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Do Cats Need Carbohydrates?

Cats have little to no dietary need for carbohydrates, but based on a veterinarian’s 30+ years of experience feeding real, whole DIY raw balanced diets, a small percentage of fruits and vegetables belong in a cat’s diet. The key is to include the right kinds of carbs in species-appropriate amounts.

On the Agenda

Cats Process Carbs Differently

For many animals, humans included, carbohydrates are a quick source of energy. But cats are special. Just ask them. As predators at the top of the food chain, they’ve evolved to use protein as their primary energy source–this means the bulk of their diet should come from animal tissue.

Cats have unique nutritional requirements. After all, they’re obligate carnivores, and their bodies can’t produce certain vitamins the way herbivores and omnivores can. Cats of all sizes need foods with a higher concentration of protein, taurine, arginine, niacin, vitamin A, and vitamin D.

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Cats also lack the liver enzymes to metabolize carbohydrates in the quantities that humans and other animals can, so we need to be selective about the quantity and quality of the carbohydrates we include in our felines’ bowls. 

Fortunately, both science and nature can guide us in this endeavor.

Carbohydrates and Cats’ Wild Cousins

You might be thinking, but lions and tigers don’t eat leaves and berries, so why should Mewlius Caesar? When cats, big or small (equally ferocious),  eat their prey, they don’t let anything go to waste. Bones, organs, and digesta are all consumed, which means when a cat eats his prey, he’s also taking advantage of that animal’s last meal– predigested plant matter full of phytonutrients with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

Take a Cue From Nature On Which Carbs Are Best For Cats

Not all carbs are created equal. Some carbohydrates are high on the glycemic index (GI), which means they cause blood sugar to rise rapidly. Sugary foods are often culprits, but other foods are sneakier–white rice has almost as dramatic an effect as white sugar… not something you want anywhere near your cat’s bowl.

On the other hand, low GI carbs come from certain fruits and vegetables –especially brightly colored ones. They digest much more slowly, stabilize blood sugar, and provide a steady stream of energy over time. But what everyone should be writing home about is that these foods are often powerhouses of essential nutrients. Unsurprisingly, they’re exactly the carbs cats would be eating in nature.

In the wild, your Apawllo would hunt and feast on small rodents, birds, and the more skilled hunters, young rabbits, and hares. These prey animals would have bellies full of fruits, seeds, berries, and leafy greens, and those are just the nutrient-rich ingredients domestic cats should consume. It’s not hard to see why the starchy fillers found in low-quality cat food– grains, corn, soy, and potatoes– give other carbs a bad name. Unlike the vitamin-packed, functional foods found in the digesta of a cat’s prey, the more common and starchier options are almost void of usable nutrients and much higher on the glycemic index.

Superfoods For Cats

Your cat needs energy to maintain her busy schedule– she has to keep an eye on those squirrels in the yard, practice her contortions so she can fit into any box that comes her way, attack your feet from under the bed, and if she doesn’t patrol the house at 3:00 a.m., at full speed, then who will? It’s a strenuous life, but making sure her bowl contains the obligatory high-quality meat proteins and, of course, species-appropriate amounts of low-glycemic plant ingredients will keep her in tip-top shape for years to come.

How?

Through the power of age-fighting antioxidants. These mighty nutrients protect cells from damage by neutralizing harmful free radicals. Oxidative damage caused by free radicals can lead to cognitive decline, diseases like cancer, and many other chronic conditions that can cause cats to slow down long before their time. 

Fortunately, antioxidants can prevent much of this damage, and antioxidants aren’t hard to find. Antioxidants are both produced by the body (which declines with age) and found in superfoods – the same select few low-GI carbohydrates your cat should be eating anyway.

  • Berries like blueberries and cranberries

  • Spinach, kelp, and other leafy greens

  • Nuts and seeds

  • Pumpkin and squash

  • Broccoli and other cruciferous greens

Learn more about the power of antioxidants and how you can make a radical change in how (you) and your pet age.

Fitting Carbs Into a Balanced Feline Diet

Left to their own devices, cats will naturally eat the right proportions of nutrients. Specifically, most of their diet will consist of protein and animal fats, with a very small portion coming from nutrient- and antioxidant-rich carbohydrates, the kind of plant matter they might find in the digesta of their prey. 

Following nature’s model, we can ensure cats are getting exactly what they need for healthy aging by providing:

#1 A Diet High in Moisture

Cats would get most of their water from their prey. Throughout the day, wild and feral cats might catch six to ten prey animals like mice or birds, and each time they eat their prey, they rehydrate from moisture found in the animal’s tissue. This is why cats have a low thirst drive. (You can put that little nugget in your back pocket for later.)

Because your four-legger isn’t inclined to drink as regularly, it’s essential that you provide your cat with moisture-rich wet, raw, or freeze-dried meals. Cats often can’t or won’t get the hydration they need by drinking, and this can cause chronic dehydration that severely affects a cat’s health, wellbeing, and life span.

#2 Dietary Animal Proteins

Herbivores and omnivores derive cellular energy (at least partially) from carbohydrates– translation, what makes you and I go.  Cats derive energy from protein, animal protein specifically. That’s because animal protein provides all the amino acids cats need to grow and thrive. Those butt-wriggling sneak attacks? Brought to you by the protein in your cat’s dish. 

Plant-based proteins like corn and soy lack in some of the amino acids critical to a cat’s health– which starves your cat’s cells of what it needs.  There’s no substitute for animal proteins in your cat’s diet, and fresh, raw, or (rehydrated) freeze-dried proteins are best.

#3 A Diet Low in Carbohydrates

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You’ve seen how certain carbohydrates are important for cats, but the fact is, cats need far fewer carbs than other animals. They’ve evolved to get their energy from protein, and while they can use carbohydrates for energy, they can’t do it nearly as effectively as other species. When carbohydrates are included in the appropriate quantities (think <15%, but the lower, the better), they provide critical nutrients and those uniquely super-charged antioxidants cats won’t otherwise get.

What Commercial Pet Foods Get Wrong About Carbs & Cats

Most (read: the majority of) cats are eating too many carbohydrates.

The average dry food contains 35-50% carbohydrates.  And many contain significantly more.

This number is unacceptable and a leading cause of not only the obesity epidemic but the extreme rise in the number of diabetes cases in pets.  

Cats only need around 10-15% of their diet to come from carbohydrates.  

Many veterinarians recommend even lower, and you’ll see in Dr. Bessent’s recipes that a few are formulated for as low as 5%.  And because you are providing such a small quantity, you need to pick those carbohydrate sources carefully. They need to provide your kitty with a healthy dose of super-charged antioxidants.  Dr. Bessent chooses produce like cranberries and blueberries to provide exactly that. 

Unfortunately, common pet food ingredients like corn and rice are cheap and are used to help to bind kibble together. They don’t provide either the protein or the vitamins cats need– they’re filler that can leave your cat malnourished and deficient. These just aren’t ingredients cats were meant to eat.

Many canned foods aren’t much better in terms of high-carbohydrate content, though they’re at least supplying more moisture.

Perhaps worst of all, it can be tough for a well-meaning cat parent to try to decipher a pet food label or determine what it actually contains. 

But! Praise the buts. Feeding your cat doesn’t have to be a mystery. There are a few tips and tricks you can use.

How To Figure Out Whether A Food Is Truly Up To Snuff

First, if carbohydrates that aren’t species-appropriate are listed prominently on the label (corn, wheat, rice, to name a few), chances are the percentages are too high for your cat. To calculate the exact number of carbs, you’ll need to roll up your sleeves and pull out your calculator.

Then, you should also beware of these 3 dubious pet food label tricks. 

When in doubt, just follow nature’s cues and look for products with whole, fresh ingredients your cat might choose for herself.

    • Food high in animal proteins and embellished with species-appropriate carbohydrates that provide essential antioxidants to keep her youthful and fit. 

And if you have any questions, thoughts, cute photos of bleps… reach out or drop them in the comments below.

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Dr. Chris Bessent

Chris Bessent, DVM, MSOM, Dipl. OM, L.Ac. has over thirty years of experience in veterinary medicine including certificates in veterinary acupuncture, veterinary chiropractic and veterinary Chinese herbology. Imbued with Eastern philosophy and the knowledge that food is the foundation of health, Dr. Bessent also received her degree in veterinary nutrition and began to formulate recipes fit for a carnivore from nothing but whole foods. Currently, she divides her time between the Simple Food Project and Herbsmith, both of which are owned and operated out of her facilities in southeastern Wisconsin.

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August Li - Content Writer

August is an author, artist, and animal activist. He lives on the coast of South Carolina, where he spends his days looking for sea glass, merpeople, and friendly cats.

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Kayla - Editor

Kayla is the Content Editor for The Simple Food Project. She has a cat named Professor Cat-Faced Meowmers, who goes by Kitty, and a goof of a dog, named Duck. She stays busy biking trails, playing board games, and searching for the next best craft beer.

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HPP & Pet Foods– What You Need to Know

Home / Blog   |   Read Time: 6 minutes

If you’re already feeding raw or considering making the switch from kibble, good for you! There’s a 100% chance you’ve done some research exploring the good, the bad, and the complicated of a raw food diet.

While your Chief Grouch Officer or Miss Meowsie might love going down a rabbit hole, it’s less fulfilling for us humans. Right about now, you may be wondering whether High-Pressure Processing (HPP) is a safe way to mitigate risky bacteria, like E.coli or salmonella. Understanding the pros and cons of HPP can help you make an informed decision about how to feed your pet to keep them happy, healthy, and full of excited wiggles.

Let’s dig in to learn more about how HPP works and what the research says.

On the Agenda

What is HPP?

HPP uses ultra-high pressure to destroy harmful pathogens and preserve food. It’s the pasteurization process du jour in both the people-food industry and raw pet food industry.

