Blog Archives

June 20, 2024

Cats need to eat a high-moisture diet

Today’s house cat is a descendant of a small desert wild cat. With little available water and a “dipstick” tongue ill-adapted to efficient drinking, they primarily obtained moisture from their juicy prey and went long periods without drinking.

Our modern-day feline companions still have a low thirst drive. Until recently, they spent most of their time outdoors, catching mice and other small prey. The rapid transition to indoor life has left them without opportunities to “eat their water.” Cats who are fed a dry diet only exist in a constant state of mild dehydration. Although cats may visit their water dish regularly, to keep them in optimal health, we need to feed them a diet high in moisture.

Benefits of adding more moisture to your cat’s diet:

• Better breath
• Smaller stool
• Less shedding
• Better weight control
• Healthier urinary tract and kidneys
• Friendlier temperament

The average 8-pound cat needs one cup of water per day (16 tablespoons)

• Kibble provides 1 tablespoon per day
• Raw or canned food provides 1/2 to 7/8 cup per day

Add more moisture to your cat’s diet by:

• Adding a little wet food to your cat’s diet
• Switching your cat to canned or raw food
• Offering moist treats

Stop in any store to ask an All The Best pet care specialist for more tips and suggestions!

February 28, 2024

Add some magic to their bowl

Even the very best kibble can benefit from a boost!

Choosing a high-quality kibble is a healthy start, but your pup can benefit by boosting even the best foods with a little magic.

Adding whole, fresh foods yields amazing results

• More energy

• Shinier coat with healthier skin

• Cleaner teeth and fresher breath

• Leaner body, better muscle tone

We recommend adding…

• Complete and balanced frozen raw foods closely mimic your pet’s ancestral diet.

• Meat and bone grinds reduce total carbohydrates and add valuable proteins and minerals.

• Convenient freeze-dried raw foods have the same nutritional benefits as frozen or fresh raw.

• Highly palatable gently cooked foods preserve nutritional value.

• Meal Mixers and toppers are a convenient way to boost kibble.

• Dehydrated foods are dried at low temperatures to preserve nutritional value and rehydrate in minutes.

• Raw meaty bones clean teeth, freshen breath and offer a nutritious chew all in one package.

• High-quality canned foods add both meat and moisture.

• Raw goat’s milk–nature’s most perfect food. Raw goat’s milk is full of enzymes and easily digested proteins and fats, benefits every pet, especially seniors, puppies & kittens, contains every essential nutrient, and it’s good for animals in recovery

• Great Greens powers up energy level and vitality. Wisely Great Greens is made from antioxidant-rich raw green veggies that build the immune system. It helps detoxify every cell in the body. Add a little to every meal for an extra shiny coat!

February 15, 2022

Dental Health for Dogs and Cats

National Pet Dental Health month is a good opportunity to take stock of your pet’s dental health. The American Veterinary Medical Association has found that 80 percent of dogs and 70 percent of cats have some kind of oral disease by the age of three. This common problem can lead to foul breath, infected gums, and eventual loss of teeth. Left unchecked, oral infections can even travel to other regions of the body causing serious ailments such as lung, heart, and kidney disease. Fortunately, there are many easy steps you can take to keep your pet’s teeth healthy all year. As with many health issues, prevention is always the best medicine!

Consider a raw diet

Pets who are fed diets containing carbohydrates in the form of cooked starches are at higher risk of forming dental plaque, the sticky biofilm made up of harmful bacteria that break down tooth enamel and attack gum tissue. Oral bacteria like to feed on the starchy residue kibble leaves behind. In contrast, raw food and high meat diets make a less hospitable environment in the mouth for bacteria to grow, creating a more acidic pH in the mouth and producing very few sugars or starches.

Offer dental chews regularly

Choose from a variety of specially formulated dental chews for dogs that contain plaque-inhibitors as well as breath-freshening ingredients such as sea kelp, seaweed, and chlorophyll. They’re an easy, affordable way to keep your dog happily chewing while supporting dental health.

Raw bones are nature’s toothbrush

We are strong proponents of offering your pet raw meaty bones. Raw bones help to produce acidic saliva, which prevents plaque from forming while bathing the oral cavity with anti-bacterial enzymes. The action of scraping their teeth against the actual bone helps with teeth cleaning, and the act of pulling bits of meat, gristle, and cartilage off of the bone offers even more natural teeth cleaning. Raw bones are softer than cooked bones so they’re gentler on a dog’s teeth.

