The Best Dog Food Toppers for Optimal Health

The best meal toppers for your pet will be simple and natural — like Vital Essentials Freeze-Dried Meal Toppers, perfect for dogs and cats.

The best dog food or cat food topper is grain free, made with real meat rather than rendered by-products, and contains no artificial additives or fillers. It will also be freeze-dried to “lock in” natural nutrients rather than baked, cooked, or dehydrated, as these processes destroy fragile enzymes.

Food toppers are becoming increasingly popular among pet parents, and for a good reason. Food toppers are one excellent way to entice reluctant eaters. Whether your pet has lost its appetite, must eat a special diet for medical reasons but doesn’t find its prescription food appealing, or is quite simply a picky eater, the alluring scent of a quality meal topper can encourage your pet to take that first bite. Food toppers also enhance your pet’s diet with a boost of nutrition. They’re often higher in quality protein and important vitamins and nutrients than your typical kibble. They can drastically improve your pet’s overall diet from just a little added to each meal.

Raw food toppers are perfect for transitioning your pet from kibble or canned food to a healthy raw diet. Toppers are a great way to introduce your pet to the taste of real meat without drastically overhauling their entire diet right from the get-go. You’ll also want your pet’s meal topper to be complete and balanced so that you don’t have to worry about missing key vitamins and nutrients in your cat’s or dog’s diet. A complete and balanced meal topper can be a full meal if needed.

The final thing to consider is ease and convenience. The best dog food topper requires only minimal prep work. After all, you probably don’t have time to make a gourmet feast each night for your pets, but you still want to ensure they’re eating well. Vital Essentials Freeze-Dried Meal Toppers are the perfect way to do just that and are the ideal choice for your kitty or pup! Available in three different protein options to provide a variety, Vital Essentials Beef, Chicken, and Turkey Food Toppers are delicious and nutritious options for dogs and cats.

There are multiple ways to serve our highly versatile pet food toppers to meet your pet’s preferences and needs.

Shake It

Add to Kibble As-Is. One way to serve our dog food toppers is to keep it as simple as possible: just open the bag and shake.

This method affords you maximum convenience, as there’s no prep whatsoever. Forget the water: simply sprinkle the meal topper straight into your dog or cat’s bowl with their normal food Just remember to keep track of how much mix-in you are adding, as you may have to reduce the amount of dry food your pet eats.

Top It

Another way to use your favorite Vital Essentials meal topper is to make a gravy to go over the top of your pet’s dinner. Simply mix the topper with water (or bone broth or goat’s milk, if you prefer) until you reach your preferred drizzling consistency. Be aware that broth tends to be high in sodium. Then, drizzle the gravy over top of your dog’s or cat’s regular meal to “beef up” (perhaps literally!) your pet’s food. This also adds important hydration to your pet’s meal, as dogs and cats that eat predominantly dry food don’t always get enough to drink each day.

Mix It

If your pet’s main diet is canned or wet food and you are trying to transition them to a healthy raw diet, another great option is to mix your dog food topper into a standalone meal. Use water, bone broth, or goat’s milk to mix your chosen topper into a moist pâte. All Vital Essentials food toppers meet AAFCO guidelines for a complete and balanced diet for dogs and cats, so this meal can stand on its own at any point during the transition.

For more information on Vital Essentials and our full product line, follow us on TikTok and Instagram. And if you have any questions, be sure to check out our FAQ page for answers. Together, we can ensure your pet gets the proper nutrition they deserve.