HPP doesn’t use heat or additives, both of which can compromise nutritional value and make food look, taste, or smell off in a really off-putting sort of way.

Sounds Like A Great Idea, Right?

Food that comes out of a package and also tastes like food might seem like a miraculous work of culinary innovation, but HPP has the raw pet food community aflutter with division. Maybe not quite as intense as the paleo vs. vegan debate among humans, but still contentious. 

Some in the raw community believe HPP is a safe and effective way to eliminate the bad bugs in food, while others are beleaguered by existential angst over whether HPP’d food can even be considered raw.

How Does HPP Work?

Now that we’ve gotten our paws wet let’s dive into how HPP works. In a nutshell, HPP happens in five simple-ish steps: 

      1. Food products are hermetically sealed in flexible packaging, like a pouch. 
      2. The package is placed in a chamber, surrounded by essentially an intertube of water.
      3. The chamber is filled with fluid, usually cold water.
      4. Ultra-high levels of pressure are applied to the food via the fluid– 85,000 PSI.
      5. The package stays under pressure for a set period of time– 300 seconds.

This all sounds pretty unremarkable, but when we say “ultra-high” levels of pressure, we are not kidding.

The amount of pressure applied during HPP is analogous to the pressure found in the deepest place on earth – the Mariana Trench. That’s seven miles below sea level and deeper than Mount Everest is tall. Most HPP foods undergo a pressure about five times that of the pressure in the Mariana Trench (Oh My Dog).

Not much can survive this level of pressure, including microorganisms in food.

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What Are the Pros & Cons?

The Yay-sayers That Are Down With HPP

A number of raw pet food companies have enlisted the help of third-party researchers to better understand HPP and its effect on food. Multiple studies have shown that HPP raw diets were bioequivalent to non-HPP raw diets, making HPP a desirable option to safely manage microbes and preserve nutrition.

All those in favor of HPP have cited a few key benefits –

    • Tastiness – Proponents say food tastes just as wildly delicious after HPP as it does beforehand.

    • Nutritional value – Studies have shown that HPP does not affect vital nutrients, so your pet gets all the goodness he needs to play, bark at strangers, and run amok at the dog park.

    • A win for food safety – HPP has been shown to eliminate most food-borne pathogens such as Salmonella, E. coli, and Listeria, making food safer and extending its shelf-life

    • Gateway raw – As bacon is to reluctant vegetarians, HPP can be a gateway to introduce raw-hesitant people to feeding their pet a species-appropriate diet.

Nay-sayers, Now You Have Our Full Attention

For pet parents who want to avoid processed dog foods entirely, HPP (keyword – processing) is off the table.

When placed in the context of, “Isn’t HPP’d food better than kibble?” the answer is a resounding yes. But for many pet parents, that’s a pretty low bar. 

 Those with raised eyebrows have voiced more than a handful of concerns about HPP: 

  • Proteins are denatured – The high pressure used in HPP alters proteins, which can affect the nutritional value of the meat.

  • Bye, beneficial bacteria – Like humans, our pets need friendly bacteria in their gastrointestinal tracts to balance the complex community of microbiota known as the gut microbiome. HPP is an equal opportunity destroyer, eliminating both the good and bad bacteria in foods.

  • Risk of recontamination (if the container is reopened) – Bags and containers are routinely opened in the pet food process to form the meat and in the case of air-dried or freeze-dried companies who use the process, to dry the meat. (You can’t HPP dry material because it would be entirely powder.)  Recontamination is the reason for most pet food recalls.

  • Potential transfer of phthalates to food – Chemical compounds in food packaging have been linked to thyroid issues and obesity in pets and humans. Studies have not confirmed or denied whether phthalates are transferred to food during processing, meaning more research is needed before we can accurately assess this risk. 

  • The process adds expense for the producers and consumers– roughly an additional $1.62 per lb.  

  • Unprocessed raw food is already safe.

    • Most commercially available raw foods are grain-free and therefore mycotoxin-free.

    • The quality raw pet food brands use high-quality, human-grade meats sourced from healthy animals.

    • Microbially responsible food processing lowers the risk of recalls.

  • Raw is raw – HPP is, by its very nature, a process. Many raw food enthusiasts contend that foods that have undergone HPP can no longer keep their “raw” cred.

Why Do So Many Raw And Freeze-Dried Pet Food Companies Use HPP?

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The FDA’s Food Safety Modernization Act of 2011 (FSMA) mandated new regulations for both human and pet food suppliers, chief among them the “Zero Tolerance” mandate for pet food companies.  This requires that any pet food sold is free from E.coli, salmonella & listeria.

This standard is so high that even human foods are not required to comply with it.

Raw pet food companies employ a range of responses to the FDA’s standards, but HPP is the most popular.

The Downsides

There are more than 2,500 strains of Salmonella. 

Guess how many are harmful? 

If you guessed about 100, you win. Of these 100, only a handful of strains cause the majority of illnesses. But the Zero Tolerance policy covers every strain of Salmonella, which is why there is an ongoing scuffle between raw food companies, the FDA, and the USDA about this standard.

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The Upsides

It keeps both humans and pets safe because, unfortunately, 4D (dead, dying, diseased, or downed) meats are allowed in pet foods.

While dogs tolerate bacteria (that whole omnivore v carnivorous species thing), the bacterial load from a healthy, well-cared animal is very different from the bacterial load found in 4D meats. Their systems aren’t invulnerable to the high bacteria loads that 4D meats are known to carry.

It is also much safer to handle clean, quality food than handle 4D meats that could cause serious health issues for the immunocompromised among us.

Until we address the use of 4D meats as an industry, this policy protects our pets’ welfare.

Dr. Bessent’s Perspective

From the DIY raw feeders to commercial, the reality is everyone has the bacterial load of meats to contend with– and the best defense against it is sourcing quality meat first and foremost. 

As carnivores, dogs and cats are designed to healthfully process the normal bacteria loads found in their prey. That’s why pets can (and do!) lick their butts, eat poop, and not die (though their parents may die from embarrassment when these behaviors happen in public). But, a carnivore’s skillset is only as good as the quality of meat they’re eating.

In a dream world, the rancid, bacteria-laden 4D meats and meat meals wouldn’t be allowed in pet food, but that’s not the case. So, regulations and processes have to be in place.  

We aren’t going to tell you to choose or not choose foods processed with HPP. That’s for you to decide. Instead, we can offer a bit of guidance when you are choosing. 

The best guidance? Ask questions…

  • About sourcing and the quality of their ingredients, including meats

Are they using real, whole foods?

      • Clean, quality, USDA-inspected meats and organs, including grass-fed beef and wild-caught fish

      • Grocery-grade, non-GMO organic fruits and vegetables

      •  A whole food calcium source like USDA-inspected necks (avoid bone meal)

  • About transparency

Is the food third-party tested for pathogens?

A quality pet food company may have a lookup feature or post these results to verify this.

We can’t speak for other companies, but Dr. Bessent explored all of her options when creating The Simple Food Project recipes, including HPP. She decided to develop her own pasteurization step in the freeze-drying process.

She formulated these diets using only 13-16 real, raw whole food ingredients to give her clients a better option. Each recipe blends freeze-dried and dehydrated food in proportions especially for your carnivore– high in quality, human-grade meats (70-80% per recipe- all USDA inspected) and low in carbohydrates (15-23% from fresh USDA organic fruits, veggies, and seeds).

Besides being a safe and effective pasteurization process, the best thing about freeze-dried food is that it retains about 97% of its original vitamins and minerals, so your pup is getting every vitamin, mineral, and antioxidant from food alone.  It is the closest option to real, raw, whole food in a shelf-stable form.  It allows the average pet parent to feed a species-appropriate diet without having to balance and source a diy raw diet. 

Ultimately, it’s up to you. Whatever you do, you’ve got options, information, and questions in tow. And you’ll be able to check off what matters most– real, whole foods for your carnivore.

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Dr. Chris Bessent

Chris Bessent, DVM, MSOM, Dipl. OM, L.Ac. has over thirty years of experience in veterinary medicine including certificates in veterinary acupuncture, veterinary chiropractic and veterinary Chinese herbology. Imbued with Eastern philosophy and the knowledge that food is the foundation of health, Dr. Bessent also received her degree in veterinary nutrition and began to formulate recipes fit for a carnivore from nothing but whole foods. Currently, she divides her time between the Simple Food Project and Herbsmith, both of which are owned and operated out of her facilities in southeastern Wisconsin.

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Jen Stiff

Jen is a freelance writer, editor, and storyteller. She lives in San Diego with her rescue dog, Meatball (breed: Alaskan Eskimo chicken nugget remix). Meatball meows like a cat but does not bark and loves sunshine more than life itself. Besides Meatball, Jen also loves toast, traveling, and reading under puffy clouds.

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Kayla

Kayla is the Content Writer for The Simple Food Project. She has a cat named Professor Cat-Faced Meowmers, who goes by Kitty, and a goof of a dog, named Duck. She stays busy biking trails, playing board games, and searching for the next best craft beer.

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3 Dubious Pet Food Label Tricks You Need To Know

Home / Blog   |   Read Time: 6 minutes

You’re doing your due diligence to find good dog food: you’re reading ingredient labels, decoding Guaranteed Analyses, but you still may not be getting what you pay for. Practices like ingredient splitting are at work, and some rules you may rely on are actually defunct. Once you’re aware of them, though, you’ll know how to navigate these tactics! (And learn a few new tips and tricks to navigate labels in the process…)

Using these newfound skills, you can get exactly what you want in your four-legger’s diet and avoid what you don’t.

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On the Agenda

Ingredient Splitting

Ingredient splitting is a technique used to make it appear as if low-quality ingredients (think grains or vegetable byproducts) are less abundant.

How It Works

Ingredients are split into sub-ingredients so that they appear farther down on the ingredient list. If each of these ingredient parts were combined, they’d place higher in the ingredient list (likely before that “first” ingredient). 

