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Sign up to our monthly newsletter to get our curated collection of articles on the benefits of cold-pressed dog food, dog nutrition & wellness, and much more!
At Nextrition, one of the things we love to highlight is how well our cold-pressed dog food supports healthy digestion. It's a great option for dogs with sensitive stomachs, and it works wonders for picky eaters too. Why? Because cold pressing creates food that works with your dog’s digestive system—not against it
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Before we dive into the digestion benefits, let’s cover the basics of cold pressing. Cold-pressed dog food starts with natural, high-quality ingredients chosen to meet a dog’s nutritional needs. These ingredients are mixed and then pressed together without high heat or steam for a few seconds using our patent pending process.
The pressing process helps preserve the natural flavors, nutrients, live probiotics and enzymes that would normally be lost in high-temperature cooking.
One of the biggest digestion benefits of cold-pressed dog food is how it breaks down in the stomach. Rather than swelling inside the stomach, like traditional kibble sometimes does, cold-pressed food breaks down gradually from the outside in.
Because it doesn’t expand in the stomach, it’s less likely to cause bloating—making it a great choice for dogs with digestive issues. Mealtime becomes a more comfortable experience for your dog, reducing the risk of post-meal discomfort and helping them feel fuller longer.
Here are some of the key ways cold-pressed food supports digestion:
Just like humans, dogs digest natural, minimally processed ingredients more efficiently. That’s exactly what cold-pressed dog food offers.
When your dog’s food is easy to digest, it benefits more than just the digestive system—it promotes overall health. You’ve probably heard the saying, “you are what you eat.” Well, the same goes for dogs.
A dog’s health depends not just on what they eat, but on how well their body absorbs nutrients from that food. If their digestive system struggles, even the healthiest food won’t provide the nutrition they need.
Cold-pressed food offers higher nutritional value per cup compared to traditional kibble. And since it’s more digestible, those nutrients are absorbed more effectively. The result? Less digestive discomfort, healthier stools, and better access to the building blocks needed for long-term health.
We know you have plenty of options when choosing what to feed your dog. Between dry kibble, wet food, raw diets, and everything in between, it can feel overwhelming. But we encourage you to consider giving cold-pressed dog food a try.
With Nextrition, you get the best of both worlds. Our food offers the high nutritional value of a raw diet with the convenience of dry kibble. And because it’s easier to digest, it’s a perfect fit for dogs with sensitive stomachs or picky eating habits.
So why not give your dog a food that works with their digestion, not against it? We believe Nextrition will make mealtime enjoyable again—while giving your dog the nutrition they need to thrive.
If your dog fits the “picky eater” label, you know just how frustrating mealtime can be. Maybe your dog refuses to eat anything from his bowl and holds out for table scraps—or nothing at all. We get it. But we’d like to suggest an alternative: cold-pressed dog food.
At Nextrition, we’ve designed a dry dog food that better retains both natural flavor and nutrients than traditional kibble. If your dog isn’t a fan of traditional kibble and a raw or fresh diet just isn’t realistic, cold-pressed food might be exactly what you’re looking for.
Cold-pressed dog food is cooked at lower temperatures compared to regular kibble. This keeps more of the food’s natural flavors intact—plus, it smells better too. And we all know how much scent matters to dogs.
Think about when you smell your favorite meal cooking—it makes you look forward to eating, right? Dogs are no different. The rich aromas of cold-pressed dog food can tempt even the fussiest eater to dig in.
Because cold-pressed dog food is made by pressing natural ingredients into small bite-sized pieces, every bite is packed with flavor. And with no fillers to dilute the taste, dogs get a richer, meatier experience.
You could think of cold-pressed food as the next best thing to a raw diet—but without the hassle. A raw diet can be great, but it’s not always practical. Cold-pressed dog food delivers similar nutritional benefits and flavors in a shelf-stable convenient form that’s as easy as kibble.
Another reason picky eaters might prefer cold-pressed dog food is that the natural nutrients from the ingredients are left intact. Since the food isn’t cooked at high temperatures or heavily processed, these nutrients remain. That extra layer of nutrition can make all the difference.
Unlike traditional kibble, cold-pressed dog food doesn’t rely on fillers or bulking agents. This means every bite is packed with more nutrients—like protein, vitamins, and minerals. Even though your dog may not consciously recognize the added nutrition, they’ll likely enjoy the difference in flavor and texture.
We can’t promise that cold-pressed dog food will work for every picky eater—some dogs are selective for reasons that go beyond food preferences. But for many dogs, a more flavorful and natural option makes a noticeable difference at mealtime.
If your dog tends to turn up their nose at food, why not give cold-pressed dog food a shot? It offers rich flavor, enticing aromas, and high nutritional value—all in a format that’s just as easy to serve as dry kibble.
