Loyal Saints FAQ: Everything You Need to Know

Loyal Saints is a freeze-dried raw dog food brand making simple-recipe, human-grade quality formulas in the Midwest. Each formula leads with real meat — beef, chicken, or turkey with salmon — plus organ meats and whole fruits and vegetables, with no fillers, corn, wheat, soy, or artificial additives.

Loyal Saints is made in the Midwest in an FDA-registered facility, using meat and organs from U.S. farms. Our salmon is wild-caught in Alaska.

Three things: simple recipes with named meats (Beef and Chicken each use one meat; Turkey + Salmon pairs two; no mystery meals), human-grade quality ingredients, and freeze-dried raw processing that preserves nutrition without heat or preservatives. We specify every ingredient by name and source.

Yes. We use human-grade quality ingredients — real meat and organs from USDA-inspected U.S. suppliers and wild-caught Alaskan salmon — made in an FDA-registered facility in the Midwest. Most pet food uses feed-grade ingredients, which can legally include material not permitted in human food.

Not at all — every Loyal Saints recipe is made for every dog: girls, good boys, puppies and seniors alike. (King, our founder’s very good boy, would like that on the record.) We say “her” on purpose. Loyal Saints is a woman-owned brand, founded by a dog mom, and we noticed that pet-food marketing almost always talks about “him.” Girl dogs, and the women who love them, rarely get the spotlight, so we decided to change that. Consider it a little extra love for the ladies — the boys are taking it remarkably well.

Yes. None of our recipes contain grains, legumes or lentils, and there’s no corn, wheat, soy, dairy or egg. Meat and organs come first, with fruits, vegetables, flaxseed and chia.

Freeze-dried raw food starts as fresh raw ingredients that are frozen and then placed in a vacuum chamber where moisture converts directly from ice to vapor, with no heat. The result is shelf-stable food that retains the nutritional profile of raw food without refrigeration or preservatives.

Freeze-drying uses no heat (vacuum sublimation), while dehydration uses low heat over time. Freeze-drying preserves more heat-sensitive nutrients like enzymes and certain vitamins. It is the more nutrient-preserving of the two methods.

In most nutritional respects, yes. Freeze-dried raw is never cooked, keeps its natural enzymes, and measured as more digestible than extruded kibble in a 2024 controlled study (94% of protein against 82%). Dogs with digestive issues, dull coats, low energy, or allergies often improve most when switched. Dogs already thriving on quality kibble may show subtler changes.

No. Freeze-dried raw is shelf-stable and stores in a cool, dry place for 12 to 24 months unopened. This is a major advantage over fresh or frozen raw diets.

Yes. Loyal Saints formulas are formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for All Life Stages — the profile that covers growth as well as adult maintenance, so it applies to puppies, adults and seniors. That is a broader profile, not a higher grade: AAFCO does not rank, approve or certify any food.

Use the feeding chart printed on your bag, or the feeding calculator on our feeding guide, which is set for each formula's calorie density. The 2–3%-of-body-weight rule you may have read describes fresh raw, which is mostly water — freeze-dried raw has that water removed, so the amount you scoop is much smaller. Adjust to body condition and activity.

It can be served dry or rehydrated. Rehydrating with warm water for 5 to 10 minutes improves hydration and digestibility and intensifies aroma. Always provide fresh water, especially when feeding dry.

Transition gradually over 7 days (10 for sensitive dogs): start at 25 percent new food, then 50 percent, then 75 percent, then 100 percent. If loose stool appears, hold at the current ratio a few extra days.

Yes. Crumble it over your dog’s current food to boost nutrition and palatability. It also works as a single-ingredient training treat. Many owners start with topping before switching fully.

Reseal tightly and use within 4 to 6 weeks of opening for best quality. Rehydrated food should be served immediately, with leftovers refrigerated and discarded within 24 hours.

Beef is our bestseller and a great default. Choose Chicken for sensitive stomachs or dogs new to raw, and Turkey with Salmon for coat, joint, and senior support. See our protein comparison guide for help choosing.

Many picky dogs go straight for it: real meat and organs come first, and the crunchy freeze-dried nibs are aromatic served dry or rehydrated. If your dog won’t eat it on a first order, our 30-day promise gives you store credit for the returned opened bag.

As a quarter-bowl topper, a 12-lb dog costs about $1.80 a day with the 14 oz bag ($44.95), or about $1.45 a day with Halo Club’s 20% off. Our small-dog guide shows the daily cost for your dog’s weight.

