Frequently Asked Questions - Everything you need to know about FOR PAWS™

Dry pet food was developed to provide a safe, convenient, long-lasting and nutritionally consistent way to feed dogs and cats without relying on canned food, table scraps or fresh meat and organs daily.

Kibble has been around for about 170 years – first appearing in the mid-1800s as simple baked “dog biscuits” before evolving into modern extruded kibble in the 1950s

Kibble is by far the most popular way pets are fed today – it accounts for the majority of all dog and cat food sales globally because it’s convenient, affordable, safe, easy to store and clean feeding.

Kibble is made by blending ingredients, cooking them under heat and pressure through an extruder, then cutting, drying and coating each piece creating a complete and balanced safe, digestible and shelf-stable food

Kibble is popular because it’s convenient, clean to feed, easy to feed, less mess, safe and complete and balanced. It makes life simple and owning a pet easy.

We agree you can feed all formats, such as wet food, raw food, air dried, freeze dried.

They all have their pros and cons whether it’s cost, mess, preparation time, food storage, or whether you’re willing to go all out and become a nutritionist, keep all organs in your fridge and prepare meals on a daily or weekly basis.

Yes – a complete and balanced kibble can allow a dog to survive and thrive as this feeding approach has stood the test of time for decades across millions of healthy family and working dogs.

Lifelong studies have been carried out on most pet food formats including kibble alone.

Dry dog food, including specialized MRE-style rations, became popular from the mid-20th century among professional working dog groups – such as the military, police dogs, guide dogs and farm working dogs – because it provided a compact, reliable and easy-to-store diet that could be transported and easily fed on the go.

Kibble is a low-moisture food whilst water is the most important nutrient of them all to stay hydrated when fed dry food.

Dogs naturally drink more water to stay hydrated, so manufacturers include this statement to reinforce good hydration and meet animal-welfare best practice

Dogs and cats are carnivores so do not chew their food, they bite and swallow.

The kibble has to be a specific shape, size and texture whilst active ingredients can be added in order to delay tartar and plaque accumulation. Brushing teeth is best in class (but virtually impossible to do) and daily chews are recommended.

Dry pet food may have an impact if designed well, but it will not clean all of your dog’s teeth and get below the gum lines.

Low-carb kibble is designed to better reflect a carnivore’s natural metabolic preferences – providing higher meat and animal derivatives, reducing excess starch whilst supporting healthier digestion and overall vitality.

Cats have one of the shortest intestinal lengths in relation to its body of any mammal. This means a cat has just 13 hours to digest goodness out of its food in comparison; a dog has 23 hours and a human has 46 hours.

Low carb kibble means more essential nutrients are available for your pet to thrive as long as they are derived from meat & animal derivatives as carbohydrates are NOT an essential nutrient.

Carbohydrates are used when extruding pet food as they help bind all ingredients including meat and animal derivatives.

It gelatinizes under heat and pressure creating a matrix that will puff, hold its shape, absorb meats and fats, stay crunchy and remain shelf stable.

Our goal is to use fewer carbs to achieve this as it’s a healthier option.

In nature, it’s up to 15% carbs. Carbs are not an essential nutrient and dogs by nature are scavengers.

They are carnivores by choice and omnivores by necessity as they seek energy to survive.

However, in dry pet food, because carbs are critical to the kibble matrix, between 15% to 30% is considered low carb.

No, a carnivore in its natural habitat does not live on a single animal source only.

For a true carnivore, fat is the more important nutrient for survival, while protein is important for structure and function – but in terms of what drives their metabolism, fat comes first. Dogs prefer high fat moderate protein diets whilst cats thrive on high protein moderate fat diets.

The minimum requirement for protein required by a dog is typically 16% on an as-is basis.

Some pet foods believe more is better. 

Protein quality is more important than quantity, which is why we priorities animal based protein over plant based. 

Moderation is the key.

