Dog and Cat Food Toppers: Why Gently Cooked Food is the Paw-fect Choice

There are so many benefits to fresh, gently cooked pet food. While feeding 100% gently cooked pet food gives your pet the best results, your dog and cat can still get benefits from consuming our recipes as a healthy dog or cat food topper!

What is a cat or dog food meal topper?

A meal topper is a food that you can add in small amounts to your dog or cat’s normal diet. This means there are a variety of things that can be used as a topper such as bone broths, gravies, small portions of meat or fruits and veggies, kibbles, or even gently cooked fresh pet food!

Why feed my dog or cat a topper?

The most common reason pet parents will provide their pet with food toppers is to elevate their pet’s mealtime experience. Unsurprisingly, pet owners are starting to see value in providing their pets with variety rather than the same old bland kibble day in and day out.

Watch all the fun and creative ways you can feed Tom&Sawyer as a topper

Other reasons to provide toppers can be to:

1. Add protein to their pet’s meal, or other nutrients that can be supplemented in dog and cat food toppers
2. For health benefits of targeted toppers i.e. hip and joint support, digestive support, or calming effects, and to improve skin and coat health and reduce itchy paws
3. Increase palatability of their pet’s food and to encourage picky eaters

What makes a good dog or cat food topper?

"As a veterinarian, I always recommend enhancing your pet's diet with nutritious options. Adding a gently cooked meal topper, especially one made from high-quality proteins like kangaroo or venison, can significantly boost your pet’s protein intake and improve digestion. These toppers offer targeted health benefits, including better hydration, increased palatability, and digestive support, while being highly digestible. Even when added in small amounts, toppers like Tom&Sawyer’s gently-cooked meals can increase the quality of your pet’s diet and contribute to their overall health." - Dr. Joe Inglis, BVSc, MRCVS.

Dr. Inglis is a UK-based Veterinarian and expert in animal nutrition. He is also the founder of VetChef and collaborator on the Tom&Sawyer VetChef line of recipes found at www.vetchef.pet

Because of its loose definition, many things can be used or sold as a topper. However, not all toppers are created equal.

Here are the top 5 reasons to use Tom&Sawyer’s gently cooked pet food as a healthy topper for your dog or cat:

1. Increased Moisture

Moisture is often the forgotten nutrient, but it’s probably one of the most important nutrients for us and our pets! Because of the high moisture content in fresh, gently cooked pet food (typically >70% moisture), your pet gets some much needed hydration. Hydration is key to a healthy pet, improving digestion, energy levels, skin and coat health, and more!

2. Picky Eaters and Improved Palatability

Gently cooked pet food is a highly palatable option for your pets, which makes their meal time fun and exciting! Tom&Sawyer meals are irresistible for pets because of our high-quality ingredients. Our first ingredient is always protein, which is a fan-favourite! It can also help encourage those picky eaters to dig in! Even better? We have a variety of highly palatable cat and dog food recipes to provide your pets with variety in their diet!

3. Protein

One of the main reasons pet owners choose to add a meal topper is to increase the protein content of their pet’s diet. Protein can be quite beneficial for a variety of things such as muscle maintenance, satiety, weight loss, immune function, and skin and coat health. Our meals are protein-first and we choose the best quality ingredients every time!

4. Fibre

Another benefit to Tom&Sawyer meals compared to your run-of-the-mill topper is our high fibre content. Both soluble and insoluble fibres are beneficial for digestion and gut health and is crucial for healthy poops! Read more on fibre here: Dietary Fibre for your Pets

5. Digestibility

Research has shown that fresh, gently cooked pet foods are often more digestible than kibbles! This means that your pet is able to better digest and absorb the nutrients in their food rather than have them exit the body via their poop. This is something that not many other toppers can boast, and part of what makes Tom&Sawyer a unique meal topper choice for your pet.

And what puts us over the edge compared to other meal toppers? Our meals are complete and balanced, which means you can feed your pet our meals as a topper or as a full meal for happier, healthier, longer lives!

Written by: Hannah Godfrey
Animal Nutritionist
BSc.H. | MSc. | Ph.D.
www.tomandsawyer.com