Freeze-dried raw for senior large-breed dogs
4 min read · Loyal Saints
Quick answer
Senior large dogs usually need fewer calories and better ones. A quarter bowl of freeze-dried raw swapped into a reduced base is a common way to do that without adding bulk.
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Senior large dogs usually need fewer calories and better ones. A quarter bowl of freeze-dried raw swapped into a reduced base is a common way to do that without adding bulk.
For scale: an 80 lb dog at a quarter of the bowl is 1¼ cups and $5.77 a day, about $175.39 a month. The same dog on a complete freeze-dried diet is $23.08 a day and $701.54 a month.
Why freeze-dried belongs in the bowl. In a 2024 controlled feeding study, adult dogs digested 94% of the protein in a freeze-dried raw diet against 82% in an extruded kibble — and produced less than half the stool (Geary et al., Translational Animal Science).
The numbers
80 lb dog, quarter bowl
1¼ cups · $5.77/day
120 lb dog, quarter bowl
1¾ cups · $8.08/day
One 14 oz bag
6 days for an 80 lb dog at a quarter
Complete and balanced
All Life Stages (Beef and Chicken include large-breed growth)
Swap, don’t stack. Take out about a quarter of what your dog eats now and put Loyal Saints in its place. Adding it on top is a 25% calorie increase, and on a big dog extra weight lands on the joints first. Because every Loyal Saints formula is complete and balanced, blending it with another complete and balanced food keeps the whole bowl balanced.
Feed to body condition, not to a number. You should be able to feel your dog’s ribs without seeing them. On a large breed, carrying extra weight is a joint problem before it is anything else.
Every figure on this page comes from the Daily Serving Guidelines printed on the bag and the current price with Halo Club applied. Nothing here is rounded in our favor.
Feeding amounts come from the Daily Serving Guidelines printed on the bag (Beef and Turkey + Salmon; Chicken takes slightly more cups). Costs use the current 14 oz price with Halo Club membership applied. Swap Loyal Saints in for the same share of your dog’s current food and adjust to body condition — you should be able to feel, but not see, your dog’s ribs. Studies cited tested other brands’ foods, not Loyal Saints.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a large dog cost to feed on freeze-dried raw?
About $5.77 a day at a quarter of the bowl for an 80 lb dog, or $23.08 as a complete meal.
Is a quarter of the bowl enough to matter?
Yes. At 20–25% of the bowl, raw muscle meat and organs are in every meal — not a garnish. In a 2024 controlled feeding study, adult dogs digested 94% of the protein in a freeze-dried raw diet against 82% in an extruded kibble, and produced less than half the stool.
Try a quarter of the bowl
$5.77 a day for an 80 lb dog. New here? Take 40% off your first order with code KING40 at checkout — first orders only.
Real dogs. Real bowls.
Senior Dogs Deserve the Good Stuff Too
Meat and organs first, freeze-dried raw and ready the second you open the bag. Start as a topper on your dog’s current food for about $1.74 a day with a 14 oz bag. New here? Take 40% off your first order with code KING40.
Quick answers
Is freeze-dried raw good for senior dogs?
Loyal Saints is AAFCO complete and balanced for all life stages (Turkey + Salmon: all life stages except growth of large-size dogs, 70 lb+ as adults) and every formula includes fish oil with EPA and DHA. It softens easily with warm water for older dogs. Ask your vet about any health condition before changing food.
Where can I buy Loyal Saints?
At loyalsaintspets.com (Halo Club: 20% off and free shipping on every order (contiguous U.S.); KING40 takes 40% off a first order when typed at checkout), and on Amazon, Chewy and Target.
How much Loyal Saints should I feed?
Follow the amounts printed on the bag: for Beef or Turkey + Salmon, about ¾ cup a day for a 6 lb dog, 1¼ cups for 12 lb and 2 cups for 25 lb. Use about 25% of that as a topper. Ease in over 7 to 10 days.
