Alimento completo liofilizzato per cani adulti – energia naturale e piena salute

Il nostro cibo liofilizzato completo per cani adulti è un pasto naturale e bilanciato, studiato per soddisfare le esigenze dell'organismo di un cane adulto. Realizzato esclusivamente con carne di altissima qualità, verdure ed erbe – senza cereali, additivi artificiali o conservanti – garantisce un'alimentazione ottimale senza appesantire inutilmente il sistema digestivo.

Dog food is a prepared food with a balanced recipe, meant to cover an animal's requirement for energy, protein, fat, vitamins and minerals. Foods differ in production method, water content and quality of raw materials, and those three factors decide what actually ends up in your dog's bowl. Choosing a food is one of those decisions that affect an animal's health and condition throughout its life.

In this category you will find the freeze-dried complete foods from Dr Malou for puppies and adult dogs. The core food contains over 90% human grade meat and offal, is made in the brand's own factory, and the recipes are composed in line with the guidelines of FEDIAF, the European Pet Food Industry Federation, so they supply a dog with all the essential nutrients without additional supplementation.

Choosing the right food starts with understanding how the available types differ. On the market you will find four basic categories:

• Dry food - kibble with a low water content, most often produced by extrusion at high temperature.
• Wet food - products in cans, pouches and jars, preserved by heat sterilisation.
• Freeze-dried food - raw material that is frozen and then dehydrated under vacuum, with no high-temperature processing.
• Grain-free food - recipes without wheat, maize and other cereals, available in both dry and wet form.

The split into dry and wet food concerns the form, not the quality. In each of these groups you will find products with very different recipes, so naming the type of food says nothing yet about its value.

Dry Dog Food: Advantages, Drawbacks and Composition

Dry food is the most commonly chosen type of food, mainly for convenience. It is easy to measure out, stays good for a long time and needs no chilling once opened.

It does, however, have three significant limitations:

• A low water content, usually around 8 to 14%, which means the dog has to make up the rest of its fluid from the bowl.
• A high production temperature, which degrades some vitamins; these are then replaced synthetically after extrusion.
• A tendency towards fillers, because kibble needs starch as a binder, and its share is often far higher than a dog's needs would suggest.

When choosing the best dry food, check whether a named meat source stands first in the recipe, how much grain it contains and whether the manufacturer states the origin of the raw materials. The repeated claim that dry food supports the mechanical cleaning of teeth is greatly overstated: standard kibble crumbles on first contact with the tooth instead of abrading it, and real prevention remains tooth brushing.

Wet Dog Food: When Does It Work Best?

Wet food contains 70 to 85% water, which supports hydration, and its high palatability tempts even fussy dogs to eat. It works well for fussy dogs, for animals with dental problems and wherever you want to increase fluid intake.

Its drawbacks are the short shelf life after opening and the need for refrigeration. Two myths are also worth correcting: wet food is not higher in calories than dry food but markedly lower per hundred grams of product, and it is not less processed, because sterilisation in the can takes place at a temperature above one hundred degrees Celsius.

Freeze-Dried Dog Food: How Is It Made and What Sets It Apart?

Freeze-drying means drying by freezing and removing the water under vacuum. At Dr Malou the process runs in three steps: selection of human grade raw materials, flash vacuum freezing and sublimation drying. The whole cycle takes a day.

The absence of long high-temperature processing preserves nutritional value along with the natural taste and aroma of the raw material. The food stays light and long-lasting, needs no fridge, and before serving it can be rehydrated with warm water, which additionally supports a dog's hydration.

Dry, Wet or Freeze-Dried Food? A Comparison for Your Dog

The Composition of Dog Food: What to Look for on the Label

The recipe is the most important source of information about a product, more important than the artwork on the pack and than marketing claims. Ingredients are listed from the largest share to the smallest, so the first three entries say the most about a food.

Meat Content and Protein Source in the Composition of Dog Food

Good dog food is built on animal protein, because that is what supplies the amino acids a dog's body cannot produce on its own. When assessing the meat content, pay attention to three things:

• A named protein source. The entry "duck breast" carries specific information, while "products of animal origin" carries none.
• The type of raw material. A single percentage figure can cover muscle meat, offal and by-products of differing nutritional value.
• The point of reference. The declaration "fresh meat" refers to the mass before dehydration, so a food with dried meat at the start of the recipe may in fact contain more of it.

For the same reason, a high meat content declared on a wet food is not compared directly with one on a product with the water removed. The thresholds repeated in guides, for instance at least 50, 60 or 70%, come from no legislation and are a market convention.

