If you’ve ever caught yourself reading the back of a treat pouch like it’s a bestselling thriller, you already know the stakes: every reward that passes your dog’s lips has the potential to fuel, heal, or haunt them for years. Stella & Chewy’s built an early reputation among raw-feeding enthusiasts for making “convenience without compromise” more than a marketing slogan—and in 2025 the brand’s freeze-dried lineup is more expansive (and confusing) than ever. Before you blow this month’s treat budget on the newest bag emblazoned with pasture-raised mascots, let’s decode what truly matters between ingredient #1 and the last calorie.
In the next ten minutes you’ll learn how freeze-drying actually works, why FDA nutritional guidelines still leave room for innovation, and how to match a treat’s protein profile to your dog’s age, allergen map, and exercise level. Grab a cup of coffee—and maybe a few treats for the taste-tester at your feet—because we’re unpacking everything you need to shop raw-smart in 2025.
Top 10 Stella Dog Treats
Detailed Product Reviews
1. Stella & Chewy’s Freeze-Dried Raw Chicken Breast Dog Treats – Single Ingredient, No Additives – Premium Training Treats – Perfect For Picky Eaters – 2.75oz Bag
Stella & Chewy’s Freeze-Dried Raw Chicken Breast Dog Treats
Overview:
These 100% chicken-breast morsels are the canine equivalent of a protein chip—light, crunchy, and aromatic. The 2.75-oz pouch contains roughly 80 thumbnail-size cubes that rehydrate in seconds or can be fed straight from the bag.
What Makes It Stand Out:
Absolute ingredient transparency: the only word on the panel is “chicken.” Because the meat is freeze-dried within hours of slaughter, nutrient retention rivals raw, yet shelf-life rivals kibble—no freezer required.
Value for Money:
At $87.21/lb you’re paying Michelin-star prices, but factor in the 4-to-1 yield after water removal ($22 of fresh breast makes the same dry weight) and the math softens. For allergy sufferers or ultra-clean feeders, the single-item purity justifies the tariff.
Strengths and Weaknesses:
Pros: Hypoallergenic; crumbles easily for tiny rewards; rehydrates into high-value jackpot treats.
Cons: Turns to powder if crushed in pocket; pricey per-ounce; ultra-low fat means less scent for truly food-apathetic dogs.
Bottom Line:
Buy if you need an infallible, limited-ingredient topper or high-value training kernel for sensitive systems. Skip if you’re on a budget or have a vigorous chewer that swallows without tasting.
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2. Stella & Chewy’s Freeze-Dried Raw Wild Weenies Dog Treats – High-Protein Training Treats for Dogs & Puppies – All-Natural Grass-Fed Beef Recipe with 97% Meat & Organs – USA Made – 3.25 oz Bag
Stella & Chewy’s Freeze-Dried Raw Wild Weenies Beef Recipe
Overview:
Shaped like mini cocktail franks, the 3.25-oz bag delivers 97% grass-fed beef and organs (liver, kidney, heart) in soft, chalk-white cylinders that snap into ½-inch pieces without shattering.
What Makes It Stand Out:
Freeze-drying locks the iron-rich aroma of organs, creating a scent bomb that distracts even reactive dogs mid-meltdown. The 37–40% protein claim per piece means you can feed fewer calories while maintaining satiety.
Value for Money:
$73.80/lb feels steep until you realize two Weenies equal a full ounce of fresh beef/organs you’d otherwise prep, grind, and refrigerate. If raw feeding intimidates you, this is entry-level convenience.
Strengths and Weaknesses:
Pros: Ultra-motivating for training; single protein source; soft enough for senior jaws.
Cons: Greasy fingers; bag reseal can fail, risking moisture invasion; smell is “loved-by-dogs, hated-by-humans.”
Bottom Line:
Perfect high-value currency for recall or agility. Portion into tiny bits to stretch the bag and save your nostrils.