Yes. The nibs are about a quarter inch — easy for small mouths — and small dogs eat little, so a bag goes a long way. See daily amounts and cost by weight on our small-dog guide.

Freeze-drying alone is not a kill step, so safety depends on process controls. Every recipe is made to a signed specification that requires negative Salmonella, Listeria and E. coli O157:H7 results, and our first production lots all tested negative. Before freeze-drying, every batch goes through high pressure processing (HPP), a recognized pathogen-reduction step that works without cooking, and our manufacturing partner describes a test-and-hold release. At home, handle it as you would raw meat. Freeze-drying significantly reduces bacterial counts. Use normal food hygiene: wash hands and bowls after handling. Households with immunocompromised people, puppies, or immunocompromised dogs should consult a vet.

Loyal Saints Beef and Chicken each contain a single meat, with no wheat, corn, soy, dairy or egg, which makes a known trigger easy to avoid. For a diagnostic elimination trial, follow your vet’s choice of diet. All formulas are free from wheat, soy, corn, dairy, and egg. Choose a protein your dog has not reacted to. See our allergy guide for details.

Many dogs with digestive sensitivity improve on a simple, highly digestible, low-carb diet. Our Chicken formula is gentlest. Introduce gradually. Persistent symptoms should be evaluated by a vet.

Yes. Puppies benefit enormously from the quality of nutrition in freeze-dried raw food. The highly digestible protein supports lean muscle and tissue development, the natural fats — including omega-3s — support healthy brain and nervous system maturation, and the absence of corn, wheat, soy, and synthetic fillers means every bite delivers genuine nutritional value rather than empty calories. Freeze-dried raw is also softer and easier to chew than hard kibble, making it well-suited for young dogs, and rehydrating with warm water makes it even more palatable and digestible as their systems develop. As with any puppy diet — especially for large and giant breeds, which have specific calcium-to-phosphorus ratios to support healthy bone development — we recommend discussing your puppy’s nutrition plan with your veterinarian to ensure it aligns with their individual growth stage and breed requirements.

Dogs with conditions like kidney disease, diabetes, or others need veterinary dietary guidance. Some conditions require therapeutic diets. Always consult your vet before changing the diet of a dog with a medical condition.

For a healthy adult dog, a gradual transition is generally fine, but discussing any major diet change with your vet is good practice, especially for dogs with health conditions, puppies, or pregnant dogs.

Our recipes are formulated for dogs (AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles), so we don’t recommend them as a cat’s diet. Cats have different nutritional needs.

Halo Club is our paid membership. For 79.99 dollars per year or 10.99 dollars per month, you unlock 20 percent off every order, free standard shipping on every order to the 48 contiguous states and Washington, D.C., and first access to new flavors. You can also set your dog’s food on auto-delivery so you never run out. Cancel or pause anytime from your account.

79.99 dollars per year (the best value) or 10.99 dollars per month. Both plans unlock the same perks: 20 percent off every order, free standard shipping on every order to the 48 contiguous states and Washington, D.C., and first access to new flavors.

Once you join and are logged in, your 20 percent discount and free standard shipping (48 contiguous states and Washington, D.C.; Alaska and Hawaii orders pay the Alaska and Hawaii rate) apply automatically at checkout on every order, with no codes needed.

Yes, and it is optional. You can have food ship automatically every 2, 4, 6, or 8 weeks so you never run out, or order whenever you like. Either way, your membership perks apply.

You can pause or cancel your membership anytime from your online account in a few clicks, with no fees or phone calls required.

Yes. Standard shipping is free on orders of $75 or more after discounts, and on every order for Halo Club members; otherwise it is $8.70. See our shipping policy for details.

Our 30-day promise covers first orders: if your dog won’t eat it, contact us within 30 days of delivery and return the opened bag for store credit. Damaged or incorrect items must be reported within 7 days of delivery. Because our products are food, all other sales are final. See our refund policy for full terms.

We ship to all 50 United States and Washington, D.C. (Alaska and Hawaii always ship at $17.40 standard or $36.00 express; free-shipping offers don’t apply there). Because freeze-dried raw is shelf-stable, it ships easily without refrigeration.

Store unopened bags in a cool, dry place. Once opened, reseal tightly or use an airtight container and use within 4 to 6 weeks for best quality.

Yes. Standard shipping to Alaska and Hawaii is $17.40 (about 5–8 business days) and Express is $36.00 on every order; free-shipping offers and Halo Club shipping don’t apply there.