Alex Chen | Formulator’s Lab Notes

I’m Alex Chen, Lead Formulator & Grooming Specialist. I split my work between San Francisco grooming rooms, where I see real pets with real skin, coat, and digestion issues, and Taipei R&D labs, where we obsess over safety standards, stability, and formulation logic.

Pet food is emotional. I understand that.

When you’re standing in the aisle comparing freeze-dried raw, refrigerated fresh food, and traditional kibble, every bag seems to promise the same thing: healthier skin, better digestion, shinier coat, longer life.

But here’s the part I care about most:

The best pet food is not the one with the most beautiful marketing.
It is the one your pet can digest safely, consistently, and completely.

Let’s look at the chemistry—and the real-life practicality—for a second.

The Quick Answer: There Is No Universal “Best” Pet Food

Freeze-dried raw, fresh food, and kibble can all be good options.

They can also all be poor options if they are unbalanced, poorly stored, contaminated, overfed, or chosen for the wrong pet.

The real question is not:

“What is the most natural food?”

The better question is:

“What is the safest, most complete, most realistic diet for my pet’s body, lifestyle, and household?”

That’s the Taiwan Ding-Jin side of me talking. I like beautiful ideas, but I trust systems, testing, and repeatable results more.

1. Freeze-Dried Raw Pet Food: High Appeal, Higher Responsibility

Freeze-dried raw food starts as raw ingredients that are frozen and placed under vacuum so moisture is removed through sublimation. The result is a lightweight, shelf-stable food that looks convenient but is still nutritionally and microbiologically closer to raw food than cooked food.

Why Pet Parents Like Freeze-Dried Raw

Freeze-dried raw diets are popular because they feel close to a “whole food” feeding style.

Common advantages include:

• High meat content
• Minimal cooking-related nutrient loss
• Strong palatability for picky pets
• Convenient storage compared with frozen raw food
• Easy use as a meal topper

For some dogs and cats, freeze-dried raw can improve meal interest quickly. I’ve seen picky pets suddenly act like food critics discovering a five-star restaurant.

But the smell, texture, and excitement do not automatically mean the diet is right.

The Main Concern: Pathogen Risk

Freeze-drying removes moisture, but it does not guarantee sterilization.

That matters because raw animal ingredients can carry bacteria such as Salmonella, E. coli, Listeria, or Campylobacter. Some brands use interventions like high-pressure processing, but safety depends on the full manufacturing system—not just one nice phrase on the label.

This is especially important if your household includes:

• Young children
• Elderly adults
• Pregnant people
• Immunocompromised family members
• Pets with medical conditions
• Cats, who are more sensitive to dietary imbalance

If you choose freeze-dried raw, wash your hands, clean bowls thoroughly, avoid cross-contamination, and follow storage instructions exactly.

Rehydration Matters

Many freeze-dried foods are designed to be rehydrated before feeding.

Why? Because moisture helps digestion and supports hydration, especially for cats. Cats are naturally low-thirst-drive animals. Feeding dry or low-moisture diets without enough water can be a concern for some cats, especially those with urinary issues.

If your cat is eating freeze-dried food dry like crunchy snacks all day, I get twitchy. Not because it’s automatically bad, but because hydration matters.

Best For

Freeze-dried raw may be suitable for:

• Healthy adult pets
• Picky eaters
• Pet parents who can follow strict hygiene rules
• Dogs or cats needing high-palatable toppers
• Households without high-risk humans

Be Careful If

Use caution if your pet is:

• Immunocompromised
• Very young or very old
• Pregnant or nursing
• Recovering from illness
• Prone to pancreatitis
• Living with people at high infection risk

Always check with your veterinarian before switching to raw or raw-style diets.

2. Fresh Pet Food: Great Moisture, But Watch the Calories

Fresh pet food usually refers to gently cooked meals that are refrigerated or frozen. These diets often include visible meat, vegetables, grains or legumes, oils, and added vitamins and minerals.

Done well, fresh food can be excellent.

Done casually, it can become an expensive bowl of nutritional imbalance.

Why Pet Parents Like Fresh Food

Fresh food feels intuitive. You open the package, and it looks like food.

