KOHA FREEZE DRIED BITES DOG FOOD Review

With a score of 9, Koha’s Freeze-Dried Bites is a low risk dog food by our criteria. It has 3 recipes that average 37% protein and 18% carbohydrate.

Koha Freeze Dried Bites scores better than other Koha foods. It’s a minimally processed freeze dried food so it maintains nutrients. It loses points for having higher carbohydrates and for having some added minerals.

The carbohydrate level is higher than expected for a freeze dried dog food. Pumpkin is a high carbohydrate ingredient. There are no added grains, starches or legumes. Foods high in carbohydrate can raise insulin and cause obesity. Studies show that dogs fed high carbohydrates have changes to their gut bacteria.  

There have been some minerals added. It’s best to get vitamins and minerals from whole foods. Whole foods include the full range of cofactors. This makes vitamins and minerals bioavailable. A couple of added vitamins and minerals are acceptable. Five or more imply the food is of poor nutritional value. 

These recipes also have added probiotics. Normally commercial dog foods undergo high-temperature processing. This can harm probiotics, but in this case it’s a lightly processed freeze dried food. It guarantees 32 million CFU/lb. This is low but it’s a good start as you want to see 3 to 5 billion CFU/day for a healthy dog. 

The following do not affect the score but are worth noting. These recipes contain coconut oil. It can cause undesirable changes in the gut lining. Tuna and salmon used in recipes is wild caught. This is more nutritious. It also has a better fatty acid balance providing healthy omega-3s.

Koha doesn’t state the omega-6:omega-3 ratio in their recipes. While this is true of most companies, it’s a concern because AAFCO allows a very inflammatory ratio of 30:1. It’s important to know since diets rich in omega-6 fats can cause chronic inflammation.