Common Ingredients Used

Whole foods like peas can be broken down into all of these smaller parts and be labeled as entirely separate ingredients. These are known as sub-ingredients or by-products.

  • pea protein, pea flour, pea starch, pea fiber

  • wheat gluten, wheat bran, wheat germ, wheat flour

  • corn starch, corn gluten meal, corn flour, cornmeal, corn gluten

Why This Technique Is More Than A Misleading Practice

Sub-ingredients are commonly used in pet foods since they are readily available and cheaper to produce and can be problematic for a few reasons.

#1 Pet food can bulk up protein percentages using sub-ingredients like pea protein

When kibble guaranteed analysis’ say there’s X% of protein, they don’t have to specify the source. Legumes happen to be full of plant-based protein, so when a pet parent reads a label, there’s no way of knowing whether “protein” refers to plant protein or meat protein.

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#2 It obliterates the common rule of making sure meat is the 1st ingredient

The only steadfast rule about ingredient labels, per AAFCO, is that the 1st ingredient listed on an ingredient label has to be the largest part of the recipe, so pet parents used it as a guide when looking for quality pet food.

First 5 Ingredients: Bison Meal, Peas, Pea Protein, Tapioca, Dried Egg

But the ingredient-splitting technique can circumvent this rule, making it null and void. 

If you combined the second and third ingredients into one pea ingredient rather than splitting them into pea and pea sub-ingredient, the ingredient label would read more like this:

        1. Peas

        2. Bison Meal

        3. Tapioca

        4. Dried Egg

Ultimately, the ingredient-splitting technique makes it that much more difficult to make sure your dog is eating quality food– one with the right proportions of ingredients. Because if your dogs eating 80% legumes and 20% poor-quality meat, those proportions don’t meet the unique dietary needs of your dog, the carnivore.

Just consider the DCM findings released by the FDA. The overwhelming consensus was that legumes as a food group were bad (spoiler, they’re not). Consumers were even looking for grain-in food and continue to, because of it. But the biggest takeaway should be that you can’t use the high percentage proportions of peas/potatoes/legumes that grain-free kibble is using. 

The bottom line is a carnivore can’t eat the diet of a goat. As a species, dogs just aren’t designed for that.

How to Get Around This Practice

Legumes and grain ingredients are the most common ingredients that are split, so when you read the ingredient label, look for sub-ingredients like grains, corns, chickpeas, peas, lentils.

You want to see the whole food (e.g., “pea”) on that ingredient label, not the byproduct, so if you see 2, 3, or 4 sub-ingredients (e.g., pea protein, pea flour, pea starch), you know that devious ingredient-splitting practice is at work. 

There are also tiers of quality among the ingredients used in dog foods. Legumes like lentils and peas are higher-quality than ingredients like corn, for instance, because of their nutritional value. 

When used in species-appropriate proportions, real whole foods like peas serve a purpose. They are an extraordinary whole food source that offers unique nutrients not gotten from meat proteins– everything from manganese, phytonutrients, and fiber with benefits for the immune system, gut health, and beyond, so don’t hesitate to add them to the bowl.

The 1st 5 Ingredients Rule

This rule is similar to the first ingredient needs to be meat rule. It was relatively good practice for pet parents new to reading pet labels, too. It was born out of the fact that ingredient labels list ingredients from the greatest to the least (before being cooked). 

Using that logic, you’d simply have to pay attention to the first five ingredients listed on a pet food label and critique them since they are the most abundant.

How It Works (Or Doesn’t)

First, using the first five ingredients in that ingredient deck from earlier, we already know that the ingredient-splitting technique is at work. 

First 5 Ingredients: Bison Meal, Peas, Pea Protein, Tapioca, Dried Egg

But not evaluating ingredients outside of the five also leaves you more vulnerable to ingredient-slitting techniques, since you aren’t accounting for pea byproducts lower down the list.

And here’s the big kicker– nothing about those first five ingredients can tell you the true proportions of that recipe: carbohydrate content in the average kibble or dry dog food can range drastically– anywhere from 30% – 70% carbs in a recipe. 

You cannot know which it is because neither the ingredient label nor the GA is telling, so toss that rule. You might as well pitch the “1st ingredient is meat!” rule too, and instead, use a few other approaches to find out what’s in a pet food.

How to Find Out What A Pet Food Is Actually Made Of

#1 Pick Up the Phone

Call the manufacturer and ask for a recipe breakdown– this is not the GA. It’s a breakdown of the proportions in a recipe. 

Dogs need 70-85% real, high-quality meats (organ & skeletal) and then fruits, veggies, and seeds in much lesser amounts (25% or less) to provide whole food vitamins and minerals. 

If they come back with a jumble of confusing numbers or convoluted responses, retreat post-haste and don’t look back.

#2 Count Carbs

Roll up your sleeves and bring out the calculator to figure out the percentage of carbohydrates in a recipe. 

How to calculate carb content

Start by finding the guaranteed analysis.  

Dry Matter Basis– use this for kibble, freeze-dried, dehydrated recipes.

100% – % protein – % fat – % moisture – % ash (if not listed, use 6 percent) = % carbs

*Fiber is roughage that doesn’t break down into sugar, so it’s not included.*

Wet Matter Basis– use this for canned and commercial raw food recipes.

100% – % protein – % fat – % moisture – % ash (if not listed, use 6 percent)= % of carbs on a wet matter basis. 

To convert to DM basis– take the % of moisture and subtract that from 100%. (Then, convert this percentage to a decimal, divide by 100.)

Take the % of carbs on a wet matter basis and divide by the decimal, and you’ve got the carbohydrates on a DM basis. 

**You can use these calculations to find the carbohydrates in cat and dog foods.

Again, you’re looking for a low-carbohydrate dog food that’s no more than 25% carbohydrates or so (but the less, the better). 

Frankly, dry dog food or kibble doesn’t meet these criteria.

The Salt Divider Rule

The Salt Divider, coined by Dr. Marion Nestlé, essentially says that because pet foods generally use similar formulas set by AAFCO standards, consumers can establish a rule of thumb. Any ingredient that follows salt in an ingredient deck must make up less than 1 percent of the diet.

How It Works

As you may know, the ingredient label lists ingredients from the greatest to the least (before it’s cooked). 

Here’s the catch. From a regulatory standpoint, pet foods can smatter the front of their packaging with beautiful brightly colored fruits and vegetables, fish filets, chicken breast, as long as there is a pinch of that ingredient (or some byproduct of it) in a recipe.

But you can use this tool of deductive logic to see through marketing claims or promotional copy.

Fruits and vegetables may be on the front of the packaging. They may even woo you with words like antioxidants, but if those ingredients follow salt in the ingredient list, they make up less than one percent of a recipe– think half of a blueberry to a 40 lb bag.

So, keep the salt divider rule in mind and take everything else related to packaging with a grain of salt.   

Tips & Tricks to Take Home

to the Store, to a Shop Page

You’ll want to keep that carb calculator in your back pocket and any pet food brand you’re interested in on speed dial. Besides that, remember what works and what doesn’t.

  • Ingredient splitting is a real practice that pet food brands are guilty of– when you read an ingredient label, you have to keep this in mind. 

  • The Salt Divider Rule can tell you what a pet food is peddling versus what they’re actually dishing out to dogs.

Use this newfound trick and thank advocates like Marion Nestle and Rodney Habib for bringing it to the light of day.

  • The 1st 5 ingredient rule may be null and void, but the ingredient deck can still tell you plenty about the food. 

    • Are there synthetic vitamins and minerals? Or do the vitamins and minerals come from whole foods alone?  

    • Are they using real, whole foods or sub-ingredients and byproducts? 

    • Do they use real, whole meat proteins or meat meals and meat & bone meals?

Now that you’re prepared, go out and get exactly what you want for your four-legger. Or take a look at the recipes created by Dr. Bessent. Formulated to provide her clients a better option, they may just be what you’re looking for, too.

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Dr. Chris Bessent

Chris Bessent, DVM, MSOM, Dipl. OM, L.Ac. has over thirty years of experience in veterinary medicine including certificates in veterinary acupuncture, veterinary chiropractic and veterinary Chinese herbology. Imbued with Eastern philosophy and the knowledge that food is the foundation of health, Dr. Bessent also received her degree in veterinary nutrition and began to formulate recipes fit for a carnivore from nothing but whole foods. Currently, she divides her time between the Simple Food Project and Herbsmith, both of which are owned and operated out of her facilities in southeastern Wisconsin.

CONNECT WITH ME ON FACEBOOK
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Kayla

Kayla is the Content Writer for The Simple Food Project. She has a cat named Professor Cat-Faced Meowmers, who goes by Kitty, and a goof of a dog, named Duck. She stays busy biking trails, playing board games, and searching for the next best craft beer.

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Why Lincoln & Katie Made The Switch & Kicked Kibble To The Curb

Home / Blog   |   Read Time: 6 minutes

Making the switch from kibble to real whole foods provides the nutrition dogs and cats need to thrive. 

Meet Lincoln (Linky for short), a four-year old fashionista (with his own impressive social media following), and his mom, Katie (who doubles as his fashion designer), sharing how their journey to real foods contributed to Lincoln’s “signature look.”

On the Agenda

Does he go by Lincoln? Longboy? Another other pseudonym?

Lincoln has a bunch of names. He mainly goes by Linky, but answers to Lincoln, Longboy, Mr. Floof, and the occasional Bubba. Sometimes we’ll call him Pokey because he likes to poke us with his nose.

How long have you had Lincoln?

We’ve had Lincoln since he was two months old. We’ll be celebrating our 4th anniversary together this June!

What is the BEST thing about Lincoln?

That’s so hard to pick just one thing! It’s probably his unconditional love. No matter what kind of day I’m having, Lincoln always makes it better.

What is Lincoln’s favorite thing to do?