Too much protein over an extended period of time may put your older pet at risk of renal disease. Too much fat can cause obesity, and too many carbohydrates can cause digestive upsets, inflammations, obesity and diabetes.

Everyone interprets meat (flesh) as the highest quality protein source.

However, wild dogs do not catch prey, consume the muscle meat alone and wander off.

They consume skin, flesh (meat), organ pluck (trachea, lungs, liver, kidney, heart), and bone.

They consume most of the carcass, hence why we use the term “Meat & Animal Derivatives” (Meat is the flesh (muscle meat) and animal derivatives or by-products, or co-products if you wish are typically trachea, lungs, liver, kidney, heart and bone).

Fat is the true “driver” in a carnivore’s diet, and dogs’ whole survival depends on eating enough animal fat to meet daily energy demands.

Fat delivers more than double the energy of protein, satiety, sustained stamina, metabolic efficiency, and better thermal regulation.

No – animal fats and vegetable fats are not the same, and for dogs and cats, the type of fat matters just as much as the amount. 

Carnivores metabolise different fats very differently, and their bodies rely on specific fatty acids that largely come from animal sources.

Both protein and carbohydrates are also sources of energy in your pet’s diets, albeit they are not as efficient as animal fats. Too much energy from carbs is not the ideal diet. 

No, you either meet a standard whether it’s AAFCO, FEDIAF or NRC or you don’t.

You would not want to exceed a standard as that could mean you have an excess of nutrients which would not be good. e.g., excess vitamin A is dangerous.

Because in nature there are no life stages, the whole pack or litter all eat the same prey, whether they are growing, adults, or senior animals

Nothing, they are basically all the same. 

Muscle meat (flesh and hearts) are the ONLY items that can be called meat and as stated dogs and cats do not live off muscle meat alone. All other body parts such as organs (lungs, liver, kidney), bones, frames, flesh off-cuts, skin, are all by-products, co-products or animal derivatives.

NO we do not use floor sweepings, condemned animal or waste.

We are proud pet parents ourselves. If it’s not good enough for our own pets, it’s not good enough for yours.

Upcycled materials are materials taken from the human food chain and used in pet food.

This could be human consumption cuts that could not be sold, along with body parts that dogs and cats would typically eat in nature. Alternative cultures leave minimal waste when they live off the land. What might not be the norm to you, is completely acceptable to others. Eg chicken feet soup, haggis, tripe, chicken liver or heart pate’ and chitterlings.

This is a sustainable practice and better for you, your pet, and the planet.

Because we are pet parents ourselves and our reputation is only as good as the last bowl consumed.

We have specifications in place for raw ingredients, we have an approved supplier program as well as food safety programs, and we are audited by the Pet Food Industry Association of Australia (PFIAA) as well as the food industry (SQF) and government bodies.

Despite seeing it on many pet food brand packs, the answer is NO

Because dogs and cats do not live on muscle meat alone and they are not available to the pet food industry.

These cuts of meat are harvested for human consumption and demand always exceeds supply.

Muscle meat and hearts.

Most muscle meat used by pet food industry is flesh-off cuts, hearts or it has been mechanically deboned.

In harvesting animals for human consumption, there is always a boning room where cuts of meat and flesh are removed from the carcass.

The carcass is then put through a machine that separates the flesh and the bone.

This flesh is MDM (Mechanically Deboned Meat).

This MDM is pumped into an extruder to increase the meat content and also added at the vacuum coater as a liquid, where it is sucked into the kibble matrix.

Much like dogs, the pet food industry has been a scavenger, and we take offcuts of meat and body parts and try to put the animal back together to make a complete and balanced meal that is suitable for our pets and appeals to their owners.

When chickens, pigs, lamb, beef, turkeys, ducks, venison, boar, kangaroo, and fish are processed for human consumption, they typically have government inspectors in place to ensure food safety and quality.

If the whole animal was utilized, the pet food industry would not exist.

