What Is Bioavailability in Dog Food?
5-minute read · Loyal Saints Nutrition Glossary
Quick answer
Bioavailability is the proportion of a nutrient that’s actually absorbed and used by the body. A dog food can list high protein on its label, but if that protein is poorly bioavailable, the dog absorbs little of it. Freeze-dried raw protein is never cooked and highly digestible — 94% in a 2024 controlled study, against 82% for kibble.
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Bioavailability is one of the most important — and most overlooked — concepts in dog nutrition. It refers to how much of a nutrient the body can actually absorb and use, as opposed to how much is simply present in the food. A high number on the guaranteed analysis means little if the nutrient passes through the dog undigested.
Why processing matters
Heat is the key factor for protein. High-temperature processing — like the extrusion used to make kibble (typically 125–150°C) — denatures proteins and can reduce their digestibility and the availability of certain amino acids. Freeze-drying never cooks the food, so the protein stays raw — and highly digestible. The same is true for many heat-sensitive vitamins and enzymes.
Why ingredient source matters
Source matters too. Animal proteins are generally more bioavailable for dogs than plant proteins, and whole muscle and organ meats are more bioavailable than rendered meals. A food built from whole, human-grade animal proteins and processed without heat delivers more usable nutrition per gram.
What affects bioavailability
Processing temperature
Kibble is extruded at high heat; freeze-drying has no cooking step — and measured 94% protein digestibility against kibble’s 82% in a 2024 study.
Protein source
Whole animal proteins are more bioavailable than plant proteins or rendered meals.
Whole food vs. isolates
Nutrients from whole foods come with cofactors that aid absorption.
Why the label number can mislead
'Crude protein' counts total protein, not how much the dog can actually use.
This is central to why Loyal Saints chose freeze-dried raw: highly digestible, whole-food nutrition that is never cooked. Your dog absorbs and uses more of what they eat — which is why many owners notice better coats, firmer stools, and steadier energy after switching, even at similar 'protein' numbers on paper.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does bioavailability mean in dog food?
Bioavailability is the proportion of a nutrient that’s actually absorbed and used by the dog’s body, versus simply being present in the food. It’s why two foods with the same 'crude protein' number can deliver very different real nutrition — the more bioavailable food provides more usable nutrients.
Is freeze-dried raw more digestible than kibble?
In controlled testing, yes: in a 2024 study, dogs digested 94% of the protein in a freeze-dried raw diet against 82% in extruded kibble. Freeze-drying never cooks the food, so it also avoids the heat damage extrusion can do to lysine and heat-sensitive vitamins. Kibble extrusion uses high heat (typically 125–150°C) that denatures proteins and degrades some nutrients — and in a 2024 controlled study an extruded kibble was less digestible than a freeze-dried raw diet (82% of protein against 94%).
Does a high protein number mean a food is better?
Not necessarily. 'Crude protein' on the label measures total protein, not how much is bioavailable. A food with highly digestible animal protein can deliver more usable nutrition than one with a higher number from poorly digestible or plant-based protein. Source and processing matter as much as the number.
How do I know if my dog is absorbing their food?
Visible signs of good absorption include firm, modest stools (less waste means more was absorbed), a healthy coat, good energy, and maintenance of healthy weight. Many owners notice smaller, firmer stools after switching to freeze-dried raw — consistent with a 2024 study in which dogs fed a freeze-dried raw diet produced less than half the stool of dogs fed kibble.
Now you know what to look for.
Loyal Saints: real whole foods, no fillers, no synthetic premix, complete and balanced. Everything you just learned to want.
Real dogs. Real bowls.
Her Favorite Part of the Day Isn’t the Walk: Frenchie
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 $1.80 a day with a 14 oz bag ($1.08 on your first order with KING40). New here? Take 40% off your first order with code KING40.
Quick answers
What is Loyal Saints dog food?
Loyal Saints is a woman-owned premium freeze-dried raw dog food: vet-formulated, meat and organs first, AAFCO complete and balanced, made with human-grade quality ingredients in an FDA-registered facility in the Midwest.
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.