Healthy Fats, Omega Fatty Acids and Vitamins in Dog Food

Fats are a concentrated source of energy and a carrier of vitamins A, D, E and K. Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids support healthy skin, the condition of the coat and the normal working of the nervous system.

The best source of EPA and DHA is oily sea fish, including salmon. Linseed and linseed oil provide ALA, which a dog converts into the active forms with low efficiency, so they do not fully replace fish sources. A high quality food also contains the full set of B vitamins along with vitamins A, D3 and E, supplemented with trace elements.

Carbohydrates, Pulses and the Absence of Grain in Dog Food

A dog has no absolute requirement for carbohydrates, but in dry foods they serve a technological purpose. In grain-free recipes, cereals are replaced with sweet potato, pumpkin or the seeds of pulses, chiefly peas and lentils.

It is worth knowing that the absence of grain is not the same as a low carbohydrate content. A grain-free food can contain just as much if the grain has been replaced with starch from another source. That matters for overweight dogs and for animals with digestive problems, where what counts is the total share of starch rather than its origin.

Dr Malou foods contain no grain and no maize, and their carbohydrates come solely from functional ingredients with a defined role, such as pumpkin with added vegetables and fruit, or yam powder, which regulates the working of the digestive tract.

What to Avoid in the Recipe: Artificial Additives in Dog Food

A food built on natural ingredients stands on a short ingredient list. When choosing a food, check above all what it does not contain:

• Artificial colourings, which improve the look of the product only in human eyes.
• Artificial flavourings and flavour enhancers, which mask poor quality raw material.
• Synthetic preservatives such as butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) or ethoxyquin, replaced in better recipes with tocopherols.
• Unnecessary fillers, which add weight to the product without adding nutritional value.
• Sugar and caramel, added for colour and taste.

Complete Dog Food and Complementary Food

A complete food is balanced so that it covers a dog's entire daily requirement on its own. It can serve as the basis of the diet and needs no added vitamin and mineral preparations.

Complementary food, meaning treats, chews and some broths, is not nutritionally complete. It should act as an extra and account for roughly 10% of the daily calorie requirement. Feeding a dog on complementary food alone leads to deficiencies that show up after a few months.

All the core Dr Malou foods are complete. They can be combined with other complete foods, remembering to recalculate the portions, because the calorie content of products varies.

Grain-Free Dog Food and Rankings of Grain-Free Foods

Grain-free foods are often recommended for dogs with allergies and food intolerances, and a grain-free food is sometimes chosen for skin problems too. It is worth knowing, however, that an allergy to cereal protein is rarer in dogs than an allergy to animal protein, most often chicken or beef.

For that reason, where an allergy is suspected, limiting the number of protein sources is often more effective than eliminating grain. A ranking of grain-free foods helps to narrow the choice, but it will not replace an elimination diet run under veterinary supervision.

Dr Malou foods are grain free by design, and every recipe is based on one or two protein sources, which makes feeding sensitive dogs easier.

Premium Dog Food: What the Term Really Means

Premium food is not a legally defined category. A manufacturer may use the word regardless of the recipe, so the term alone guarantees nothing. The class of a product is decided by parameters you can check on the label:

• The share and origin of the animal raw material, and whether it is named by species.
• The class of the raw materials, for instance the human grade standard, meaning raw materials approved for human food.
• Certification of the production plant and veterinary supervision of the batches.
• The absence of artificial additives and a clear, short ingredient list.

Dr Malou production holds BRCGS and IFS Food certification and works to the HACCP system and the ISO 9001 standard, and every batch undergoes laboratory testing and official veterinary inspection before it is accepted into the warehouse.

Dog Food Rankings: How to Read Comparison Lists and Choose the Best Food

A ranking of the best foods is a convenient starting point, but it has limitations worth remembering. A ranking of dry foods compares products from one technological category, and the order reflects the criteria chosen by the author of the list: sometimes it is meat content, sometimes the price per kilogram, sometimes the range of flavours.

Lists of popular products feature the brands that are well known on a given market, yet no list will answer the question of which food will be best for a particular animal. The best dog food is always the one matched to that dog's individual needs: its age, activity level, state of health and food tolerance.

To choose the best food yourself, assess a product against four criteria:

• The recipe. Named meat in first place and no unnecessary fillers.
• The protein to fat ratio. Matched to the dog's activity level.
• Completeness. A declaration of complete food on the pack.
• The animal's response. Coat condition, stool quality and body weight after several weeks.

