Is Freshpet Select Good For Dogs
Is Freshpet Select good for dogs? Youre probably wondering just that, and as an experienced, proud raw feeder Id say nope.
However, I cant even begin to tell you how surprised I was to see a freezer in the pet food aisle of our local country grocery store the other day!
My first thought was shut the front door, theyre selling raw dog food here now?!
Well, almost, but not quite. Said freezer was filled with dog & cat food made by Freshpet who sell fresh pet meals.
I had heard the name of the brand somewhere before, but hadnt looked into it yet. Since the food was right there in front of me, I figured now would be a good time, so I blindly reached in for one of their rolls.
I grabbed the Freshpet Select Chunky Beef with Vegetables & Brown Rice Dog Food Recipe. Once I was home, I took a closer look at my personal pièce de résistance, the ingredient list. After all, I had to find out if Freshpet Select is good for dogs.
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What Is Kibble Dog Food
The term kibble can be a bit vague, so for our purposes well consider kibble to be dry dog food in pellet form. Dry kibble is popular for its convenience, shelf stability, variety and wide availability. The greatest variability among brands is in their kibble dog food ingredients. In a pet food ingredient deck, items are listed by volume in descending order, so you can see where the majority of a foods nutrition is coming from.
Can Cats Eat Dog Food
Your cat wont be injured by chewing on dog food on occasion. Even cats shouldnt rely on dog food. In addition to many of the same ingredients, they serve other cuisines. Cat food offers a variety of extra supplements and vitamins with increased quality and flavor, and it has a higher percentage of protein.
Read Also: What Is The Best Dog Food For A Pomeranian
A Texture & Form For Every Pup
Whether your pup prefers chunks, shreds or a softer pate-like texture, Freshpet has varieties that are sure to excite and fulfill your furry friends cravings.
Rolls
Cut at the marks provided and slice, dice or mash the food for your pet. Refrigerate the remaining portion in a sealed container.
Fresh Cuts
Use a measuring cup to scoop out shredded chickensee the package for suggested serving sizes. Reseal bag and return to the fridge.
Complete Meals
Use a measuring cup and scoop out the right portion of tender bite-sized pieces according to the package. Reseal bag and return to fridge.
Fresh Cuts Chicken Recipe
The Vital line also contains a fresh cuts recipe, which is basically shredded chicken with a few added ingredients, including sweet potato, carrots, peas, green beans, cranberries, fish oil, and spinach. On top of this, it is enriched with Freshpets Vitamin Pack but also contains carrageenan as a thickening agent.
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Their Food Has To Be Refrigerated
If you see Freshpet for sale in a pet store, it will be in a refrigerated case. Thats because all of the ingredients are extremely fresh and can spoil if left out at room temperature.
Youre also supposed to use the entire product within a week or throw it out. Thats not a huge issue, given how small the portions are, but throwing out a bag you bought two weeks ago is certainly frustrating.
While this may not be the most convenient thing in the world, its refreshing to know that youre feeding your dog extremely fresh pet food.
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How To Guide: Feeding & Storing Freshpet
Posted: Jan 23, 2020 · Ive got two 6lb rolls of fresh pet dog food my question is can I freeze one of them? Reply. Replies. Freshpet. 23 Apr, 2020 at 03:24 pm. Hi! Some pet parents do choose to freeze our food if their pet cannot finish their Freshpet recipe within 7 days. While we prefer our recipes to be served fresh from the fridge, we understand that this isn
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Brown Rice Rice Bran Soy Flour Carrageenan Natural Flavors
I dont believe in feeding grains because they are of no nutritional value to dogs. Theyre also known to cause allergies in many pups.
My pup Wally is one of those pups: He can have absolutely NO grains whatsoever, or hell break out in a rash.
Ive also learned that the vast majority of soy is genetically modified and contains high levels of the pesticide RoundUp. Read more on soy in Rodney Habibs article Soy In Pet Foods: The Unwholesome Truth.
