$32.00
Address your dog's stinky breath, associated with oral bacteria, before it progresses to a more serious periodontal disease.
This health gummy, with cranberry, green tea & citrus polyphenols in vet-formulated clinical daily doses, helps reduce oral bacteria, and freshen the breath.
When you switch to fresh feeding, using meat + bestie, you’re likely to see some changes.
People say that making fresh food is now almost as convenient as getting it from a bag, and they’re more confident they’re doing the right thing. They’re less worried – and that’s a good thing!
They also report health improvements in their dogs, after they've been on meat + bestie for a while:
Dogs are more active with a pep in the step.
Dogs lose weight (the bestie app plays a role here).
Poos are smaller and healthier (and yes, a little less stinky!)
Coats are softer, glossier and skin healthier.
Chronic inflammation-related, conditions diminish.
bestie even suits most notoriously fussy eaters - with the right protein and transition!
Apple, carrot, sweet potato, pumpkin and kale: together, these Australian-sourced fruit and veg make a powerful mix. The orange veg are rich in betacarotene, a precursor of vitamin A and a powerful antioxidant. Kale is also rich in betacarotene as well as lutein, and other vitamins and minerals. Apple is a good source of vitamins and dietary fibre. Shiitake mushrooms add a range of minerals and vitamins, especially copper and vitamin B5. These medicinal mushrooms also contain antioxidants, among them the amino acid ergothioneine, the subject of much research as a natural and 'adaptive' antioxidant).
Kakadu plum, Manuka honey, and sea kelp: these uniquely Australian superfoods play a key role. Kakadu plum has more than five times the antioxidant value of blueberries, and is super-rich in vitamins C, E and lutein. Sea kelp, hand-harvested on the Australian coast, is a potent source of iodine.
They combine with kale and wheatgrass, which is packed with chlorophyll, vitamins A, C, E, K, and B6, as well as minerals zinc, iron, selenium, and manganese.
Two imported super herbs round out the mix: nettle, rich in chlorophyll, trace minerals and vitamins; and chicory root, high in inulin and a natural prebiotic.
Prebiotics, in the form of chicory root and brewer's yeast, support the growth of probiotics, a group of 'friendly' bacteria that help with gut health and in turn, immune system health. The ALLROUNDER includes live spores of B. coagulans MTCC 5856 strain at a strength of 1.47 billion CFU per 5 grams of ALLROUNDER.
Green lipped mussel from NZ contains glycosaminoglycans, glucosamine and chondroitin, as well as zinc, and magnesium, all beneficial for good joint health. In addition, green lipped mussel along with cod liver oil, provides omega-3 fatty acids.
The cod liver oil we use, is made from wild caught, sustainably sourced Norwegian Arctic cod. This cod liver oil is rich in omega-3s, including EPA and DHA, which support heart, brain, vision, and joint health, as well as vitamins A and D.
MCHA (or Microcrystalline Hydroxyapatite) bone meal is extracted from Australian certified BSE-free, pasture-fed cattle. It's a natural bone replacement that provides the proper calcium and phosphorus balance.
Beef bones from Australian cattle are boiled under high pressure for more than six hours to extract all the nutrients; the broth is then dried using innovative low temperature processing. (See below.) They're packed with trace minerals and a great taste!
Nutritional yeast is an inactive form of yeast that's a also a complete protein - containing the 10 amino acids that dogs need. It's also packed with B-vitamins, including B12 (typically only found in meat), has an abundance of trace minerals and the powerful antioxidants glutathione and selenomethionine. It also contains the carbs beta-glucan and alpha-mannan, that boost the immune system.
There’s no doubt that kibble, even the premium kind, is a cost-effective way to feed a dog. Well, cost-effective in the short term that is. Add in the cost of poor health…and maybe that bag of kibble isn’t really so cheap after all. Plus, should we really feed our dogs like it’s still 1950 - out of bag? (What matters more - super convenience or pretty convenient good health.)
That said, if we want to feed fresh, how much does it cost? Does it fit your circumstances? Below is a guide…
This little Pom is 3.7kg! But let’s assume we’re talking dogs more like 5kg, then the daily cost of meat+bestie would be less than a coffee a day. Seriously. And that’s way less. For a 5kg dog, you’ll get about 80 serves of bestie out of a 350gm pack and the bestie will work out to about $1.50 a day on average. The total daily cost will be between $2.20 and $5 a day, depending on the protein you use. (That’s not per meal, but per day.)
For an average dog of say 10kg, then the daily cost of meat+bestie will be somewhere from a coffee to a coffee plus a bit a day. For a 10kg dog, you’ll get about 50 serves of bestie out of a 350gm pack and the bestie will work out to about $2.55 a day on average. The total daily cost will be between $3.70 and $7 a day, depending on the protein you use. (That’s not per meal, but per day.)
For a dog of say 30kg, then the daily cost of meat+bestie will be somewhere between $7.50 and $13.50 a day – based on using human grade meat at an average cost of about 12.60/kg. (You may do better than this.) For a 30kg dog, you’ll get about 61 serves of bestie out of a 1kg pack and the bestie will work out to about $3.60 a day on average.
For a dog of say 50kg, then the daily cost of meat+bestie will be somewhere between $11 and $18 day – based on using human grade meat at an average cost of about 12.60/kg. (You may do better than this.) For a 50kg dog, you’ll get about 42 serves of bestie out of a 1kg pack and the bestie will work out to about $5.30 a day on average.
Why does the cost fluctuate? Well, not only do different proteins cost different amounts per kg, but they should really be fed in different quantities. Why? Well, the energy given to the dog by roo, for example, on a gram for gram basis, is less than that given by lamb. That means you’d need to feed MORE roo to give the dog the same amount of energy as that given by say 100grams of lamb.
