Instinct's Puppy Freeze-Dried Meals turn cage-free chicken into a grain-free, raw formula built specifically for growing dogs, and a 4.6 star average across 325 reviews suggests it's a well-liked option for owners feeding raw to a puppy.
Puppy owners who want a grain-free, freeze-dried raw meal or topper built for a growing dog's needs, especially medium and small breeds.
Skip if
You have an adult dog, since this formula is specifically labeled for puppies, or you want a lower price point than $56 for a 25 oz bag.
Form Raw
Flavor Chicken
Benefits Supports Overall Pet Health And Vitality
Best for Freeze-Dried Dog Food
Breed size Medium
Weight 25 Ounces
Priced 56% above the category median ($35.99 across 81 tracked models)
Our scorecard
4.5/5overall
Owner rating4.6/5
4.6 average across 325 owner ratings
Popularity2.7/5
325 owner reviews, more than most models here
The overall score is owner satisfaction weighted by how many reviews back it, so a high rating from few reviews counts for less. The bars below show where this model stands against the other dog food and health supplements we track in this category on price, popularity and size. Context, not marks against it, and our read of the data, not a lab test.
Overview
["This 25 oz bag is part of Instinct's Freeze-Dried Meals line, using cage-free chicken as the core protein in a grain-free, raw recipe made for puppies rather than adult dogs. Instinct markets the formula as gluten free and wheat free as well.", "The recommendation is aimed at medium and small breed puppies, and Instinct frames the benefit around supporting overall pet health and vitality during the growth stage, whether it's fed as a full meal or used to boost a kibble diet.", 'At $56.10 for the bag, it sits at the premium end of freeze-dried feeding, but with 325 reviews averaging 4.6 stars and around 200 units bought in the past month, it has a track record of satisfied puppy owners willing to pay for a raw, minimally processed option.']
Pros
Grain-free, wheat-free recipe made specifically for puppies
Cage-free chicken as the primary protein source
Strong 4.6 star average across 325 reviews
Freeze-dried raw format works as a full meal or a topper
Backed by Nature's Variety, an established raw feeding brand
Cons
Priced higher than most kibble at this bag size
Formulated specifically for puppies, so it's not a fit once your dog reaches adulthood
25 oz bag will need frequent restocking for larger, faster-growing puppies
Specifications
Form
Raw
Flavor
Chicken
Benefits
Supports Overall Pet Health And Vitality
Best for
Freeze-Dried Dog Food
Breed size
Medium
Weight
25 Ounces
Performance notes
As a freeze-dried raw meal rather than a treat or light topper, this is dense enough to serve as a primary feeding option, with the raw format intended to retain more of the chicken's natural nutrients through the freeze-drying process compared to cooked kibble. The puppy-specific formulation reflects Instinct's approach of tailoring nutrient levels to a growing dog rather than using an all-life-stages recipe.
What buyers say
With 325 reviews averaging 4.6 stars and roughly 200 units bought in the past month, this formula has a smaller but consistently positive following, typical for a specialty puppy line within a broader freeze-dried product family.
Instinct positions this as a freeze-dried meal, so it can be used as a full meal or as a topper mixed into kibble. If you plan to feed it exclusively, it's worth confirming with your vet that it meets your puppy's complete nutritional needs at their stage of growth.
Is this formula grain free?
Yes, it's labeled grain-free, gluten free, and wheat free, which fits Instinct's broader raw and freeze-dried product lines.
What breed sizes is this recommended for?
The listing recommends this formula for medium and small breed puppies specifically, so owners of very large breed puppies may want to compare it against a large-breed puppy formula for growth-specific nutrient balance.
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