For those seeking alternatives to dry kibble or canned dog food, dehydrated food mixes can be an easy way to provide a less processed, but still fully balanced, diet for your dog. Dehydration is a gentler process than extrusion (used to make many kinds of kibble and cereal), so the resulting product looks and smells more like natural food.
The Sojos Complete line of dehydrated dog food offers the benefits of a natural, raw diet, in a convenient, shelf-stable, nutritionally balanced product. It meets AAFCO guidelines, is made from all-natural ingredients, and is free of grains, gluten, soy, GMOs, by-products, fillers, preservatives, artificial flavors, sugar and salt. It could be a great option for those pups with sensitive tummies or allergies.
Sojos Complete comes in turkey, beef, and lamb recipes -- we tried the turkey.
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| 8 lb. bag of Sojos Complete Turkey Recipe |
In the package is a mixture of dehydrated chunks and powdery ingredients. Some chunks are larger than others, and I like that the pieces are irregularly shaped because it looks more natural. [[We have tried other dehydrated foods where the carrots were chopped into little cubes, and they came out as those same little cubes in Chewy's poop! Kind of a weird sight.]]
The food smells pretty good in the package, without that greasy aroma that is common with kibble. To my nose, it's got a primarily herbaceous scent, probably from the basil.
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| The nose knows! |
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| Is it ready yet? |
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| How 'bout now? |
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| Waiting is hard! |
After 15 minutes, some of the bigger chunks of stuff don't get soaked through, and the mixture can look a little soupy. Soaking for a few hours in the fridge gets everything thoroughly rehydrated, and it has a consistency more like a puree (with chunky bits). Soaking it in the fridge also keeps it off of Chewy's radar, so there are no sad looks or whining.
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| Dry Sojos + water + 8 hrs in the fridge |
Because this is a raw product, food safety is an important factor on both manufacturer and consumer ends. Sojos says that its "own 'lock-step' process eliminates the risk of food-borne pathogens, while locking in the taste and essential enzymes in raw meat." At home, you must keep food bowls (and your hands) clean, and utilize the fridge if soaking food for extended periods of time.
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| Must get every...last...bit! |
Chewy thinks Sojos Complete tastes really good, and will even start crying if he has to wait too long to eat it. Because it is hydrated, Chewy needs to go potty sooner after eating Sojos Complete than after eating dry kibble. If your dog does not drink enough water, this is one way to keep him/her more hydrated.
Sojos Complete is available in 2 lb. and 8 lb. bags. The package says that an 8 lb. bag contains 40 dry cups of food. The amount of dry Sojos to soak and feed per day is approximately equivalent to the amount of a dry kibble you would feed, and by my calculations, an 8 lb. bag of Sojos Complete would last about the same as a medium-sized, 12 lb. bag of kibble (varies by brand/formula).
Dehydrated dog food in general seems to be more pricey than kibble, but Sojos is one of the more affordable options in its class.
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| 4 paws up for Sojos Complete Turkey Recipe! |
We give Sojos Complete Turkey Recipe 4 paws up! I like that it is made with all-natural, healthy ingredients, without fillers and salt. It is an easy way to experiment with a raw diet without personally having to worry about creating balanced meals or sourcing safe, fresh meats. Chewy loves the smell and taste (but perhaps not the wait time), and always double and triple checks that he got every last speck of food.
Disclaimer: We received an 8 lb bag of Sojos Complete Turkey Recipe from Sojos in exchange for an honest review. We received no monetary compensation, and all the opinions expressed above are our own.
