PetKind Dog Food
Brief Overview
PetKind Pure Kindness dog food is made in White Rock, British Columbia, Canada, near Vancouver. The company was started by members of the Wasmuth family in 2004 when they began marketing their original canned green tripe food. According to the brand’s video, which you can watch on their site, their mother was a dog breeder and had fed their dogs green tripe, so they believed in the food. Working with nutritionists, they developed the formulas they have now which all feature various kinds of green tripe as the primary ingredient. This protein source makes the foods unique among commercial dog foods. All of their foods are grain free but they do use the ancestral “grain”/seed quinoa in their foods. They also use some organic ingredients. Most of their ingredients are sourced in Canada. Their foods come in dry and canned formulas which are complete and balanced; and Tripett Butcher Shop canned formulas which are either 100 percent pure tripe or tripe and some other protein such as venison. They also make different kinds of tripe treats.
Who Manufactures PetKind Dog Food?
PetKind reports that their dry foods are produced in Canada in a facility that is CFIA (Canadian Food Inspection Agency) approved to make food for human edible consumption. We have not been able to determine if they make their own food or have it co-packed by another company, however. Online sources say that PetKind has used Evanger’s to can their foods in the past but we don’t know if they are still using Evanger’s at this time.
PetKind Dog Food Recalls
We did not find any recalls for PetKind in the FDA database or in the CIFA database for Canadian food recalls.
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PetKind Dog Food Overview
PetKind has three dog food lines and they also make treats for dogs. Their dog food lines includes their original Tripett – canned tripe from various animals; PetKind That’s It – canned dog foods that are sold as dry food mixers or raw food enhancers; and Tripe Dry, a complete and balanced green tripe dog food. Tripe Dry has only been around for 2-3 years so it’s a relatively new offering for PetKind.
In case you are wondering what tripe is and why a dog food company would base their entire line of products on this ingredient, green tripe is the raw, unprocessed stomach lining of a grass-fed animal. The stomach lining is really brown but it can be shaded green because these animals (such as cows, bison, lamb and some others) eat grass. It is rich in naturally occurring essential fatty acids like omega 3 and 6. Most dogs absolutely love green tripe when they have the chance to eat it. As you might imagine, most dogs today rarely have the opportunity to eat the lining of a cow’s stomach unless they live on a farm and get some leftovers from a farmer having cattle processed. You can buy a white, bleached form of tripe in some grocery stores but this is not the same thing at all. Many dogs won’t touch this form of tripe that has had all of the good stuff removed. It’s only PetKind and a few special suppliers that make real green tripe available commercially.
Many raw feeders use green tripe in their dogs’ diets, whether fresh raw or frozen raw. People who feed it seem to rave about it. Some of the benefits attributed to feeding green tripe are discussed in this Whole Dog Journal article, “Green Tripe, Old-fashioned wonder food for dogs,” by CJ Puotinen, published in July 2008.
When asked to describe the benefits of feeding green tripe, the breeders and dog lovers we polled all mentioned improvements in health, appearance, and disposition. Puppies thrive while avoiding bone growth problems, older dogs become more lively and active, digestive disorders vanish or improve dramatically, skin problems disappear, coats shine, coat color improves, eyes brighten, muscles become toned, teeth look terrific, stool size diminishes, and endurance and stamina increase. Dogs with behavioral problems become calmer, some chronic illnesses or conditions improve or disappear, dogs with breeding problems successfully reproduce, pups raised on green tripe excel at everything, elderly dogs resume their careers and win competitions, and the list goes on…Almost everyone we interviewed for this article mentioned that dogs fed green tripe tend to live longer, have fewer injuries and health problems, and have cleaner, whiter teeth than dogs fed other foods.
Obviously, this is not true for every dog that eats green tripe, but plenty of owners do report health improvements for their dogs.
Green tripe is well-known for having a strong stench – it’s a cow’s stomach, so what do you expect? That may also be part of the appeal to dogs. Some of the less processed foods that use green tripe can also have a strong smell, though we are told that the green tripe made from lamb has less of an odor. Expect canned foods and toppers to have some odor. Dry foods will have less odor.
