Dogs can eat frozen foods. The temperature of the food – frozen or hot – is not as important as the food being eaten. Chocolate is poison for dogs. Dogs like carrots, and they are good for dogs. Whether those two things are frozen does not change the effect they have on the dog. One is poison and one is nutritious.
Can dogs eat frozen food?
Dogs can indeed eat frozen food. It is hard to know whether a dog prefers frozen or hot food. Most dogs just like to eat, and don’t appear to be concerned with the state of the food being eaten.
Ice cream is not good for dogs, mostly because of the milk and sugar content. But frozen strawberries are good for dogs, and that might be a great treat for a dog on a hot summer day.
One possible danger
The only caveat is that dogs are not much on finesse. While we might suck on a frozen item and eat it slowly, a dog will just eat it. In rare cases, things could be frozen to the point that they could damage a dog’s tooth. The dog might bite down too hard on the frozen item. This would depend on the personality of the dog to a large extent, but it is something to be aware of when giving your dog frozen things to eat.
Growing popularity
Much dog food today is heat processed to some degree, and this takes away some nutrients and enzymes a dog needs to be healthy. Frozen prepared meals for dogs are becoming more popular as a viable alternative. These meals normally contain meat of various kinds.
Dogs are natural carnivores. For thousands of years, they ate pretty much only meat, and that is still how their body functions best. Dogs do best when given as little processed food as possible. The more pure and natural, the better. As a result, frozen foods seem to be a viable alternative to heat-processed dog foods that are sold commercially.
In these cases, the frozen food is thawed out before it is eaten, and may even be heated up in a microwave if you like. Frozen foods can be more natural and better for your dog’s overall health.
Some gourmet pet food businesses sell frozen treats for dogs as well. These treats look and feel like ice cream or popsicles. The difference is they contain no sugar or processed food. They are made of things like peanut butter or fruits like bananas. They would be edible for humans too but probably would not taste very good to us.
Can dogs eat frozen meat?
Frozen meat is an excellent choice for dogs. You can supplement their diet with real fresh meat. Raw meat is better for a dog than cooked meat, and keeping it frozen will preserve it longer.
If you are going to give your dog bones to eat, you should not cook them. Cooking makes bones brittle and they can break up awkwardly in a dog’s stomach and cause problems. Frozen bones may be a better option, even for raw bones. If your dog eats too fast, giving them a frozen bone will slow them down enough to eat the bone in a safe way.
Frozen meat is more for our convenience than it is for the dog. In the ancient natural world, you would be a hunter and you would share some of the day’s catch with your dog each day, with nothing saved for another day. Today we need to make meat last longer, and freezing it is a good option.
Some grocery stores will sell what they call “bone scraps.” These are the leftovers from the various cuts of meats that were prepared during the day. This would be for stores that do their own meat cutting; some do not. If you have a store that cuts its own meat, you might be in luck. These scraps are pieces of bones and meat and they are healthy for your dog. They are not advertised for sale, so you have to ask at the meat counter. In some areas, there may be rules against selling bone scraps, but it does not hurt to ask.
Frozen meat, particularly frozen bones, is preferable to cooked meat for a dog. Raw meat is the best option for a dog. Some pet experts disagree and say cooking the meat gets rid of any impurities in the meat. Proponents say it is more natural, and more what the dog has evolved into eating. Whichever one you agree with, the question of frozen food is less controversial. Freezing meat is a great way to preserve meat until you are ready to give it to your dog.
Is frozen dog food better?
There may be some controversy on this topic. Some say frozen food is better, and some will say it makes no difference.
Canned dog food, as well as a lot of kibble-type dry dog food, is processed with heat. This is done to kill bacteria and to give the food longer shelf life. It is convenient for dog owners, and the food rarely, if ever, spoils. The downside of this is that some key nutrients are lost in the process. They might get those nutrients in another way, and it is true dogs have been eating this kind of food for a very long time and have been healthy. Still, it is a valid point that some nutrients are lost in the process of making food last longer on the shelf.