Lincoln loves to play fetch more than anything and never gets tired of it. He likes to fetch with a toy, but fetch with a tennis ball in the backyard is his all-time favorite.

What makes Lincoln special and unique?

What doesn’t? Lincoln is very curious and loving. He always needs to know what’s going on. He’ll check out and inspect every bag or package that you bring in. He loves to give kisses and always knows when one of us is having a bad day. He can totally sense it and comes right over to comfort us.

He has a ton of energy and loves to fetch and play in the backyard. He always wants to make sure that he’s the center of attention at all times. Sometimes this means he’ll walk on top of your laptop or whatever else you’re doing to make sure he’s the priority. He’ll also bring toys over for you to toss for a game of fetch and get mad if you don’t throw it for him right away.

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What is Lincoln’s daily routine?

Lincoln lives the good life! I’m so jealous. He wakes up with his dad, usually. They go on a walk and then he gets his Simple Food Project breakfast. Then it’s a long, tiresome day filled with napping, fetch, and cuddling. We usually take another walk, or have some backyard time after I finish working for the day. He ends his day with his Simple Food Project dinner. Then we’ll usually have some before bed fetch if he’s feeling up to it, which is most days.

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What is your favorite memory with Lincoln?

Definitely the day we got him. It was a dream come true, I’ve been wanting a dachshund for over 10 years and it finally happened. It was such a perfect day. I’ll never forget how he ran through the entire apartment exploring his new home.

 He was so tiny too! I had a small harness and collar for him before we brought him home, and it was gigantic on him! We took him to the pet store later that day and had to get him an extra- extra small.

A close second would be the day we won Best in Show for Lincoln’s Halloween Costume at the New York City Halloween Dog Parade. He outshined over 600 dogs. Lincoln loved getting all the attention that day. So many people wanted to pet him, and we even ended up on a bunch of news channels!

Lincoln is a true social media cutie pie (costume idea?), complete with an amazing wardrobe thanks to Mom Katie’s creative designs!

You hand make each piece of clothing, right? Can you talk a bit more about that?

I do! I make all of Lincoln’s costumes. I’ve also made him a couple of shirts, but we usually buy those. I really enjoy dressing him up as a character and making the props that go along with it. It’s fun to figure out what to make him next and how to make a well-known character work for him. I’ve always loved crafting and creating things, so making costumes for Lincoln brought everything I love to do together.

How long does a piece take from concept to the reveal?

It really depends, each costume is so different. Some costumes I can make in a day or two, while others may take a few weeks if there are multiple props and pieces to it. The Game of Thrones “Bone Throne” took about a month since there were over 650 individually placed and painted dog bones.

Which is your favorite piece? And Lincoln’s?

I really loved making Lincoln’s Halloween costume and float for the New York Halloween Dog Parade two years ago. He was the “Barking” Mad Hatter and had a whole Alice in Wonderland themed float he sat on top of. There were a lot of fun pieces and hidden elements that went with it. I think making the little fun details is my favorite because they really bring the costume to life. 

Lincoln’s favorite costume was probably Steve from Strangers Things season 3. I made him a “Scoops Ahoy” outfit and had him look like he was in the ice cream shop. He loved it because he got to eat a vanilla ice cream cone during the shoot. 

How big is Lincoln’s closet?

Way too big for our New York City apartment, and it just keeps getting bigger. We’re running out of places to put all of them. Soon he’ll need an apartment just for his clothes!

Do Lincoln’s fans submit requests for what they want to see next? (Can we… 😋?) Or are these costumes some of your favorite things?

I have had fans send in requests for costumes in the past. I love seeing other people’s ideas and then their reaction to the final costume. Please send us what you’d like to see Lincoln as next!

Can you give us a hint about what fandom or season or cuuuute cute costume you’re tackling next?

I’m not exactly sure what I’m making next yet. I recently finished making Lincoln a Legend of Zelda costume for his birthday, which had a lot of pieces to it. I have a long list of costume ideas, but need to pick what will be next! I’d love to hear some suggestions!

What 3 words would you use to describe Lincoln?

Curious, Fluffy, and Perfect

What 3 words would Lincoln use to describe YOU?

Loving, protective, and probably non-stop, since I’m always working on making something.

Favorite napping spot?

Lincoln loves to curl up next to my legs. He also loves to nap with his face resting on my hand. The day we met him, he laid his head in the palm of my hand during our car ride home. Ever since then, he does it whenever he wants to be comforted and falls asleep– which means I can’t move my hand for a while if he does that, haha.

Does (or did) Lincoln have any health problems?

Lincoln does have some health issues. He was diagnosed with IVDD (intervertebral disk disease) this past November. IVDD is a back problem that’s very common in dachshunds since they have such an elongated spine. As a dachshund owner, you have to take so many precautions and make sure they don’t jump off furniture or play too rough since it can really hurt their back. We have a bunch of ramps for Lincoln to get onto the couch and our bed so that he doesn’t jump.

Watching him go through this was so hard, it happened out of nowhere. He would cry out in pain if he tried any sudden movements and stopped acting like himself. He was on crate rest for almost 6 months. He’s been getting laser therapy and acupuncture treatments, which have made a huge difference. 

It’s been a long road to recovery with him, and we’re now just getting back to normal. He’s starting to play fetch again and go on daily walks, which makes him so happy. I love seeing him get back to his normal self. We’re still taking things very slowly and making sure he doesn’t hurt himself again.

Favorite snack?

Lincoln loves cheese, and any duck or fish flavored treats. He loves a good snack and will sometimes just sit by the treat jar and ask for some.

What do you feed Lincoln?

Lincoln has been eating The Simple Food Project since he was 6 months old!

 He especially loves the Duck & Trout Recipe. Because of his IVDD, he also gets special supplements, like krill and glucosamine. 

What did you feed before? When did you make the switch to real food?

Before switching to Simple Food Project, Linky was eating kibble. I had tried several different brands and he wouldn’t eat any of them. I was going crazy trying to find something that he liked and we felt okay feeding him, since a lot of major brands have tons of scary ingredients in them. 

The first time we tried Simple Food, he licked the bowl clean. Something he’s still doing 3 years later.

Why did you kick kibble to the curb?

It was a no-brainer. I love how much care is put into the Simple Food Project. I can see all the ingredients that I’m feeding him right on the box.

As a dog mom, I feel safe and good about feeding him this. Lincoln is the most important thing to me, and I want to make sure he gets everything he needs to be happy and healthy. Plus, Linky loves the taste of it! It’s a win-win!

Have you noticed changes since you switched to real, whole food?

Linky has been on whole food for most of his life since he started when he was a puppy. Right after we made the switch, his coat became a lot shinier and fluffier, and is now his signature look.

What would you say to a pet parent considering making the switch?

Absolutely try it! This brand cares about your pup just as much as you do. You really see that in the care they take to put the best ingredients into the recipes and how helpful they are to make sure your pup gets what they need. I cannot say enough good things about The Simple Food Project!

What would Lincoln say about his whole food diet?

Lincoln loves it! If you ask him, he’d ask to get seconds, maybe even thirds.

Want to see Katie & Lincoln’s latest creation? Or submit a costume idea? Follow them on Instagram.

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Picture of Lincoln & Katie

Lincoln & Katie

Lincoln and his family live in New York City. They love visiting parks and dog-friendly cafes all around the city. Lincoln’s mom, Katie, loves to dress him up in adorable costumes that she creates herself. Check out Lincoln, The Dressup Dachshund, wearing his vast collection of costumes on Instagram for an instant dose of cuteness!

Picture of Lincoln & Katie
Lincoln & Katie

Lincoln and his family live in New York City. They love visiting parks and dog-friendly cafes all around the city. Lincoln’s mom, Katie, loves to dress him up in adorable costumes that she creates herself. Check out Lincoln, The Dressup Dachshund, wearing his vast collection of costumes on Instagram for an instant dose of cuteness!

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What Others Aren’t Telling You About “Low Carb” Dog Food

Home / Blog   |   Read Time: 6 minutes

You, my two-legged friend, are doing everything right for your four-legger. Searching for a low-carb diet, muah, beautiful, you are on the right path. 

The problem is there’s a lot of marketing jargon out there– crafted messaging that’s going to say– 

    • Buy this recipe– it’s the lowest in carbs. 
    • Meat is the first ingredient! 
    • No grains or fillers!

But that, up there? That does little to tell you anything other than buy x, y, or z food.  We want to cut through all of the fluff and marketing spin and tell you what no one else will. That’s why we’re pulling back the curtain and letting you in on exactly what needs to be in your dog’s bowl based on a veterinarian’s 30+ years of experience feeding real, whole DIY raw balanced diets.

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Cutting Through Marketing Jargon & Claims

“No corn, soy, or wheat, gluten, grains, fillers” are all words pet parents long for! But what is it saying about the ingredients that are in the bag? To cut through these shiny terms, you’ll actually want to disregard the majority of the packaging, starting with these claims.

The Term “Low Carb” Doesn’t Tell You Anything

The current regulatory standards regarding a statement like “low carb” make buying food all the more confusing since the statement is only used in comparison to another recipe or brand. And what’s worse is that marketers are defining the term in an effort to differentiate their brand, not veterinarians.  With such ambiguity around its definition, you can’t let this term influence your buying decisions.

Take these snippets from a post that’s supposed to be a guide to the best low-carb options on the market.

“____is a high-quality dry dog food. Its nutrient profile is significantly above average…and a significantly low proportion of carbohydrates.” compared to what, exactly? A dog food with 50 or 60% carbohydrates? 

What they can use are comparative claims, such as “25% less than” another product.

“This formula is the highest-protein, lowest carb multigrain formula for dogs of All Life Stages from X company.”  

They are saying lowest-carb in comparison to the other recipes their brand offers, not that it is low-carb.