All The Best’s own ROAR raw meaty bones come in a variety of sizes and types. We’ll be happy to help you to select the ideal bone for your pet. ROAR raw meaty bones are sold frozen and can be given to dogs straight from the freezer.

Keep your dog on a large towel or blanket to contain any mess. If your dog is new to raw meaty bones, supervise their chewing until you feel comfortable that they are chewing it appropriately. We recommend offering raw meaty bones daily as a partial meal replacement, but giving raw bones even just twice a week can make a positive difference in their oral health.

Chewing is for cats, too!

Some cats enjoy poultry necks and receive the same dental benefits and satisfaction of chewing.

More ways to keep teeth healthy

Natural dental products that can be added to food or water or applied directly to teeth are an easy way to improve dental health. Minerals in sea kelp and seaweed have been found to inhibit the growth of oral bacteria and disrupt plaque’s ability to adhere to teeth.

Brushing your pet’s teeth along with regular use of specially formulated oral sprays or gels can help to kill harmful bacteria that combine with minerals in the saliva and turn into plaque and tartar.

Anesthesia-free teeth cleaning

Anesthesia-free dentals may be a good option for animals in need of routine cleanings to remove tartar, but who do not have serious dental issues such as infected gums or teeth needing extraction.

The team from Canine Dental Service provides monthly anesthesia-free cleanings at all All The Best Pet Care stores. Cleanings are thorough and gentle and take about 15 minutes. Beforehand, a licensed veterinarian does a brief wellness exam to determine if more extensive oral care is needed. If the pet is not a good candidate, the service will not be performed and the patient will be referred to their own vet for treatment. Visit our dental cleaning page for more information or for appointment dates.

Keeping on top of your pet’s dental health has lasting, positive effects on your pet’s life!

September 17, 2020

Switch up meals for healthy benefits

It’s healthy to vary your dog or cat’s diet to provide more nutrition and offer a wider variety of nutrients. In addition to keeping meals interesting and even more exciting for your pet, rotating the foods that your dogs and cats eat offers a number of health benefits:

Varying the proteins and brands of food you offer provides a wider spectrum of vital nutrients to keep your pets at their healthiest.
Pets develop a stronger digestive system by being exposed to many different kinds of foods, so rotation is a great way to minimize gastric issues.
Feeding a varied diet also helps prevent allergies from developing. Feeding the same food for an extended period of time may cause dogs and cats to develop sensitivities to one or more of the ingredients in their food. Rotating their diet prevents the body from being overexposed to any one ingredient.

There are three main ways to rotate meals:

1. You can rotate proteins in the food you’re currently feeding, or you can try a similar food from a different brand.

2. You can vary the kind of food you offer, switching between or adding in dry, canned, frozen raw, and freeze-dried raw.

3. You can add a variety of whole food supplements such as Wisely raw goat milk, kefir, yogurt, cottage cheese, Wisely fish oil, and Great Greens.

You can also add variety by adding in toppers

If your pup has a favorite food that you want to stick with, you can also treat them to variety with meal mix-ins and toppers.


Freeze-dried raw such as K9 Natural is the easiest meal add-in. Just pour from the bag for a high-protein, whole food boost your pup will love.	Adding lightly cooked meals like Stella and Chewy’s Marie’s Kitchen or dehydrated foods such as Bravo provides a less-processed, high-nutrient addition to your dog’s meal.	ROAR raw poultry necks are sometimes called “nature’s best toothbrush” because the cartilage helps clean teeth as dogs chew them. They are a satisfying treat that will extend mealtime happiness. For an even healthier meal, give Fido a phytonutrient boost by adding a whole veggie supplement such as Wisely Great Greens.	To feed them as nature intended, you can add a boost of raw to your kibble. Small Batch raw chubs are available in multiple proteins and are an excellent value.

By incorporating a variety of foods into your pet’s diet, you are helping to make sure that they are getting the most nutritious and well-rounded diet possible for a longer, happier life! Talk to a pet care specialist about personalized suggestions for your dog or cat, and ask for some samples of new foods to try.

August 26, 2020

The Flex Forward recycling pilot program met its collection goal

We are no longer collecting bags for the Flex Forward program.

However, this is very good news!

