First and foremost, when it comes to dogs, we believe “fed is best.”
While we strongly encourage incorporating fresh, whole foods for improved longevity and overall wellness, we also acknowledge that kibble plays an important role. Its affordability, convenience, and long shelf life allow many people to keep their dogs nourished—whether it’s a local shelter stretching every donation or a pet parent spending their last dollars to make sure their dog has a full tummy. No shame, no judgment—just support for doing the best you can with what you have.
Most of us agree that fresh, whole food is better for our own bodies than something heavily processed. We know we feel brighter, think more clearly, and stay healthier when our meals come from real ingredients rather than a shelf-stable package. And yet, when it comes to our dogs—the animals we adore, who depend on us for everything—we often accept the idea that they can eat the same processed food every day for their entire lives and be perfectly fine.
Dogs can survive on kibble. They can survive on many things. They are resilient creatures with forgiving digestive systems and an enormous capacity to mask nutritional gaps. From the outside, they may appear okay: their coats may look shiny, their stools may be consistent, and their energy may seem normal.
But surviving and thriving are two very different things.
Processed Food for Humans vs. Processed Food for Dogs
If someone handed you a single bag of pellets and said, “Everything you need to stay alive is in here—this is now your food for the rest of your life,” most people would push back. Not because it wouldn’t keep you alive, but because you instinctively know it wouldn’t support your best self. You wouldn’t glow with health, feel steady in your energy, or move with ease. You certainly wouldn’t feel joy around your meals.
Yet this is exactly the message many dog owners receive: that a dog can live on one formula, one flavor, one highly processed food for ten or fifteen years and do “just fine.”
We’ve been taught to ignore our instincts:
• that dogs don’t need fresh food
• that variety is unnecessary
• that feeding anything outside the bag is “dangerous”
• that dogs have iron stomachs… yet somehow “can’t” handle a fresh egg
When we step back, it doesn’t make much sense.
What Fresh Food Actually Provides
A dog’s body was built for whole foods—moisture-rich, enzyme-rich, biologically available foods the body recognizes instantly. Fresh meats, organs, edible bone, eggs, fermented dairy, and even small amounts of blended vegetables and berries bring nutrients in their natural form:
• Natural amino acids that build muscle and support the brain
• Essential fats that feed hormones and nourish the skin
• Living enzymes that support digestion
• Moisture that protects the kidneys and bladder
• Antioxidants and phytonutrients not found in processed diets
These nutrients are fragile, and most are destroyed by the high heat used to create kibble. That’s why kibble must be sprayed with synthetic vitamins after cooking—hitting “complete and balanced” only at the lowest allowable threshold.
It’s the difference between a real meal and a meal replacement powder.
One sustains life.
The other supports a life filled with health.
But Isn’t Fresh Food Just “People Food”?
Fresh food for dogs is not the same as handing them leftovers from the table.
It’s not pizza crusts, meatloaf, or seasoned scraps.
Fresh feeding simply means offering real ingredients—foods their bodies understand, foods that align with a more ancestral diet. A raw egg is not “table food.” Fresh turkey is not “table food.” Goat milk isn’t “table food.” These are whole, natural items that support health in every system of the body.
The misconception that any fresh food is “table food” has kept many dogs from nutrients that could meaningfully improve their wellbeing.
Does Fresh Food Take Too Much Time?
It doesn’t have to.
Most families don’t prepare extravagant meals for themselves every day, and dogs don’t need that either. Even the smallest steps make a meaningful difference—simple, doable shifts like:
• Adding a fresh egg a few times a week
• Pouring raw goat milk, kefir, or bone broth over meals
• Mixing in a spoonful of veggie purée or berry blend
• Feeding a single-protein raw meal occasionally
• Offering clean, fresh treats instead of processed biscuits
These tiny habits bring living nutrition back into the bowl—without any full meal prep required.
And What About the Cost?
Cost is a very real conversation, and families deserve honest, compassionate answers.
The goal is not perfection.
The goal is improvement.
Even incorporating just some fresh food as the 10% topper idea can reduce long-term costs by supporting stronger digestion, lower inflammation, and healthier immune function. When you compare fresh additions to the rising cost of chronic vet care—itching, ear infections, allergies, stomach issues—fresh feeding is often the more affordable path in the long run.
A dog who thrives is a dog whose body works efficiently, whose immune system stays strong, and whose inflammation stays low.
Fresh food supports exactly that.
A Simple, Doable Way to Start: The 10% Topper Strategy
We think it’s a good reminder to pet parents that improving a diet doesn’t require an all-or-nothing overhaul. You can make one minor change, one bite at a time. That philosophy is the heart of the 10% topper idea.
Simply replacing 10% of your dog’s daily calories with fresh, nutrient-dense foods can create measurable improvements in:
• Immune strength
• Gut health
• Skin and coat
• Cognitive function
• Longevity
Easy topper ideas include:
• A raw or soft-boiled egg
• A splash of raw goat milk or kefir
• Sardines
• Blueberries or mixed berries
• Veggie scraps from when you were preparing dinner
• Fresh, unseasoned meat
This small, consistent habit helps families feel empowered—not overwhelmed—and shows that fresh feeding is accessible to everyone, at any budget.
What Thriving Looks Like
For decades, we’ve seen the difference fresh food makes almost immediately:
• Shinier, softer coats
• Greater mental clarity
• Better stool quality
• Calmer, steadier energy
• Reduced itching
• Less inflammation
• More comfortable seniors
• Puppies with brighter focus
These changes don’t come from meeting minimum requirements. They come from nourishment the body can actually use.
Our Dogs Deserve More Than the Bare Minimum
They depend on us to choose what goes in their bowl.
They trust us to care for their bodies the way we care for our own.
Fresh food—whether as a topper, a weekly raw meal, or a full diet—is one of the most powerful ways to help them live long, joyful, comfortable lives.
When we feed dogs whole, real food, we’re not just filling their bowl.
We’re investing in their happiness, their comfort, their spirit, and the years we want with them.
They give us everything.
Let’s give them the food that helps them shine.