It is natural for dog owners to want their pets to stay healthy. But like good human health, good dog health doesn't occur by accident. It takes a concerted effort among dog owners to ensure their pooches are taken care of. And it all starts with what dogs are fed. With cold-pressed dog food, you can rest assured that the food your pup is getting a fully nutritious meal every time.
Nextrition's founder, Jim, settled on the cold-pressing method because he believes it results in a better dog food that ultimately leads to healthier dogs. When combined with appropriate exercise and proper hydration, healthy dog food gives dogs the best chance of thriving and living full, complete lives. Cold-pressed dog food is our bread and butter here at Nextrition.
So what makes cold press dog food so different? It's in the science. Let's break it down into bite-size chunks.
The first thing to note is that cold pressing is a process for making dog food. It is substantially different from the process used to make dry kibble. The process is what makes the difference in terms of a food's nutritional value and flavor. There are a couple of key components that make it work:
This process allows manufacturers to create a dog food that does not need artificial preservatives to maintain shelf life. Spoilage is generally not a problem with cold-pressed dog food unless a bag is opened and left exposed to heat and/or moisture where most things will develop mold.
With an understanding of how the process works, it is time to talk about cold-pressed dog food and its relationship to healthier dogs. The starting point is understanding that what is true of humans is also true of animals: we are what we eat.
Just like pet owners, dogs need proper nutrition to remain healthy. Their bodies require a specific balance of vitamins, minerals, proteins, fats, etc. Everything a dog puts in its mouth becomes a building block for either good or bad health.
Consider the following:
By preserving nutritional value and flavor, manufacturers like Nextrition can offer recipes that provide everything a dog needs for good health and nothing it doesn't. Fillers and additives don’t actually add any nutrients or vitamins - they’re more like high-fructose corn syrup and food coloring. We aim to keep them out of our cold-pressed dog food to make more room for what matters.
Something that many dog owners either don't know or fail to consider is that digestion affects nutritional value. The better a dog's digestive tract breaks down food, the more of the food's nutritional value is absorbed and utilized. The opposite is also true.
Poor digestion limits nutritional absorption. More food is excreted as waste rather than being used by the dog's body to maintain good health. So it makes sense to ensure that dog food is easily digested.
Once again, there are some key things to consider:
Given how important digestion is to good health, it makes sense to feed dogs food designed from the ground up to be easily digested and absorbed. Cold-pressed dog food is designed to be good for the gut from the ingredients used to how it is digested in the gut.
The crowning achievement of cold pressing is that it produces a food most dogs love. Cold-pressed dog food offers more flavor and a more robust aroma. It actually entices dogs with picky eating habits to eat more consistently. But there is a downside: happy dogs may want to eat too much of it. So owners need to be careful to correctly portion meals so that their dogs don't overeat. Cold-pressed food is more nutrient dense and can be easier for your dog to overeat and cause digestive discomfort – just like we do on Thanksgiving.
Cold pressing makes a very real difference in how dog food is prepared. We are sold on cold pressing because it preserves nutritional value, makes food easily digestible, and gives dogs the flavors and aromas that make eating so enjoyable.
When stored in a cool, dry place, cold-pressed food should stay fresh long enough for your pup to enjoy the whole bag. Make sure to check for the best buy date printed on each bag.
High temperatures alter the natural properties of proteins, fats, vitamins, and minerals. This reduces their nutritional value.
Fillers are used in the pet food industry to help bind ingredients together as well as reduce the cost of the meal. Because of the cold-pressed process there is no need to add fillers to help bind the ingredients together. Brands like Nextrition avoid using fillers as they don’t provide much nutritional value.
Traditional kibble absorbs water, bloats and then takes quite some time to break down from there. If you have ever seen a dog throw up an hour or so after mealtime you know what that looks like. Cold-pressed dog food breaks down from the outside in, breaking apart as soon as it absorbs some water into small pieces that can easily be digested and absorbed.
Cold-pressed dog food is often the best food option for dogs with sensitive stomachs. It's also a great option for picky eaters.