PetKind’s Tripett foods are 100 percent unbleached, minimally rinsed and unprocessed green tripe. Some of the foods include additional protein sources such as venison or duck & salmon but, for the most part, these foods are nothing but green tripe. Tripett is suggested to be mixed with dry or raw foods. PetKind recommends it for picky eaters, dogs with sensitive digestion, to keep a dog’s teeth cleaner, to improve a dog’s digestion, for puppies, for older dogs, to improve a dog’s skin and coat, and to help a dog with changes in food and diet.
Tripett comes in Green Venison Tripe, Original Formula Beef Tripe, Green Beef Tripe & Venison, Green Beef Tripe, Duck & Salmon, New Zealand Green Lamb Tripe, and Green Bison Tripe. We can use Original Formula Beef Tripe as an example to look at more closely.
Ingredients: Green Beef Tripe, Water, Garlic, Carrageenan Gum
Crude Protein (min) 11 percent, Crude Fat (min) 7 percent, Crude Fiber (max) 0.5 percent, Moisture (max) 79.9 percent, Ash (max) 1 percent
Calorie Content: 1150 kcal/kg, 430.10 Cal/can
* DRY MATTER BASIS: To convert the above nutrient values to a dry matter basis, please use this simple formula example: Protein 11% / 20 = 0.55 x 100 = 55% Dry Matter Content
Tripett is meant to be fed as a supplement to other foods.
PetKind also makes a canned line of foods called That’s It. This food comes in six formulas, most of them featuring green tripe. The formulas are green tripe, bison tripe, lamb tripe, venison tripe, wild salmon, and duck. The wild salmon and duck formulas do not contain any tripe. None. The foods in the That’s It product line are not labeled complete and balanced. PetKind recommends them for mixing with dry and raw foods. According to PetKind, these canned foods can be used to encourage picky eaters to eat; to improve your dog’s skin and coat; to boost nutrition in your dog’s food; and to add variety to the protein in your dog’s diet. The ingredients are 100 percent completely sourced from Canada and the United States and the foods are free of binders and fillers. (They do contain carrageenan but it is hard to find canned foods that don’t contain this ingredient or one of the other stabilizing/texturizing gums.)
Most of these formulas use quinoa, potato, and blueberry, along with their protein source. Quinoa is a low-glycemia, gluten-free seed/grain that’s been used since ancient times. Blueberries are a good antioxidant and natural preservative. Potatoes are high in carbohydrates but they are also a good source of fiber. We can look at That’s It Lamb Tripe as a good example of this product line.
Ingredients: Lamb Tripe, Water, Quinoa, Potato, Blueberry
Crude Protein (min) 8 percent, Crude Fat (min) 5.5 percent, Crude Fiber (max) 0.7 percent, Ash (max) 1 percent, Moisture (max) 79 percent
Calorie Content: 119 Cal/100g, 445.06 Cal/can
* DRY MATTER BASIS: To convert the above nutrient values to a dry matter basis, please use this simple formula example: Protein 11% / 20 = 0.55 x 100 = 55% Dry Matter Content
Tripett is meant to be fed as a supplement to other foods.
Finally, PetKind makes Tripe Dry. This is a kibble that features green tripe as a main ingredient. Tripe Dry comes in four formulas: Green Beef Tripe, Green Tripe & Wild Salmon, Green Lamb Tripe, and Green Tripe & Bison. These are complete and balanced dog foods made for all life stages. Yes, you do lose the raw (or close to raw) benefits that come from the less processed Tripett and That’s It formulas, but those foods are not complete and balanced. They have to be added to other foods. Tripe Dry can be fed alone, or with one of PetKind’s other foods. It is low-glycemic and free of potatoes, wheat, corn gluten, and soy. It’s still rich in omega 3 and 6. And it’s grain free, just using quinoa, fruits, and vegetables.