Per AAFCO, the GA or the Guaranteed Analysis can not list carbohydrates– so any brand leveraging the term really could contain any amount of carbs. Frankly, the term “low carb” is no more than an opinion, and to get to the facts, you need to ask the hard questions.

“Grain-Free” Does Not Equal Low Carb

Grain-free claims shouldn’t automatically be considered healthier. Recipes can simply replace high-carb grains (corn, wheat, rice) with other high-carb ingredients like starches (chickpeas, potato, legumes like soy, peas, and lentils).

The come-to-dog moment here is that you can’t simply swap ingredients like feeding 80% peas instead of 80% grains.

NEITHER ARE SPECIES APPROPRIATE for your carnivore. 

That’s why the “grain-free”  label isn’t always synonymous with high-quality pet food and why you shouldn’t let it dictate what you’re buying.

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“#1 Ingredient is Meat” Claims Don’t Guarantee Less Carbs Either

The only steadfast rule, per AAFCO, is that the 1st ingredient listed on an ingredient label has to be the largest part of the recipe. 

That means the first ingredient could make up 70% of the recipe or as little as 10%, with the 2nd ingredient making up 9.9999% of the recipe, the 3rd ingredient 9.9998% of the recipe, and so on. If that’s the case, then suddenly, the first 10 ingredients are now just as important to consider.

Carbohydrate content in the average kibble or dry dog food can range drastically– anywhere from 30% – 70% carbs in a recipe, and you won’t know which it is because neither the ingredient label nor the GA is telling, So, you have to roll up your sleeves and bring out the calculator.

The Only Way To Determine If It’s Low Carb Is To Calculate Carbs

With general claims, it leaves the pet parent to do a lot of the heavy lifting, unfortunately. You should have every fact and figure to make the most informed decisions, so here’s the information you need to arm yourself with in your search.

How to calculate carb content

Start by finding the guaranteed analysis.  

Dry Matter Basis– use this for kibble, freeze-dried, dehydrated recipes

100% – % protein – % fat – % moisture – % ash (if not listed, use 6 percent) = % carbs

*Fiber is roughage that doesn’t break down into sugar, so it’s not included.*

100% -23% -13% -10% – 6% = 48% carbohydrates (yeesh)

Wet Matter Basis– use this for canned and commercial raw food recipes.

100% – % protein – % fat – % moisture – % ash (if not listed, use 6 percent)= % of carbs on a wet matter basis. 

100% – 10% protein – 5% fat – 78% moisture -3.3 % ash = 3.7% on wet matter basis

To convert to DM basis– take the % of moisture and subtract that from 100%. (Then, convert this percentage to a decimal, divide by 100.)

100% -78% moisture= 22/100 = .22 OR 22%

Take the % of carbs on a wet matter basis and divide by the decimal and you’ve got the carbohydrates on a DM basis. 

3.7% wet matter/ 22%= 16.8% carbs on DM basis

You can use these calculations to find the carbohydrates in cat and dog foods, so keep these handy.

Is there a % that’s considered “low carbohydrate”?

You’re looking for a low-carbohydrate dog food that’s no more than 25% carbohydrates or so (but the less, the better). 

Frankly, kibble doesn’t meet this criterion.

It’s Not Just About Carb %– Some Carbs Are Better Than Others

Pet foods championing for low-carb food options is really fluffin’ fantastic news– truly. Because despite life-threatening diseases being positively linked with overweight dogs and cats, pet obesity is still rising and reaching epidemic proportions. 

U.S. statistics from 2018 showed that more than half – 53.9% of dogs and 58.9% of cats – are not just overweight; they are obese. More than half. 

In the U.S., severe obesity among humans has effectively doubled in the past two decades, and our pets are right there with us.

So, YES, low-carb is an ABSOLUTE must that’s not up for debate– what is, is whether being low-carb is the best and only metric to consider when looking for dog food. Is it the only one that gauges whether a food is providing what your dog needs to thrive?

Frankly, it’s a bit reductive just to say pick this low-carb food. Instead, you need to ask where those carbs come from in the recipe– what foods are picked and why.

Simple vs Complex Carbs

Fruits and vegetables, along with grains, starches, and legumes, all have varying amounts of carbohydrates. 

Foods that fall in the simple carbs category provide minimal nutrition to dogs. Complex carbohydrates, on the other hand, include fruits and vegetables that provide some of the most crucial nutrients. The complex carb category may contain starches (like sweet potatoes), but complex carbs also contain those sought-after nutrients.

Some of the most beneficial nutrition comes from plants in the modern dog’s diet, it’s simply about picking with a purpose. 

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Opt for superfoods that offer diversity in your carnivore’s diet, so you provide key nutrients that a dog’s diet cannot get from meat alone.

Note: We want to be very clear here. We are not saying that a dog can survive on plants alone. A quality diet is filled with real, whole, quality meats (NOT meat meals) and then lesser amounts of produce. That’s why you need to be judicious and pick plants with purpose.

Glycemic Index

Certain foods like fruits and veggies  — especially brightly colored ones– contain carbohydrates, but they are digested slower and promote stable blood sugar levels, which is why they have a low GI value.

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Corn, wheat, rice, potatoes, and other starchy carbohydrates are deemed high GI because they cause spikes in blood sugar– put in the simplest terms, this is the link to obesity and diabetes.

Knowing that high-glycemic carbs (like wheat or corn) do a whole lot more damage than a low-glycemic carb (like spinach), we just need to choose the right plants– low-glycemic fruits, vegetables, and seeds in proper proportions for the carnivore (remember 25% or fewer carbohydrates).

Opt for low-glycemic superfoods but by no means shy away from medium glycemic superfoods. Remember, if they are fed in species-appropriate proportions, you’re using them for all of those unmatched nutrients!

Carbs Aren’t The Only Thing to Consider When Picking A Food

The % of carbs is just one (small) portion of a carnivore’s diet but again a CRUCIAL part. Whatever carbs are in a recipe should actually serve a purpose– to fill in the gaps of a diet where meat can’t. 

It’s a lot to digest, but all you really need to focus on is feeding your scavenger carnivore a biologically appropriate diet.  

  • 15% – 25% nutrient-dense, low-glycemic fruits, vegetables, and seeds

  • 70-80% meat-based proteins 

Follow that, skip the marketing jargon and flowery prose, and don’t be afraid to get on the phone and ask.

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If you want a low-carb food for dogs right here and now, the Simple Food Project offers recipes that check all the boxes you’re looking for because Dr. Bessent wanted to provide her clients with a better option. These recipes are freeze-dried and dehydrated and made with only 16 real, raw whole food ingredients and fit for the carnivore– high in protein (70-80% per recipe- all USDA inspected) and low in carbohydrates (15-23% from fresh fruits, veggies, and seeds).

Whatever you do, you’ve got these tools to sidestep the dodgy carb-o-loaded dog foods, so don’t hesitate to use them!

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Dr. Chris Bessent

Chris Bessent, DVM, MSOM, Dipl. OM, L.Ac. has over thirty years of experience in veterinary medicine including certificates in veterinary acupuncture, veterinary chiropractic and veterinary Chinese herbology. Imbued with Eastern philosophy and the knowledge that food is the foundation of health, Dr. Bessent also received her degree in veterinary nutrition and began to formulate recipes fit for a carnivore from nothing but whole foods. Currently, she divides her time between the Simple Food Project and Herbsmith, both of which are owned and operated out of her facilities in southeastern Wisconsin.

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Kayla

Kayla is the Content Writer for The Simple Food Project. She has a cat named Professor Cat-Faced Meowmers, who goes by Kitty, and a goof of a dog, named Duck. She stays busy biking trails, playing board games, and searching for the next best craft beer.

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Can Dogs Eat Raw Beef?

Home / Blog   |   Read Time: 6 minutes

Raw beef for dogs? A hearty yes! Not only can dogs eat raw beef, but they should because this lean, savory meat protein offers benefits from tip to tail. 

Let’s look at all the reasons why raw beef should be in the bowl.

On the Agenda

Benefits of Raw Meat

Genetically, dogs are designed to digest animal proteins in their raw form. Their ancestors consumed the whole carcass, including muscle meat, bones, tendons, organs, skin, and fur, as a complete meal. 

That’s probably not going to happen in your house, but you can add raw beef to the bowl, and you should because real food makes a difference.

Food is functional– Each food we choose to put in the bowl directs, changes, and shapes our animal's health– not just weight or performance but also wellbeing.

Food is the foundation of health: yours and your pets. Consider just some of the benefits whole foods like beef offer your carnivore.

Raw beef offers nutrients like protein, which is the building block for muscles, ligaments, skin, cell maintenance and provides energy for running after a squirrel or chasing a ball. Beef also offers essential fatty acids Omega 3 (EPA & DHA) & 6. Omega 3s nourish and hydrate the skin for healthy skin and a shiny coat. Plus, with its anti-inflammatory properties, omega 3 benefits everything from the heart to the immune system. 

Consider this coverage from tip to tail and just one of MANY reasons dogs need essential fatty acids in the bowl. 

Not bad, right? Now, let’s take a closer look at your four-legger’s needs.

What Makes Raw Beef a Good Choice?

Your dog, the carnivore, NEEDS meat to thrive. 

Think about what dogs ate before they were members of the household. What did generations of animals eat when they roamed apart from us. Surely, they didn’t hunt wild kibble… No, a dog’s biology supports a carnivore’s diet.

Dogs share 99.9% of the same DNA as the grey wolf. As we’ve domesticated animals, we’ve bred them for specific propensities (think hunting or herding) and aesthetics (looking at you pugs), but we haven’t bred out their DNA.

The basic physiology, i.e., their internal anatomy, has changed little since domestication, which also means their nutritional requirements haven’t changed. 

Take a peek inside their mouths–

Large canines and pointed molars meant for ripping and tearing meat from the bone.

Little to no salivary amylase (the enzyme necessary for breaking down carbs) in their mouth.

High acidity levels in their stomach can handle the number of bacteria found in fresh prey.  