Carrageenan has harmful gastrointestinal effects on animals, and what exactly are natural flavors? Many natural flavors contain MSG, or monosodium glutamate, which is a flavor enhancing excitotoxin, causing dopamine production.
Food Additive Carrageenan Why Is It Used in Freshpet Select?
Do you notice that the Freshpet Select roll keeps its shape, even when sliced, in above picture? Thats because carrageenan is a common food additive used as a thickener in processed foods. Apparently its a cheap way of keeping a food thick and from falling apart when its sliced.
More On Carrageenan
Carrageenan is extracted from the red seaweed Chondrus Crispus aka Irish moss and has no nutritional value.
According to a study presented by Joanne K. Tobacman, MD, associate professor in the department of medicine at the University of Illinois at Chicago, carrageenan has harmful gastrointestinal effects on animals. It was tested on guinea pigs, rats, monkeys, mice, rabbits, and ferrets.
Can I Feed My Dog Raw And Cooked Food
It is entirely acceptable to feed your dog a pure kibble diet. Or you can mix their diet up with some cooked or raw meat, fish, vegetables and rice. Practice impeccable food hygiene as the risk of both you and your dog getting a food-borne bacterial infection such as campylobacter or salmonella is high.
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Is Freshpet Dog Food Healthy
Generally, Freshpet is a truly high-protein canine food that benefits many canines. Their healthy protein resources are animal-based with no byproducts.
If your canine has kidney problems or various other specific health issue, inspect with your vet first to see if Freshpet is a great option for your canine.
4.2/5FreshPetdog foodFreshPetourdoganswer here
The normal daily feeding amount for a healthy adult dog: 5-10 lb. dog feed 1/4 3/8 lbs. per day, 11-20 lb. dog feed 3/8 1/2 lbs.
Likewise, what dog food is killing dogs? Hills Pet Nutrition is facing the wrath of dog owners who say their pets became ill or died after eating canned food recalled nationwide for elevated levels of vitamin D that can poison a pooch.
In this manner, is freshpet dog food raw?
Freshpet is not raw, but a steam-cooked food for cats and dogs. Freshpet refrigerated food undergo pasteurization similar to milk and other freshly prepared food, making it safe for handling and serving.
What are the ingredients in freshpet dog food?
All IngredientsBeef, Chicken, Beef Liver, Beef Broth, Carrots, Peas, Eggs, Brown Rice, Rice Bran, Soy Flour, Carrageenan, Natural Flavors, Salt, Potassium Chloride, Celery Powder.
Which Types Of Dogs Is Freshpet Select Best Suited For
If served as a standalone food, Freshpet is best suited for smaller dogs, as the bags and rolls are relatively small and fairly expensive .
However, it can be used as a topper over regular kibble as well in that case, just about any dogs should love it.
30% OFF at Chewy.com
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Synthetic Minerals And Vitamins
Potassium Chloride, Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Sodium Selenite, Choline Chloride, Calcium Pantothenate, Calcium Iodate, Biotin , Thiamine Mononitrate , Riboflavin , Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid , Niacin , Vitamin E Supplement, Vitamin 12 Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement
These are a lot of synthetic minerals/vitamins/salts and point towards quite a highly processed food. Thats despite the companys claim of cooking it at lower temperature than cooking kibble.
Did you know? The process of cooking food destroys many of the naturally occurring minerals and vitamins in meats and plants.
By the way, according to Dogs Naturally Magazine editor in chief, Dana Scott, most synthetic vitamins are manufactured in China. Read more on her insightful article EVERYTHING You Wanted To Know About Choosing A Dog Food.
Update and BTW: I received my Raw Dog Food Nutrition Specialist certificate from Dogs Naturally Magazine in early 2020.
Top Freshpet Pet Food Recipes For Allergies
We know how challenging it can be when your pet is suffering from allergies. So when we set out to make Freshpet recipes, we made our fresh dog food and fresh cat food with options to help pets overcome food allergies.
