# Month-long road trip w/ dog on raw. Dehydrated food?



## yuriy (Dec 23, 2012)

In March I'm heading on a month-long roadtrip from Vancouver down to Moab, Death Valley, and surrounding areas. My dog is on raw (https://www.surreymeatpackers.com). Crossing the border into the US with raw/frozen meat is not allowed, so I have to source dog food in the US.

I do have a 63QT refrigerator in the truck, so I can carry a decent amount of fresh meat and other food, but definitely not a month's worth. I'm thinking that I'll try to pick up fresh meat/veggies on the road, but I want a backup plan. 

My dog used to be an incredibly picky eater, and still has those moments once in a blue moon. I've recently found that she'll eat Royal Canin GSD kibble (using it as treats), but I'm not sure I want to feed her this for a month. 

Has anyone used dehydrated foods? Thoughts or recommendations? Would much prefer something I can pick up in a store on the west coast. Ordering online may be doable provided I can get a month's worth of food in one order.


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## ausdland (Oct 21, 2015)

I feed dehydrated dog food every day, The Honest Kitchen. The main reason I don't feed raw is that I'm on the go a lot. On your way to Moab, you can stop at a PetFood Express and buy 3 of anything and get the 4th free provided they have 4 in stock. Hopefully you'll get some raw recommendations too. Royal Canin is coated with chicken fat. I imagine most dogs would eat it, mine did for 8 months.

Enjoy Moab!


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## yuriy (Dec 23, 2012)

ausdland said:


> I feed dehydrated dog food every day, The Honest Kitchen. The main reason I don't feed raw is that I'm on the go a lot. On your way to Moab, you can stop at a PetFood Express and buy 3 of anything and get the 4th free provided they have 4 in stock. Hopefully you'll get some raw recommendations too. Royal Canin is coated with chicken fat. I imagine most dogs would eat it, mine did for 8 months.
> 
> Enjoy Moab!


Thanks, that looks like a nice option! PetFood Express seems to be a California-only chain (very few outside of SF Bay Area, even in Cali), so no go on picking up anything from there. But I do see lots of Honest Kitchen products online, so I can make due with that. 

Which HK product do you specifically feed? Looks like there are several options in both grain-free and grain varieties.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

The United States put grocery stores in every town just last month!

Can you do homemade? And pick up weekly?


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## yuriy (Dec 23, 2012)

Jax08 said:


> The United States put grocery stores in every town just last month!


Fantastic progress .

My intent is to stay as far away from town and other forms of civilization as possible. The more remote the area, the better. 

Homemade is the plan, but there's always the risk that the dog will suddenly decide that today's flavour of fresh food isn't appealing and won't eat. I'm looking for a solid backup option that I can test out before the trip, and keep a large supply of during the trip. From what I'm reading, it sounds like Honest Kitchen may do the trick.


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## Momto2GSDs (Mar 22, 2012)

I too feed raw.

I LOVE Honest Kitchen and feed it when we go on trips but decided to change for the trip we are currently on.

Although expensive ($148/11#), I went with Ziwi Peak and the dogs are going NUTS for it! Their stool is even smaller on Ziwi than it is when they eat raw!

This is "Air Dried" food, different from dehydrated. Do you think if you purchased it in Canada, that they would let you bring it over the border? It is a soft little square, no refrigeration needed. An 11 pound bag will last a 70 pound dog around 20 days. If the dog is very active, you'd feed a little more and then get less days.

*ZiwiPeak Cuisine *(condensed info)
ZiwiPeak pet food is a complete, natural balanced real-meat diet prepared with care in New Zealand. All of our natural ingredients are sourced from the green, free range farms and blue, pristine oceans of New Zealand. The twin stage process eliminates pathogenic bacteria, such as e.coli, salmonella and listeria, while protecting the natural nutrition of our ingredients. As a further safety step, our products are mandatory tested and only released for sale after approval by the New Zealand government's regulatory authorities.
Air-drying is a technique that has been used for centuries to naturally preserve meats. Our modern method stays true to this artisan approach, while eliminating the need for artificial preservatives, salts, sugars or glycerines. Our slow, gentle, twin-stage air-drying process crafts a food that is as nutrient-dense and digestible as a completely raw diet but safe, clean to handle and can store for up to 21 months. 

Example:
*Beef*: A complete, balance diet of ranch raised beef meat and organs, this protein rich meal features delicious red meat and nutrient dense organs. It also includes New Zealand green-lipped mussels, a natural source of chondroitin for joint support, and herbs, vitamins and minerals, making it suitable for all breeds and life stages. 