 

With anatomy like that, a dog’s diet should match.

That means… Meats and organs, about 70-80%

And, of course, a diet low in carbohydrates, no more than 25% or so (but the less, the better) from vegetables, fruits, seeds, even minimal amounts of predigested grains.

But before you add a hunk of raw beef to your carnivore’s bowl and call it dinner, there are a few things you need to know first. 

Not All Beef Is Equal

Not all beef offers equal nutritional value. Most animals used in beef production are grass-fed or grain-fed. Your canine companion benefits most from the grass-fed variety, and here’s why.

Omega-3 and 6 fatty acids are essential components of a carnivore diet. Dogs can’t don’t produce them naturally, so we must include them in their daily diets. 

What’s more, Omega 3 and Omega 6 have to be balanced to reap the benefits. The target ratio of Omega-3 and Omega-6 should be 1:1 in the diet. This is crucial, so those ears should be at attention, pups. 

Too much Omega 6 and not enough Omega 3 can lead to chronic inflammation and ultimately havoc on the body, including diabetes, gut issues, or cancer.

Raw grass-fed beef has a more balanced ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 essential fatty acids. The meat of grass-fed cows contains almost five times the levels of Omega-3 fatty acids than grain-fed cows with higher levels of Omega-6. 

And then there’s the fat difference. Grass-fed animals have leaner muscle mass because they’re out roaming the pastures all day and not carb-o-loading. That means less stress-caused oxidation to cells and more nutrients in the muscles and organs.

For Mr. Squishmallow, grass-fed is the superior choice.

Is Raw Beef Right For Your Dog?

Absolutely, dogs have forgiving digestive systems. With higher acidity in their stomachs and shorter intestinal tracts, they can eat raw meat that may harbor salmonella or listeria spores with no problem– and before you panic, some pathogens are completely normal. Remember, we’re talking real, whole, fresh food.

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We hoomans have more sensitive digestive systems that allow those bacteria to wreak havoc for us, which is why we’re hyper-aware of naturally occurring pathogens in our food. 

That’s not to say a big dose of salmonella or listeria from 4D meats that are contaminated or spoiled wouldn’t cause a problem for your dog. Again, it’s all about choosing high-quality sources.

Any dog who is immunocompromised should avoid raw meats. With a weakened immune system, their body isn’t functioning at 100%, making them more vulnerable to pathogen loads. To not deprive these pups entirely, you could cook the beef lightly or opt for a freeze-dried option.

How Much Raw Beef Can I Feed My Dog?

The amount you dish out depends largely on how you’re using raw beef– as a topping on a meal, feeding as a treat, or switching to a raw food diet.

It’s all about kcals– the number of calories a dog needs in a day based on their activity level and age. 

If used as a snack or training treat, 90% of your dog’s daily diet should be nutritionally balanced food. And as difficult as it can be to resist tossing a few extra at snack time, treats should be 10% of the caloric intake.

No matter which way you offer beef, happy tippy taps will commence, but just remember that while a great addition to the bowl, raw beef alone doesn’t serve as a balanced meal for your dog. If you want to incorporate raw beef into their diet, use it as a topper to a meal that is complete & balanced or consider making the switch over to a balanced DIY raw diet.

How Can I Offer My Dog Raw Beef?

Any form of raw beef will get those ears to perk up in excitement, but just be sure to cut into bite-size pieces or small morsels.

Cut up or mince (like hamburger) and add it right to your dog’s bowl for a nutritional boost.

Dogs are just as excited to receive lightly cooked meat as raw, but the cooking process decreases the nutritional benefits, so if tossing raw meat to your dog isn’t your thing, try freeze-dried. It’s as good as raw, retaining almost 100% of its nutrients.

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Why Beef Is Just One (Big) Portion Of A Carnivore’s Diet

Adding a helping of raw beef to the bowl or tossing in spinach is undoubtedly this mastiff-sized step for your dog’s health, but it is the first step. Beef, foods like spinach, and blueberries should be parts of a whole, comprehensive diet for your dog. 

Real, raw whole food ingredients picked for the carnivore:

  • high in meat proteins (70-80% per recipe- all USDA inspected)
  • low in carbohydrates (15-23% from nutrient-dense fruits, veggies, and seeds)

And the proverbial raw beef on top? Diets like the Simple Food Project’s Beef & Salmon Recipe are already nutritionally balanced with whole foods only (no synthetic vitamins here, folks). 

Even if you’re feeding recipes like the above as a topper, you’re providing the most beneficial nutrition– antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals from whole foods, and key nutrients that a dog’s diet cannot get from meat alone (or from kibble for that matter). 

It’s real food made especially for your carnivore, making it easy to put the right food on your dog’s plate daily.

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Dr. Chris Bessent

Chris Bessent, DVM, MSOM, Dipl. OM, L.Ac. has over thirty years of experience in veterinary medicine including certificates in veterinary acupuncture, veterinary chiropractic and veterinary Chinese herbology. Imbued with Eastern philosophy and the knowledge that food is the foundation of health, Dr. Bessent also received her degree in veterinary nutrition and began to formulate recipes fit for a carnivore from nothing but whole foods. Currently, she divides her time between the Simple Food Project and Herbsmith, both of which are owned and operated out of her facilities in southeastern Wisconsin.

CONNECT WITH ME ON FACEBOOK
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Lynn Guthrie - Content Writer

Lynn Guthrie is a writer focused on improving the lives of cats and dogs. She is pawrent to two dogs and two cats. When not writing, she enjoys traveling the US with her husband in their RV and gardening.

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Kayla - Editor

Kayla is the Content Editor for The Simple Food Project. She has a cat named Professor Cat-Faced Meowmers, who goes by Kitty, and a goof of a dog, named Duck. She stays busy biking trails, playing board games, and searching for the next best craft beer.

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What’s the Difference Between Air-Dried, Dry-Roasted, & Dehydrated Dog Food, Exactly?

Home / Blog   |   Read Time: 6 minutes

How do you know which food is the best to feed your pet?

Dog food jargon can make it tough to determine what’s what, and which recipes to reach for. If your pet’s food bag includes terms like ‘air-dried,’ dehydrated’ or ‘dry-roasted’ on the label, it’s very likely you will have no idea which one to choose.

But, you want to know a secret...? Dehydrated dog food, air-dried recipes, and dry-roasted ingredients are…all 👏 the 👏 same 👏 thing.

They’re all shelf-stable, nutrient-rich foods you can rest easy feeding to your pet. Why? Because dehydration preserves essential vitamins and minerals that are depleted when ingredients are processed at high temps—ahem, we’re looking at you, kibble. 

Here’s a deep dive into all things dehydrated. And a look at why it’s an absolutely exceptional option for your pet.

On the Agenda

Air-Dried, Dehydrated, and Dry-Roasted: What to Know

Air-drying, dehydrating, and dry-roasting are all ways to remove moisture from ingredients. This process turns raw (or cooked) ingredients to shelf-stable and ready-to-devour. You’re welcome, two-leggers! Regardless of what you call it, the process is simple and uses three rather quippy concepts: low, slow, and airflow.

Dehydration Keeps the Temp Down Low

All air-dried, dehydrated or dry-roasted ingredients are cooked—but at a low heat.  Because cooking ingredients kill bacteria (harmful ones like E. coli and salmonella and some not so harmful – but that’s for another post) and make them shelf-stable. If you’re also wondering why this is helpful….well, it’s more for you, hoooman, than your four-legger! Shelf-stable foods are easy to store and easy to clean up. But that’s not the only reason we love dehydrated foods.

Keeping temperatures low removes moisture without compromising natural vitamins and minerals. That means your whisker-toter gets all that drool-inducing nourishment from real food, instead of synthetic vitamins added back in after the extrusion process– which is what happens with kibble.

Dehydration Requires A Slow and Steady Approach

Removing moisture without destroying nutrients, taste, or texture takes a lot longer than high-heat processing. Hence, the s-l-o-o-o-o-o-o-w cook time. 

Dehydration can take up to 10x as long as kibble processing, which includes drying, extruding, and baking at high heat. It’s only one step, compared to several, but it still takes more time! And in this case, patience pays off. The lower the heat, the longer the cook time, and the gentler the process.

Dehydration Uses Air Flow

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When you’re baking cookies, you press that ‘convection bake’ button because airflow helps you avoid burnt cookie bottoms. The same concept holds true with dehydrated pet food. A nice gust of wind during dehydration helps ingredients dry-out evenly. This is why dehydrated pet foods are exposed to airflow throughout the entire low and slow process. 

Airflow also ensures all ingredients are indeed dried through and through. This helps turn raw meats into ready (and safe) to-eat treats.

Why the Process Matters

As a pet parent, the goal is always to feed REAL, whole foods. Raw feeding is the gold standard, of course, but it’s not feasible for every pet parent. If you’ve got the knowledge to balance a raw diet, means of sourcing (access to healthy organs and quality bones), and time to prepare, you go girl! 

But when that’s not the case, you want an option that’s as close to eating fresh whole food as possible and that’s where cutting-edge pet industry processes like dehydration come in.

As you’ve probably witnessed first hand when you forget about those two-week(?)-old veggies in the fridge–food is fragile. As time passes or when food is processed (cooked) in any way, nutrients like vitamins, minerals, active enzymes, and antioxidants diminish. The more heat processes food goes through, the fewer nutrients that are left in that food. 

So, gentle processes like freeze-drying and dehydration allow ingredients to keep their best features (whole food vitamins & minerals) in a shelf-stable format that’s convenient for you.

Freeze-dried diets are the closest thing to a totally ‘nothing-about-this-is-cooked’ raw diet. And that’s because the freeze-drying process maintains 97% of whole food vitamins and minerals. Pretty amazing, right? That’s why it’s seen as the closest thing to a fresh food diet.