Here’s a look at Tripe Dry Green Tripe & Bison Formula:
Tripe Dry Green Tripe & Bison
First five ingredients: Beef tripe, bison tripe, turkey, peas, turkey meal
Crude Protein (min) 32 percent, Crude Fat (min) 16 percent, Crude Fiber (max) 4 percent, Ash (max) 8.5 percent, Moisture (max) 10 percent
Calorie Content: ME (calculated metabolizable energy): 3663 kcal/kg (370 kcal/cup)
Nutritional Adequacy Statement: Formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for All Life Stages.
PetKind’s treats for dogs include six kinds of tripe treats and one wild Pacific salmon treat. They come in venison tripe, beef tripe, lamb tripe, pork tripe, bison tripe, and green beef tripe, along with the wild Pacific salmon treats. All of the treats are grain free. The treats do contain other ingredients besides tripe. For example, the lamb tripe treats contain: Green Lamb Tripe, Chicken, Potato, Beet Syrup, Pure Vegetable Glycerin, Sea Salt, Natural Smoke Flavor, Potassium Sorbate, and Garlic. The treats are perforated so they can be broken into smaller pieces and used as training treats.
Overall, we like what we have seen and heard about green tripe. Tripett, especially, gets great comments online from people that have tried it. We also see good comments about Tripe Dry though it’s only been out for a couple of years. These look like good foods from a good Canadian company. We’ll look more closely at one of the dry foods below.
PetKind Tripe Dry Green Tripe Formula Dog Food Review
We’ve chosen to review PetKind Tripe Dry Green Tripe Formula because 1) it’s representative of the Tripe Dry foods; and 2) we think many people will be interested in feeding green tripe in a kibble form. We’ve already discussed the benefits of feeding your dog raw green tripe in some detail. We also mentioned the fact that green tripe stinks to high heaven. Some green tripe smells worse than others depending on the animal source but, for the most part, you can count on the stomach lining of any animal smelling pretty darn bad from a human perspective. (Dogs seem to think it smells wonderful.) With kibble, this is less of a problem but you can keep some of the same nutritional benefits of feeding tripe. Not all of the benefits. Your dog probably won’t be getting all of the digestive enzymes that come with eating minimally-cooked and rinsed green tripe. But he will still get good protein and fat, omega 3 & 6 in the correct proportions, lactobacillus acidophilus (good intestinal bacteria), and the proper calcium to phosphorus ratio.
The first five ingredients in Tripe Dry Green Tripe Formula are: Beef tripe, beef, chicken, peas, chicken meal. Beef tripe is the first ingredient meaning that the food contains more of this ingredient than any other by weight before cooking. Beef tripe is widely used to provide green tripe for dogs. From the information we found, it has 15.1 percent protein and 11.7 percent fat, along with the other health benefits we’ve already been describing.
Beef is the second ingredient and it’s frequently found in dog food. Beef is an estimated 74 percent protein and 26 percent fat. It’s loaded with Riboflavin, Niacin, Zinc, Vitamin C, Vitamin B12, Iron, Phosphorus, Copper and other vitamins and minerals.
Chicken is the third ingredient and it’s another common dog food ingredient. It’s a good source of protein for dogs. It’s a good source of Vitamin B6, Niacin, and Phosphorus.
These first three ingredients are all whole foods, meaning that they also contain a lot of moisture. If the moisture were removed they might be found lower in the ingredient list.
The fourth ingredient is peas. Peas are a frequent source of plant protein in dog foods today, replacing grains in many grain free dog foods. They are higher in protein than grains/cereals/seeds like corn. Peas in dog food usually consist of split peas or chickpeas. They typically have about 25 percent protein, 72 percent carbohydrates, and 3 percent fat. They are also a source of Thiamin, Folate, Managanese, and dietary fiber. In large amounts, some grain free dog foods can end up with more plant protein from peas and other legumes than from meat protein so it’s important to keep an eye on how many plant sources of protein are present in the food.
The fifth ingredient in the food is chicken meal. Chicken meal is a good source of meat protein. As you might expect, it is derived from whole chicken but it has had most of the moisture removed, leaving a concentrated protein. Chicken meal has several times as much chicken protein as whole chicken. The only possible drawback with chicken meal is that you don’t know which parts of the chicken have been used to supply the chicken meal. For the most part, we think this is a good ingredient for most companies.
Other ingredients of note in this food include turkey meal – a good named protein source; chicken fat – a good named fat; and quinoa which (according to PetKind) is organic and sourced from Canada and Peru. We like quinoa in dog food but it is a little disappointing to see it so far down the ingredient list after PetKind promotes it on the web site repeatedly.
The food also contains a number of vegetables which have various dietary benefits such as pumpkin, carrots, apples, bananas. There are cranberries and blueberries which are good natural antioxidants/preservatives. Salmon oil – a good source of omega 3; chicory root – a good prebiotic. The food also includes added vitamins and chelated minerals so your dog can digest them more easily, and a number of fermentation products/digestive enzymes. We also note several natural antioxidants/preservatives such as rosemary and green tea extract.
We do call your attention to the pea starch, pea protein, and lentils that are all listed in the first 10 ingredients. Coupled with the peas as the fourth ingredient, that’s quite a lot of plant protein and starch in the food. We don’t expect a dog food to be entirely made up of meat protein but you should know what you are paying for. We consider this a form of splitting.
We think that Tripe Dry Green Tripe Formula and the other Tripe Dry foods look like very good foods. They are also very expensive dog foods. We would like them a little better if they had less peas, pea starch, pea protein, and lentils for the price or if the price were a little lower for a food with this much plant protein.
Nutrition Statement
Petkind Green Beef Tripe Formula is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for All Life Stages.
GUARANTEED ANALYSIS
Crude Protein (min)……………………..32.0%
Crude Fat (min)…………………………….16.0%
Crude Fiber (max)………………………….4.0%
Moisture (max)…………………………….10.0%
Ash (max)………………………………………..8.5%
Phosphorus (min)………………………….0.8%
Magnesium (max)……………………….0.10%
*Taurine (min)…………………..2790 mg/kg
*Omega 6 (min)…………………………….3.0%
*Omega 3 (min)…………………………….1.0%
*Not Recognized as an essential nutrient by the
AFFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles.
The dry matter basis (DMB) figures for this food are: 35.6 percent protein; 17.8 percent fat; 4.44 percent fiber; and 32.8 percent carbohydrates.
This food has above average protein and moderate fat compared to many premium dog foods. It has average fiber and average carbohydrates.
Where can you buy PetKind Dog Food?
You can purchase PetKind from Chewy.com and other online retailers. The brand is also available from independent retailers across the U.S. You can check the PetKind web site to find stores near you that sell their products.
PetKind Dog Food Coupons
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You can visit the PetKind web site and sign up for their Tripe Dry Loyalty Program to get coupons and special offers. You can also visit PetKind on Facebook to see their offers and find out where they are going to be.
Final Thoughts
We think that all of PetKind’s tripe-based foods look very good. We definitely like the idea of using green tripe for dogs in some form. We recommend trying Tripett and That’s It as mixers with your dog’s foods (and beware the tripe odor). We have also seen wonderful comments about Tripe Dry and we agree that it sounds like a good food based on the nutrients and numbers. We do have qualms about the peas, pea protein, lentils, etc., in the food and think it contains quite a bit of plant protein for such an expensive dog food. We wish that it had fewer of these ingredients. However, we don’t make the foods, we just review them. We recommend giving Tripe Dry a try and seeing how your dog does with it. We do take into consideration that PetKind appears to have an excellent reputation and they seem to take great care in choosing and sourcing their ingredients.
If you try these foods, especially Tripe Dry, let us know how they work for you and your dog. We always love feedback.
Below is a list of Products reviewed in this article
- Original Formula Beef Tripe
- That’s It Lamb Tripe
- Tripe Dry Green Tripe & Bison Formula
- PetKind Tripe Dry Green Tripe Formula Dog Food Review
