Visionary Pet Keto Freeze Dried Dog Food

Visionary Pet’s Keto Freeze-Dried is considered a low risk food with a score of 9/10. There are 2 recipes that average 36% protein and a low 4% carbohydrate as calculated.

In keeping with a ketogenic diet for dogs with cancer, these recipes are formulated based on high protein and high fat content and low carbohydrates. The fat content averages 41% which is high for a freeze-dried food but is included as part of a keto diet, but still costs points for ingredient quality in keeping with our criteria. A high fat diet can cause unwanted shifts in gut bacteria populations and can add unwanted toxins, since toxins are stored in fat. Most fats, especially pork and poultry fats, are also high in omega-6 fatty acids, which can cause systemic, low-grade inflammation. 

The recipes contain an acceptably low level of  added vitamins and minerals. When whole food ingredients are used and food is lightly processed, nutrients are obtained from the ingredients, as we see here, rather than from synthetic supplements. 

These are freeze-dried foods with minimal processing, which is preferred and avoids loss of nutrients caused by heating foods.  

However, on the ingredient safety side, these recipes lose points due to using high pesticide/herbicide foods like spinach and sunflower seeds. Crops spray-dried with Roundup, leaves them with more glyphosate/herbicide residue than other crops, even genetically modified ones. Glyphosate is an antibiotic that can kill beneficial gut bacteria and has been linked to cancer and other diseases. It should be noted that the company does not use GMO ingredients. If they were to use organic crops, it would eliminate the high pesticide concern. 

The use of coconut oil doesn’t cost points but it’s a concern as it’s been shown to cause undesirable changes in the gut lining. 

It’s also worth noting that Visionary Pet does not state the omega-6:omega-3 ratio in their foods. While this is true of most manufacturers, AAFCO allows a very inflammatory limit of 30:1. Diets rich in omega-6 fats can cause chronic inflammation and disease.