Freshpet – A Dog Food Review

I enjoy researching dog foods for my blog.  I not only acquire valuable information, but I am also anxious to pass on the information to my readers so they can become educated, informed pet parents.  I have certainly learned a lot in recent months regarding canines and over the past several years, and it causes me to realize how much more there is out there to know, find out, research and post about.

I recently noticed in the grocery store I frequent (Meijer), they were revamping their pet area, that they were going to start carrying ‘Freshpet’ foods.  The refrigerator for it was in place, and an information pamphlet available, but they hadn’t stocked any of the food yet.  I thought I’d see something similar many months ago at Kroger, so I took one of the pamphlets to check it out.

This morning I sat down and researched the  Freshpet website (www.freshpet.com), pouring over the information, and researching and reading further, as many of my blogs lead me to ‘check out’ and verify certain facts.  On top of my extensive background in human nutrition and my current studies in canine nutrition, I am able to sort through all this and present reliable conclusions to my findings.

To my regular blog readers, you know how I feel about the mainstream dog food manufacturers.  There are few I am impressed with.  I love it when I come across a dog food I can give a ‘thumbs up’ to, because sadly it doesn’t happen too often! The past decade has given consumers much information on health and nutrition.  There is a newer awareness of the need to take care of ourselves as responsible humans.  I am thrilled to see this is finally catching on in the animal world, especially with our domesticated companions, that they too need to be cared for properly when it comes to health and nutrition.  Pouring a bowl of dry dog food isn’t enough to ‘cut it’ in the 21^st Century for these furry little creatures we consider to be part of our family.

Freshpet products are made in small batches with human-grade meats and vegetables.  They claim ‘fresh, good food that’s cooked, not processed’.  There are no preservatives, by-products or fillers, and are for the most part grain free; not containing wheat, soy or corn, (which are common allergens for dogs), instead including wholesome grains such as brown rice, oats and barley.  They offer meat meals in rolls that can be cut into pieces, treats, chews and bones.  They also have ready to bake cookies! Yum!  The fat and calorie content in these are a tad high at 25% crude fat and 82 calories/cookie, however this does not pose a problem with me, as these cookies would be a ‘treat’….not something you feed your dog every day or use as a meal replacement.  Remember, treats are treats when given on special occasion, not on a regular basis. 

It is important to keep your dog’s weight under control, as overweight or obesity can pose several health risks.  I have added a dog food calculator to my ‘Websites and Dog Resources’ on my blog so you can check how many calories your dog needs.

Freshpet offers as one of their treats a ‘Dog Joy Turkey Bacon’, which I think is great! I like turkey bacon.  The website is very informative and has a ‘Freshpet Near You’ search tool so you can find out where you can purchase their products in your area.  97% of the ingredients for their foods are U.S. and Canadian derived, with local sources used when possible.  None come from China (double thumbs up!) Their foods are not organic, but are natural, meaning no chemical preservatives like BHA or propylene glycol are used.  It is fresh, not raw and undergoes a pasteurization process similar to milk and cold cuts.

Meijer has finally stocked these products, and I took a look at them.  They appear very similar to the home cooked meals I feed my dogs, and I felt they were reasonably priced.  For someone who doesn’t have the time or ability to cook home-made for their dogs, I believe adding this weekly (or daily if you can afford to) to your dry dog food would be of great benefit to your canine companion.  Learning, knowing and applying better choices to your dog’s diet can go a long way in the quality and length of years for your furry friend.

Adding variety to obtain balance is an important part of canine nutrition.  Dogs do not require nor need high carbohydrate diets, as in the wild, nature would provide around 14% carbs.  Quality fats such as organic extra virgin olive oil and even organic butter (occasionally), and those derived as whole fats from organic milk, yogurt and cheese are all ingredients that canines thrive on.  To determine the amount of carbohydrate content in your dog’s dry food, you can utilize the information found on the packaging.  Look for the Minimum % protein, Minimum % fat, Maximum % fiber, and Maximum % moisture.  These percentages tell the number of grams per 100 grams of food.  So you start with 100(%), subtract the protein, subtract the fat, and subtract the moisture and this gives you your percentage of carbohydrate.  You do not subtract the fiber as this is part of the carbohydrate.  Example: if the food contains 30% protein, 15% fat, 5% fiber and 10% moisture, you would take 100 minus 30 minus 15 minus 10 and your total carbs would be 45%.  You will most likely find as I did that most dry dog foods are high in carbs, even in the quality brand kibbles.  This is why I feed about 25% dry food in my dog’s diet and utilize real meat protein for the main part of their diet.

Adding Freshpet to your dog’s diet would assist in keeping carbohydrate content under control.  Please let me know if you have used or are using this product and what your thoughts are on it.  To your dog’s continued good health!