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3. Stella & Chewy’s Wild Red Jerky Nuggets – 90% Protein-Rich Beef & Lamb Dog Treats – Grain-Free Training Rewards for All Breeds – Made in USA – 6 oz Bag
Stella & Chewy’s Wild Red Jerky Nuggets Beef & Lamb
Overview:
These dense, jerky-textured squares arrive in a 6-oz sack, doubling the payload of sibling SKUs while dropping the unit price to $39.97/lb. Each nugget is pre-scored so you can halve it into 4-calorie nibbles.
What Makes It Stand Out:
The 90% red-meat formula creates a umami punch rare in shelf-stable treats, while the lamb inclusion introduces novel protein for rotation feeding. Air-dry finishing gives a tooth-friendly chew that won’t splinter.
Value for Money:
Lowest cost-per-pound in the Stella treat lineup; still premium versus grocery jerky but competitive with boutique brands.
Strengths and Weaknesses:
Pros: Economical; chew satisfies jaw-driven breeds; zero grains/fillers.
Cons: Tougher texture not ideal for tiny pups or dental-compromised seniors; scent lingers in pockets.
Bottom Line:
Best everyday working-dog reward. Stock up if you train frequently and need something that won’t vanish in three sessions.
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4. Stella & Chewy’s Freeze-Dried Raw Chicken Meal Mixers- Dog Food Topper and Mixer – Made with 95% Cage-Free Chicken, Organs & Bone – Perfect for Picky Eaters – Grain-Free – 3.5oz
Stella & Chewy’s Freeze-Dried Raw Chicken Meal Mixers
Overview:
Marketed as a topper but nutritionally complete, the 3.5-oz carton contains 7 pre-scored patties of 95% cage-free chicken, organs, and ground bone plus probiotics. Crumble over kibble or rehydrate for a full meal.
What Makes It Stand Out:
Delivers raw calcium-phosphorus ratios without the mess; probiotic blend supports gut flora during diet transitions. Picky-eater testimonials border on evangelism—dogs lick bowls clean.
Value for Money:
Price not listed here, but street averages ~$1.25/oz—middle ground between treat cost and raw food expense. A single patty often revitalizes 2–3 cups of boring kibble.
Strengths and Weaknesses:
Pros: Complete & balanced; versatile feeding modes; palatability unmatched.
Cons: Needs 5-min soak for full hydration; bone content may firm stools excessively for some dogs; bag smaller than photos imply.
Bottom Line:
Keep a bag for appetite emergencies or use as travel raw. If your dog routinely snubs dinner, this is cheaper than vet appetite stimulants.
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5. Stella & Chewy’s Training Dog Treats – Crav’n Bac’n Soft Bacon & Beef Bites – Premium USA Made – Low Calorie Rewards – 8.25oz
Stella & Chewy’s Crav’n Bac’n Soft Bacon & Beef Bites
Overview:
An 8.25-oz plastic tub of soft, coin-shaped bites that smell like a diner at sunrise. Real bacon headlines the ingredient deck, followed by beef and natural smoke flavor.
What Makes It Stand Out:
Lowest buy-in cost ($19.37/lb) and highest ounce count in the brand’s treat family, yet still USA-made, potato-/pea-/lentil-free, and only 3 kcal per piece—ideal for high-frequency reinforcement.
Value for Money:
Cheapest Stella option per treat; tub format prevents crushing and simplifies grab-and-go.
Strengths and Weaknesses:
Pros: Soft texture suits puppies and toothless seniors; tub reseals like a charm; smoky aroma guarantees attention.
Cons: Bacon means higher sodium—watch if your vet prescribes low-salt; greasier than plant-based training bits; dogs may fixate and ignore lower-value kibble.
Bottom Line:
Top pick for basic obedience or stuffing puzzle toys when you need bulk, budget-friendly motivation without compromising ingredient integrity.
6. Stella & Chewy’s Premium Salmon Jerky Dog Treats – 95% Real Fish Bites for Sensitive Stomachs – Natural Limited Ingredient Treats for Small and Large Dogs – No Grain, Wheat or Soy – 6 oz Bag
Overview: Stella & Chewy’s salmon jerky delivers high-value rewards for dogs with sensitive digestion. At 95% real fish (including organs), these soft strips supply concentrated protein without grains, wheat, corn or soy. The 6 oz resealable bag keeps the jerky pliable for easy tearing into pea-sized bits.