But that’s not to say that dehydrated diets aren’t exceptional, as well. Dehydration still retains 50-60% of those beautiful, oh-so-delicious whole food vitamins and minerals.

Kibble doesn’t even come close to accomplishing this. You know that super lengthy ingredient list on the back of so many kibble bags? It’s so long because the “food” ingredients are cooked to obliteration at sky-high temps, and post-processing vitamin packs add essential nutrients back into the food so it can meet Complete & Balanced Nutritional Standards.  

Oh, not to mention that fats and flavor enhancers are also added back into kibble because it’s been cooked. Over. And over.

What To Look For In A Dehydrated Dog Food

There are countless ‘dehydrated’ pet foods on the market, so how do you determine which is best for your pet?

Real Ingredients You Recognize

The manufacturing process used to make a batch of dog food doesn’t really matter if you don’t start with the right ingredients– that means real, whole foods. And the only way to know exactly what’s inside is to read the ingredient list. No matter how long it is (*cough*, kibble, *cough*), synthetics included.

When reading, look for ingredients you actually recognize. Organic apple means the food’s got real apples inside. Apple pomace means the food includes a powdered, reconstituted apple inside.

Peas, well you know what those are. Pea protein, on the other hand, gets a little more complicated. Pea protein is made from peas, sure. But it’s the by-product– a result of breaking down and separating parts of those peas. And while pea protein is high in protein, it’s the wrong kind of protein. It’s missing key animal amino acids your dog the carnivore needs.

If you see meat meal on the ingredient list, it means the protein source has been ground, rendered, powdered, and otherwise processed before it’s even begun the kibble-making process.  And that means there are several more heating processes to come.

PRO TIP: Kibble recipes also frequently utilize grains, legumes, and other plant protein ingredients to boost protein levels. And don’t even get us started on ingredient splitting! It’s a seriously bad practice that involves ‘splitting’ ingredients into subgroups so they appear lower on the ingredient list. Remember how we discussed reading the entiiiiiiiire ingredient list? This is why. If you see multiple ‘pea’ ingredients like pea protein, pea fiber, and pea flour, this is exactly what we’re talking about!

Proper Proportions For The Carnivore

In addition to looking for pet food with real, whole ingredients, it’s also important nay, CRUCIAL to get the recipe just right. Here’s how a recipe should break down:

Get Plenty Of Protein – From Meat

For our pets, plenty of animal protein is key. In fact, dogs should eat a diet that’s 70-80% animal protein. The keyword here being: animal. Protein source is important. 

Your pet needs protein that includes muscle, skeletal meat, and organs. You just can’t get that from a plant! And, as we mentioned in the pro tip above, kibble recipes often include more plant protein than animal sources. This doesn’t include meat meals, which are processed and reconstituted, often with carcasses and very little meat.

Look for Low-Carb

Your dog also needs a diet that’s low-carb because this is the diet dogs are designed to eat. 

Look for food with a carb percentage between 15-25%. And those carbs should come from fruits, veggies, and seeds. Why those ingredients? Because they’re jam-packed with phytonutrients like antioxidants, flavonoids, carotenoids, and lignans; superfoods that play a big part in your tail-wagger thriving. 

Omega Ratios Are Important, Too

Balanced dog food should also contain the right ratio of essential Omega 3 (EPA & DHA) to Omega 6 fatty acids. Why? Because your pet can’t produce Omega 3 or 6-fatty acids on his own. And this is exactly why they’re referred to as essential fats. 

The ideal Omega 3:6 ratio is 1:1. That said, a ratio of up to 5:1 is still healthy. Most pet foods do not label how much Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids are included in the recipe. What’s more, the average diet (kibble) contains outrageous ratios. Like, 20:1.

Such a disproportionate amount of Omega 3 to Omega 6 fatty acids creates chronic inflammation in the body, which is a leading cause of many chronic diseases. This includes cancer, heart disease, liver failure, kidney issues, and more. 

But the good news is that the right Omega 3:6 ratio can be gotten through food alone, and that should be one of the goals with the food that goes into the bowl.

Transparency And Pet Food Practices You Can Trust

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You should be able to trust the company that makes the food you feed your tail-wagger! He is your ride-or-die, partner-in-crime, the other half of your best friend forever necklace, after all. 

But, how can you be certain a pet food company walks-the-walk and doesn’t just talk-the-talk?

Know the buzzwords– in an industry with so many options, it’s tough to distinguish what’s real, what’s jargon, and what’s just plain misleading. This is why it’s important to know pet food keywords when you see them and what they’re actually saying. That includes ‘air-drying,’ ‘dehydration’ and ‘dry-roasting.’ 

You’ve also got to do your research– look for transparency in the company and its manufacturing processes. Pull out your metaphorical magnifying glass, and secure your Sherlock Holmes hat. Dig a little deeper and ask important questions. Check off what matters most: the manufacturing process, whole food ingredients, a full recipe breakdown. Oh, and a company you can trust to provide you with all the info you need to know. 

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Dr. Chris Bessent

Chris Bessent, DVM, MSOM, Dipl. OM, L.Ac. has over thirty years of experience in veterinary medicine including certificates in veterinary acupuncture, veterinary chiropractic and veterinary Chinese herbology. Imbued with Eastern philosophy and the knowledge that food is the foundation of health, Dr. Bessent also received her degree in veterinary nutrition and began to formulate recipes fit for a carnivore from nothing but whole foods. Currently, she divides her time between the Simple Food Project and Herbsmith, both of which are owned and operated out of her facilities in southeastern Wisconsin.

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Kira - Writer

Kira is a writer who lives in Montana. She takes advantage of the mountains and river—and spends a lot of time outdoors. She has a giant shaggy dog who’s the perfect sidekick. And spends her free time making things. Crafting, sewing, and jewelry making are favorites!

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Kayla - Content Editor

Kayla is the Content Editor for The Simple Food Project. She has a cat named Professor Cat-Faced Meowmers, who goes by Kitty, and a goof of a dog, named Duck. She stays busy biking trails, losing at board games, and searching for the next best craft beer.

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Why Josie & Ember Made the Switch & Kicked Kibble to the Curb

Home / Blog   |   Read Time: 6 minutes

Have you ever seen such a beautiful, sassy calico? (Seriously, we’ll wait).

Meet Ember, the kitty of the hour, and her family — her two-legged parents Josie and Isiah and her furry canine siblings Ronan and Kahlua.

Ember is a 2.5-year-old kitty, adopted from the shelter when she was about 10 weeks old (yes, we’re picturing how adorable tiny Ember must have been).

Since then, she has blossomed into an independent, adventurous kitty who enjoys outings with her family (get this: she’s even harness-trained) and freeze-dried meat treats!

Here is Ember’s journey to real food:

On the Agenda

What makes Ember special and unique?

Ember is an adventure kitty! She loves exploring new places with her dog siblings. 

She joins us on our outings to pet-friendly stores, forested hikes (her favorite), and even the local coffee stand for a little “CATpuccino” (whipped cream cup). 

Everywhere we go, she has people double-taking, asking how hard it is to harness-train a cat or why she is so soft. 

She is also learning skills like come, sit, and touch. 

She is a great breed ambassador for raw food and leash training kitties. We love our sassy, independent calico kitty!

What is the BEST thing about Ember?

She is an amazing travel buddy. Ember loves to explore new places both inside and outside.

Our favorite adventure was a trip from Portland, Oregon, to Victoria, B.C., with Ember, Ronan, and Kahlua. We did a couple nights in hotels, where Ember was excited to explore, and we stopped at many parks and trails along the way. Everyone even got to ride on the ferry from Northern Washington into Victoria. And Ember got to walk through the beautiful Butchart Gardens in Victoria! We have so many more places we are looking forward to visiting with her and the dogs.

What is Ember’s favorite thing to do?

Ember loves being in the great outdoors, watching birds, smelling trails, and walking with her siblings. Everyone is by far the happiest exploring. 

Ember explores on a leash and harness, and sometimes in her backpack. Most days, she walks a good portion of our trek on her leash. If she is more interested in observing, we pick her up and she will ride on or in her backpack. We always travel with her backpack because it is her safe space. She rarely gets scared, but we always want her to feel confident and keep her outings positive.

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Her favorite place to explore is any forest. She feels most confident walking in covered areas. Her least favorite is the beach, but we are trying to do short outings to help build her confidence there. 

She also loves to play with her feather wand, eat snacks, and sleep.

How long have you had Ember?

Ember picked us to be her family about 2.5 years ago, by beckoning us over to her shelter kennel. She was about 10 weeks old! 

At the time, we were looking for a confident and curious cat to join us and our two senior dogs. She seamlessly transitioned into our household. Before we knew it, we had a raw food eating, adventure kitten.

What 3 words would you use to describe Ember?

Fiery. Curious. Independent.

What 3 words would Ember use to describe YOU?

Empress Ember would describe us as her servants, food bearers, and adventure buddies.

Favorite napping spot?

Currently, her favorite spot is the rocking chair or the window sill hammock.

Favorite snack?

Meat (especially turkey)! She also loves lickable sticks and freeze dried meats.

What is Ember’s daily routine?

She wakes up around 6am to watch the birds outside, followed by waking the humans at 7am to get breakfast ready. 

After breakfast time, Ember soaks in the sunshine on the catio for a few hours and then comes inside for a good nap. 

Some days we go on a walk around the neighborhood and other days we hit up a forested hike.

What is your favorite memory with Ember?

When she picked her PawPaw at the shelter, she was so tiny and in a kennel with her other littermates. When he walked up to the kennel, she walked confidently to the front, reached her little paw through the bars, and beckoned him over. It was like she knew we wanted an adventure kitty, and she wanted to see the world!

What is Ember’s relationship with the dogs like?

When she first met them, she was fearless. She confidently approached them and essentially became the ruler of the household at 11 weeks. 

She loves them in her own cat way! She and Ronan chase each other around the house, playing tag. Ember and Kahlua beg for dinner to come faster together.