How Do You Match Dog Food to Age and Life Stage?

Nutritional needs change throughout an animal's life, so the food should suit the stage the dog has reached.

Puppy Food: The Right Calcium to Phosphorus Ratio

A growing puppy needs more energy and protein per kilogram of body weight than an adult dog. The key point is the right calcium to phosphorus ratio, on which skeletal development depends. Both a shortfall and an excess of calcium disturb mineralisation, and in puppies of large breeds the effects can be irreversible.

For puppies of small breeds, Dr Malou has prepared Duck with Goat's Milk and Egg Yolk. After rehydration it can be served in a soft form, which eases the move to solid food.

Food for Adult Dogs: Maintaining Condition and Body Weight

Adult dogs need a diet that keeps body weight stable and covers their requirement without the risk of excess weight. When choosing food for adult dogs, what matters most is the activity level: a working dog burns markedly more energy than a dog with a quiet lifestyle.

The range for adult dogs includes Duck with Pumpkin, Duck with Rabbit and Chicken with Pumpkin. Each recipe can be tried first in a small sample.

Food for Older Dogs: Calorie Content and Ingredients That Support the Joints

In older dogs the metabolism slows and activity falls, so a senior's diet should have a reduced calorie content while keeping the supply of easily digestible protein. Too low a protein share speeds up the loss of muscle mass, which is a common mistake in feeding older dogs.

In a senior's diet, ingredients that support the joints and omega-3 fatty acids both matter. Freeze-dried food has one more practical advantage here: once rehydrated it becomes soft, so it is easier to eat where there are dental problems.

Dog Food, State of Health and Special Needs

Some dogs need a diet matched not only to their age but also to their state of health. Where there are particular health needs, the choice of food depends on the diagnosis rather than on opinions found online.

Food for Sensitive Dogs and Dogs With Food Allergies

For food allergies and sensitive stomachs, single-protein recipes based on one animal protein source work well. A hypoallergenic recipe makes it easier to run an elimination diet, in which the dog receives a protein it has not encountered before for several weeks.

For dogs with a delicate digestive system, it also helps to limit the number of ingredients and to avoid abrupt changes of diet. Single-ingredient Dr Malou treats let you reward your dog without skewing the result of an elimination diet.

Veterinary Diets: When Nutrition Supports Treatment

Veterinary diets have a modified mineral and protein composition and are used for specific diagnoses. Kidney insufficiency, for example, calls for a diet with a reduced and highly digestible protein supply and a lowered phosphorus content.

Such products are not intended for preventive use in healthy animals, and their selection belongs to the vet treating the patient. Dr Malou does not offer veterinary diets, so where there is a chronic illness the diet is agreed with the practice.

Food for Active Dogs and High-Protein Dog Food

In active and working dogs the energy requirement rises, and with it the need for protein to support muscle regeneration. High-protein dog food works well in this group, and also for dogs in recovery.

A high protein share is not, however, a value in itself. In a dog with a quiet lifestyle, an excess of energy from any macronutrient ends in excess weight, so the calorie content of a portion is always calculated for the individual animal.

How Much Food Does a Dog Need per Day and How Often Should You Feed?

The daily portion depends on the dog's body weight, age, activity level and physiological state. The starting point is the feeding table on the pack, and the check is regular monitoring of body weight and feeling for the ribs.

Feeding frequency is matched to age:

• Puppies usually eat 3 to 4 times a day, because they cannot take the whole daily ration in two meals.
• Adult dogs are usually fed twice a day, at set times.
• Seniors often tolerate smaller, more frequent meals better.

Food is not left in the bowl all day. Free access to food makes portion control difficult, encourages excess weight and makes it impossible to catch the moment when a dog loses its appetite.

Changing Your Dog's Food: A Plan for 7 to 10 Days

A sudden change of food is one of the most common causes of diarrhoea and vomiting. The change should be gradual, so that the gut flora has time to adapt to the new recipe:

• Days 1 to 2: three quarters of the existing food and one quarter of the new one.
• Days 3 to 4: half and half.
• Days 5 to 6: one quarter of the existing food and three quarters of the new one.
• Day 7: the new food only.

For dogs with a sensitive digestive system it is worth extending the transition to 10 to 14 days. Throughout that time, watch your dog's response: stool consistency, appetite and general wellbeing.

If your dog refuses the new food, rehydrating it with warm water helps, as this releases the aroma. Refusal to eat lasting more than a day, or combined with lethargy, calls for contact with a vet.