What Makes It Stand Out: Single-source salmon protein, nutrient-dense organ meats, and a texture that yields to fingers yet still provides chew-time satisfaction. Because the strips aren’t greasy, pockets and training pouches stay clean.
Value for Money: $14.99 works out to $39.97 per pound—steep compared to grocery-aisle biscuits, but on par with other limited-ingredient fish treats and far cheaper than therapeutic hypoallergenic options.
Strengths and Weaknesses:
Pros: Hypoallergenic recipe, powerful fish aroma that rivets even distracted dogs, easy portion control, low-fat for calorie-conscious pups.
Cons: Odor lingers on hands, price per pound stings for multi-dog households, bag contains unavoidable crumbs that can’t be rationed as training jackpots.
Bottom Line: If your dog battles itchy skin or chronic ear infections tied to common proteins, these salmon strips are a safe, motivating reward. Budget-minded owners may reserve them for high-stakes training moments rather than everyday snacking.
7. Stella & Chewy’s Freeze-Dried Raw Dog Treats – Carnivore Crunch for Training – Natural Limited Ingredient, Grain-Free – Perfect for Picky Eaters – Grass-Fed Beef Recipe – 3.25 oz Bag
Overview: Carnivore Crunch freeze-dried beef pellets pack 98% grass-fed muscle meat, organs and bone into a lightweight, shelf-stable topper. The 3.25 oz pouch yields hundreds of pea-sized nuggets that instantly become high-value training currency.
What Makes It Stand Out: Nutrient ratios mirror a whole-prey diet while the dry, airy format eliminates refrigeration and mess. Dogs inhale the beefy scent long before you reach into the pouch, making it ideal for reactive-dog counter-conditioning.
Value for Money: $14.99 translates to $73.80/lb—eye-watering compared to kibble, yet each pellet goes further than jerky because it can be halved without crumbling. For precision shaping sessions the cost per reward remains reasonable.
Strengths and Weaknesses:
Pros: Raw nutrition without thaw time, single protein for elimination diets, virtually zero crumbs, dissolves on the tongue of toothless seniors.
Cons: Bag deflates fast in multi-dog households, pricey if used as a full meal topper, dusty residue settles on bottom and may irritate inhalant-sensitive handlers.
Bottom Line: Best viewed as a specialized training tool rather than casual snack. Keep a pouch in your jacket for distraction-heavy environments; rotate with lower-calorie treats to protect both budget and waistline.
8. Stella & Chewy’s – Stella’s Solutions Skin & Coat Boost – Grass-Fed Lamb & Wild-Caught Salmon Dinner Morsels – Freeze-Dried Raw, Protein Rich, Grain Free Dog Food – 4.25 oz Bag
Overview: Stella’s Solutions Skin & Coat Boost combines grass-fed lamb and wild salmon with pineapple-derived bromelain, biotin, coconut flour and vitamin E. The 4.25 oz meal-mixer targets dryness, itching and inflammation through functional ingredients instead of pharmaceuticals.
What Makes It Stand Out: Unlike basic freeze-dried toppers, each nugget is engineered for dermatological support—omega-3/6 ratios are printed right on the bag, giving vets and owners concrete numbers to track.
Value for Money: $10.99 works out to $41.37/lb—middle ground between ordinary freeze-dried food and veterinary skin formulas. Feeding guidelines suggest just ¼ cup per 20 lb of dog daily, stretching the bag across weeks.
Strengths and Weaknesses:
Pros: Palatability entices picky raw converts, visible flake of fish skin signals genuine salmon content, gentle on stomachs experiencing antibiotic-related GI upset.
Cons: Lamb fat can soften nuggets in humid climates, pineapple scent off-puts some humans, bromelain dose modest compared to standalone supplements.
