The Powerful Pea

We believe in the power of plants and natural nutrition. Harvesting the best from plant-based ingredients combined with whole muscle proteins and healthy fats gives dogs the balanced nutrition they need to thrive. While we leverage vegetables like green beans and carrots and fruits like cranberries and mangos, we consider peas a superfood too good to ignore.

Peas are one of the only vegetables packed not just with vitamins and minerals – but also with some of the highest levels of antioxidants, gut healthy fiber, and protein found in nature. There’s a reason that vegans often look to peas as their superfood to replace meat. High levels of whole muscle proteins together with plant-based ingredients deliver an uncompromising blend of the exact amino acids dogs need.

While some dog breeds can benefit from amino acid supplementation to support or improve this health condition, research points to a genetic pre-disposition as the main cause of DCM. This is especially true for large breed dogs. Legumes like peas, chickpeas and beans have been included in food recipes for dogs for decades with no evidence of adverse side effects.

Peas are actually one of the most balanced plant-based proteins and do contain all essential amino acids at varying levels. However, our board-certified pet nutritionist always recommends supplementing the “limited” amino acids in every type of pet food – meat or plant-based.

What do we mean by “limited?”

That is a term nutritionists use to identify the essential nutrients at the lowest amounts. Every ingredient added to a recipe has a combination of nutrients – amino acids, minerals, vitamins, fats, etc. When building a food, nutritionists look at the blend of every single nutrient to identify the ones that are “limited.” Even if those amounts indicate on paper that they meet the requirements for AAFCO, the first-limited (lowest) and second-limited (second lowest) amino acids get a boost. We do the same thing for every essential nutrient. Our team of nutritionists and food scientists take zero chances with the health of your pet.

Here are the amino acids we supplement with and why: