Our Ingredients: What's In Every Formula
Loyal Saints formulas are built on a single principle: the first ingredient is the only protein. We do not blend proteins, hide lower-quality meats under a leading protein, or use "natural flavors" to mask taste deficiencies. What you read on the label is exactly what is in the bag.
Beef Formula
Our bestseller. Built for active dogs, strong digesters, and dogs who need high-protein muscle support.
Primary ingredients:
- Beef (muscle meat) — primary protein source; provides complete essential amino acids
- Beef liver — nutrient-dense organ; extremely high in vitamin A, B12, iron, copper, and zinc
- Beef heart — classified as muscle meat; naturally high in CoQ10 and taurine
- Pumpkin — soluble fiber supporting digestive regularity and gut microbiome
- Spinach — iron, folate, vitamins K and C
- Blueberry — anthocyanins, antioxidants, vitamin C and K
- Coconut oil — medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs); antimicrobial, energy-dense fat
- Kelp — natural iodine, trace minerals, amino acids
- Salmon oil — omega-3 fatty acids (EPA, DHA) for coat, joints, and brain
All ingredients are human-grade. No corn, wheat, soy, artificial preservatives, or fillers.
Chicken Formula
Our gentlest formula. Recommended for dogs new to raw, sensitive stomachs, and picky eaters.
Primary ingredients:
- Chicken (muscle meat) — highly digestible white and dark meat; complete amino acid profile
- Chicken liver — same organ benefits as beef liver; gentler flavor for picky dogs
- Chicken heart — natural taurine source; muscle meat by AAFCO classification
- Zucchini — low-glycemic vegetable; vitamins B6, C, and manganese
- Apple — prebiotic pectin supporting gut bacteria; quercetin
- Carrot — beta-carotene (vitamin A precursor), vitamin K, fiber
- Coconut oil — MCTs for energy and antimicrobial benefit
- Kelp — natural iodine and trace minerals
- Salmon oil — omega-3 fatty acids
Lowest allergen profile of our three formulas. Ideal as a first freeze-dried raw food.
Turkey + Salmon Formula
Our most omega-rich formula. Built for coat, skin, joint support, and senior dogs.
Primary ingredients:
- Turkey (muscle meat) — lean, easily digestible protein; lower fat than beef
- Wild-caught salmon — extremely high EPA and DHA omega-3 fatty acids; vitamin D, B12
- Turkey liver — organ meat; high vitamin A, B vitamins, and iron
- Sweet potato — beta-carotene, vitamin C, potassium, fiber
- Broccoli — sulforaphane, vitamin C and K, folate
- Cranberry — antioxidants, proanthocyanidins supporting urinary health
- Coconut oil — MCTs
- Kelp — trace minerals
- Salmon oil — additional omega-3 boost beyond the whole salmon
Highest omega-3 content of all three formulas. Most often recommended for dogs 7+ years.
Where Our Ingredients Come From
Loyal Saints is made in the Midwest, from ingredients sourced from farms and suppliers we have personally evaluated. We do not purchase protein ingredients through commodity brokers. We work directly with American farms and processors who meet human-grade facility standards.
🥩 Beef
USDA-inspected, American-raised beef from Midwestern cattle farms. Muscle meat, liver, and heart sourced as intact cuts — not rendered, not by-product meal. Grass-finished where available.
🍗 Chicken
USDA-inspected, American-raised chicken. No caged-confinement suppliers. Muscle meat, liver, and heart sourced whole — not processed "chicken meal."
🦃 Turkey
USDA-inspected, American-raised turkey. Lean muscle meat from farms in the Midwest. No antibiotics or growth hormones.
🐟 Wild Salmon
Wild-caught Pacific salmon. Not farmed. Farmed salmon has significantly lower omega-3 content and often higher contaminant levels than wild-caught. We use whole salmon, not salmon oil alone.
🥬 Produce
All produce (pumpkin, spinach, blueberry, carrot, apple, zucchini, sweet potato, broccoli, cranberry) is sourced to human-food quality standards. No feed-grade produce.
🏭 Facility
Produced in a human-grade, USDA-inspected facility in the Midwest. The same food safety standards required for human food apply to our production. Batch pathogen testing on all products.
Our Sourcing Commitments
- We will never use rendered protein (meat meal, by-product meal, or animal digest)
- We will never use artificial preservatives (BHA, BHT, ethoxyquin)
- We will never use corn, wheat, or soy as primary ingredients
- We will never purchase ingredients through commodity channels without farm traceability
- We will never claim ingredients we cannot verify — if we cannot confirm sourcing, we do not use it
Freeze-Drying and Nutritional Science
How Freeze-Drying Preserves Nutrition
Freeze-drying (lyophilization) is a two-phase process. First, ingredients are frozen to approximately -40°C, converting all moisture to ice. Then, under high vacuum, the ice sublimates directly to vapor — bypassing the liquid phase entirely. The result is a product that retains its structure, flavor, color, and critically, its nutritional profile.
Because no heat is applied, freeze-drying preserves nutrients that are vulnerable to thermal degradation:
- Enzymes (proteases, lipases, amylases) — destroyed at temperatures above 48°C. Intact in freeze-dried raw. Destroyed in all heat-processed pet food.
- B vitamins (B1, B2, B6, B12) — water-soluble and heat-sensitive. Retain 85–95% activity in freeze-dried products vs. 40–60% in extruded kibble.
- Vitamin C — degraded by heat and oxidation. Naturally present in fresh ingredients; retained in freeze-dried products.
- Amino acid structure — high-heat processing (extrusion at 160–200°C) can cause Maillard reaction, reducing lysine and other essential amino acid bioavailability. Freeze-drying preserves the native protein structure.
- Omega fatty acids — susceptible to oxidation under heat. Protected in freeze-drying through rapid freezing and vacuum environment.
Bioavailability vs. Nutrient Content
Two dog foods can contain the same amount of protein on a guaranteed analysis label and deliver dramatically different nutrition. The difference is bioavailability — the proportion of a nutrient that can actually be absorbed and used by the body.
A 2019 study in the Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition found protein digestibility of raw meat-based diets ranged from 85–93%, compared to 75–84% for standard dry diets. The gap exists because heat processing reduces protein bioavailability by denaturing proteins and reducing their solubility in digestive enzymes.
This means a dog eating freeze-dried raw with 30% crude protein on the label absorbs more of that protein than a dog eating kibble with 32% crude protein. Guaranteed analysis numbers alone do not tell the full nutritional story.
The Role of Organs in a Complete Diet
Organ meat — liver, heart, kidney — represents some of the most nutrient-dense food a dog can consume. It is not a byproduct or inferior cut; it is a concentrated source of vitamins and minerals that exceed muscle meat in several key categories:
- Beef liver: per 100g contains ~20mg iron, ~2500mcg vitamin A, ~70mcg B12, ~5mg copper — all at levels that exceed most synthetic supplementation in kibble
- Heart: classified as muscle meat under AAFCO guidelines; naturally the highest dietary source of CoQ10 and a significant source of taurine — a deficiency linked to dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in dogs
- Loyal Saints includes liver and heart in every formula at levels calibrated to provide optimal nutrition without exceeding safe vitamin A thresholds
What We Exclude — and Why
Corn, Wheat & Soy
The most common primary ingredients in mass-market kibble, used because they are cheap and provide the starch necessary for extrusion. Dogs have limited amylase production compared to humans — they did not evolve to eat high-carbohydrate grain-based diets. Common sources of food sensitivity and allergic reaction. We exclude all three entirely.
Meat Meal & By-Product Meal
"Chicken meal" or "meat and bone meal" is rendered protein — cooked at very high temperatures to separate fat from solids, then dried into powder. The rendering process can include materials from multiple undifferentiated species and is not held to human-food safety standards. We use only whole, intact muscle meat and organs.