Common advantages include:

• Higher moisture than kibble
• Often highly palatable
• Gently cooked, reducing some pathogen risks compared with raw
• Easier texture for senior pets
• Good option for pets that dislike dry food
• May help some pets feel fuller due to water content

Fresh food can be especially useful for dogs that need more hydration or pets that are bored with kibble.

The Main Concern: Nutritional Completeness

A good fresh diet should be labeled complete and balanced for your pet’s life stage.

This is where I want you to slow down and read the label.

Look for wording that indicates the food meets AAFCO nutritional profiles or has passed feeding trials. “Human-grade ingredients” sounds nice, but it does not automatically mean the food is nutritionally complete for dogs or cats.

A chicken breast, sweet potato, and carrot bowl may look wholesome. But without the right calcium-phosphorus ratio, trace minerals, essential fatty acids, and vitamins, it can quietly create long-term problems.

Natural does not mean balanced.

Storage and Handling Are Not Optional

Fresh food is perishable.

You need to manage:

• Refrigeration
• Freezer space
• Thawing time
• Use-by dates
• Bowl cleanliness
• Travel limitations

If you forget a fresh meal in a warm car or leave it sitting in the bowl too long, safety drops fast.

Watch Portion Size

Fresh food often looks smaller or softer than kibble, so people overfeed it.

This is one of the most common problems I see: the pet parent switches to fresh food, loves the “clean eating” feeling, and three months later the dog has gained weight.

A shinier coat is wonderful. A slowly expanding waistline is not.

Best For

Fresh food may be suitable for:

• Pets needing more moisture
• Senior pets with chewing difficulty
• Picky eaters
• Dogs that do better with softer food
• Pet parents who can manage refrigeration and portion control

Be Careful If

Use caution if:

• You travel often
• Your pet grazes slowly over hours
• Budget is a concern
• You cannot store food safely
• The food is homemade without veterinary nutritionist guidance

3. Kibble: Convenient, Stable, and Often Misunderstood

Kibble gets a lot of criticism, and some of it is fair. Low-quality kibble exists.

But the idea that all kibble is automatically unhealthy is too simplistic.

A well-formulated kibble from a responsible company can be complete, balanced, affordable, shelf-stable, and appropriate for many pets.

Why Pet Parents Choose Kibble

Kibble remains popular because it solves real-life problems.

Advantages include:

• Convenient storage
• Lower cost per meal
• Long shelf life
• Easy portion control
• Complete and balanced formulas widely available
• Useful for puzzle feeders and training
• Practical for multi-pet households

For many families, kibble is the only realistic way to feed consistently every day. Consistency matters.

The Main Concern: Quality Varies Widely

Some kibble is thoughtfully formulated. Some is mostly marketing dust.

Look beyond front-label claims like:

• “Premium”
• “Ancestral”
• “Holistic”
• “Natural”
• “No fillers”

Instead, evaluate the brand’s formulation standards.

Ask:

• Is it complete and balanced for my pet’s life stage?
• Does the company employ qualified veterinary nutrition experts?
• Do they perform feeding trials or only formulate on paper?
• Do they have quality control testing?
• Is there a clear customer service contact?
• Are calories listed clearly?
• Is the protein source appropriate for my pet?

That is the real work.

Does Kibble Clean Teeth?

A common myth is that all kibble cleans teeth.

Most kibble does not meaningfully clean below the gumline. Some dental-specific diets are designed and tested for plaque and tartar reduction, but ordinary kibble should not replace dental care.

As a groomer, I can tell you: breath tells stories. Sometimes very dramatic ones.

Moisture Is the Weak Point

Kibble is low in moisture. That does not make it bad, but it means hydration should be considered, especially for cats.

You can support hydration by:

• Offering clean water in multiple locations
• Using pet fountains if your pet likes running water
• Adding wet food
• Adding veterinarian-approved broth or water
• Monitoring urine habits

Best For

Kibble may be suitable for:

• Healthy adult pets
• Multi-pet homes
• Budget-conscious families
• Pets needing strict calorie control
• Dogs that enjoy puzzle feeders
• Owners needing convenience and consistency

Be Careful If

Use caution if:

• Your cat has urinary health concerns
• Your dog has severe food sensitivities
• Your pet is a poor drinker
• The kibble brand lacks transparency
• You free-feed and cannot monitor intake

Freeze-Dried Raw vs Fresh Food vs Kibble: Simple Comparison

How to Choose the Best Pet Food for Your Dog or Cat

Here is my practical decision framework.