Some countries and cultures consume haggis, tripe, liver, kidneys, chicken feet, chicken viscera, and even sheep brain; all of these products are considered by-products and harvested in an appropriate manner.

Pet owners are time-poor and want convenience, ease of feeding, and clean and safe foods for their pets, so we use these ingredients (apart from the brain) to make complete and balanced pet foods.

It’s actually a pretty cool job.

12% of the world’s methane gas is produced from growing rice, in particular rice paddies.

Climate-smart rice is traditional rice growing above the ground in tropical climates.

It uses 65% less water and produces 85% less methane gas during growing.

It’s better for you, better for your pet, and better for our planet.

Whole grain brown rice is minimally processed and one of the most digestible sources of carbohydrates that helps us produce a low-carb kibble.

No, dog is dog and cat is cat.

Their nutritional needs differ significantly.

Because dogs and cats are carnivores, whilst we are omnivores.

NIP (Nutrition Information Panels) should be transparent and informative.

They should cover protein, fat, moisture, ash, fibre, carbohydrates, and metabolisable energy.

Ash is what’s left when organic matter has been burnt off.

It’s part of the calculation to determine the amount of carbohydrate in a diet and can give an indication of the level of minerals in a diet.

Moisture is water.

Water is the forgotten nutrient, but the most important nutrient.

It’s critical for survival.

Dry pet foods are low in moisture, hence the reason for a water statement on dry pet food only, something along the lines of “Clean, fresh drinking water should always be freely available.”

Water is critical for survival.

In nature, dogs’ and cats’ prey typically provides all the moisture they need for optimal water turnover.

Wet pet foods should replicate that of prey, as some manufacturers put in excessive amounts.

We believe moisture should be added to the NIP.

Because, like us, dogs and cats have different metabolisms.

Plus, energy requirements for an individual depend on breed, coat length, activity levels, seasons, environmental temperatures, and where they are housed.

The feeding guide is just that—a guide (starting point).

Start with it and look at your pet’s body condition.

Then adjust food accordingly.

If they look leaner, increase the volume by a quarter of a cup; if they look bulkier, adjust it down by a quarter of a cup.

The key is to monitor your pet’s body condition.

Refer to body condition charts.

For both dogs and cats, their ribs are palpable without excess fat covering.

Waist is visible behind their ribs when viewed from above.

Abdomen is tucked up when viewed from the side.

It has been scientifically proven through research that if you feed to a lean body condition throughout your pet’s life, it’s possible to increase their life by up to 2 years.

Reference: Lawler, D.F. et al. (2005). Influence of lifetime food restriction on causes, time, and predictors of death in dogs. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 226, 225-231.

The biggest contributor is overfeeding.

Most pet parents don’t monitor their pet’s body condition or feed to achieve optimal body condition.

The majority, when treating their pet, do not take into account the extra kcals they are giving.

Treats should not make up more than 10% of your pet’s daily caloric intake and should be taken into account when feeding the main meal – e.g., reduce the volume of the main meal.

GutIH™ is Gut Intestinal Health.

It’s a proprietary blend that works in conjunction with low carbohydrates.

Low-carb diets are better for gut health as dogs and cats have a short digestive tract; hence, not all carbs can be absorbed as quickly as animal proteins and fats.

They sit in the gut fermenting.

Our GutIH™ works 3 ways: It’s low-carb kibble, pre- & probiotics, and a nutraceutical that helps manage inflammation and builds gut wall integrity.

Pre- & probiotics help improve the gut microbiome.

However, if your pet has a leaky gut, then a healthy microbiome will just pass through the gut wall.

We also include a nutraceutical used by EAC’s Insideout, which helps manage gut inflammation and helps build gut wall integrity, reducing the risk of leaky gut.

For Paws offers 3 chicken free varieties in both dog and cat ranges along with several freeze-dried treats. As chicken intolerances become more evident, it’s important to offer alternative solutions.