze-Dried Raw Meal Mixer Real Beef Recipe with a fresh, meaty taste that your dogs will fall in love with instantly.
Key benefits
- It has protein-rich deboned beef as its first ingredient to boost energy and build lean muscle.
- Nutrient-dense, easy to digest, and undergoes High-Pressure Processing (HPP) to kill any present microorganism making it much safer.
- Doesn’t have grain, corn, soy, gluten or potato as well as artificial flavors, colors or preservatives.
Additional information
- First ingredients: deboned beef, beef liver, dried potatoes, gelatin, potato protein, beef broth, dried kelp, mixed tocopherols (a preservative), apples, carrots, and blueberries.
- Calorie content: Calculated 3905 kcal/kg or 230 kcal/cup ME (metabolizable energy.
- Guaranteed Analysis:Crude protein (min): 40%, Crude Fats (min): 18%, crude fiber (max): 3%, moisture (max): 6%.
Besides this Beef formula, you can also buy the chicken formula.
5. TruDog All Natural Dog Food Enhancer – Boost Me: Mighty Meaty Beef Booster
Feeding: supplemental or intermittent diet
If you have a finicky eater Boost Me: Mighty Meaty Beef Booster may be an answer to turning average boring dinner or mealtime to a moment of magical happiness.
Key benefits
- It has been meat, organs, bone, and blood sourced from the US.
- Support overall wellbeing, including immunity, healthy digestion, weight, and healthy gums and teeth.
- Doesn’t have antibiotics, added sugar or hormones
- Free of grains, wheat, gluten, corn, soy, fillers, artificial flavors or colors.
Additional information
- First ingredient: beef, beef lung, beef liver, beef protein, beef tripe, beef heart, ground beef bone, beef fat, beef kidney, beef blood
- Calorie content: 4430 kcal ME/kg; 401.88 kcal/cup.
- Guaranteed Analysis: Crude protein (min): 49%, Crude Fats (min): 24%, crude fiber (max): 8%, moisture (max): 8%.
6. Instinct Freeze-Dried Raw Boost Mixers Grass-Fed Lamb Recipe
Feeding: Intermittent or supplemental
It is an undeniable fact that Instinct is a powerhouse when it comes to freeze-dried pet diets. The Raw Boost Mixers Grass-Fed Lamb Recipe is an excellent choice of topping your regular dog diet with pure, superior nutrition that will keep your dog wanting more.
Key benefits
- Made with grass-fed protein-rich lamb and organs are the only protein source that happens to be novel.
- All vegetables used and fruits are non-GMO
- It has all-natural ingredients without any grains, corn, wheat, potato, soy, by-product meal, or artificial preservatives and colors.
- Will boost digestion, vitality, and ensure your pet has a healthy skin and coat.
Additional information
- First ingredients: Lamb, lamb kidney, pumpkin seeds, lamb spleen, lamb liver, carrots, apples, butternut squash, and ground flaxseed.
- Calorie content: Metabolizable energy (ME) of 4,715 kcal/kg or 236 kcal/cup.
- Guaranteed Analysis: Crude protein (min): 36%, Crude Fats (min): 30%, crude fiber (max): 15%, moisture (max): 6%.
Besides lamb, you can also go for beef and chicken, which are equally nutritious and mouthwatering.
7. Stella & Chewy’s Freeze-Dried Raw Marie’s Magical Dinner Dust Cage-Free Chicken
Feeding: meant for intermittent or supplemental feeding
Raw Marie’s Magical Dinner Dust Cage-Free Chicken is a tasty and delicious choice of meal topper for the very fussy dogs.
Key benefits
- 95% cage-free chicken, organs, and bone tougher with organic of wholesome organic fruits and vegetables.
- Grain-free, gluten-free, and doesn’t have any hormones or antibiotics.
- Comes with an easy to pour sprout
Additional information
- First ingredients: chicken with ground bone, chicken liver, chicken gizzard, pumpkin seed, organic cranberries, organic spinach, organic broccoli, organic beets, organic carrots, organic squash, organic blueberries, and fenugreek seed.
- Calorie content: 440 kcal Metabolizable Energy (ME) per kg or 11kcal ME /tbsp.
- Guaranteed Analysis:Crude Protein (min): 48%, Crude Fats (min): 28%, crude fiber (max): 5%, moisture (max): 5%.
Besides the Cage-Free Chicken Recipe, you can also buy the Grass-Feed Beef, What’s Shak’n Bac’n, or the Duck Duck Goose Recipe.
8. Buckley Liberty Freeze-Dried Dog Food Topper & Mixer – Lamb Recipe
Buckley Liberty Freeze-Dried Lamb Recipe is not only a nutrient-rich top choice dog food topper or meal mixer but also a meal for all dog life stages, including the growth of large size dogs (70 pounds or over as adults).
Key benefits
- Has 80% raw lamb meat, organ and ground bones as well as healthy oils, and nutrient and antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables.
- It is free hormones, grains, corn, soy, wheat, antibiotics, or artificial colors and preservatives.
- Easy to serve. You have a choice of hydrating or not hydrating the food.
Additional information
- First ingredients: lamb heart, lamb liver, ground lamb bone, squash, apples, carrots, broccoli, eggs, and ground flaxseed
- Calorie content: 4700 Kcal ME/kg or 173kcal ME/cup
- Guaranteed Analysis: Crude protein (min) 45%, crude fat (min): 36%, crude fiber (max): 5% moisture (max): 5%
9. Herbsmith Smiling Dog Kibble Seasoning Freeze-Dried Duck with Oranges Dog Food Topper
Feeding: Additional flavoring
Generously sprinkle any meal with the nutritious Herbsmith Kibble seasoning made with real duck and orange and watch even the pickiest Fido smile with every bite.
Key benefits
- Healthy protein sourced from USDA-inspected duck meat.
- It is grain-free and doesn’t have additives, including meat meals, flavors, fillers, dyes, or preservatives.
- Flavorful and delicious.
Additional information
- Ingredients: duck and oranges
- Guaranteed Analysis: Crude protein (min): 27.46%, Crude Fats (min): 7.92%, crude fiber (max): 3.75%, moisture (max): 7.57%.
Benefits of dog food toppers and mixers
Like any other dog meal mixers or toppers, these brands have the following benefits:
- They enhance the nutritional value of regular diets.
- Stimulate appetite by adding flavor, aroma, variety, and texture to regular dog diets, making them yummy and tasty, which even picky eaters or recovery dogs will find hard to resist.
- Help in managing specific health issues like overweight or obesity, diabetes, arthritis (have glucosamine), food allergies, gastrointestinal disorders, or upsets like diarrhea, nausea, bloating or constipation, etcetera.
- Some brands may promote healthy skin and a shiny coat, especially those enriched with essential amino acids and omega fatty acids.
- They help in strengthening bones, boosting immunity as well as provide specific nutrients to speed healing, recovery or elderly canines.
Warning
Wash your hand or any other surfaces used to handle freeze-dried toppers with a lot of warm soapy water because these raw freeze-dried dog meal mixers or toppers may have pathogens.