Blog: Straight from Pet Parents: Answers to Top Questions About Our Food

What questions should Pet Parents be asking of pet food companies? How transparent are they about nutrient analysis, digestibility, or 3rd party analysis? Here are some of the top answers to questions asked by pet parents.

#1 - My dog is used to a bowl full of food. Can a 2oz. food bar really make my pup feel full?

This is one of the first questions people ask about our food bars. The short answer is yes. The longer answer is that NOBL Canine Food bars are nutrient-dense, so dogs get all the nutrition they need in each serving when you follow the feeding guidelines. 

Dogs get their energy from calories in macronutrients: protein, carbohydrate, and fat. All three macronutrients are needed for a healthy diet. Our bars utilize high-quality ingredients that are easily digestible and nutrient-dense.  As a result, we don’t need to use 40, 50, or 70 ingredients to make a 100% complete and balanced food. Everything your dog needs comes from 22 ingredients. And you won’t need the internet to know what they are or why they’re in our products. Our ingredients come from nature.

Additionally, because our products do not go through high-temperature processing, we can utilize fruits and vegetables vs. synthetic ingredients to supply the appropriate amounts of vitamins and minerals. So not only will they feel full, they will be well fed.

#2 - So, if my dog is eating less, does that mean fewer stools too?

Yes! Our Canine Food Bars are over 90% digestible and are very nutrient-dense (5800 and 6300 kcal/kg). Because of this, your dog will require less food and will utilize more of what is fed than with other diets. For example, if your dog eats one 2oz. bar, it has been shown that 1.862oz will be digested and used by the dog. This leaves 0.138 ounces in urine and fecal matter. Over the course of one year, that ends up being just about 3lbs of waste. See our Digestibility and Typical Analysis page for more.

#3 - How are your products made?

All our products are freeze-dried. This process removes moisture from the ingredients while retaining the flavor, texture, and aromas. Because the product is not exposed to high temperatures and high pressure (e.g. extrusion), the ingredients keep their nutritional integrity. This allows us, with our patent-pending technology, to create a nutrient-dense product at a fraction of its original weight.

#4 - Tell me more about the food quality of the ingredients in your bars and treats.

We use no artificial flavors, colors, preservatives, or hidden processing aids. Our ingredients come from nature, and our foods are free of all artificial ingredients.

There is only one exception to this rule: our Vegan Canine Food Bars. This is to meet the required nutritional levels AND be animal-free, we use a minimal number of synthetics. In our case, five—compared to other vegan brands that use up to over 20 each.

Likewise, our treats only use three simple ingredients. For vegan treats, it’s just real carrots, green beans, and sweet potatoes. For our meaty varieties, it’s either all turkey, beef, or chicken. Unlike other treats, you can actually see the three ingredients!

All the ingredients in our products are grown or raised in the USA or Canada. With the exception of beef. Our beef comes from New Zealand because they have not had any issues with Mad Cow Disease.  This enables us to ship between the US and Canada if another outbreak should occur. 

We test all our finished goods as well as our raw materials to deliver proper nutrition and to ensure food safety.  We are a USDA audited and third party audited facility to adhere to Current Good Manufacturing Practices Title 21 Code of Federal Regulations Part 111. Our manufacturer is also SQF certified.

No finished products will be released unless it tests negative for salmonella and listeria.  Additionally, we test our products for the AAFCO nutrient profile before release.

#5 - Do I need to transition my dog from their current food to yours?

Most food sensitivities that cause GI distress come from the grains used in the pet food (e.g. corn and wheat). NOBL Canine Food Bars don’t have any grains and are highly digestible. As a result, it is not necessary to transition your pet. Therefore NOBL is an excellent option for the occasional adventures with your dog.  As with any potential health concerns, we encourage you to consult with your veterinarian.

#6 - Are your products grain-free? If so, what about DCM and heart health concerns?

Our products are grain-free. Additionally, none of our formulas include high glycemic foods like corn, rice, or added sugar. We use several complex carbohydrates that provide for a slower release of nutrients into the bloodstream. These ingredients, along with higher levels of protein and fat, create high levels of satiety.

We formulate our foods to be highly digestible and utilize high levels of meat.  As a result, we have naturally high levels of taurine and carnitine in our foods. We even publish these nutrient levels on our website (1000 ppm of taurine and 150 ppm carnitine) along with our digestibility (> 90%).  Additionally, our meat-based bars contain over 80% meat and liver. 

Lastly, there has not been any scientifically proven cause and effect tied to any grain-free foods and DCM.  Most DCM cases that have been reported to the FDA have been dried kibble which contain high levels of starch and total dietary fiber that go through high heat and high-pressure extrusion (88% of the cases reported).