Veterinarian and friend of Freshpet Dr. Katy Nelson shares her tips for dogs suffering from allergies in the video below.
According to Dr. Katy, there are three main causes of allergens: environmental, fleas, and food allergies. She recommends that you first eliminate flea and environmental allergies as the source by ensuring that your pet is current on flea vaccinations and taking care of any potential environmental stressors in your home. Once this is complete, its time to look at your pets food.
Often, the first place to look is the label for your pets recipe. If there are any filler ingredients like soy, wheat or corn, try switching over to a diet that does not have these common allergy-causing ingredients. Fresh pet food is never made using wheat or corn.
Next, its time to look into proteins. Many dogs have allergies to a particular type of protein, whether it is chicken, beef, or fish. You may also want to consider an elimination diet at this point, means trying:
We love hearing from pet parents about Freshpet food helping to solve their pets allergy issues. Here are a few of our favorite Freshpet reviews:
Pet parent Kristen F. wrote on the page:
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Dog Joy Chicken Treats
Freshpets Dog Joy line of treats are made with real meat as its main ingredient, baked into a snack that is low in calories but high in taste.
This chicken recipe starts with chicken and chicken broth as the main ingredients, mixed up with ground oats to give the treats that desired texture. The recipe then adds naturally flavors to create a barbeque taste that dogs find irresistible.
Also available:
-
Turkey Bacon Treats
Awesome For Allergies: Evermore
Price: $14 to $300 per week.
Evermore subscriptions come in a variety of sizes so that you can choose to feed it exclusively, or use as a meal supplement. Learn more through the link below.
Our experience: The packaging was compact and had serving sizes on the back of the boxes, and I liked that they used organic ingredients, but it was a bit of a hassle to find a ziplock bag when I didnt need to use a full portion for a single meal and then try to stuff it back into the cardboard so I didnt get the meals confused between dogs. Because they focus on organic ingredients, grass-fed meat, and avoid most problematic starches theyre our top choice for dogs with sensitive systems or food allergies.
What sets them apart:
Available recipes: Lamb, Chicken, Turkey, Beef
Evermore
Made with organic ingredients and grass-fed meat, Evermore is a great option for dogs with allergies since their food avoids most problematic starches.
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Comparing Ingredients To Other Raw Brands
Although the ingredients in the Freshpet Vital Raw seem okay, I thought it would be interesting to compare the ingredients to raw brands that I do feed to our dogs. I admit that I’m biased. I love the brands listed below, and I trust their ingredients. The below ingredients aren’t exactly what’s in the Freshpet Vital Raw patties, but it’s close.
Why Is There A Cat Food Shortage 2021
Pet owners are adopting more pets and relying more on pet supply shortages owing to pandemic manufacturing shutdowns. Many businesses simply dont have the ingredients necessary for canned foods, according to an employee at PetSmart. Some people say that the supply of aluminum cans is responsible for the shortages.
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Is Freshpet Select Good For Dogs Final Thoughts
Ok, so I wasnt overly impressed with the ingredient list of the Freshpet Select roll given that it contains a lot of synthetic supplements and unnecessary ingredients I dont want my dogs to be exposed to on a regular basis.
In my personal opinion, Id have to say that no, Freshpet Select is not good for dogs. I personally wouldnt buy it again. I also wouldnt recommend to feed it on a daily basis, especially not to dogs who are prone to allergies and food related sensitivities.
After all, fresh pet meals are not raw dog food.
However, lets not overlook the fact that the healthier pet food movement DOES seem to be growing. Finding a freezer filled with refrigerated pet food in a rural grocery store that sells the cheapest, crappiest pet food imagineable is a clear indicator of where the billion dollar pet food industry is headed.
I cant wait to see what the pet food market will look like five and ten years from now!
Update 2020:Chewy is now carrying frozen raw dog foodfrom Instinct Raw, Visionary Pet Foods, and Natures Logic! How about that for a step into the raw dog food direction?! I LOVE IT!
