Is Loyal Saints better than The Farmer's Dog?

Loyal Saints and The Farmer's Dog are different food formats. Farmer's Dog is fresh-cooked and requires refrigeration. Loyal Saints is freeze-dried raw — no heat used, enzymes intact, 12+ month shelf life, no refrigeration required, and approximately $2–3/day vs. Farmer's Dog at $5–8/day for a medium dog. For dog moms who prioritize raw nutrition, shelf stability, and cost, Loyal Saints wins on all three.

What is the difference between freeze-dried raw and air-dried dog food?

Freeze-drying removes moisture with no heat — food is frozen and moisture is removed under vacuum (sublimation). The food remains genuinely raw, with enzymes and bioavailability of fresh raw food fully intact. Air-drying uses low heat over a long period, which partially destroys heat-sensitive enzymes. Loyal Saints is freeze-dried raw. Sundays is air-dried. Both are shelf-stable, but freeze-dried raw preserves the full nutritional profile of a raw diet.

How does Loyal Saints compare to Ollie dog food?

Ollie is fresh-cooked and ships frozen, requiring refrigeration. Loyal Saints is freeze-dried raw — shelf-stable for 12+ months, ships without ice, stores in a pantry. Daily cost: Loyal Saints approximately $2–3/day vs. Ollie approximately $4–7/day for a medium dog. Both are human-grade. The key difference is format: cooked vs. raw, refrigerated vs. pantry-stable.

How does Loyal Saints compare to Open Farm freeze-dried dog food?

Open Farm has a broad product line including kibble, wet food, and freeze-dried. Loyal Saints is exclusively freeze-dried raw with the strictest ingredient standard across every formula — no soy, no corn, no GMOs, no additives, no wheat, no exceptions. Open Farm's standards vary by product line. Loyal Saints is woman-owned and founded by a dog mom who reversed her own dog's chronic illness with this exact food.

Why is Loyal Saints less expensive than The Farmer's Dog and Ollie?

Fresh delivery brands require cold-chain shipping with insulated packaging and ice packs — expensive infrastructure that drives up daily cost. Loyal Saints ships as standard pantry goods without a cold chain, is founder-owned with no VC overhead, and passes those savings to the customer. Loyal Saints costs approximately $2–3/day vs. $5–8/day for Farmer's Dog and $4–7/day for Ollie. The difference is business model, not ingredient quality.

Brand Comparison

Loyal Saints vs. Instinct (Raw Boost): An Honest Comparison

Instinct is a large brand best known for kibble coated with freeze-dried raw bites ('Raw Boost'). Loyal Saints is 100% freeze-dried raw — no kibble, no coating, no mix. Here's the honest comparison.

Where Loyal Saints wins

100% freeze-dried raw specialist — every product, no kibble or mixed bites
Every product a complete, balanced meal — no toppers or treats sold as food
No synthetic vitamin premix — whole-food AAFCO completeness
Woman-owned and founded on a real dog's transformation — King's proof
~$2–3/day for a medium dog with the Halo Club

Category	Loyal Saints	Instinct (Raw Boost)
Primary focus	100% freeze-dried raw complete meals	Freeze-dried among multiple product lines
All products complete meals	✓ Every bag is AAFCO-complete	Mix of complete meals, toppers, and treats
No soy, corn, GMOs, additives	✓ Every formula, no exceptions	Varies by product line
No refrigeration required	✓ Pantry-stable 12+ months	✓ Also shelf-stable
Daily cost (35 lb dog)	~$2–3/day	Typically higher
Woman-owned, founder-led	✓ Yes — King's story	✗ No equivalent founding proof
Synthetic vitamin premix	✓ None — whole-food completeness	✗ Present
100% freeze-dried (no kibble)	✓ Yes — no kibble or coated bites	✗ Raw Boost is kibble + freeze-dried pieces

100% freeze-dried raw vs. kibble + raw bites

Instinct's popular Raw Boost line is fundamentally kibble with freeze-dried raw pieces mixed in — so the bulk of the bowl is still high-heat extruded kibble. Loyal Saints is 100% freeze-dried raw, with no kibble component at all. If you want genuinely raw nutrition, the distinction matters: a coating of raw on kibble is not the same as a raw diet.

Whole-food completeness

Instinct, like most brands, uses a synthetic vitamin premix. Loyal Saints reaches AAFCO completeness through whole foods — organ meats, kelp, salmon oil, and produce — with no synthetic premix.

Specialist focus

Instinct is a large, multi-line brand (kibble, raw, wet, toppers). Loyal Saints makes only freeze-dried raw complete meals — one format, fully optimized.

King's proof

Founded by a dog mom who reversed her dog King's chronic issues with this exact whole-food, freeze-dried raw diet — the standard behind every formula.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Loyal Saints better than Instinct Raw Boost?

If your goal is genuinely raw nutrition, yes in an important sense: Raw Boost is mostly kibble with freeze-dried pieces, while Loyal Saints is 100% freeze-dried raw with no kibble. Loyal Saints also uses no synthetic premix and is a freeze-dried raw specialist. Instinct offers more product variety and price points.

Is Instinct Raw Boost actually raw?

Raw Boost is primarily high-heat extruded kibble with freeze-dried raw pieces mixed in — so most of the food is kibble, not raw. Loyal Saints is 100% freeze-dried raw, with no kibble component, for genuinely raw nutrition throughout the bowl.

Does Instinct use a synthetic vitamin premix?

Instinct products, like most pet foods, typically include a synthetic vitamin and mineral premix. Loyal Saints achieves AAFCO completeness through whole-food ingredients only — no synthetic premix. Compare the ingredient lists to see the difference.

Should I switch from Instinct to Loyal Saints?

If you want genuinely raw, 100% freeze-dried nutrition (not kibble with raw bits) and whole-food completeness without a premix, Loyal Saints is worth trying. Transition gradually over 7–10 days.

Real food. Real proof. Real value.

Whole-food freeze-dried raw, complete and balanced, ~$2–3/day with the Halo Club. No fillers, no synthetic premix.

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