We know a lot of people turn to raw because their pets struggled with allergies & sensitivities while on other foods or they’re looking to run elimination diets and figure out what foods to avoid. That’s why it’s so important for us to make sure our recipes are single protein and here’s what we do make our food as allergy friendly as possible!
🧑🍳 We only process 1 protein a day
🥩 We have our Pure recipes for pets that not only need to avoid specific proteins, but also specific ingredients
🧪 We use these allergen swabs to double-check our cleaning!
Did you get a better score than anyone on the team?
Being fully remote, we’re so grateful our team got to meet up in person for an amazing weekend together. This is the group that truly makes Viva what it is and we would not be here without their passion to better the lives of all pets :) If you recognize anyone you’ve talked to when you reached out to us, give them a shout out 😁
Good sourcing does make a difference (especially for raw products) but it can’t be the only thing you rely on. Don’t get me wrong, quality sourcing is super important and part of our program involves testing for indicator microorganisms in our raw materials so we can monitor how our suppliers are doing in their practices. For companies making raw food, quality sourcing makes a difference because every food safety technology has an upper limit for the amount of microbial load it can handle. So if your ingredients are cleaner coming in, you can have a greater confidence that your interventions will be effective and you’re able to use less invasive techniques!
The fact that pathogens are normally found in raw meat is also why you’ll never see a recall on raw meat at the grocery store for pathogens (E.coli O157 is the exception). If you feed store bought meats to your pets, this is definitely an important difference to be aware of for human food vs. pet food.
USDA Salmonella Performance Standards in Poultry: https://www.fsis.usda.gov/policy/fsis-directives/10250.2
I can’t believe it’s already November and our last special of the year is finally here 🦌~
We’ve had grass fed & finished venison in the past but this is our very first time offering it as a 100% single protein recipe.
Let me tell you, I was in awe when we got all of the ingredients in for this recipe 🤩 This warming protein is amazing for the cooler weather and makes for a perfect treat for the upcoming holidays (we better be seeing this in your Thanksgiving & Christmas bowls!)
We can’t wait for you guys to try it out - and of course, we’ve got a very exciting new mystery gift in store for you guys ;) What more reason do you guys need?
It’s not a trick, a special treat is coming your way 👻
Mark your calendars, coming 11/4 🎃
Compared to their full grown counterparts, sprouts are a lot more nutrient dense since the process of germinating breaks down phytates (typically an anti-nutrient) found in plants. Pea, mung bean, alfalfa, broccoli, and radish can be fed to both cats & dogs. These are also a good thing to be adding to your own bowls too 😉
What you’ll need:
🫙 A Jar
🌱 Sprouting Seeds (broccoli & radishes are great!)
🍎 Apple cider vinegar
🫧 Dish soap
🧀 Cheese cloth or strainer lid
1. Add 3-5 tbsp seeds into a jar. Fit mouth of jar with a cheesecloth or strainer lid
2. Rinse with apple cider vinegar + 1 drop dish soap to clean
3. Rinse & fill with water then soak for 8 hrs. Drain afterwards
4. Rinse seeds 2x/day for 3-5 days (or until desired sprouted-ness) and place near window
5. Skim off the seed hulls
6. Mixing into food or refrigerate for later
This experiment is a different setup from the validation studies we’ve done but we wanted to show you guys these pathogen eliminating probiotics “in action”
So how does this work? These probiotics are not the same strains you’d find in fermented foods or even store bought supplements. The strains we use have been researched & specially selected by microbiologists for their ability to eliminate specific pathogens by producing antimicrobial compounds and outcompeting the target bacteria!
Most people tend to think of one thing when talking about probiotics but the reality is that probiotics encompass a broad group of good bacteria that can have very different properties . The common strains found in products yogurt, fermented foods & gut health supplements won’t make much of a difference against specific pathogens but there are specific strains that are great at this “job”. And unlike gut health supplements that need to be in the GI to be active, these probiotics work in the food itself!
So why isn’t everyone doing this? Food safety technologies are not one-size fits all and depending on your sourcing & production process, there are definitely cases in which this technology isn’t a good fit! That’s why it’s so important for to do their own testing on different techniques.
Learned my lesson not be late to my 5-9. 😅
Are there places where you’ve found ways to save on the cat tax or certain things where you’ll gladly pay extra?
It all makes perfect sense to us 🤷
What else have you guys tried for pills? The raspberry + nut butter combo works amazingly well for us and I’m a huge fan of just how easy it is.
Hey guys! I’m Jabren and I’ll be working with Jenn on Viva’s social media channels. I wanted to introduce myself and share Koji’s story of just how much of a journey it has been to find a food he enjoys.
My wife got Koji as a puppy and he’s been the BEST boy since day one, but he’s always been such a picky eater. We’d try so many different foods to see if he would like any. One day we found one he liked, the next he’d change his mind and barely eat. With his sensitive stomach, we tried everything from broths, toppers and anything you can think of – but nothing stuck. If I’m honest, I was skeptical about raw food, but for Koji it was love at first sniff. He’s been cleaning his bowl at every meal, except when it comes to beef flavored. He is still sus over that flavor. All that said, I am excited to be joining the team and getting to know you guys! I’ll see you soon 😄🐶
