What are prebiotics and probiotics and why are they included in your foods?

Dogs and cats require a diet rich in meat ─ our foods are perfectly designed to match their biological needs and feature high inclusions of meat, organs and bones. 

Our previous ZIWI Peak air-dried packages featured 98% meat, organs and New Zealand green mussels, and our wet food featured 92% meat, organs and New Zealand green mussels (93% for cats). While high meat inclusions are important, an optimal balance of nutrients is essential too.   

Although our foods have sufficient levels of both omega 6 and 3, to achieve optimal balance, we’ve added lecithin, a source of omega 6. As a result, the overall meat inclusions in our air-dried packages have been reduced to 96%, and our wet food is now 91% for dogs, and 92% for cats.

While your pet likely won’t notice the small change, our foods are designed to ensure peak conditioning; so you and your pet can continue to enjoy life’s adventures together!

ZIWI Peak foods are complete and balanced for all life stages and all breeds. We do not recommend adding supplements to your pet’s diet unless specifically recommended by your veterinarian.

We recommend feeding your pet twice daily. We suggest talking with your veterinarian to determine the best feeding schedule for your pet.

ZIWI Peak is a natural food, handcrafted in small batches, featuring high inclusions of meat and organs and excludes artificial fillers, dyes and preservatives. This, in combination other natural factors such as age and seasonality of the ingredients we use, often results in variability of shape, size, color, texture and odor. This variation is perfectly normal and is an indicator as to how natural the food really is!

Probiotics are beneficial bacteria that live in your pet's intestinal tract. They ferment specific food types into amino acids, vitamins, and fatty acids. Probiotics help aid digestion and prevent harmful bacteria from colonizing in the intestinal tract. Prebiotics, such as inulin, act as a food for the probiotics. 

The foundation of ZIWI Peak's air-dried and wet recipes are the same ─ both are rich in New Zealand sourced meat inclusions and low in carbohydrate. The main difference is moisture content. ZIWI Peak air-dried foods feature up to 14% moisture, while our wet foods feature up to 78% moisture. Whether you choose our air-dried or wet foods (or maybe both) either option is a complete and balanced food that your pet will surely love!

ZIWI Peak wet foods are made with New Zealand sourced raw meats and organs.  When canned, our foods are sealed and heated in order to preserve and stabilize the contents. They are heated at the minimum temperature and time required to meet the international regulations for human and pet canned foods.  

The New Zealand Green-Lipped Mussel (GLM) is exclusive to New Zealand and is a rich natural source of glucosamine, chondroitin, glycogens, omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids, which nutritionally support long-term joint health, as well as promoting a healthy skin and coat. All ZIWI Peak recipes contain at a minimum of 3% GLM, farmed using ecologically-sustainable practices.

We recommend you transition between flavours over a few days, however if your pet has a sensitive stomach we suggest you transition more slowly over a week. Please refer to our transition guide.

Transitioning guide for dogs
Transitioning guide for cats

There are differing opinions on the topic of rotating proteins. If you decide that it is the best option for your pet, we recommend a gradual transition between proteins, to minimize the potential for digestive upset. Please refer to our transition guide.

Transitioning guide for dogs
Transitioning guide for cats