Pet Food Reviews

10/06/2026

Hi everyone,

From replying to someone about this very topic, over the years I've seen chicken, beef and the like commonly labelled as problematic ingredients for our carnivorous pets in terms of "allergies" and "intolerances".

Far less often — in fact, almost never — have I seen the true underlying causes and facts considered.

So I'm adding this here, as the underlying causes really matter, and would help so many pet parents across the world really understand what's going on with their cats and dogs!

This is what happens:

A cat or dog starts developing a variety of symptoms — itchy skin, ear infections, licking their paws excessively, or digestive issues and sloppy poos/diarrhoea.

These symptoms are so common, aren't they?

Either from advice given by their vet, or self-diagnosed based on reams of information on the internet or social media, they conclude chicken, beef, or lamb is the cause. Most of the time, switching to a different kibble, such as fish, kangaroo, or some other "novel" protein, leads to a quick improvement (which solidifies the belief that the chicken etc. was the cause — and everyone loves to be right!).

But is the chicken or other protein the real cause?

I would strongly argue the point is being missed, as are other very important factors which affect the health of our cats and dogs.

Here are two important points which should always be considered, but very rarely are:

1) Dietary intolerances develop over time This isn't a radical statement.

It's a very well-known, widely researched fact.

If we ourselves eat a very limited diet for every meal, from childhood through to adulthood, it's very common to develop an intolerance to something in that diet, such as chicken or beef.

With that in mind, how does that translate to how we feed our dogs and cats?

Most of our carnivorous pets across the world are weaned on chicken (or to a lesser extent beef) kibble, and that's what they're fed for every single meal.

It therefore comes as no surprise they begin to develop the symptoms mentioned earlier, and the solution is seen to be switching to another kibble which is likely more expensive, grain free, limited ingredient, hypoallergenic, or novel protein.

Problem solved... until you realise your dog or cat now has dietary intolerances, and you're still feeding them a limited diet for every single meal.

2) Most kibble doesn't have as much chicken (or beef) as you think If you consider that a kibble — even one with meat as the first ingredient — may have a mere 20% meat (and sometimes less!), why aren't we or our veterinarians considering all the other significant ingredients that kibble is made from?

It's a bit of an oversight, don't you think?

Then, when you consider most dry pet foods across the world are made significantly from cereal grains, and some with added colouring agents, additives, or preservatives true to form in their nature as a processed food product, why aren't we considering those?

I see wheat and cereal grains or cereal by-products as very problematic for our pets, so why aren't these considered before concluding our pet has a "chicken allergy"?

Cats are carnivores, largely fed grain-based kibbles.

Dogs are very similar biologically to cats — much more similar than they are to us as omnivores — yet they too are largely fed grain-based kibbles.

If you watered your plants with 1 part plant food to 4 parts vodka, and your plants died, would you blame the plant food?

Does all that make sense?

10/06/2026

There's a massive EOFY sale on at Pet Circle if anyone needs to stock up! Up to 50% off.

Australia's best pet food & supplies online shop. We deliver all premium pet food brands, medications, toys, accessories and treats to help you Pet Better

09/06/2026

Why do dogs and cats suddenly stop eating their regular food?

I spoke to someone yesterday with two cats, and both suddenly stopped eating their regular Royal Canin dry food.

In this case, given two cats were involved, it's likely the food had spoiled, been affected by the elements, or happened to be a bad batch. Or perhaps a recipe change? I can only speculate.

This can happen for a few reasons.

If gut ache was involved, then a cat or dog will quickly associate the pain with the food they ate (whether the food was the cause or not). Once that association is made, they may refuse that food forever.

Dental pain is another reason, and one we often miss as pet parents. This tends to show up more obviously with dry kibble because crunching becomes uncomfortable. A pet may approach the bowl, seem interested, then walk away.

Loss of smell can also play a role, particularly in older pets. Since smell is a huge part of how dogs and cats evaluate food, anything that affects their sense of smell can affect appetite.

Then there's the food itself. Ingredients can oxidise, fats can go rancid, storage conditions can vary, and recipes do occasionally change. Sometimes our pets notice things we don't.

Whatever the situation, it may be worth switching away from that brand or batch of food and seeing whether appetite returns. If your pet suddenly stops eating altogether, particularly if they're usually enthusiastic about food, it's always worth investigating further with your veterinarian.

Have you ever had a dog or cat suddenly refuse a food they had happily eaten for months or years?

What was the food, and did you ever find out why?

07/06/2026

These really old photos cropped up in my Facebook memories of my cat Berno (or Bernard if you’re English).