Artificial Preservatives
BHA, BHT, and ethoxyquin are synthetic antioxidants used to extend kibble shelf life. BHA is listed as a possible carcinogen by the World Health Organization. We use natural shelf stability (freeze-drying) — no synthetic preservatives required or included.
Artificial Colors & Flavors
Artificial colors serve no nutritional purpose — they exist to make food appealing to the owner, not the dog (dogs have limited color perception). "Natural flavors" is a catch-all term that can include highly processed flavor compounds. We exclude both. The palatability of Loyal Saints comes from real food, not flavor enhancement.
Carrageenan
A seaweed-derived thickener common in wet/canned dog food. Linked to gastrointestinal inflammation in preliminary research. Not present in any Loyal Saints formula.
Unnamed Protein Sources
"Poultry" (without specifying species), "animal fat," or "meat" (without specifying source) indicates a protein blend of uncertain composition. We specify every protein by species and cut. What is on our label is what is in our product.
Dog Food Nutrition Glossary
A reference guide to terminology on pet food labels and in nutritional research — explained without jargon.
- AAFCO
- Association of American Feed Control Officials. Sets minimum nutritional standards for pet food sold in the United States. "Complete and balanced" on a pet food label means it meets AAFCO minimum nutrient profiles. AAFCO sets floors, not benchmarks — a food can meet AAFCO minimums and still be nutritionally inferior to one exceeding them.
- Bioavailability
- The proportion of a nutrient that is digested, absorbed, and available for use by the body. A food can contain high levels of a nutrient that is poorly absorbed due to the food's processing or ingredient form. Freeze-dried raw has higher protein bioavailability than extruded kibble due to preserved amino acid structure.
- By-product / By-product meal
- Secondary products of processing. In pet food, "chicken by-products" can include lung, spleen, kidneys, brain, liver, blood, bone, and fatty tissue — legally excluding feathers, heads, feet, and intestines. "By-product meal" is rendered (high-heat cooked) by-products. Not inherently harmful, but quality is highly variable and not regulated to human-food standards.
- Crude protein
- A measurement of total nitrogen in a food, used to estimate protein content. Expressed as a percentage of the food's weight. "Crude" means it is an estimate — it does not measure protein quality, bioavailability, or amino acid completeness. Two foods with identical crude protein percentages can deliver very different nutrition.
- DHA (Docosahexaenoic acid)
- A long-chain omega-3 fatty acid critical for brain development, cognitive function, and vision. Found in highest concentration in wild-caught fatty fish (salmon, sardines, mackerel). Cannot be efficiently converted from plant-based omega-3 sources (ALA) in dogs. Loyal Saints Turkey + Salmon provides DHA from whole wild salmon and salmon oil.
- EPA (Eicosapentaenoic acid)
- A long-chain omega-3 fatty acid with anti-inflammatory properties. Supports joint health, coat quality, and cardiovascular function. Sourced alongside DHA from wild-caught fish. Important for dogs with arthritis, inflammatory skin conditions, or joint disease.
- Extrusion
- The manufacturing process used to make kibble. Ingredients are combined into a dough and forced under high pressure through a die (shaping nozzle) while simultaneously exposed to heat (160–200°C). The pellets are then dried, cooled, and coated with fats and flavor enhancers. High heat destroys enzymes, heat-sensitive vitamins, and reduces protein bioavailability.
- Feed-grade vs. human-grade
- Feed-grade ingredients meet USDA standards for animal food — they may include material not permitted in human food production, including diseased tissue and certain byproducts. Human-grade ingredients meet the higher standards required for food intended for human consumption. The facility must also be human-grade — human-grade ingredients processed in a feed-grade facility do not maintain human-grade status.
- Freeze-drying (lyophilization)
- A preservation method that removes moisture from food without heat. Ingredients are frozen solid, then placed in a vacuum chamber where the ice converts directly to vapor (sublimation). The result is a shelf-stable product that retains 95%+ of its original nutritional profile — including enzymes, heat-sensitive vitamins, and amino acids — without artificial preservatives.
