When you bring home a puppy at barely 60 days old, food choices stop being theoretical. You are not comparing trends or brand reputations—you are deciding what will support growth during a very narrow and sensitive window.
That was the situation with Louie. He was small even for a Yorkshire Terrier, and early nutrition mattered more than convenience. I spent a long time looking at different types of puppy food before settling on freeze-dried raw as the foundation.
1. Why Freeze-Dried Food Made Sense for a Puppy
Freeze-dried food is not just about ingredients. It is about how nutrients are preserved.
By freezing raw ingredients and removing only moisture under vacuum, freeze-drying keeps flavor and structure intact without relying on high heat. For puppies, this means:
easier digestion
dense nutrition in small portions
less waste compared to highly processed kibble
For a puppy with a small stomach, that density matters.
2. Why Stella & Chewy’s Puppy Dinner Patties
Among freeze-dried options, Stella & Chewy’s Puppy Dinner Patties stood out for one main reason: formulation.
The puppy line is designed specifically for growth stages, with attention to:
animal-based protein
balanced minerals and vitamins
nutrients like L-carnitine, which supports healthy metabolism
The Chicken & Salmon recipe worked well for Louie in terms of palatability and tolerance, even during sensitive periods like neutering recovery.
3. Packaging and Handling Considerations
The resealable zipper packaging is not a small detail. Freeze-dried food is extremely sensitive to moisture.
While the front label does not show full nutritional breakdowns, detailed composition charts are available through the manufacturer. These are the same documents submitted regularly for regulatory review, and they matter far more than simplified summaries on the bag.
One important point: stool volume decreases on freeze-dried diets. This often leads people to overfeed. Smaller stools are normal—hard stools are not. Adjust portions based on consistency, not volume.
4. What the Food Actually Looks Like
Color can vary slightly by batch, which is normal for freeze-dried products made from whole ingredients. Each package includes a desiccant to control humidity.
I always remove only the number of patties needed for that meal and reseal the bag immediately. Exposure time matters.
5. How I Prepare and Feed It
Preparation is simple but intentional.
I break the patties into small pieces based on Louie’s preference. He prefers finer textures.
Water ratios are flexible. While local guidelines suggest about 15 ml per patty, I typically use closer to 20 ml per patty, especially for puppies. The goal is not soup, but full hydration.
After adding water, I mix lightly and feed promptly. Once rehydrated, freeze-dried food should not sit out.
6. Can Freeze-Dried Food Be a Primary Diet?
A common concern is whether freeze-dried food complicates boarding or hospitalization.
In practice, this has not been an issue. Clinics and boarding facilities routinely handle wet food, and freeze-dried meals can be prepared in advance with clear instructions.
When Louie boarded for several weeks during my overseas schedule, I pre-portioned every meal with water amounts noted. Consistency mattered more than format.
That said, freeze-dried feeding does require more preparation time. Breaking patties and rehydrating them is less convenient than pouring kibble. That trade-off is real.
Reflections
Stella & Chewy’s Puppy Chicken & Salmon Dinner Patties worked well for Louie not because they are popular, but because they aligned with what a very young puppy actually needs: nutrient density, digestibility, and flexibility.
Freeze-dried food is not effortless. It demands attention to portions, moisture, and timing. But during early growth stages, that effort felt appropriate.
For owners who prioritize controlled nutrition over convenience, it is a choice worth serious consideration.