Vital Essentials Duck Dinner Patties Grain-Free Limited Ingredient Freeze-Dried Cat Food
Company info
Company HQ
Green Bay, Wisconsin
Parent company
Carnivore Meat CompanyProduct info
Primary proteins
- Finely Ground Duck With Bone
- Duck Heart
- Duck Liver
- Duckgizzard
Ingredients
Compare Prices To Find The Lowest Price
Estimated Nutrient Content
To understand the nutrient content of pet food, we visualize its macronutrient composition in three ways. In the charts below, you’ll see a guaranteed analysis on an as-fed basis, a dry matter analysis, and a breakdown of the food’s macronutrients on a calorie-weighted basis.
Remember that all of these values are estimates based on the guaranteed analysis published by the company, and the food’s actual nutrient values may be slightly different.
Guaranteed Analysis
Protein: 45%
Fat: 20%
Fiber: 3%
Moisture: 8%
Ash: 0%
Carb: 24%
Dry Matter Analysis
Protein: 48.91%
Fat: 21.74%
Fiber: 3.26%
Ash: 8%
Carb: 26.09%
Calorie Weighted Basis
Protein: 38.27%
Fat: 41.31%
Carb: 20.41%
Our Review
- Freeze-dried food retains the nutritional value of raw meat
- Doesn’t contain fillers, by-products, or artificial additives
- Rich in species-appropriate animal protein
- Expensive
- High in carbohydrates
- Low in moisture
- Contains a small amount of plant-based proteins
- Freeze dried cat food requires rehydration, which is time-consuming
- The brand has had multiple recalls over recent years
- Some cats may be allergic to fish
Recall History
The following list (if present) shows all cat food recalls related to Vital Essentials since 2011. If no recalls are listed, no recall events have been reported.
| Date: | 07/08/2015 |
|---|---|
| Company Name: | Carnivore Meat Company, LLC |
| Product Description: | Pet Foods |
| Recall Reason: | Listeria monocytogenes |
| Date: | 01/15/2016 |
|---|---|
| Company Name: | Carnivore Meat Company, LLC |
| Product Description: | Frozen Chicken Patties Entree for Dogs |
| Recall Reason: | Potential for salmonella |
| Date: | 02/23/2018 |
|---|---|
| Company Name: | Carnivore Meat Company, LLC |
| Product Description: | Freeze-dried beef nibblets for dogs |
| Recall Reason: | Potential to be contaminated with Salmonella |
| Date: | 04/15/2018 |
|---|---|
| Company Name: | Carnivore Meat Company, LLC |
| Product Description: | Dog/pet food Freeze-Dried Beef Toppers and Frozen Beef Chub |
| Recall Reason: | Salmonella |
Ingredient Review
Our review of Vital Essentials Duck Dinner Patties Grain-Free Limited Ingredient Freeze-Dried Cat Food begins with a detailed look at the food’s ingredients.
The first ingredient is Finely Ground Duck With Bone. Finely ground duck with bone is milled chicken meat with the bones ground in. This isn’t something we humans would find appealing but in pet food, finely ground duck with bone can be a valuable source of protein, amino acids, vitamins, and minerals to support your furry friend’s overall well-being. Duck can be a source of novel protein for pets with allergies.
The second ingredient is Duck Heart. Duck heart is meat from the muscles that form a duck’s heart. In pet food, duck heart can be a good source of protein, iron, and other important nutrients. It is sometimes used as a novel protein, and is often an ingredient in diets formulated specifically for pets with allergies.
The third ingredient is Duck Liver. Duck liver is one of a few organ meats that come from a duck. In pet food, duck liver serves as a source of protein, iron, and amino acids. It can be a source of novel protein in recipes formulated for pets with allergies.
The fourth ingredient is Duckgizzard. Duckgizzard is an internal organ from any breed of duck. While this might not sound appealing to most of us, it is rich in a number of essential nutrients including iron and zinc. Added to pet food, duckgizzard is also a source of protein and amino acids.
The fifth ingredient is Duck Egg. Dried poultry by-products digest in pet food isn’t material from a meat bird’s digestive tract. Instead, it is poultry-based protein that has been broken down into a protein source that can enhance the flavor of your pet’s food.
When we analyzed the ingredients in Vital Essentials Duck Dinner Patties Grain-Free Limited Ingredient Freeze-Dried Cat Food, we found that most of the protein is derived from meat based sources.
Price Analysis
Price per oz
Product Price
$2.69
Market Price avg.
$2.99
% From the Avg
-10%
Price per 100 kcal
Product Price
$2.56
Market Price avg.
$2.29
% From the Avg
+12%
Price per day
Product Price
$1.53
Market Price avg.
$1.38
% From the Avg
+11%
Vital Essentials Duck Dinner Patties Grain-Free Limited Ingredient Freeze-Dried Cat Food is priced above the average market price for freeze-dried cat food.
Nutritional Analysis
Adult cat foods can have a lot of variability in calorie density but generally meet requirements for the average active cat. With formulations addressing a wide variety of needs, including weight loss or gain, indoor or outdoor living, or hairball problems, individual recipes may vary greatly in calorie, fiber, and nutritional content.
With that in mind, we’ve compared Vital Essentials Duck Dinner Patties Grain-Free Limited Ingredient Freeze-Dried Cat Food to the other 58 freeze-dried cat food recipes in our database:
DM Protein
Product info
48.91%
All Products avg.
48.5%
% From the Avg
+1%
DM Fat
Product info
21.74%
All Products avg.
26.84%
% From the Avg
-19%
DM Fiber
Product info
3.26%
All Products avg.
4.67%
% From the Avg
-30%
DM Carb
Product info
26.09%
All Products avg.
19.42%
% From the Avg
+34%
Analysis Overview
Overall, this is a meat based food that’s moderate in protein with low fat and high carbohydrate content relative to other freeze-dried cat foods.
Disclaimer and Disclosure
At Pet Food Sherpa, our primary goal is to provide pet owners like you with accurate, relevant, and unbiased information about pet nutrition. As such, we do not accept gifts or incentives as motivation to include certain products in our reviews.
We do, however, participate in affiliate marketing programs and we partner with select brands to fund our site. We choose the products we review carefully and review them thoroughly before publishing a review or accepting any form of payment.
Proceeds from this program and our partners enable us to continue providing high-quality content to our readers. Read more about how we’re funded here.
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