Freezing food will also stay preserved as long as it stays frozen. It will also retain most of the nutrients in the food. Of course, you thaw out the food before giving it to the dog, but the point is, that frozen foods do retain their nutrients longer than canned and other processed food.
Some people warm up food for their dog in the microwave, and some heat it up in other ways. There is the idea that food at room temperature, or slightly above, will taste better. This can encourage older dogs who have lost some of their sense of smell and taste, as well as finicky dogs. This is probably a good idea if you are starting with frozen food.
Another option that is gaining popularity is freeze-drying food for dogs. This preserves even more nutrients, and it is dried so it will last even longer on the shelf. Freeze-dried food costs a little more, but there is a case to be made that it preserves more nutrients and is actually more efficient than simply freezing the food.
Raw food is the best as far as nutrition goes. Frozen raw food will likely retain most of the nutrients that are often lost during the processing of food. Frozen food is technically better then. Raw frozen food is even better for your dog.
At the same time, consider the health and well-being of your dog. If your dog is doing fine, is there really a need to make a major change in diet just because it is popular? A dog that is not very active may not need all the extra nutrients that are at times lost in processing. If you take your dog on several multi-day and multi-mile hiking trips, it might be a better idea to consider raw food to give him the maximum nutrition you can.
Can dogs have frozen treats?
Yes, dogs can have frozen treats, as long as what is frozen is healthy for the dog. Chocolate is poison, and there are some other foods that are very bad for dogs, and they remain just as bad even if they are frozen.
Good foods, like pieces of meat, are fine whether frozen or not. Frozen strawberries are a good treat in summer when there is hot weather. Basically, any organic food that is good for your dog can be frozen and given to your dog as a treat.
Whether the dog cares if it is frozen or not is not something we can know. But we do know it is fine to give your dog frozen treats.
There are companies that make frozen treats for dogs that resemble ice cream. You should not feed your dog ice cream because of the milk and sugar content, but frozen treats that are similar are fine.
Can dogs eat frozen raw food?
Yes, dogs can eat frozen raw food. For thousands of years, dogs in the wild at raw food all the time, and they continued to do so for a long time after being domesticated. Dogs not eating raw food is a recent development in the overall history of dogs.
There are many people who feel raw food is better, even for humans. Dog food you buy in the store is processed, and heat is often used to help it stay fresh. This will make it last longer but some nutrients are lost in the process. Frozen food keeps nutrients longer and stays fresh longer than food that is not frozen.
The more natural the food, or the less processing it has, the better it is for your dog. Some argue that meat should be cooked before giving it to a dog, but in the wild, dogs eat nothing but raw meat. It may be true that cooking meat would get rid of some potentially harmful bacteria, but it is also true that raw food is overall a better choice for your dog.
Benefits to a raw food diet:
- A more shiny healthy coat
- Healthier skin
- Higher energy level
- Cleaner teeth, better breath
- Needs less food
- Smaller cleaner stools
Potential risks
- Bacteria in meat could cause problems for the dog, and for humans in the house.
- Could lead to an unbalanced diet that could harm your pet over time.
- Your dog could get choked on bones.
What to do
Before doing anything, consult with your veterinarian, who knows your dog well. Dogs have different needs, and there may be a reason to, or not to, go on an all-natural raw diet with your dog. No matter what is popular in the culture, you should always follow the advice of professionals who are knowledgeable and experienced in their field, over what you see in a magazine or what someone tells you.
Also, consider your own lifestyle. It will take a lot longer to prepare raw food for your dog, and you need to consider whether you really have that time to spare. Switching back and forth might not be a good idea. Dogs like routine and changes can upset their system.
The activity level, age, and size of your dog also play into whether you should give your dog an all-raw and natural diet. Dogs have different dietary needs depending on their age and activity level. Greyhounds and working dogs need a lot more calories and protein than a house pet who is not very active does.