Bugsy's Freeze-Dried Raw Venison (Dog Food)

Ingredients

Wild Venison (meat & organs), Pumpkin, Apples, Dicalcium Phosphate, Calcium Carbonate, Camelina Oil, Carrot Fibre, Tomato Pomace, Algae Extract, Salt, Sunflower Lecithin, Taurine, Natural Antioxidant, Vitamins and Minerals.

Typical analysis

Figures are stated on a dry matter basis. Bugsy's Freeze Dried Venison is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by AAFCO/FEDIAF dog food nutrient profiles for adult dogs when used as directed.

Reading the analysis

• EPA & DHA are listed separately, and that matters. Camelina oil supplies ALA, the plant form of omega-3, and dogs convert ALA into the long-chain forms EPA and DHA very inefficiently. The algae extract supplies EPA and DHA directly, so the 0.10% figure is doing work that the 1.23% ALA figure can't do on its own.
• Ca:P at 1.44:1 sits comfortably inside the accepted range for growth, which is why the feeding guide runs down to 2-month-old puppies rather than adults only.

One square is approximately 8–10 g. The amounts below are total daily intake — divide them across however many meals you feed.

Typical adult dog

Puppy, 4+ months

Puppy, 2–4 months

These are starting points only. Adjust up or down to suit your dog's daily activity level, and always have fresh water available — especially on a low-moisture food.

If you're using it as a topper instead of a full meal, reduce the base meal proportionally so you aren't stacking calories on top of an unchanged bowl.

Three ways to serve

• As a full meal (rehydrated): add roughly equal parts warm water to food, stir, and let it stand 3–5 minutes until the squares soften through. Rehydrating is worth doing for most dogs — it adds moisture that a low-moisture diet doesn't otherwise provide, and it tends to slow down fast eaters.
• As a topper: crumble a square or two over the existing bowl. Useful for fussy eaters, dogs coming off illness, and seniors whose appetite has dipped.
• As a training treat: serve dry and break the squares down into smaller pieces. The texture crumbles cleanly, which also makes it manageable for puppies and for older dogs with sore teeth.

Storage in Singapore

• Store the sealed pack somewhere cool and dry, out of direct sunlight — a cupboard is fine, refrigeration is not required.
• Press the air out and reseal properly after every use. Freeze-dried food soaks up moisture from the air, and Singapore's humidity will soften the texture and shorten how long it keeps.
• Don't decant into an open container. If you prefer a canister, keep the food in its resealed pack inside it.
• Sealed and unopened, it keeps 18 months or more. The best-before on the pack is the date to trust.
• Rehydrated food is perishable. Serve it fresh, and refrigerate any leftovers immediately and use within 24 hours.

Choosing a pack size

The 130 g pack works as a trial or a topper pack. The 425 g suits toppers and smaller dogs. The 1.1 kg is the everyday size if this is going to be the main diet.

What the 1.1 kg bag costs to feed

Based on the 1.1 kg bag at $159.90, fed as the full daily meal at the adult guide amounts above. Bundle savings not included. Every dog is different — adjust for activity, age and body condition.

Well suited to

• Dogs with food sensitivities. A single animal protein, and a useful rotation option for dogs that have reacted to beef, chicken or lamb.
• Households without freezer space. Shelf-stable, so no freezer space required.
• Puppies through to adults. The mineral profile supports growth, and the feeding guide covers puppies from 2 months.
• Fussy eaters and post-illness recovery, where a strongly aromatic, high-protein food helps get a dog eating again.
• Travel, boarding and pet sitters, where no refrigeration and no prep makes feeding far more convenient.

Please note

If your dog has a medical condition or is on a prescription diet, check with your vet before making the switch.

Not suitable for

• Cats, as a main diet. Cats have obligate requirements that a canine formula isn't built to meet — see Bugsy's Freeze-Dried Venison Cat Food instead.
• Puppies under 2 months, who should still be on milk or a weaning-appropriate diet.

Can this be my dog's only food?

Yes. It's a complete and balanced meal, formulated to be fed on its own as your dog's everyday food. Work from the feeding guide for the daily amount and step the changeover up gradually.

Should I add water before serving?

It's safe to feed dry, but we'd suggest adding water when it's the main meal. At 5% moisture, a dry serve puts the whole water requirement onto what your dog drinks, and warm water both closes that gap and lifts the aroma, which helps with fussier eaters. Roughly equal parts water, three to five minutes, and it's ready.

Is freeze-dried the same as air-dried?

No, though neither one cooks the food. Freeze-drying freezes it first and pulls the ice off under vacuum, which leaves a light, porous square that crumbles easily and takes water back quickly. Air-drying evaporates the moisture slowly with circulated air, giving a denser, chewier result. That texture difference is the practical one: freeze-dried breaks down better as a topper or a training reward, air-dried holds together better as something to chew. There's a shelf-life difference too. Freeze-drying removes up to 95% of the moisture where air-drying removes around 70–80%, so an unopened freeze-dried pack keeps 18 months or more, against 12–18 for air-dried.

Is venison a good option for a dog with allergies?

It's worth trialling. Food sensitivities develop against proteins a dog has eaten before, so a protein that's new to your dog can't yet be a trigger — and venison sits well outside the beef, chicken and lamb most dogs here have grown up on. What a novel protein can't tell you is whether food is the cause in the first place. Itching, recurrent ear trouble and loose stools have several possible drivers, environmental allergens included. An elimination trial run with your vet is what produces an actual answer; a single-protein food is a tool inside that process rather than a treatment by itself.

How should I store it here?

Reseal the pack fully after every use, pressing the air out before you close it. Freeze-dried food takes moisture back from the air quickly, and Singapore's humidity stays high all year, so a pack left open or loosely closed will soften within days. Keep it in a cupboard rather than on the counter near the sink or stove, and don't decant it into an open jar.

How do I switch my dog over from kibble?

Bugsy's recommend working up in stages, adding more of theirs as you take the old food away:

Soft stools during the changeover are common and usually settle — it takes time for the gut to adapt to a different type of food. Let your dog set the pace: if stools stay normal you can move through it faster, and if they stay soft, hold at the current ratio for longer rather than pushing on.