A freeze-dried alternative... with all the benefits of raw!
Here at Smack, we pride ourselves on creating the best quality food for your pet. Our raw, dehydrated product offers the perfect combination of raw, fresh food in an easy-to-serve format - no fridge or freezer required!
When it comes to alternative pet food formats, such as freeze-dried, here's how our raw, dehydrated offerings compare:
A cost-effective alternative
Smack is more cost-effective than any freeze- dried food on the market, with unsurpassed quality (including fresh, whole meats and organic, non-GMO produce!), making it a great option - especially for bigger dogs.
We gently dehydrate our food
Unlike freeze-dried foods, we employ techniques used for generations to kill pathogens and then gently dehydrate our hand-crafted formulas. Our technology of low temperature dehydration preserves the nutrients in our food even better than some freeze-dried foods, without using any hot air in our process. This ensures food safety without compromising the incredible natural components of the food.
Our methods are good for the gut
Whereas super high pressure pasteurization in many freeze-dried foods denatures the ingredients, sterilizing both good and bad bacteria and organisms, our gentle dehydration process keeps the natural, beneficial enzymes and bacteria needed for good gut health.
We do not add artificial vitamins or synthetics
Our recipes are made with fresh, whole, non-medicated meats (no added hormones), along with non-gmo, organic fruit and vegetables. We add no artificial vitamins or synthetics (unlike many freeze-dried foods) - all the nutrition comes from the food itself!
We have never had a recall.
Period.
FAQs
Why is organic non-GMO produce important?
Organic foods often have more beneficial nutrients, such as antioxidants, than their conventionally-grown counterparts and people with allergies to foods, chemicals, or preservatives may find their symptoms lessen or go away when they eat only organic foods. In essence, organic produce contains fewer pesticides.
What is ethoxyquin? And why should I care about synthetic vitamins and minerals?
Ethoxyquin (E324) is a synthetic antioxidant that is used primarily in animal feed. Globally, ethoxyquin is not approved for use as a direct food additive in foods for human consumption. Specific to the omega-3 industry, some krill meals and crude fish and fish oils for animal feed are preserved using ethoxyquin.
Naturally occurring vitamins and synthetic vitamins are different … really different.They’re not in the same chemical form … so your dog’s body will have trouble recognizing and using the fake, synthetic vitamins. These synthetic vitamins and minerals, even at the best quality, regularly have partially hydrolyzed protein carriers of unknown sources and are almost exclusively available from overseas sources. This means they can be contaminated with toxins, or at the very least, be a source of allergens to some pets.
Why is carbohydrate content and source important?
Dogs and cats have no biological requirement for simple carbohydrates. Some of these also contain a good portion of the food's protein levels, which are simply not easy to digest or particularly bioavailable. Basically a lot comes out the back end…in the form of excrement. So it may look like a high protein food, but much of it comes from peas or potatoes, not appropriate sources for dogs and cats. Some are more concerning than others, like peas, lentils and those in the legume family. They contain lectins (plant proteins) and phytoestrogens.They can damage your dogs gut, leading to leaky gut symptoms and they provide a continuous source of plant based estrogens which interfere with a normal endocrine system.
Why should I care if there is gluten in the food?
Dogs are usually sensitive to gluten, not grains themselves. Not only is it one of the top 5 allergens for pets, but it’s also inflammatory and can affect a dog's healthy gut biome.
Why is the amount fed important?
Calorie density is important. It’s very hard for your pet to digest and work on massive amounts of food consumed in any given meal. As illustrated above, when we’re feeding 3+ cups of food (vs ¾ cup) this indicates a large portion of low calorie fillers, which will be partially fermented in the gut and come out the other end. Simply put, excessive food tends to equal excessive excrement. It also indicates that a lot of the food’s ingredients are those hard-to-digest carbohydrates.