HEALTHIER FOOD FOR HEALTHIER PETS 

What you feed your pet has a direct impact on their health. Over the past 50 years, a dog's diet has gone from raw meat, raw eggs, and table scraps (of good, home-cooked meals), to highly processed dry kibble. Most conventional kibble on the market, even the "premium quality" "all natural" and "prescription" brands, are full of substandard ingredients, additives, preservatives, and fillers. The majority of pet owners feed the same brand and flavor of kibble over the course of their pet's lifetime. Imagine eating the same processed cereal every day, every meal for your entire life! That isn't healthy for humans and it's not healthy for our pets either. Here's a quick rundown on the main types of food from most to least processed.

DRY (KIBBLE) 

This is the most popular way to feed pets because it is the least expensive and most convenient with the longest shelf life. However, you need to be extremely careful about the kibble you choose as it is usually highly processed with low quality meat protein, artificial colors, flavors, fillers, and other ingredients with little nutritional value. We recommend Nature's Logic and Carna4 because they are minimally processed, use quality whole food ingredients, and are the only brands that do not have added synthetic vitamins and minerals.

CANNED

Canned food is easier to chew and digest, making it a good choice for senior dogs or those with poor dental health. It's important to pay attention to the ingredients in canned food and make sure it does not contain grains, gluten, wheat, soy, preservatives, hormones, or other processed ingredients. Most brands include additives such as carrageenan, guar gum or xantham gum, which are used to give the product a certain texture and consistency, but they may be unsafe and cause health issues. Pet owners often mix canned and dry together.

Air-dried
Air-dried food is like kibble in that it is ready to feed right from the bag and requires no rehydration. But unlike kibble, air-drying slowly and gently evaporates moisture from the raw ingredients, while preserving the natural enzymes, nutrients, and vitamins. This offers nutrition very similar to a raw diet. Ziwi, Open Farm, and The Real Meat Company are some brands we recommend.

Dehydrated
Dehydrated food starts with raw food ingredients and then goes through a low heat drying process which creates a texture similar to oatmeal. Dehydrated food requires rehydration before serving. There are also dehydrated "base mixes" that can be used as the starting point to add the protein of your choice and other fresh ingredients. This is a terrific option for pet owners that like the idea of home-cooking their pet's meals, but want to be certain that the meals are complete and balanced with the right mix of nutrients. Brands we recommend include Honest Kitchen and Dr. Harvey's.

GENTLY COOKED

Lightly cooked food is similar to a casserole that you might cook for yourself. It is cooked at low temperatures and shouldn't include an abundance of filler ingredients like lentils or potatoes. This food retains the natural vitamins and enzymes that are cooked out of dry food. It comes in frozen pouches and is often easier to digest than other types of food. Brands we recommend include Raised Right, Smallbatch, A Pup Above, and Open Farm.

FREEZE DRIED RAW FOOD

Freeze-dried food is essentially raw food with the moisture removed. This food offers all the benefits of a raw food diet, but has a longer shelf life and can be more convenient, especially when traveling. Brands we recommend include Steve's Real Food, Small Batch, Raw Dynamic, Simple Food Project and Green JuJu.

RAW FOOD

Many veterinarians and pet owners consider a raw food diet to be the best option for your dog or cat as it most closely resembles the diet they were born to eat and naturally provides the perfect level of protein, fat, and carbohydrates. Raw food diets are usually 80-90% raw meat and 10-20% produce and other value-added ingredients such as kelp, eggs, or green lipped mussels.

Commercially prepared raw pet food comes in frozen patties or nuggets that you defrost and serve. Raw food maintains all the naturally occurring amino acids, fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, enzymes and phytochemicals that are destroyed by heat and other processing methods. Brands we recommend include Small Batch, Steve's Real Food, Raw Dynamic, and Green JuJu.

A raw diet improves pet health in many ways, including:

• Fewer skin problems
• Fewer allergy symptoms
• Whiter teeth, better breath
• Arthritis and other joint issues are often resolved or reduced
• Digestive problems often clear up
• Firm, less frequent, smaller poop
• Helps with weight control

CUSTOMIZED FOOD OPTIONS

We have certain brands that are always in-stock, but we are able to get almost any brand that you might want. We place orders weekly for specific foods and quantity discounts. Everyone's situation is different and what works for one dog, may not work for another. We will work with you to find the food that will best fit your budget and lifestyle while providing optimal nutrition for your dog or cat.