Does Freshpet Make Food Without Chicken
Freshpet Vital Food for Dogs Vital recipes are 100% Non GMO, all-natural, and are made right here in the USA. We also offer grain free and chicken free choices for those pups with special diets. Vital delivers only what your pet needs and nothing more, that means no preservatives, meat by-products or rendered meals.
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Healthier Dog Food Alternatives To Freshpet Select
To be fair, I do have to mention that Freshpet has several other pet food lines, one of which is actually a raw dog food line. I didnt find out about the Vital Raw option until I did some research about the brand online. Vital Raw is grain-free and comes in two protein choices .
The ingredient list is still longer than Im used to seeing in the raw dog food brands I order and have ordered from, but its certainly a vast improvement over the gently cooked Freshpet Select roll I purchased.
Where Does Freshpet Source Their Meat
The pet food world is a competitive, ugly place, and I’ve heard rumors about a couple raw brands and I now make a point of asking about where the meat is sourced.
According to Freshpet.com, 97% of Freshpet ingredients come from the USA and Canada. 70% of Freshpet ingredients come from local farms. No Freshpet ingredients come from China.
And all Freshpet poultry, beef, and fish ingredients are sourced from USDA registered suppliers who follow all USDA regulations for safe handling. Freshpet lamb is sourced from New Zealand and is natural, free-range, and BSE-free. The poultry used in our Natures Fresh recipes is antibiotic and hormone-free.
I wasn’t able to find a clear explanation of what it would take to become a USDA registered supplier, so my research stopped here. If you have information on this, I would be very interested.
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Fresh Pet Dog Food Refrigerated: Is Fresh Pet Good For
Posted: You can also add information about Fresh Pet Dog Food Refrigerated Recall. This will greatly assist you in determining the best food for your pet. Can I feed my dog directly from the fridge? According to our research, almost 25% of dog owners heat their dogs food. Dont serve food that is too hot or cold.
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How Customizable Are Fresh Dog Food Delivery Services Like The Farmer’s Dog And Spot & Tango
Pet fresh food deliveries like The Farmers Dog and Spot & Tango have something in common they all start with surveys on your pets current activity level, weight, allergies, breed, dietary preferences, and age. They then use this information to offer personalized meal plans, individualized for your animals and customized for their unique nutritional needs. Well dig into the various health and nutritional claims made by these new companies in a bit.
This brings us to the biggest difference between The Farmers Dog and Spot & Tango and Freshpet where you buy them.
Freshpet is available in your local grocery store, and while you cant customize it in the same way that you can with Spot & Tango or TFD, you can pick from several types of meals like ones for small breeds, puppies, ones for treat time and stuff for cats . If you really want to get Freshpet online, we recommend starting with a little site called .
Spot & Tango and the others are purchased online, and delivered right to your home. And most of them are available via a subscription service, which means you dont have to worry about running out theyll keep you in stock with regular, recurring shipments.
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What Are Dextrose And Inulin
While I’m waiting for a response from Freshpet about the dextrose and inulin in their food, I thought it would be a good idea to define these items for this post.
Dextrose is a double sugar, containing one part each of glucose and fructose , chemically bound together. Enzymes in the intestine quickly and efficiently split sucrose into glucose and fructose, which are absorbed into the body as single sugars. HFCS is made from corn starch. Source: GoodHousekeeping.com
Out of curiosity, I looked up inuline too. Inulin is a soluable fiber derived from root plants. I read that it’s used in food as a prebiotic and although it’s not digestible, it can aid in correcting digestive issues. The only problem is that this prebiotic not only feeds the good bacteria, it may feed the bad bacteria too. This isn’t a bad ingredient. Source: NaturalNews.com
Do we need to worry about these ingredients? After reading about salt in pet food ingredients, posted by Rodney Habib for Dogs Naturally Magazine, I don’t give much credence to ingredients listed after sodium. Anything that follows salt is basically found in tiny, minuscule amounts in the product. Source: Dogs Naturally Magazine.