How Do You Check Whether a Food Supports Your Dog's Health?

The best check on a diet is the dog itself, not the claims on the pack. Four to six weeks after a change, assess several parameters at once:

• Condition of coat and skin. The coat should be smooth and glossy, without excessive shedding or dandruff.
• Stool quality. Formed, of consistent texture and passed regularly.
• Body weight. Ribs palpable under the fingers, waist visible from above.
• Energy and appetite. A steady activity level and a willing approach to the bowl.

If any of these parameters is getting worse, the food may not suit the animal's needs, even if it has a good recipe and a high place in comparison lists. It is the dog itself that shows whether the diet supplies the best nutrients in a form it uses well.

Storing Dog Food: How to Keep It Fresh

Incorrect storage leads to fats turning rancid and vitamins being lost, so conditions matter for every type of food:

• Keep freeze-dried and dry food in its original packaging, in a dry and cool place away from direct sunlight.
• Close an opened pack tightly or transfer the contents into an airtight container, which preserves freshness and crispness.
• Keep wet food covered in the fridge once opened and use it within two days.
• Check the best-before date before opening each new pack.

Freeze-dried Dr Malou food needs no fridge, and its shelf life is counted in months from the production date.

What Does Good Dog Food Cost and What Determines the Price?

The price of a food is made up of the quality and origin of the raw materials, the production technology, the plant's certification and the meat content of the recipe. Products based on human grade raw materials and on methods that preserve nutrients will cost more than economy foods built on fillers.

When comparing costs, it is worth counting not the price of the pack but the cost of a daily portion. Foods with a high concentration of nutrients are served in smaller amounts, so the difference per day of feeding is often smaller than the price tag suggests. Current prices for all products are available in the shop at drmalou.com.

Where Can You Buy Dog Food in the Dr Malou Online Shop?

You can buy Dr Malou foods, soups and treats directly in the brand's online shop, where you will find a wide choice of products for dogs along with full recipes and feeding tables. The products come from the brand's own certified production and are dispatched straight from a warehouse under veterinary supervision.

For dog owners who are just starting out, samples of the complete foods are a convenient solution. They let you check whether your dog takes to a new recipe before you decide on a larger pack. The basis of your pet's health is an informed choice of recipe and regular observation of its condition. Dietary advice is provided by Lucyna Traczyk-Sala, MSc Eng, an animal husbandry specialist and veterinary technician who has completed a course in animal nutrition.

Dog Food: Frequently Asked Questions

Which dog food is the best?

There is no single food that is best for all dogs. Choosing the right food depends on the age, body weight, activity level, state of health and food tolerance of the individual animal. The starting point is a recipe with a named meat source and a declaration of complete food.

How does freeze-dried dog food differ from dry food?

Dry food is made by extrusion at high temperature, while freeze-dried food is made by freezing the raw material and removing the water under vacuum. The freeze-dried product retains more nutritional value along with the natural taste and aroma, and its meat content is markedly higher.

Is grain-free food always better?

No. Grain-free foods help dogs with a confirmed intolerance to cereal ingredients, but removing grain on its own does not make a food better. What matters is what it was replaced with and how high the total carbohydrate content of the recipe is.

Can dry food be mixed with wet food?

Yes, as long as both are complete. Both portions then need reducing so that the dog's daily calorie requirement is not exceeded. They can be served together or in separate meals.

Can dogs eat cat food?

They should not, especially not regularly. Cat food contains more protein and fat, which in a dog encourages excess weight and puts a strain on the pancreas. Stealing a few pieces of kibble once usually does no harm, but feeding a dog on cat food permanently leads to nutritional disorders.

What do reviews of dog food tell you?

Owners' reviews most often concern palatability, stool consistency and willingness to eat. They are useful as a signal, but they do not replace an analysis of the recipe, because the same product may suit one dog and not agree with another.

How many times a day should a dog be fed?

Adult dogs are usually fed twice a day, puppies three to four times, and seniors often do better with smaller, more frequent meals. Set feeding times make portion control easier and reveal a drop in appetite sooner.

Grazie alla liofilizzazione, ogni ingrediente conserva la pienezza dei valori nutrizionali: proteine, grassi sani, vitamine e minerali, che supportano le difese immunitarie, i muscoli, le articolazioni e la vitalità generale del cane. È un'alternativa comoda e sicura alla dieta cruda: senza rischi, senza compromessi, con massima digeribilità.

Ideale per cani attivi, ma anche per quelli che necessitano di una dieta leggera e nutriente ogni giorno.