While some other products provide a one-protein-fits-all feed quantity, that will mean the dog is being given less energy than they need, on some days. Don’t worry though, the bestie app works out the right quantity, based on the proteins you’re feeding.
Add a dash of water to bestie.
Add your fresh protein.
Mix together and serve.
Apple powder, bone broth powder, carrot powder, sweet potato powder, MCHA bone meal powder, cod liver oil, organic wheat grass powder, organic pumpkin powder, organic shiitake mushroom powder, kale powder, green lipped mussel, nutritional yeast, probiotic (bacillus coagulans), kelp powder, organic nettle powder, organic chicory root powder, kakadu plum powder, manuka honey powder, iodised salt.
All our fruit, veg, Manuka and bone broth powders are gently processed in Australia, using an innovative low temperature processing method, refractance window drying. RWD helps retain more nutrients through the drying process than other typical dehydration methods like drum drying. For example, research shows that about 56% of carotenes are lost during drum drying vs 8.7% during RFW.
(Most of the dehydrated fruit and veg powders available in Australia don't use RFW and they're also imported from China or other sources. They're often spray dried. Spray dried products often suffer from high volatile losses due to atomisation and high air temperature of 150-300°C, as well as significant nutrient losses.)
RW drying can retain heat sensitive vitamins, colour, phytochemicals content and antioxidant activity at similar levels to freeze-dried products, but with about half the energy consumption.
We're using 100% carbon-neutral shipping with Sendle, and mailing satchels made from biodegradable and home-compostable materials. In fact, even though it looks and feels a hellavalot like plastic, it's actually made from 70-80% PBAT (a co-polymer that is completely biodegradable) and 20-30% PLA (which is a fancy way of saying cornstarch).
In a commercial compostable environment, it will break-down within 90 days. At home, it may take up to 120 days.
(We're still working on the product packs themselves.)
Transitioning from one food to another depends on the dog, and the food they're used to getting, so go easy, initially. Start by replacing a small portion of their usual diet with your homemade fresh food and see how that goes. Then keep adding a little more fresh food to each meal as you slowly decrease the amount of their previous food.
Watch for any signs of vomiting and/or loose poo; this probably means you're transitioning a bit too quickly. If you are, slow down a little.
(Read more about transitioning in our FAQs.)
AustraliaLove Bestie. Zoe is going well on the balancer now, Smooch is doing it's job, I also add this to her food, She enjoys the hemp bikkies too!
That is so fantastic to hear - I am thrilled!!!
AustraliaMy 8 year old border collie is a fussy eater with a delicate stomach and bad teeth. No matter what we've done, it has been an issue with him. Then we found Bestie. We are using the Balancer and The Smooch. His breath isn't perfect but it is moving in the right direction. I have seen enough improvement that it has made me order two more bags of The Smooch and we will keep on.
Great to hear you've given this a go, and that there's been (slow) improvement...sometimes there are also a couple pf other things that may be going on too...I'm going to touch base with you privately about that.
AustraliaDid not tell me on the packaging how much water to add. I had to look it up on the web site. Buddy won’t eat it and leaves it in his bowl but I will keep trying.
Thanks for that feedback - sorry the table wasn't clearer: in the left column it shows how much of the mix to make up and in the right hand side it has how much water...Have you tried mashing it up in the food? Perhaps give that a go. Sorry it's not an instant hit!
AustraliaMy Lucy Rose has suffered from a smelly breath for some time now in an effort to overcome the problem we discovered there was a remedy for this condition being trialed through Bestie Kitchen. We obtained a sample and after a week and a half we found Lucy's breath had improved out of sight and then we ran out of the jelly and had to reorder and within 4 or so days her breath smelt like roses again. We would endorse this product as it also helps with her anxiety problem as well.
We are so thrilled to have helped Lucy Rose. Thanks for being part of the trial family!
What's your dog's breath like?
If it's revolting all the time, terrible soon after having their teeth cleaned, or even a bit whiffy sometimes...
Add to this picture red or bleeding gums and yellow or dirty teeth...and that stinky breath aka halitosis, could signal something more serious - not just poor oral hygiene but also gingival and periodontal disease or mucosal disease.
Halitosis is a very unpleasant and potentially serious problem but research trials show that you can help reduce this oral health problem with the right dietary supplements.
Bad breath may be the first sign of periodontal disease that you actually notice. Periodontal disease, if left unchecked, will progress and won’t resolve on its own. Irreversible periodontal disease usually leads to bone loss, and tissue destruction. Periodontal infections have been linked to numerous systemic maladies including diabetes mellitus, heart, lung, liver, and kidney disease, early mortality.
Periodontal disease is by far the number one health problem in small animal patients. By two years of age, 70% of cats and 80% of dogs have some form of periodontal disease. Small and toy breed dogs are particularly susceptible.*
Given that only about 2% of pet owners practise daily tooth brushing, which is considered the most reliable approach to remove plaque and in turn reduce the onset of gingivitis, periodontal disease, and stinky breath, a research-based nutraceutical supplement, may make it easier to support good oral health.
*According to the World Small Animal Veterinary Association Global Dental Guidelines
Before we go on, yes, researchers have shown that pets can transmit their oral bacteria to you. So no kissing, and get onto the dental hygiene for your dog!
Periodontal disease is generally described in two stages: gingivitis and periodontitis. Gingivitis is the initial, reversible stage in which the inflammation is confined to the gingiva.
Good oral hygiene along with specific supplements can reduce the microbial load to the physiological level, reducing halitosis and avoiding gingivitis and periodontal diseases that have unpleasant effects on breath.
You can feed the jelly mix as jellies OR as the powder, mixed into food. If mixing the powder into food, please use the following ratios:
If making as a jelly, add water, mix and set in the fridge.