Bottom Line: Pair this mixer with an elimination diet to rule out food allergies before turning to prescription drugs. Most owners notice softer coat texture within two weeks; expect milder scratching but not miracle cures for flea or environmental allergies.
9. Stella & Chewy’s Freeze-Dried Raw Coated Dog Biscuits – Cage-Free Chicken Recipe – Protein Rich, Grain Free Dog & Puppy Treat – Great Snack for Training & Rewarding – 9 oz Bag
Overview: Oven-baked biscuits coated in freeze-dried chicken liver deliver crunch plus raw aroma for dogs that crave texture variety. The 9 oz bag contains roughly 40 medium rectangles scored down the center for snap-apart portioning.
What Makes It Stand Out: Dual-texture design merges dental abrasion (biscuit core) with high-value scent (raw coating), reducing the need to buy separate training treats and chew snacks.
Value for Money: $9.99 pencils out to $17.76/lb—one of the lowest per-pound prices in Stella & Chewy’s treat line while still offering cage-free chicken and grain-free formulation.
Strengths and Weaknesses:
Pros: Satisfies gnawing urge better than soft jerky, coating adheres well—minimal dust in bottom of bag, easy to snap into pill-pocket-sized squares for medicating.
Cons: Biscuit hardness unsuitable for tiny puppies or seniors with dental disease, coating can melt on hot hands leaving liver smell, calorie density (24 kcal per piece) adds up quickly during repetitive training.
Bottom Line: These biscuits occupy a sweet spot between everyday cookie and elite reward. Use whole pieces for good-behavior payment around the house; halve them for obedience repetitions. If you need odor-free pockets, choose a different treat.
10. Stella & Chewy’s Freeze-Dried Raw Dinner Patties – Chicken Recipe – High Protein Grain-Free Puppy & Dog Food – Perfect For Picky Eaters – 14 oz
Overview: Freeze-Dried Raw Dinner Patties function as either a complete meal or an irresistible topper. Each 14 oz pouch contains about 18 large discs of 95% cage-free chicken (muscle, organs, ground bone) plus organic produce and probiotics.
What Makes It Stand Out: Versatility stands paramount—serve dry for convenience, crumble as a high-value treat, or rehydrate with warm water for a moisture-rich entrée that converts kibble-addicts overnight.
Value for Money: Price marked “N/A” suggests periodic unavailability; historically $29–$32 per bag ($33–$36/lb). Costly versus kibble, yet comparable to canned premium food while delivering raw bioavailability.
Strengths and Weaknesses:
Pros: Complete AAFCO nutrition for all life stages eliminates worry over nutrient gaps, breaks apart without knife work, stool volume shrinks on raw protein, picky-eater success rate above 90% in consumer reports.
Cons: Patties pulverize if shipped roughly, bag zipper prone to failure after repeated openings, calorie calculation differs between dry vs. rehydrated feeding—easy to overfeed.
Bottom Line: Ideal transition tool for dogs refusing therapeutic diets or recovering from illness. Use as a topper to stretch value while accustoming taste buds; transition to full meal only if your budget permits long-term commitment. Keep backup patties sealed in a mason jar to preserve freshness after the factory seal fails.
Freeze-Drying 101: The Tech Behind the Crunch
At its core, freeze-drying (lyophilization) turns fresh raw ingredients shelf-stable by removing 98 % of their water content without ever exposing them to cooked-food temperatures. The three-step process—flash-freezing, vacuum-induced sublimation, and low-temp dehydration—locks in amino acids, enzymes, and naturally occurring probiotics while keeping oxidative damage to a minimum. Translation: your dog gets the nutrient density of raw with the pantry life of kibble.
Why Raw Matters: Bioavailability Beyond the Buzzword
“Bioavailability” isn’t raw-feeding elitism; it’s a measurable coefficient that tracks how many nutrients actually survive the digestive gauntlet and reach systemic circulation. Freeze-dried raw treats retain cofactors—like vitamin B complexes and trace minerals—often obliterated during high-heat extrusion. That means your dog metabolizes more protein per gram and excretes less nitrogen waste, a perk senior kidneys will thank you for.