- Guaranteed analysis
- The label panel on pet food showing minimum percentages of crude protein and crude fat, and maximum percentages of crude fiber and moisture. Required by AAFCO for all pet food labels. Does not indicate nutrient bioavailability, ingredient quality, or actual amino acid profile.
- MCT (Medium-chain triglycerides)
- A type of saturated fat found in coconut oil. MCTs are more rapidly absorbed and metabolized for energy than long-chain fatty acids and do not require bile salts for digestion. Associated with antimicrobial properties and cognitive support in aging dogs. Included in all Loyal Saints formulas via coconut oil.
- Rendered protein / Meat meal
- The product of rendering — a high-heat (130–180°C) process that separates fat from protein in animal material. The resulting powder (meal) has concentrated protein by weight but significantly reduced bioavailability due to heat processing. "Chicken meal" is common in kibble and legal but indicates a different product than "chicken" (whole muscle meat).
- Taurine
- An amino acid synthesized by dogs (unlike cats, which require dietary taurine). Associated with cardiac health — taurine deficiency has been linked to dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Heart meat is one of the richest natural dietary sources of taurine. All Loyal Saints formulas include heart meat for natural taurine content.
Nutrition FAQs
Is Loyal Saints nutritionally complete for all dogs?
Yes. All Loyal Saints formulas are formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for All Life Stages — the highest AAFCO designation, covering puppies, adults, and senior dogs. Each formula is tested to confirm it meets or exceeds minimum requirements for protein, fat, vitamins, and minerals at every life stage before release. We recommend consulting your veterinarian for dogs with specific health conditions or dogs on therapeutic diets.
Why does Loyal Saints use organ meat?
Organ meat — specifically liver and heart — is among the most nutritionally dense food a dog can consume. Liver is the most concentrated natural source of vitamin A, B12, iron, and copper. Heart is a natural source of taurine and CoQ10. In an ancestral canine diet, organ meat made up a significant portion of consumption. We include organs because they provide nutrients that would otherwise require synthetic supplementation.
Does Loyal Saints contain any grains or carbohydrates?
Loyal Saints contains no corn, wheat, soy, rice, or grain-based ingredients. Carbohydrates are present in small amounts from whole vegetables and fruits (pumpkin, carrots, blueberries, etc.) which provide fiber, vitamins, and phytonutrients. These are low-glycemic, whole-food carbohydrate sources — not fillers or starch binders like those required for kibble production. Total carbohydrate content is significantly lower than any kibble.
Is Loyal Saints safe for dogs with food allergies?
Loyal Saints single-protein formulas are well-suited for elimination diets and dogs with suspected protein allergies. Common food allergens in dogs are beef, chicken, dairy, wheat, egg, lamb, and soy. If your dog has a known allergy, select the formula that excludes the problematic protein and introduce carefully. All three formulas are free from wheat, soy, corn, dairy, and egg. Contact us or consult your veterinarian for specific allergy-related guidance.
How much should I feed my dog?
General guideline: 2–3% of your dog's ideal body weight per day, divided into two meals. A 50-lb adult dog at moderate activity level: approximately 1–1.5oz freeze-dried raw per meal (before rehydration). Rehydrate with water for 5–10 minutes before serving — the food expands 3–4x in volume and becomes easier for some dogs to eat. Adjust based on activity level, age, and body condition score. Our website includes a feeding calculator for personalized estimates.
Does Loyal Saints use wild-caught or farmed salmon?
Wild-caught Pacific salmon. Farmed salmon typically contains 50–60% less EPA and DHA than wild-caught and often contains higher levels of contaminants from concentrated feed lots. Wild-caught salmon is more expensive but significantly more nutritious. The omega-3 content in our Turkey + Salmon formula comes from whole wild-caught salmon plus additional salmon oil — not from farmed sources or salmon oil alone.