And they all get along extremely well while outside on leash. I think Ember thinks of the dogs as her bodyguards, since she is much more confident with them in the area.

If Ember won the lottery, what would she do with the money?

She would buy so many of her favorite wand toys, bags of birdseed to fill her feeders outside the windows, and meaty treats to stock the pantry!

Does (or did) Ember have any health problems?

Thankfully, Ember is a healthy, happy, and sassy 2.5-year-old kitty.

What do you feed Ember?

Raw! She took to raw food right away.

She has been on mostly raw her whole life, with the exception of some canned food when we forget to thaw her food. 

As a kitten, she never really liked eating the same meat back to back. Therefore, we always have a variety of raw foods that we constantly rotate through. 

Ember especially loves turkey! But really, she eats a wide range of meat. We tried to expose her to many different flavors and textures when she was young. The only meat she does not like is venison.

Currently, her breakfast is a ground-up turkey patty made up of meat (45%), organs (45%), and bones (10%) by Vital Essentials. Her lunchtime snack is jerky (Ziwi Peak) and or freeze-dried meats (Simple Food Project – Chicken and Turkey Recipe) in her treat ball. 

Dinner is another Vital Essentials Patty — either chicken, duck, or rabbit. She finishes the night off with a small scoop of Wild Coast Raw, a local company that focuses on meat and organs. We occasionally add a small scoop of coconut oil for her skin and coat during the winter since she is not a fan of various fish oils.

What did you feed before? When did you make the switch to real food?

When we got Ember from the shelter, she was eating a combo of kibble and can. We knew right away that we wanted to transition her to raw. We were already familiar with raw since our dogs have been on raw food for years. Knowing cats are obligate carnivores, it just made sense.

Why did you kick kibble to the curb?

So many reasons. Kibble is an ultra-processed food, therefore very indigestible, made mostly of carbs, with low meat and extremely low moisture. All this can lead to weight problems and a range of health concerns. 

On the other hand, raw is easily digested, high meat and moisture, with little-to-no carb content. All this leads to better skin and coat, healthier teeth, smaller and less stinky poops, and easier weight management.

Have you noticed changes since you switched to real, whole food?

People cannot get over how soft her fur is. Plus, she has stunning teeth and a healthy body weight.

What would you say to a pet parent considering making the switch?

Switching to raw is worth it. If you are apprehensive, start small. Work in freeze dried treats, or start with just 25% of the diet being fresh food.

What would Ember say about her whole food diet?

Love it! She cleans her plate after every meal and is excited for her next meal. She loves all the freeze-dried treats when she is learning new skills or just having them for a snack. If she had thumbs, she would break into the pantry and eat more than needed.

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Josie & Ember

Ember and her family live in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, right outside Portland, OR. They love exploring new places — from the coastline to the mountains and everywhere in between! They also enjoy local coffee shops and restaurants.

Picture of Josie & Ember
Josie & Ember

Ember and her family live in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, right outside Portland, OR. They love exploring new places — from the coastline to the mountains and everywhere in between! They also enjoy local coffee shops and restaurants.

On the Agenda

Posted on

Interview Test

Have you ever seen such a beautiful, sassy calico?

(Seriously, we’ll wait).

Meet Ember

the kitty of the hour, and her family — her two-legged parents Josie and Isiah and her furry canine siblings Ronan and Kahlua.
Have you ever seen such a beautiful, sassy calico? (Seriously, we’ll wait).

Meet Ember, the kitty of the hour, and her family — her two-legged parents Josie and Isiah and her furry canine siblings Ronan and Kahlua.

Have you ever seen such a beautiful, sassy calico? (Seriously, we’ll wait).

Meet Ember, the kitty of the hour, and her family — her two-legged parents Josie and Isiah and her furry canine siblings Ronan and Kahlua.

Picture of John Doe
John Doe

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On the Agenda

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Why Rachel & Gryffindor Made The Switch And Kicked Kibble To The Curb

Home / Blog   |   Read Time: 6 minutes

Meet devoted pet-parent Rachel and her heart-meltingly adorable pup, Gryffindor (it’s highly possible that he has magical cuteness powers… LOOK AT THAT FACE).

Gryffindor is a 3-year-old Australian Shepherd — and he’s been with Rachel since he was a puppy! 

Gryffindor loves going on walks, playing with squeaky toys, napping on the comfiest pillows, and chomping crunchy snacks. 

Here is Rachel and Gryffindor’s journey to real food:

On the Agenda

1. What makes Gryffindor special and unique?

Gryffindor is not your average Australian Shepherd. While he does have a fluffy, wiggly butt, he is far from a sheep herder. Except when he tries to wrangle our cat (Gandalf).

He absolutely loves everything about life! From food to treats (I mean, who wouldn’t?!), going on walks and sniffing all the popular spots in the neighborhood. He also enjoys all the belly rubs (actually, he will take pets anywhere!), meeting new people, and ESPECIALLY meeting new dogs.

Oh, and toys! Yes, burrow toys. The ones with the little plushy toys inside a larger toy! He runs around the house squeaking those little guys until they aren’t capable of squeaking any longer! (Sorry not sorry?)

2. What is Gryffindor’s favorite thing to do?

Gryffindor’s favorite thing to do is meet new dogs. Whether that’s at the dog park, on a walk in our neighborhood, or even barking at them through the window. He wants every dog to know that he loves them, oh so much!

3. What is your favorite thing to do with Gryffindor?

Gryffindor and I enjoy going on two walks a day. We take a leisurely stroll through our neighborhood, and see birds, squirrels, and sometimes deer!

4. If you had to describe Gryffindor in 3 words, what would they be?

Happy. Friendly. And a little crazy. But in the best of ways!

5. If Gryffindor had to describe YOU in 3 words, what would they be?

Loving. Patient. And a little busy. (I think dog’s have a lot to teach us about priorities, and enjoying the slow life with the ones you love. I’m still working on that!)

6. How long have you had Gryffindor? What’s your first memory together?

I remember picking up Gryffindor when he was a puppy and bringing him home for the first time. I was so excited but nervous at the same time because I only wanted the best for him. And I still do! Just a little less nervous…only a little less 🙂

I’ve had Gryffindor since he was a puppy. He will be 4 years old on May 10, 2021.

7. Where is Gryffindor’s favorite napping spot?

Gryffindor LOVES laying on pillows. While he will nap just about anywhere, if there is a comfy spot available, he will take it! And pillows seem to provide him with the right amount of plush for his little tush.

8. What is Gryffindor’s favorite treat/snack?

Gryffindor’s favorite treats/snacks are anything crunchy. From carrots to apples, he loves to CHOMP. (No, he doesn’t have the best table manners. Again, sorry not sorry.)

9. What is Gryffindor’s daily routine?

Gryffindor wakes up & starts the day right with a bowl of The Simple Food Project Duck & Trout recipe. Then, once his food is settled, and I’ve had a cup of coffee, we go out for our morning walk.

We typically see quite a few dogs on our walks and the excitement really tires him out.

Then, Gryffindor may join me as I run errands or pick up food! He is your typical, head-out-the-window loving dog type. And it doesn’t hurt that he usually gets quite a few compliments from the workers in the drive thrus.

Later in the evening, we will go for our second walk around the block, have dinner, and then settle in for the night. Which usually includes me watching tv and Gryffindor dozing off.

10. If Gryffindor won the lottery, what would he/she do with the money?

If Gryffindor won the lottery, he would buy a large property, adopt as many dogs as he could afford, and run & play with them all day long!

He would also buy himself some food and treats, because one can never have enough of those!

11. What’s the best part about having a dog?

The best part about having a dog is what they can teach you about life. The more people I’ve met, the more it seems that every dog has come into their life at the perfect time and for a specific reason.

Whether that’s as simple as companionship, to (in Gryffindor’s case) reminding me to greet everyone with a smile, and make them feel special (even if I’m seeing them for the thousandth time).

12. When and why did you switch from kibble?

As a puppy, Gryffindor ate kibble, a kibble that a few family members had recommended and I never questioned it. When Gryffindor was around 1 year old, I started seeing more talk about whole foods for dogs online. It was at this time that I came across The Simple Food Project.

13. What did you feed before and what caused you to make the switch?

I made the switch to The Simple Food Project because it checked all the boxes of food I was now looking for. Food that dogs should be eating.

It is made with whole foods, minimally processed, high protein, low carb, no synthetics and the cherry on top is that every box is tested. And there is even a lot number on every box, that you can look up to see a photo of the ingredients that went into making the food. The Simple Food Project offered the quality, reliability, and transparency I was looking for.

14. What do you feed now?

I feed Gryffindor The Simple Food Project Duck & Trout recipe. He typically runs warm, so this food helps to neutralize his temperature.

15. What changes have you noticed in Gryffindor since switching to a whole food diet?

Since switching to a whole food diet, Gryffindor has a shinier coat, smaller poops, and doesn’t look bloated anymore. He also doesn’t have much tartar buildup because he isn’t eating a diet filled with carbs.

16. What would you say to a pet parent who is considering making the switch?

Do it. Our pet’s do SO much for us, feeding them a diet that they will enjoy and truly thrive on is the least we can do. It will make them happier and healthier, and hopefully add more days to their life that we can enjoy together!

17. What would Gryffindor say about his/her whole food diet?

Gryffindor thinks that his whole food diet is the absolute best! He was tired of having unpredictable bowel movements and overall sluggishness from kibble. Since switching, he gets excited for meal time and always licks his bowl clean!

Ready to make the switch for a healthier dog?  

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Rachel & Gryffindor

Rachel is a doting pet parent with two “magical” four-leggers — her dog Gryffindor and her cat Gandalf. (And yes, she has plans to adopt more!). She’s passionate about all things pets AND how social media can connect us — so she’s truly living the dream as social media manager for the Simple Food Project!

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