Beef ingredients - Beef Meat (min 58%), Liver, Lung, Tripe (min 32%); Green-lipped Mussel (min 3%); Lecithin; Chicory Inulin; Dried Kelp; Parsley. Naturally preserved with mixed tocopherols; Vitamins: Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Folic Acid, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Thiamine Hydrochloride; Chelated Minerals: Iron amino acid complex, Copper amino acid complex, Manganese amino acid complex, Zinc amino acid complex, Selenium Yeast, Potassium Bicarbonate, Calcium Carbonate*Calories* - 2227 Kcal/lb


Moms


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

yuriy said:


> Fantastic progress .
> 
> My intent is to stay as far away from town and other forms of civilization as possible. The more remote the area, the better.
> 
> Homemade is the plan, but there's always the risk that the dog will suddenly decide that today's flavour of fresh food isn't appealing and won't eat. I'm looking for a solid backup option that I can test out before the trip, and keep a large supply of during the trip. From what I'm reading, it sounds like Honest Kitchen may do the trick.


Right! We are rocking the frozen section!!!

Performance Dog, if you can find it, would be a good choice. It comes in 2# rolls and stinks to high heaven of tripe. But the pickiest eaters mow it down.


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## Jenny720 (Nov 21, 2014)

Primal -freeze dried nuggets just add water it is ridiculously expensive to feed soley as a meal but something you may want to add to spice up the honest kitchen or any dehydrated meal. our dogs love it!


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## mspiker03 (Dec 7, 2006)

I like Real Meat air dried food. My dogs have done well when I use it in place of raw. I mostly use it when I carry treats on walks (for recall).

Maybe you could do partial raw when you drive through larger cities and do partial dehydrated food.


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## WIBackpacker (Jan 9, 2014)

I also like HK, but if you are going to be reeeeeally rural, think about how much extra water you'll need to rehydrate every single meal. I don't do bottled water for dogs (expensive, and it sorta punches the earth in the face), but if you will have access to decent water and/or have a filter, you'll be in business. 

Might not be a bad idea to test RedPaw, Inukshuk, or similar (high calorie, dense, each cup counts) to see if it's a backup option. You can find raw meat in a surprisingly large number of gas stations, it's getting easier and easier.

Edited to Add: don't forget eggs! You can almost ALWAYS find them. Cost effective, nutritious, already full of moisture.  hopefully your dog enjoys them!


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## Muskeg (Jun 15, 2012)

I'd also recommend trying to see if you can use high energy kibble as back up. I fed Dr. Tim's Momentum when I could get it from a local distributor and the dogs loved it.


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## ausdland (Oct 21, 2015)

yuriy said:


> Thanks, that looks like a nice option! PetFood Express seems to be a California-only chain (very few outside of SF Bay Area, even in Cali), so no go on picking up anything from there. But I do see lots of Honest Kitchen products online, so I can make due with that.
> 
> Which HK product do you specifically feed? Looks like there are several options in both grain-free and grain varieties.


I feed the grain free beef 'Love.' 

And if you're camping in Moab, I strongly suggest Dead Horse State Park campground :smile2: but it might still be cold up on that Mesa.


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## yuriy (Dec 23, 2012)

Awesome. Thanks for the info, everyone!


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## WIBackpacker (Jan 9, 2014)

One last thought about water... 

If you're "out there", rural laundromats often have a tub/big sink in the back with a jar or a lockbox nearby. Sometimes a sign, sometimes not. It's generally potable water intended for you to fill your jugs/water bladders for camping or remote cabins. These are fantastic resources, keep some quarters/small bills handy to leave behind as goodwill donations. 

Have a wonderful trip!


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## yuriy (Dec 23, 2012)

WIBackpacker said:


> One last thought about water...
> 
> If you're "out there", rural laundromats often have a tub/big sink in the back with a jar or a lockbox nearby. Sometimes a sign, sometimes not. It's generally potable water intended for you to fill your jugs/water bladders for camping or remote cabins. These are fantastic resources, keep some quarters/small bills handy to leave behind as goodwill donations.
> 
> Have a wonderful trip!


Good tip, thanks!


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## yuriy (Dec 23, 2012)

Picked up 2lbs of Honest Kitchen "Embark" (grain-free turkey) to try things out, and the results are good. The dog seems to love it (a big surprise as she's quite picky), it's easy to deal with, easy to transport, will have no problems crossing the border, etc. Gave her half a meal's worth with the usual meal last night, and a full meal of it this morning. Stool is surprisingly good, too; definitely more of it (and smellier) than when on pure raw, but not nearly as bad (in both size or smell) as kibble. Might even switch to rotating various HK varieties "full time." Will definitely grab a couple 40lb boxes online for the upcoming trip.


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