Thanks to our customers’ participation, we have collected enough empty packaging for this project to proceed to the next phase of the pilot program. The collected flexible packaging will be ground into pellets to be reused by the plastics industry for a variety of purposes. Some of the recycled packaging will be used to manufacture new test pet products, including crates, toys, and litter boxes. The ultimate goal is to create a fully closed-loop recycling solution for plastic pet packaging, preventing plastic packaging from ending up in landfills and instead, using it to produce new products.

All The Best is happy to have had the opportunity to team up with Earth Animal (the maker of the beloved No-Hide chews, among other products), the Pet Sustainability Coalition, and Pet Food Express in this pilot program aimed at reducing the estimated 300 million pounds of plastic pet food packaging that goes to landfills each year.

We share our customers’ commitment to sustainability. Your participation helped make the campaign a success and may be pivotal in establishing a larger, national Flex Forward recycling program.

May 25, 2020

All The Best brings the world’s best foods to you!

Choosing the right food for your dog or cat can seem complicated, but we strive to make it easier by thoroughly vetting every pet food and every formula before it hits our shelves, doing a deep dive into the details so you don’t have to. Our search has taken us to many shores, and in addition to those made in America, we carry foods from Canada, Italy, and New Zealand – countries with the most stringent standards for food production.

Our standards:

Brand reputation: We only support trusted brands committed to the same biologically appropriate model of nutrition that we regard as true. All foods must be minimally processed, containing only wholesome ingredients fit for human consumption and be free of artificial colors, flavors or preservatives.
Sourcing and sustainability: We carefully consider a pet food maker’s commitment to sustainability in sourcing, packaging, and business practices. In addition to caring about healthy pets we care about the health of the planet we share.
We test it on our own cats and dogs first: Together, our Besties have scores of dogs and cats that span a wide spectrum of nutritional needs. We have the dogs who gulp down anything set before them, and those that have very discriminating tastes. We have pets with medical issues that need to be mitigated by feeding very specific ingredients, and those who can eat a variety of foods. Picky cats? We have those for sure, and they’re very helpful in palatability tests! We review every team member’s feedback carefully to decide if a food makes the cut, and how it can be useful. If we wouldn’t feed it to our own fur-kids, we wouldn’t want to sell it to you!
We stand behind everything we sell: All of our foods have a 100% satisfaction guarantee. If your pet doesn’t like it, bring it back with your receipt or Healthy Rewards information for a refund or exchange. Returned foods are donated to our local rescues, to help nourish dogs and cats in need.

March 5, 2020

Coronavirus and Your Pets: What We Know

Should you be worried about the coronavirus affecting your pet, or your pet passing it to you?

In short, no.

“The threat that the virus causing COVID-19 could sicken pets and spread between them and their owners is extremely low”, veterinarians say.

We can rest easy knowing that there is little to no evidence that the recent spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19) affects our furry family members.

Will the Coronavirus infect my pet?

No. As of March 1, no animals in the United States have been identified with the virus and currently, there is no evidence that a dog or other companion animals can contract or spread the disease among themselves or humans, says the CDC.

What about the dog in Hong Kong? What does that test result mean for me and my family?

Background: Concerns about pet illness with COVID-19, and spread between owners and their animals emerged on Feb. 28, when Hong Kong health authorities announced that a dog belonging to a woman sick with COVID-19, also tested “weak positive” for the new coronavirus. The dog has not exhibited any symptoms and is currently quarantined to be tested further. The plausible reason behind the “weak positive” is environmental contamination.

Per the CDC, “there is [currently] no evidence that companion animals including pets can spread COVID-19.”

How can pet owners keep their animals and families safe?

Simply follow the CDC’s recommendation on preventative measures:

Wash your hands often with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds, including after handling your pet or his food.
Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
Stay home if you are sick.
Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.

Unless you feel unwell, the CDC does not recommend wearing a facemask (and we certainly don’t recommend putting a facemask on your pet).

If you prefer to avoid interactions or large crowds until more is known, we do have local delivery through Amazon Prime Now. Just log on to your account and scroll down to the All The Best graphic.

While the CDC and veterinarians are still learning about the Coronavirus, their current advice is straight-forward: wash your hands often and stick to your usual, happy routine.

