This Because Animals review covers their current range of plant-based cat and dog probiotic powders and their plant-based dog treats (‘Noochies!’).
You may have already heard of Because Animals as they’re getting known for being the world’s first cultured meat pet food company – developing sustainable, cruelty-free, lab-grown pet food for cats and dogs.
So, I’ve also included some background on their cultured meat pet food, including what it is, how it’s made, and what makes it such an exciting innovation.
I’ll be updating this review when the cultured meat pet food is ready for the market and once I can get my paws on some to try out.
Because Animals Review: Dog Probiotic Powder
What do dog probiotics do?
Probiotics are, basically, ‘friendly bacteria’ that live in the guts of dogs (and other animals, including humans), and help in areas such as aiding digestion, fighting infections, absorbing vitamins and minerals, and supporting immune systems.
Probiotics are found in a range of cat and dog-friendly foods, however, for various reasons you may want or feel the need to give your dog an added probiotic supplement in or in addition to their dog food.
It’s always worth speaking to your pet’s vet to make sure that they’re getting the right kinds of food in their regular diet, and whether they would recommend you consider probiotics.
Because Animals dog probiotic powder
I’ve been having a small teaspoon of this dog probiotic powder sprinkled on my evening meal for the last couple of months.
While I didn’t previously have any significant digestion issues, my parents liked the idea of a supplement that can support my immune system and ensure I have everything I need to try and stay healthy, especially after all those intensive frisbee sessions and time spent out running on trails.
Some of my friends take probiotics to help with digestive issues, including gas and farting, and to help improve their general health and energy levels.
We are also hoping that by taking these probiotics, I am less likely to pick up giardia from my adventures.
Unfortunately, I’ve had that a few times and we heard that certain probiotic bacteria may make it less likely for me to get infected in the first place (although I haven’t seen any scientific evidence to back that up for these specific probiotics).
I like that the Because Animals probiotics are in a powder form rather than tablet or liquid. They just sprinkle it on my dinner (defrosted raw dog food patties), mix it in a little, and it’s ready for me to eat!
I have no issue eating my dinner with the powder on top, or mixed in, I actually find it rather tasty.
In fact, scrap that, I’d even lick it straight off my mom’s sweaty palms, and dad took a photo to prove it – see below.
At 50lb, the recommended daily amount of powder for me is 1 teaspoon. Even with having a small teaspoon every day, the first packet of powder lasted a long time!
Meanwhile, my cat brothers are jealous because they heard there’s also a version of these omega and probiotic sprinkles for cats, but haven’t had a chance to try it for themselves just yet. Watch this space!
Probiotic powder ingredients
The Because Animals probiotic powder is made from plant-based ingredients, including seaweed, pumpkin powder, blueberries, wheatgrass, and turmeric.
As my parents would say, it contains no ‘weird shit’ that we’ve never heard of, it’s all clean and natural plant-based ingredients. You could call it a superfood supplement even. Yum!
The full ingredients list is clearly labeled on the packaging and you can see it on the product page of their website, too, which also explains that the product is made in the USA and uses recycled materials for the packaging.
Because Animals Noochies Pet Treats Review
Because Animals offers a couple of types of dog treats, that they call Noochies! The flavors I’ve tried are the Peanut Butter, and the Pumpkin and Maple flavor, and the ingredients are organic and plant-based.
These dog cookies are not junk food, they’re actually designed to support your immune system with ingredients such as nutritional yeast, which is a complete, sustainable plant-based protein (for dogs and humans alike).
It’s nice to be able to have organic dog treats you can feel good about.
The catch, however, is that the recommended daily amount of cookies you can have is limited. This is great in one way because the packet lasts longer than it would otherwise! But not so great that I’m only allowed four cookies a day.
It does make them an extra-special treat, though, that I look forward to as my evening post-dinner snack.
An introduction to Because Animals Cultured Meat
Because Animals (actually written: ‘Because, Animals’) has a mission to make the healthiest and most sustainable food for dogs and cats on the planet!
This leads me to explain a little about their ‘cultured meat pet food’. They’re the first company in the world to be developing cultured meat for pet food, rather than human consumption.
So by creating meat, rather than raising animals to produce meat (with the associated cruelty and environmental impact that has), they’re working towards a sustainable way of producing clean meat pet food.
What is cultured meat? Well, I’ve learned that it is indeed real meat. It’s not fake meat or some kind of soy-based protein source. It’s created by growing animal cells in a bioreactor rather than growing animals themselves.
Hence, it’s also referred to as being ‘lab-grown meat pet food’. There’s more about the science and the whole process of growing cultured meat on this page of their website.
Mind blown? Yep, mine too. I’m excited to see how this research and development evolves to get to the product stage, and I’m lining up to taste some for myself.
Cost and where to buy
A packet of the dog or cat omega and probiotic powder costs $24, and a pack of Noochies dog cookies costs $12.
Depending on how large a beast you are (how much you weigh is the main guideline), the powder should last 2-4 months per packet, and the treats 3-6 weeks.
You can buy the pet probiotic powders and Noochies immune-boosting treats on Amazon via te link below.