Decoding the 2025 Label Overhaul
This spring the AAFCO rolled out new label requirements that split guaranteed analysis into two panels: “As Fed” and “Dry Matter.” Stella & Chewy’s was quick to adopt the change, which finally lets you practice apples-to-apples math when you’re comparing a 5 % moisture freeze-dried treat to a 10 % moisture competitor. Remember to multiply every nutrient line by 1.05–1.10 to get true dry-matter values; otherwise you’ll underestimate protein by up to 12 %.
Novel vs. Traditional Proteins: Timing the Switch
Chicken and beef remain crowd-pleasers, but 2025’s allergy landscape is pushing guardians toward mackerel, rabbit, and even brushtail. Novel proteins shine when elimination diets, pancreatic flare-ups, or IBD enter the chat because your dog’s immune system hasn’t yet flagged those amino chains as enemies. Rotate them in gradually—no more than 25 % of total weekly calories—to dodge the very reactions you’re trying to avoid.
Calorie Density Dilemma: Small Bites, Big Energy
Freeze-drying concentrates calories; a nibble the size of your thumbnail can pack 15–20 kcal. If you’re training a 12-week-old Landshark who earns 40 rewards per session, you could unknowingly feed an entire meal’s worth of energy. Use a gram scale not a “handful” metric, and subtract treat calories from daily ration to keep growth curves—and your vet—happy.
The Probiotic Promise: Viability Counts
Stella & Chewy’s infuses every batch with a patented blend of Pediococcus acidilactici and Lactobacillus plantarum, then verifies CFU counts post-drying. Look for the “Live Bugs” icon (a neon stomach silhouette added in late 2024) that guarantees 10^7 CFU per gram through the best-by date—not just at manufacture. Cool, dry storage tops out around 72 °F; anything warmer and you’ll halve probiotic lifespan every 10 °F.
Ingredient Red Flags in 2025
Even premium lines now flirt with “natural flavor” that can legally hide hydrolyzed yeast, a glutamate-rich palatant linked to food hypersensitivity in some breeds. Also watch for sunflower lecithin; while non-toxic, it’s often sprayed on as a processing aid to prevent static cling, adding 1–2 % invisible fat that sabotages calorie math. If you spot vague terms like “digest” or “animal fat” without species specificity, slide that bag back on the shelf.
Wet, Dry, or Rehydrated? Feeding Format Flexibility
Freeze-dried medallions can be served three ways: straight from the bag (tooth-friendly), crumbled as a meal topper (aromatic), or rehydrated with a 1:2 warm-water ratio for geriatric jaws. Each option alters texture preference and, critically, moisture ingestion. Dogs with a history of urinary crystals often benefit from rehydrated format because it sneaks extra water into their day without forcing a syringe showdown.
Allergy Audit: Cross-Contaminants to Consider
Shared production lines mean poultry and fish formulas sometimes share residual protein molecules. Stella & Chewy’s 2025 facilities now run ATP swabs between batches and publish the ppm thresholds on their “Transparency Tracker” QR page. If your vet has diagnosed a true chicken intolerance—rather than a chicken “sensitivity” based on guesswork—screens for <2 ppm chicken residue to stay in the safe zone.
Puppy vs. Senior: Life-Stage Nutrition Tweaks
Puppies need higher leucine and valine concentrations for myelinogenesis; seniors need more omega-3 DHA for neuroprotection. Stella & Chewy’s age-segmented blends began rolling out in January 2025, using chicken necks for natural calcium balance in puppies and green-lipped mussel for seniors. Ask your breeder or vet whether your litter’s growth-rate curve classifies them as medium-rapid; the answer dictates Calcium:Phosphorus ratios that treats can push out of whack.
Training & Enrichment: Timing the Reward Loop
A 2024 Cambridge study showed dogs retain learned cues 30 % longer when protein-rich rewards follow within 0.8 seconds of the desired behavior. Freeze-dried shards let you break the exact gram count you need without crumbling into oily dust that clogs bait bags. Pair with a marker word (or click) precisely, and you’ll stretch a 3 oz bag into 400 micro-rewards.