January 23, 2020

Raw cat food helped Bucky get a soft coat and maintain his ideal weight

By Nick W., All The Best Lake City store manager

BuckyMcBuckingham, or Bucky for short, started the first five years of his life exclusively eating kibble purchased from a big box store. While he has always been a beautiful cat, he was consistently overweight and had a dry coat. Growing up, our cats only ate kibble, so I was under the impression that dry food was all a cat needed. After getting my first job at a pet supply store in California and learning the importance of high-quality protein and wet food for cats, I started to understand that cats can survive on kibble, but need wet food in their diet to thrive and be properly hydrated. Initially, I was unsure about feeding Bucky raw food because it was totally new to me and I was concerned about cost. However, I did start to give Bucky canned food every day along with higher quality, high-protein kibble. I could tell that Bucky was doing much better with getting canned food in his diet. His coat was getting softer and he had more energy.

Then, Bucky and I moved to Seattle and I started working at All The Best Pet Care, where I learned more about the benefits of raw food for pets. I decided to try raw food with Bucky. The first time I tried to give Bucky raw food did not go very well. He looked at it, smelled it, then walked away, waiting to eat until I gave him canned food. However, I was not discouraged, as I knew that trying new things with cats can take time. So over a two-week period, I tried different kinds of meats and brands of raw food. When Bucky tried the Quest Pork raw cat food, he fell in love with it.

Then, I did the math and found out that if I moved Bucky to a completely raw diet, I would save money compared to feeding canned food. Bucky has now been on a completely raw diet for just over a year. He has slimmed down to a very healthy weight and is the softest cat in the world! Because I understand the importance of variety and rotation in the diet, I currently offer him a variety of raw foods, including Quest Pork raw cat food. Bucky and I are convinced that feeding a raw diet can be raw-volutionary to a pet’s health.

August 28, 2019

Real food brought real results for Basil’s chronic itchiness

By Annie McCall

My Boston terrier Basil ate a popular brand of kibble from a big box store for years with no issues but began to develop severe food sensitivities when she was about five years old.

Her muzzle was very pink, she was constantly itchy, and she had huge hot spots on her belly. For the next couple of years, I would need to take her to the vet regularly to treat the hotspots because they became so large and infected. Each time, she was put on antibiotics and steroids.

Initially, I tried to address the potential dietary triggers by switching her to a lamb and sweet potato kibble, but that didn’t change things much. I later learned that feeding a limited ingredient kibble works only if you are lucky and switch to one that happens to contain just the foods that your pet tolerates. If you switch to a L.I.D. that is made from even just one ingredient that your dog is sensitive to, you won’t see much improvement.

But how do you know what foods to avoid? Trial and error can be tough since it takes about three months for the food to be completely eliminated from the system. Eliminating one food at a time and waiting for months to see potential improvements was far from ideal.

I heard about the NutriScan salivary test for food sensitivities and gave it a try. I received a list of foods that Basil should avoid that included surprising results. She had some strong reactions to some common foods, yet she had no problem with some ingredients that are often thought to trigger sensitivities.

I took my list of “yes” and “no” ingredients to All The Best and found that Stella & Chewy’s frozen raw beef dinner patties fit her needs perfectly. The ingredients were completely different from the kibble I’d been feeding – they were made of nutritional powerhouses including beef, beef organs, and organic fruits and veggies. I learned that frozen raw food is the least processed pet food available, so it retains the most nutritional value.

I began to serve Basil the Stella & Chewy’s patties with Good Digestion enzymes and raw goat milk to help her digestive system heal from previously feeding her inflammatory foods. She loved her new food so much that she did a happy dance every time I served it. I made sure to buy some real food treats as well, including All The Best beef taffy, which she adores.

The turnaround was amazing. After having spent thousands of dollars treating hot spots, I have never had to take her to the vet for this issue since switching to real food. Today, at age eleven, Basil’s turnaround is still going strong. She is fit and happy, especially when we take her hiking. She goes on the trail for miles, and since she’s small and visibly grey, many people comment on her remarkable stamina. Feeding her real food has saved me so many expensive trips to the vet and has saved her from so much itching and suffering. Real food brought Basil visible, lasting results.

May 28, 2019

Kick Start Their Kibble with Variety and Rotation

Kick start their meals!

Rotating the foods that your pets eat is one of the best things that you can do for their health.

Why switch?

By varying proteins and brands, you are providing a wider spectrum of vital nutrients to keep your pets at their healthiest.

Pets develop a stronger digestive system by being exposed to many different kinds of foods, so rotation is a great way of preventing stomach upsets.

Feeding a varied diet also helps prevent allergies from developing. Cats and dogs that eat the same food for an extended period of time often develop sensitivities to one or more of the ingredients in their food, but rotating their diet prevents the body from being overexposed to potential allergens.

There are three main ways to add variety: