The benefits of using high quality meat meals in our kibble formulas

Why does FirstMate use meat meals as the main ingredient in their dry kibble formulas? Meat meals provide a highly concentrated source of animal protein and are a great choice to keep your pets healthy and happy. Fresh meat is mostly water, with only about 20% protein—once this water is removed to produce a meat meal, you are left with a product that has up to 70% protein. By using high inclusions of high protein meat meals, FirstMate and Kasiks pet foods have high concentrations of the animal proteins required by cats and dogs

FirstMate ambassador @bucktheadventuredog requires a lot of nutrients to pull a loaded sled 20km a day. He is pictured enjoying our High Performance formula.

The meat meals we use are not processed using high temperature flame drying. Instead, FirstMate and Kasiks meat meals are produced using a much gentler steam drying process. Using lower processing temperatures helps to ensure that the quality of the protein remains intact and continues to be an easily digestible source of nutrition.

Fresh raw meats are high in moisture and provide an excellent environment for growth of bacteria. This makes fresh meat highly perishable, and susceptible to contamination with disease-causing bacteria, such as salmonella, that could be harmful to pets and pet parents. Meat meals offer a protein source that is much more stable and safer to handle and store, ensuring the best quality kibble for your pet.

Small or large, all dogs require high quality protein in their diet. FirstMate ambassador @kashdoggie enjoys the Australian Lamb Meal Formula Small Bites.

In addition to excellent sources of protein, meat meals provide a natural source of highly available phosphorus and calcium for healthy bones and teeth. Phosphorus in particular is a limited and non-renewable resource worldwide that is required for agriculture. Feeding pets sources of food that do not require the addition of phosphorus helps to conserve this mineral and releases it back into the environment. This is just one of the examples of how meat meals are a sustainable protein option.

FirstMate takes the time to source out high quality and sustainable sources of animal meat meals, ensuring your pets receive the complete and balanced nutrition they deserve.

Want to learn more about FirstMate’s commitment to your pet’s nutrition? Check out the Nutrition section of our blog!