He’s still performs stunts like this, even though he turned 16 a few weeks ago 🥳

How does your cat (or dog) sleep…!?

25/05/2026

Poo!

The new advert for Lyka dog food 💩😝

What do you think?

A great dog poo is worth singing about, don't you agree? 💩🎭

24/05/2026

Just a heads up to Frontier Pets lovers (and of course healthy dog lovers!)

Frontier Pets have a limited edition goat recipe in short supply, so get in quick!

If you don’t know why I recommend Frontier Pets so highly, read the review - https://www.petfoodreviews.com.au/frontier-pets-dog-food-review/

(And if you’re new to Frontier Pets, there’s a cheeky money off coupon in the review!)

14/05/2026

“Meat first” is one of the biggest marketing hooks in pet food — and it works because most people assume the first ingredient must make up the majority of the food, when it doesn’t!

That’s not how ingredient lists work.

In Australia, ingredients are listed in descending order by weight before processing. Fresh meat contains a lot of water, while ingredients like rice, peas, lentils, potato, oats and other starches are much drier. Once kibble is cooked and that moisture is removed, the dry ingredients can contribute far more to the final product than people realise.

A food with chicken listed first and rice listed second doesn’t automatically mean it’s mostly chicken. After processing, that rice may make up a significant portion of the finished kibble.

Then there’s ingredient splitting — an age old trick. Instead of listing a large amount of one ingredient like rice, a label might break it into multiple parts such as rice, brown rice, rice bran, and rice flour. Each appears lower on the list individually, but combined they may outweigh the meat ingredient.

The same thing happens with peas, lentils, potatoes and other plant ingredients.

This doesn’t automatically make a food bad, but it does mean “meat first” is often used to create a perception that isn’t always reflected in what ends up in your dog’s bowl.

Look at the full ingredient list, consider how many starch ingredients are included, and don’t assume the first ingredient tells the whole story. That’s exactly what pet food marketing wants you to do.

21/04/2026

Funny and… sadly true for many kibbles sold worldwide.

If a kibble says “Chicken Flavour”, or “With Chicken”, it doesn’t necessarily mean there’s much chicken at all (or other meat or fish).

Why?

Because meat and fish is a much more expensive inclusion than alternative ingredients like those shown in the picture.

So, instead of using optimal protein for your dog or cat, bargain basement alternatives are used - corn, CGM, wheat gluten, rice, peas, soybean meal, and so forth.

These are often combined with the “meat first” trick, where some kind of meat is listed first on the ingredients, then a set of ingredients like those pictured. You read it as “meat” and “other stuff”, but the reality is all that “other stuff” makes the meat a fraction of the formula.

This tricks you into believing your pet food is meaty, when most protein comes from plants/grains (not to mention a load of unnecessary carbs).

The result - cheap to manufacture pet food, which you’re willing to pay a premium for because you’ve been duped into believing it’s appropriate for your meat-loving pet.

14/04/2026

A must read for cat owners 🐈

Yes, cats should drink water. Obviously. That is not the issue.

The issue is that cats are designed to get most of their moisture from their food. Not from standing over a bowl trying to make up the difference from eating dry little nuggets all day. A cat drinking water does not magically turn a dry diet into a moisture rich one.

This is one of those things that has become so normal in pet feeding that people stop questioning it. A cat on dry food drinking often is seen as completely reassuring, when really it can just mean the cat is doing its best to compensate. Some do better than others, some seem “fine” for years, and some are quietly running low grade dehydration as their normal.

And before anyone starts, no I am not saying cats should never drink water. I am saying food moisture matters far more than most people have been led to believe. Cats are obligate carnivores. Their natural diet is moisture rich. Their bodies were not built around living off dry food and hoping the water bowl fills in the blanks later.

So when someone tells me their cat drinks heaps of water, I do not hear “great, problem solved.” I hear a cat trying to get moisture wherever it can.

This is one of the biggest reasons I care so much about wet food, balanced raw, and properly rehydrated freeze dried meals. Moisture is not some optional bonus. It is a massive part of what makes a diet actually appropriate for a cat in the first place.

If your cat is eating dry food, this is not about guilt. It is about understanding what is actually normal for the species and making better choices where you can.

Because “he drinks plenty of water” is not the reassuring sentence people think it is.

My cats are fully raw fed and barely use the water bowl. That is not because they are dehydrated. It is because they are getting most of their moisture where they are supposed to from their food.

Have you noticed the same thing with your own cats? Yes or No?

12/04/2026

New study shows alarming results 🐾 😝