u/aetherdrifter

Because I have too much time on my hands, I decided to give Nulo a call and ask them why they removed their typical analysis from their website. The representative I spoke with was very friendly and helpful, and informed me that this decision was made so that the company can make more personalized recommendations to people who are interested in having that information.

They also offered to send me a list of their lowest calcium and phosphorus cat diets, which I’ll share here for anyone interested.

WET

Nulo Prowess Skin & Coat Chicken & Salmon Shreds
Phosphorus: 0.98% dry matter
Calcium: 1.26% dry matter

Nulo Prowess Healthy Weight Chicken & Whitefish Shreds
Phosphorus: 1.00% dry matter
Calcium: 1.35% dry matter

Nulo Prowess Mature 12+ Salmon & Tuna Paté
Phosphorus: 1.02% dry matter
Calcium: 1.10% dry matter

Nulo Flaked Chicken & Salmon Recipe
Phosphorus: 1.07% dry matter
Calcium: 1.17% dry matter

Nulo Chicken & Lamb with Organ Meats Recipe
Phosphorus: 1.07% dry matter
Calcium: 1.08% dry matter

Nulo Silky Mousse Senior Tuna & Mackerel Recipe
Phosphorus: 0.99% dry matter
Calcium: 1.15% dry matter

Nulo Gently-Cooked Meal Chicken Recipe
Phosphorus: 0.91% dry matter
Calcium: 1.17% dry matter

Nulo Gently-Cooked Meal Salmon & Tuna Recipe
Phosphorus: 1.02% dry matter
Calcium: 1.25% dry matter

DRY

MedalSeries Salmon & Lentils Recipe
Phosphorus: 1.19% dry matter
Calcium: 1.61% dry matter

MedalSeries Indoor Cat Duck & Cod Recipe
Phosphorus: 1.19% dry matter
Calcium: 1.61% dry matter

They also stated: “All of Nulo’s diets are formulated to meet AAFCO nutrient guidelines for healthy cats and dogs, and they are not intentionally designed to provide reduced nutrient levels or to prevent/manage health conditions like a therapeutic diet would. For pets with medical conditions, we always recommend consulting your trusted veterinarian to determine if the nutritional profile of our food is appropriate for your pet’s particular case.”

I’ve generally not recommended Nulo in the past due to concerns with mineral levels, and many of their other recipes are higher than I’d prefer. This isn’t meant as a promotion, just sharing information about their better options since it’s such a popular brand.

This post is primarily directed toward those who aren't against raw food providing it's done safely. And by that, I mean with extremely strict quality control and a validated kill step.

Does anyone have thoughts on Vital Essentials in terms of food safety? Their website has the following information:

• "Sourced from a network of carefully vetted, USDA-inspected suppliers certified by Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) or other third parties.
• Come with a Letter of Guarantee and HACCP control documents ensuring safety and quality.
• In a blast freezer within 45 minutes of harvest to lock in nutrients.
• Held below freezing temperature from beginning to end.
• We are the largest freeze-drying facility for pet food in the United States, located in Green Bay, WI.
• Strict protocols for safety including Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) Plans.
• Certifications include Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) FSSC22000, EU, and Gluten-Free.
• Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (SSOP) in place to keep products and facility safe from cross contamination.
• Full compliance with FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine’s Zero Tolerance guidelines.
• Quality control personnel conduct sampling at several points throughout production, ensuring all specifications are met."

"Vital Essentials' commitment to food safety and quality is unwavering. Our leadership team boasts over 75 years of experience in pet food over a large number of successful brands and goes to great lengths to bring talented, highly qualified individuals to Vital Essentials.

Our Research & Development/Nutrition team includes a number of nutrition and product quality experts devoted to the freeze-dried pet food space. This team is also supported by an independent PhD Animal Nutritionist with over 40 years of experience in formulating diets for pets and exotic animals, as well as two independent veterinarians (DVM) who consult on nutrition, packaging, and consumer affairs.

Our Operations and Manufacturing teams are comprised of many food safety, quality, and manufacturing professionals. This team's leaders hold multiple degrees and independent certifications in food science, nutrition, quality assurance, and safe manufacturing practices."

So, this all sounds great - the only thing that gives me pause is that they don't disclose what exactly their kill step is; they say it's proprietary. If they were to say they use HPP, I'd feel totally comfortable with it because I've researched the efficacy, and experts (veterinary nutritionists) seem to agree that it's a highly effective method. However, without knowing what technology VE is using, it's hard not to have less confidence.