Not fancy. Just honest.

Step 1: Start With Life Stage

A puppy, adult dog, senior dog, kitten, adult cat, and senior cat do not have the same nutritional needs.

Choose a diet labeled for the correct life stage:

• Growth
• Adult maintenance
• All life stages
• Senior support, when appropriate

For large-breed puppies, be especially careful. Calcium and energy balance matter for healthy bone development.

Step 2: Check “Complete and Balanced”

This is non-negotiable for a main diet.

Treats and toppers can be supplemental. But if the food is your pet’s daily foundation, it should be complete and balanced.

If the package says “for intermittent or supplemental feeding only,” it is not a complete meal.

Step 3: Match the Food to the Pet’s Body

Watch your pet, not the trend.

A good diet should support:

• Stable stool
• Healthy weight
• Comfortable digestion
• Normal energy
• Clear eyes
• Healthy skin
• Coat quality
• No persistent itching or ear issues

As I always say: data doesn’t lie, but your pet’s skin tells the real story.

Step 4: Consider Your Household Safety

If you have toddlers crawling near pet bowls, raw-style feeding requires much more caution.

If your pet grazes all day, fresh food may not be ideal.

If you travel often, kibble may be more realistic.

The “best” diet that you cannot handle safely is not the best diet.

Step 5: Calculate the Real Monthly Cost

Fresh and freeze-dried foods can be significantly more expensive than kibble, especially for medium and large dogs.

Before switching, calculate the actual monthly feeding cost based on your pet’s calorie needs—not the small serving suggestion that looks friendly on the package.

Step 6: Transition Slowly

Do not change diets overnight unless your veterinarian tells you to.

A typical transition takes 7 to 10 days:

• Days 1–2: 25% new food, 75% old food
• Days 3–4: 50% new food, 50% old food
• Days 5–6: 75% new food, 25% old food
• Day 7+: 100% new food

For sensitive pets, go slower.

Their gut microbiome is not a light switch.

My Honest Recommendation

If you want the safest general starting point, choose a complete and balanced diet from a transparent company that fits your pet’s health needs, your budget, and your ability to store and serve it properly.

That may be fresh food.

That may be kibble.

That may be freeze-dried raw used as a topper.

For many pets, a hybrid approach works beautifully:

• Kibble as the nutritional base
• Fresh food for moisture and palatability
• Freeze-dried raw as a small topper or training reward

The key is proportion. If toppers exceed about 10% of daily calories, you can accidentally unbalance the diet.

I know “balance” is not as exciting as “ancestral superfood bowl.” But balance is what keeps pets healthy after the Instagram post is over.

What About Skin, Coat, and Odor?

This is where my grooming background comes in.

Food can influence skin and coat, but it is not the only factor. If your dog smells bad two days after a bath, or your cat has greasy fur, food might be part of the story—but so can allergies, yeast, bacteria, dental disease, ear infections, poor drying, or the wrong shampoo.

Before blaming food, look at the whole system:

• Diet quality
• Bathing routine
• Skin barrier health
• Flea control
• Ear health
• Dental health
• Gut health
• Environmental allergies

If your pet has chronic itching, hair loss, ear infections, vomiting, diarrhea, or sudden odor changes, please talk to your veterinarian.

Food is powerful. But it is not magic.

Internal reading you may find helpful:

• Read: Why Dogs Smell Again Two Days After a Bath
• Read: Sensitive Skin Dog Shampoo: What Actually Matters
• Read: How to Transition Your Dog to a New Food Safely

Final Verdict: Choose the Food You Can Feed Safely and Consistently

Freeze-dried raw is not automatically superior.

Fresh food is not automatically healthier.

Kibble is not automatically low quality.

The right food is the one that meets nutritional standards, fits your pet’s biology, and works in your real home.

My personal rule?

