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Vital EssentialsFreeze-Dried Beef & Chicken Crunchy Cat Food
Allergy Risk
This food contains possible allergens for sensitive pets.
Notable Benefits
Ingredients
Numbered in order of predominance by weight, heaviest first. Click any ingredient for details.
Freeze-Dried Beef & Chicken Crunchy Cat Food ingredients, explained
The recipe is built on beef: beef with bone, beef liver and beef kidney are three of the first four ingredients. Common cat food allergens on the label: beef and chicken. Omega-3 comes from fish oil, the form cats use directly.
What this food is made of
A red-meat protein, higher in fat and iron than poultry. Fresh or deboned beef is mostly water and ranks higher on the label than its dry contribution; beef meal is the concentrated form. Beef is among the most common food allergens reported in both dogs and cats, probably because it has been fed so widely for so long. Beef by-products such as liver and heart are listed separately.
The most common protein in pet food, and for dogs one of the most common food allergens, with beef and dairy. If chicken is what your pet reacts to, it hides everywhere: chicken fat, chicken broth, chicken meal, natural flavor. On a label, chicken listed first is weighed with its water still in, so a food leading with fresh chicken often has less chicken protein than one leading with chicken meal. Neither is better; they are different measures.
Organ meat from the named animal, or unnamed when the label just says liver. Liver is one of the most nutrient-dense foods there is, rich in vitamin A, copper, iron and the B group, and most pets love the taste, which is why it is used both as an ingredient and as a flavor coating. For allergies, the species is what matters, and beef liver is beef. Unnamed liver can come from any species and may vary by batch.
Oil pressed from whole fish, usually menhaden, herring or sardine, added as the source of the omega-3 fats EPA and DHA. Those fats support skin, coat, joints and brain development, and a food that names fish oil is delivering them in the form pets use directly. It goes rancid quickly, so look for a preservative named alongside it, usually mixed tocopherols. The species is rarely stated, which matters only if your pet reacts to fish.
Vitamins, minerals and additives (5)
The nutrient pack nearly every complete food carries. Expand to read what each one does.
A fat-soluble antioxidant that protects cells and the fats in the food itself. It is in nearly every complete food, both as a nutrient and, under the name mixed tocopherols, as the natural preservative that keeps fat from going rancid. Deficiency is rare in pets eating a complete diet. Nothing to worry about on a label, and a sign the maker is preserving with vitamin E rather than synthetic chemicals.
A zinc source. Zinc is essential for skin, coat, immunity and wound healing, and deficiency shows up first as crusty skin. Some Arctic breeds absorb it poorly and need more. Sulfate and oxide are inorganic; proteinate or chelate is bound to protein, which brands present as better absorbed. Any of them is normal. Not an allergen.
An iron source. Iron carries oxygen in the blood, and meat supplies much of it, with the mineral supplement making up the rest. Ferrous sulfate is the inorganic form; iron proteinate or chelate is the same mineral bound to a protein fragment, which brands describe as more absorbable. Either is normal. Not an allergen.
A copper source. Copper is essential in small amounts for blood, connective tissue and coat color. Some veterinary nutritionists have questioned whether modern dog foods carry more copper than dogs need, and a few breeds (Bedlington Terriers, Labradors among them) are prone to storing it in the liver. For most pets it is a routine additive. If your dog has a diagnosed liver condition, copper level is worth a vet conversation.
A manganese source. Manganese is needed in tiny amounts for bone, cartilage and enzyme function. Sulfate is the inorganic form; proteinate is the mineral bound to protein. The choice between them is a marketing distinction more than a health one for a healthy pet. Expected, safe, not an allergen.
About this food
When it comes to feeding your cat a raw diet, butcher cut protein provides superior benefits. And our freeze-dried raw mini nibs are the best way to pack tons of responsibly sourced and humanely harvested whole animal protein into every bite, making feeding a raw diet at mealtimes a breeze. The naturally occurring vitamins and minerals found in butcher cut protein builds strong muscles for more play, naturally supports digestive and oral health, and provides essential nutrients for cats to look and feel their best.
From the manufacturer. May contain marketing language.
Pricing & Formats
Available Sizes
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Guaranteed Analysis
Each bar shows the typical range for cat foods in our database. The marker shows where this product falls.
*Not recognized as an essential nutrient by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles.
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