Why Raw Orders Now Ship With Dry Ice This Summer

Summer is the hardest season for shipping frozen raw food. Trucks sit in the sun, porches heat up, and a package that leaves us frozen solid has a longer fight to stay that way. We want your order to arrive as cold as the day it left our facility. Starting now, every raw order ships with a 5.5 lb block of dry ice packed right in the cooler. It runs for a small seasonal fee of $4.50 per cooler, added automatically at checkout, and only while the heat is on. 

What Changed

We already ship raw orders frozen in thick insulated coolers every Monday. Dry ice is the extra layer that carries that cold further. A block of dry ice sits at roughly 109 degrees below zero, far colder than the regular ice you would put in a drink. That is what holds temperature through long transit days and warm delivery trucks. Once the weather cools back down, the dry ice comes off and the fee comes off with it.

Why There Is a Small Fee

Dry ice costs more to source, and it adds weight to every box, which raises the shipping cost. The $4.50 per cooler helps cover part of that. If you order two coolers, you will see $9.00, and it scales from there. This is a seasonal line item, not a permanent price change. Many of you asked for better hot-weather protection, and this is how we deliver it without raising product prices across the board.

Why You Might Not See the Dry Ice When Your Box Arrives

This one catches people off guard, so it is worth explaining. Dry ice is frozen carbon dioxide. Instead of melting into a puddle the way water ice does, it sublimates. That means it turns straight from a solid into a gas and disappears into the air. If you open your cooler and the block is small or already gone, that is completely normal. It did its job on the way to you. Cold food is the sign it worked, not a block sitting in the bottom of the box.

If you have ordered our freeze-dried products, you have already seen sublimation at work. It is the same process we use to pull moisture out of raw beef while keeping the nutrients intact.

Handling Dry Ice Safely

A couple of quick pointers. Never touch dry ice with bare hands, since it is cold enough to injure your skin, so use a towel or gloves if you need to move a leftover piece. Keep it away from children and pets, and let any remaining chunk sublimate on its own in an open, ventilated spot rather than sealing it inside a container. Once it is gone, your beef is ready to move straight into the freezer.

The Short Version

Your dog's food travels a long way to reach the bowl, and summer makes that trip harder on every order. Dry ice keeps it colder for longer, and the seasonal $4.50 helps us keep doing it right until the temperatures drop back down. When the heat backs off, so does the ice.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How much is the dry ice fee? It is $4.50 per cooler, added automatically at checkout. Two coolers come to $9.00, and it scales with the number of coolers in your order.

Is the dry ice fee permanent? No. It is seasonal and only applies during summer heat. We remove it once the weather cools back down.

Why is there no dry ice in my box when it arrives? Dry ice sublimates, which means it turns from a solid directly into a gas as it works. If the block is small or gone by the time you open the cooler, that is normal. Your food arriving cold is the proof it did its job.

Do I need to do anything with leftover dry ice? Do not handle it with bare hands. Set any remaining piece in a ventilated spot and let it sublimate on its own. Keep it away from children and pets while it does.

Does the dry ice affect my dog's food? No. It keeps your order colder in transit. If any product arrives thawed or partially defrosted, it is safe to refreeze.