Sustainability Scorecard: Sourcing Metrics That Matter
Carbon-negative claims are trendy, but look for third-party certifications like Regenerative Organic Certified (ROC) or Land to Market Ecological Outcome Verification (EOV). Stella & Chewy’s 2025 “Grass-Fed for Good” program audits rotational grazing impact—cattle must achieve at least a 20 % increase in soil organic matter over five years. Still, air-delivery of novel proteins can outweigh those gains; buying in 18 oz Mega-Bags reduces packaging waste by roughly 34 % versus single-serve pouches.
Budget Math: Cost Per Kcal, Not per Bag
Freeze-dried treats look pricey until you calculate cost per metabolizable energy. Divide bag price by total kcal, then weigh that against how many training reps you get. In 2025 dollars, a $29 12 oz bag averaging 5 kcal per gram lands at $0.048 per kcal—comparable to mid-tier biscuits once you correct for satiety and training utility.
Storage Secrets: Keep the Hulk Out
Oxygen and UV light are the real enemies; they oxidize unsaturated fats and turn that vibrant salmon coral into a sad beige. Keep unopened bags in a dark pantry at ≤65 °F; after opening, squeeze out excess air, insert an oxygen absorber (yes, the kind you save from jerky packs), and reseal in a mason jar. Stored correctly you’ll maintain 97 % nutrient retention through the best-by date—roughly 18 months for 2025 batches.
Transitioning: The 7-Day Gut Buffer
Even digestive champions can hit the “raw wall” if you pivot from baked wheat bites to 100 % freeze-dried lamb overnight. Start by swapping 10 % of the old treat volume on day 1–2, escalate to 50 % by day 4, and maintain 90 % new by day 7. Use a poop-score log (yes, there’s an app) so you can correlate any loose stools with specific proteins or batch numbers.
Vet Checks: When to Phone a Professional
Schedule a baseline blood panel before introducing high-value freeze-dried rewards if your dog is on NSAIDs, ACE-inhibitors, or chemo agents. The high protein load can alter creatinine readings, and your vet needs that context. For dogs with pancreatitis history, request a fecal elastase assay 30 days post-transition to confirm the pancreas isn’t throwing a protest party.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Can I feed only Stella & Chewy’s freeze-dried treats as a complete diet?
No—treats lack the macro-mineral balance required by AAFCO for long-term feeding. Use them as toppers or rewards, not meal replacements.
2. My dog gulps—these shards look sharp. Are they safe for gulpers?
Rehydrate with warm water for 60 seconds; this softens edges while preserving nutrition.
3. How do I know if my bag’s probiotics are still alive?
Scan the new “Live Bugs” QR; it will display post-production CFU test date and predicted die-off curve based on your zip-code temperature history.
4. Do freeze-dried treats cause kidney problems?
Protein itself doesn’t damage healthy kidneys; high nitrogen load can unmask existing disease. Run annual senior panels for early detection.
5. Are Stella & Chewy’s 2025 bags recyclable?**
The outer polyester layer is 45 % PCR plastic; store drop-off bins accept it, but remove the inner foil lining first.
6. Is freeze-dried safer than raw frozen?
Freeze-drying reduces pathogen load by 4–5 logs, but it’s not sterilizing. Immunocompromised households should still practice hand hygiene.
7. Why are calories per gram inconsistent between flavors?
Lipid content drives variance—duck has 32 % fat, rabbit 12 %. Always read the label for each flavor.
8. Can cats eat Stella & Chewy’s dog treats?
Technically yes, but taurine isn’t supplemented to feline levels. Stick to their cat-specific line for daily feeding.
9. I found white specks—mold or fat bloom?
Smear one on your finger; fat melts at body temp, mold won’t. When in doubt, email the lot code to customer support—they’ll DNA-test the sample.
10. How long after the best-by date can I safely feed them?
If unopened and cold-stored, add 3 months for optimal nutrition; opened bags should finish within 30 days for full probiotic benefit.