In every industry there are combinations of products that just don’t make sense to combine. We are taught that oil and water don’t mix well. Some antibiotics are better taken with water rather than milk. Basic ingredients don’t mix well with acids, such as milk and grapefruit. The list goes on and on.
I point this out because a new innovative marketing gimmick has just been introduced in the dog food world that suggests the combination of freeze-dried raw food nuggets with kibble.
I have been teaching for years that combining a raw diet with kibble is a hard combination for pets to digest. This is because the digestive time frame of each diet is different. As such, you confuse the pancreas when generating the right combination of digestive enzymes. This often results in gastrointestinal upset (mainly diarrhea and vomiting) and in some cases, long-term depression of the digestive and/or immune system.
The question I would ask regarding this new combination food is: “What is the real benefit?”
It cannot be a reduction in price because using freeze-dried nuggets is an expensive alternative to a raw food diet. It cannot be to offer a better digestive advantage because of the aforementioned variance in the digestion cycle.
So what exactly is the benefit?
Perhaps it offers consumers a product that can be used while traveling. After all, a frozen, raw diet isn’t always as easy to store and manage while traveling long distances without proper refrigeration. Then again, pet owners that are true believers in the amazing benefits of a raw diet would use prefer to opt for a freeze-dried raw diet product during travel, forsaking kibble entirely.