The reason I'm even asking this is because my cats have eaten their treats and food in the past and absolutely love them, especially the crunchy rabbit nibs. There really is no other product on the market like it: complete and balanced, crunchy texture, single novel protein and low-carb for my cat with IBD and blood sugar issues. Rayne's rabbit treats are the closest, and are made using HPP, but they're not complete and balanced. I wouldn't feed freeze dried as the sole source of nutrition regardless, but it's really nice to have treats that are complete so they're exempt from the "10% rule." One of my cats is OBESSESED with the Rayne rabbit treats, but she's already nearly at her treat calorie allotment with her daily lickable and dental ones.

Can anyone think of any other questions I could or should be asking VE about their safety and quality control that their website doesn't address? Anyone see any red flags with the info they've provided, aside from the obvious (proprietary kill step)?

Changed/simplified a few things with my crew’s diets, got a new mini shelf for the supplements and some new amber glass storage jars.

After trying some different foods for my senior (Nova), I decided to put her back on Royal Canin PR because it’s her favorite and has been the best for her digestion. She’s prediabetic from being on a steroid, but I found out this food is lower in carbohydrates than I originally thought, and my vet is good with her staying on it with close monitoring. (I believe the Royal Canin dry food she was also getting for a bit is what triggered her blood sugar spikes.)

The Zyklene is new, for my boy Shadow who has mild anxiety problems. The Zirbac supplements and psyllium are for Nova. I’m not currently using the Plaque Off, but may in the future.

My two younger cats are both on Hill’s z/d dry food now, since Shadow needs to eat it and the other (Rune) prefers it to the Science Diet she was on before. Plus, Shadow kept getting into her SureFeed feeder somehow! I do give Rune a few different high protein treats for variety and for her microbiome. She loves the Tiki Cat and Orijen treats, and Nova’s freeze dried rabbit bites. Shadow is completely obsessed with the RC hydrolyzed treats.

I see a lot of people still recommending non-prescription diets for food allergy diagnosis and management, despite the fact that this is not recommended by veterinary nutritionists, dermatologists, or even most GP veterinarians.

I decided to dig into this topic further and found some pretty compelling evidence of why OTC diets are generally not suitable.

Critically appraised topic on adverse food reactions of companion animals (5): discrepancies between ingredients and labeling in commercial pet foods

The above is a review of multiple studies that used PCR or ELISA DNA testing; it found that between 33% and 83% of “limited ingredient” commercial diets contained ingredients that were not on the label.

Determination of mammalian DNA in commercial canine diets with uncommon and limited ingredients

This study analyzed 21 “limited ingredient” dog foods and found that all 21 contained DNA from animal species not found on the label.

ELISA testing for common food antigens in four dry dog foods used in dietary elimination trials

This study only analyzed 4 diets, but all were found to contain proteins other than those on the labels.

So what are you paying for with prescription diets? DNA testing to ensure no cross-contamination, as well as additional quality control measures. Blue Buffalo, for example, has a “burn” process they use to clean the production line before the rx diets are manufactured. I use them as an example because I happen to have listened to an interview that discusses this, but on their vet website they also state that other manufacturers of prescription LID diets (including Royal Canin and Rayne) are on par with their safety and testing.

Are there OTC diets that DNA test and have similarly stringent safety and testing? Perhaps, but I’ve yet to identify any. Many have thorough sanitation and cleaning protocols, including flushing and sanitizing their production lines between batches. But when I’ve asked them, I’ve been told they cannot absolutely guarantee no cross contamination.

Are there pets that are less sensitive, and therefore can handle trace amounts of allergens? Yes, I’m sure there are. But the fact remains that a prescription diet is a MUCH safer option. At the very least, they should be used for diagnosis, and OTC diets reserved for the challenge phase of an elimination diet.

This girl is coming up on 15, and she’s been slowing down a lot the past year. She’s in good spirits, but she has some pretty serious health issues (IBD, chronic pancreatitis and now arthritis). I really want to max out her QOL right now, so I’ve decided to start taking her out to explore new environments. The vet agrees that getting her moving more will be good to help her maintain muscle.

Destination #1 was my apartment’s rooftop and community room/lounge, which she seemed to love. Every time I open my door, she now walks over and attempts to follow me into the hallway. 😆 Next will be some local parks, since I also got her a harness and kitty backpack. I know it’s late in life to start taking her on adventures, but as long as she enjoys it, why not?

I also started her on Solensia last week. I think I may already be noticing some small signs that she’s feeling better. She’s been grooming and stretching more.