If a feeding style requires perfection from the pet parent every single day, I treat it with caution. Pets need routines that survive busy mornings, travel days, tired nights, and real life.

Good nutrition should not be a performance.

It should be a stable foundation.

Scientist’s Note

When evaluating pet food, I care less about marketing words and more about control points: ingredient sourcing, nutrient validation, moisture level, pathogen management, packaging stability, storage instructions, and whether the formula is complete and balanced.

“Natural” is a feeling.
“Tested, balanced, and safely handled” is a system.

I trust systems.

Groomer’s Tip

If you switch foods to improve skin or coat, take photos once a week under the same lighting.

Track:

• Itching level
• Ear smell
• Paw licking
• Stool quality
• Coat shine
• Dandruff
• Body odor
• Weight

Give a diet trial enough time, usually several weeks unless your veterinarian advises otherwise. Skin does not reset overnight.

And please—if you bathe your dog after a diet change, dry all the way down to the skin. Moisture trapped in the undercoat can create that “wet dog smell” even when the food is perfect.

Q&A: Freeze-Dried Raw, Fresh Food, and Kibble

Q: Is freeze-dried raw safer than regular raw food?

Freeze-dried raw may be easier to store than frozen raw, but it is not automatically sterile. Freeze-drying removes moisture; it does not guarantee all pathogens are eliminated. Choose brands with strong safety controls and handle the food carefully.

Q: Is fresh food better than kibble?

Not always. Fresh food can provide more moisture and palatability, but kibble can be complete, balanced, affordable, and consistent. The better choice depends on your pet’s health, the brand’s standards, your budget, and how safely you can store the food.

Q: Can I mix kibble with fresh food?

Yes, many pet parents use a mixed feeding approach. Just be careful not to overfeed. If fresh food or toppers become a large portion of the diet, make sure the total daily nutrition remains balanced.

Q: Can cats eat freeze-dried raw food?

Some cats can, but safety and hydration are very important. Cats are obligate carnivores with specific nutrient requirements, including taurine. Choose only complete and balanced cat formulas, rehydrate when directed, and consult your veterinarian if your cat has urinary, kidney, digestive, or immune concerns.

Q: Is grain-free food better?

Not automatically. Grain-free does not mean higher quality, and grains are not inherently bad for most pets. The full formulation matters more than whether a food contains rice, oats, peas, or potatoes. Ask your veterinarian if your dog needs a special diet.

Q: How do I know if a pet food is complete and balanced?

Look for an AAFCO nutritional adequacy statement on the package. It should specify whether the food is formulated for adult maintenance, growth, all life stages, or another life stage.

Q: What is the best food for dogs with allergies?

It depends on the allergy. True food allergies are less common than environmental allergies. Dogs with suspected food allergies may need a veterinarian-guided elimination diet using hydrolyzed protein or a novel protein diet.

Q: Should I avoid by-products in pet food?

Not necessarily. Properly sourced animal by-products can be nutritious and include organs rich in vitamins and minerals. The issue is sourcing quality, digestibility, and transparency—not the word “by-product” alone.

Q: How long does it take to see results after changing food?

Digestive changes may appear within days, but skin and coat changes usually take several weeks. If symptoms worsen, stop the transition and contact your veterinarian.

Q: What is the safest choice for most pet parents?

For most households, the safest choice is a complete and balanced food from a transparent company, fed in correct portions, stored properly, and matched to the pet’s life stage and health needs.

References and Further Reading

1. Association of American Feed Control Officials. Pet Food Labeling and Nutritional Adequacy Statements.
2. World Small Animal Veterinary Association Global Nutrition Committee. Guidelines on Selecting Pet Foods.
3. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Get the Facts! Raw Pet Food Diets Can Be Dangerous to You and Your Pet.
4. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Pet Food Safety and Raw Pet Food Handling Guidance.
5. American Veterinary Medical Association. Raw or Undercooked Animal-Source Protein in Cat and Dog Diets.
6. Freeman, L. M., et al. Current knowledge about the risks and benefits of raw meat–based diets for dogs and cats. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association.
7. National Research Council. Nutrient Requirements of Dogs and Cats.
8. WSAVA. Global Nutrition Toolkit for Pet Owners and Veterinary Teams.