Our Nutrition Philosophy

Pet nutrition can be confusing as there is conflicting information everywhere you turn. We are here to help you navigate the chaos and choose the right diet for your pet.

Why should you care about what’s in your pet’s food? Certain ingredients and the lack of quality ingredients can be harmful to your pet. An appropriate diet can have many health benefits including smaller stools, better skin & coat, less allergies, and an overall improved quality of life. Plus, did you know that animal by-product, a common ingredient in pet food can include feet, beaks, and feathers? And, it is also legal for pet food companies to include dead, dying, and diseased animals (including euthanized household pets) in pet food. This is why we do our research and find reputable companies that source their ingredients properly and do not include by-product or cheap fillers like corn or gluten.

How to read a label? Ingredients are listed by weight. Focus on the first five. If corn or by-product is the first or second ingredient, you’re essentially buying a big bag of corn and feathers.

Grain-free vs. Grain-in and more. Kibbles need a binder whether it’s potato, rice, millet, peas, etc. Dogs do not need any of these ingredients. One isn’t necessarily better than another although we prefer low-glycemic binders like lentils and millet. The key is to choose a high protein diet (protein source primarily comes from meat, not fillers) with low carbs. Carbs are processed by dogs differently than us. Too much carbohydrates will cause weight gain. Dogs turn fat into energy unlike humans who turn fat into fat. So, if you’re looking for a low-fat dog food for weight control, you’re barking up the wrong tree. Bottom line: Too much grain is no good. Too much peas are no good. Too little protein or protein coming from the wrong sources is no good.

Rotation is good! There is not one protein source that contains all 7 essential amino acids (except for eggs). So, we encourage rotation for nutritional purposes and to keep your pet interested in their food.

So, what’s the best pet food? There isn’t a one diet fits all. That being said, we consider the raw diet the most species appropriate choice. Your goal is to get the highest possible protein content (from a named meat source) and the lowest possible carb content.

Mixers, Toppers, and More. If you feed a dry kibble diet exclusively, your pet is in a constant state of dehydration. We recommend adding moisture to your bowl whether that be in the form of fresh meat, bone broth, kefir, goat milk, or even water.

Want to learn more?            Dr. Karen Becker https://healthypets.mercola.com/ Thetruthaboutpetfood.com                       Dogfoodadvisor.com          Netflix documentary: Pet Fooled