Vital Essentials Beef Entree Nibblets Grain-Free Freeze-Dried Dog Food
Company info
Company HQ
Green Bay, Wisconsin
Parent company
Carnivore Meat CompanyProduct info
Primary proteins
- Beef
- Beef Lung
- Beef Liver
- Beef Heart
Ingredients
Breed sizes
Toy
Small
Medium
Large
Giant
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: 52%
Fat: 17%
Fiber: 1.9%
Moisture: 7.5%
Ash: 0%
Carb: 21.6%
Dry Matter Analysis
Protein: 56.22%
Fat: 18.38%
Fiber: 2.05%
Ash: 8%
Carb: 23.35%
Calorie Weighted Basis
Protein: 45.26%
Fat: 35.94%
Carb: 18.8%
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
- Affordable
- High in carbohydrates
- Low in moisture
- Contains a small amount of plant-based proteins
- Freeze dried dog food requires rehydration, which is time-consuming
- The brand has had multiple recalls over recent years
Recall History
The following list (if present) shows all dog 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 Beef Entree Nibblets Grain-Free Freeze-Dried Dog Food begins with a detailed look at the food’s ingredients.
The first ingredient is Beef. Beef is meat from any cattle breed. In pet food, beef can be fresh, freeze-dried, dehydrated, ground, or finely processed into beef meal.
The second ingredient is Beef Tripe. Beef tripe is lining from a cow’s stomach. In pet food, beef tripe can serve as a source of protein, vitamins, and minerals including vitamin B12, zinc, selenium, phosphorus, calcium, and magnesium.
The third ingredient is Beef Lung. Beef lung is lung tissue from cattle of any breed. In pet food, beef lung can be a good source of protein, iron, vitamin C, and other nutrients.
The fourth ingredient is Ground Beef Bone. Ground beef bone is dried, ground bones from cattle. In pet food, ground beef bone can be a source of calcium and phosphorus, two essential nutrients to keep your pet’s joints, bones, and teeth healthy.
The fifth ingredient is Beef Liver. Beef liver is organ meat from any cattle breed. The beef liver in pet food is a source of protein, iron, and many other essential nutrients.
When we analyzed the ingredients in Vital Essentials Beef Entree Nibblets Grain-Free Freeze-Dried Dog Food, we found that most of the protein is derived from meat based sources.
Price Analysis
Price per lb
Product Price
$30.99
Market Price avg.
$22.93
% From the Avg
+35%
Price per 100 kcal
Product Price
$1.05
Market Price avg.
$1.80
% From the Avg
-42%
Price per day
Product Price
$0.63
Market Price avg.
$1.08
% From the Avg
-42%
Vital Essentials Beef Entree Nibblets Grain-Free Freeze-Dried Dog Food is priced well below the average market price for freeze-dried dog food.
Nutritional Analysis
Your adult dog needs a balance of macro and micronutrients to thrive. A food formulated for adult maintenance or all life stages is made to meet these needs. While there can be a lot of variation in actual calorie density, adult dog foods are generally intended to provide for basic calorie needs of the average active dog. In addition to satisfying their energy needs, these foods provide the protein, fat, carbohydrates, fiber, and other nutrients your adult dog needs to survive. Again, not all adult foods are the same, so you may have to search around for the right fit for your dog.
With that in mind, we’ve compared Vital Essentials Beef Entree Nibblets Grain-Free Freeze-Dried Dog Food to the other 156 freeze-dried dog food recipes in our database:
DM Protein
Product info
56.22%
All Products avg.
45.03%
% From the Avg
+25%
DM Fat
Product info
18.38%
All Products avg.
27.3%
% From the Avg
-33%
DM Fiber
Product info
2.05%
All Products avg.
4.24%
% From the Avg
-52%
DM Carb
Product info
23.35%
All Products avg.
23.05%
% From the Avg
+1%
Analysis Overview
Overall, this is a meat based food that’s high in protein with low fat and moderate carbohydrate content relative to other freeze-dried dog 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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