Cold-pressed food might be the solution you’ve been searching for. With no fillers, natural nutrients, and more flavor, it just might turn your picky eater into a happy eater. Give it a try and see if it makes a difference in your dog’s mealtime routine.
At Nextrition, we’re confident in calling our cold-pressed dog food a healthy option for your pup. But it’s not just the cold-pressing process that makes our food healthy. Cold pressing alone doesn’t guarantee a healthy outcome.
So, what actually makes dog food healthy? And more importantly, how can you tell if the food you’re giving your dog is the right choice?
We believe that a healthy dog food meets all of your dog’s nutritional needs while avoiding ingredients and processes that aren’t great for canine health. And let’s be honest—your dog has to actually want to eat it for it to do any good, so taste matters too!
Ingredients Are Key
We often say, “you are what you eat,” and that applies to dogs as well. If we feed ourselves junk, we’ll pay for it with our health later on. The same goes for our furry friends. To keep your dog healthy, you’ve got to focus on giving them the right nutrition, and that starts with quality ingredients.
Ingredients are the building blocks your dog’s body uses to stay healthy. To make a truly healthy dog food, manufacturers need to use high-quality, natural ingredients with minimal processing.
Just like humans, dogs need the right balance of meat, fruits, and vegetables. They depend on their food to provide a solid mix of vitamins and minerals. That’s why good ingredients are so important. Start with the right balance of great ingredients, and you’re well on your way to making healthy dog food. But if you start with poor-quality ingredients, it’s hard to end up with a healthy result.
Processing Matters Too
Even the best ingredients won’t do much good if the manufacturing process strips away their natural nutritional value. Unfortunately, that’s what happens with traditional kibble. It’s cooked at extremely high temperatures, which kills off bacteria and germs but also destroys a lot of the food’s nutrients.
Cold pressing, on the other hand, uses much lower temperatures. It takes natural ingredients and press them together with low heat and no steam, preserving more of the food’s nutritional value and flavor. By keeping more of those essential nutrients intact, cold pressing helps create a healthier dog food.
Two Important Things to Keep in Mind
We’ve given you a general idea of what makes a healthy dog food, but here are two key things to keep in mind:
A Final Word
At the end of the day, healthy dog food is about more than what’s written on the label. At Nextrition, we do our best to provide clear, detailed labels, but we also encourage dog owners to do their own research and talk to their vets. While cold-pressed dog food is generally a healthier option, cold pressing alone isn’t a guarantee. It’s all about the right combination of ingredients, process, and a food that your dog will happily and safely eat.Every now and then, we like to remind dog owners that they don't need to worry about finding space in the refrigerator or freezer with cold-pressed dog food. Here at Nextrition, we make an all-natural cold-pressed dog food that's shelf-stable before and after opening. But how is that possible? Doesn’t all dog food spoil eventually?
Sure, any kind of food will spoil if stored improperly for a long time. When we say our cold-pressed dog food is shelf-stable, we mean you’ve got plenty of time to use it before worrying about spoilage. The secret to our dog food's stability is in the processing.
Cold Pressing in a Nutshell
Cold pressing is a pretty simple process. We gather all our ingredients, combine them, press them without high heat or steam into crunchy pieces. Our process gets its name from the low pressing temperature. Traditional kibble, on the other hand, is cooked and formed at 3x higher temperatures.
Similar to a fresh cooked and raw diet, cold pressing is better at preserving the natural flavor and nutritional value vs. traditional kibble. The slower and lower you cook food, the more you preserve its natural goodness.
Water Is the Big Thing
When it comes to food spoilage, water is the big culprit. This applies to all sorts of foods, not just dog food. Water promotes spoilage because it provides a breeding ground for bacteria and other microorganisms. Take away the water, and you also take away the opportunity for microorganisms to thrive.
This is what sets cold-pressed dog food apart from a fresh or raw diet, cold pressing dog food has removed most of the water from the natural ingredients. But it is pressed at lower temperatures to retain more of the natural nutrients and flavors vs. kibble so you end up with food that maintains high nutritional value but doesn't offer a breeding ground for microorganisms. You also get impressive shelf stability.
Natural Oils Help
While they play a smaller role in preventing food spoilage, the natural oils found in some of our ingredients also help. Cold pressing preserves these natural oils, which in turn help inhibit bacterial growth. Once again, cold pressing creates a better food that's less likely to spoil vs. a fresh or raw diet.
So, how long will cold-pressed dog food last before spoiling? We can't give you an exact number because no two dog foods are exactly the same. On average, an unopened and properly stored package of cold-pressed dog food should be shelf-stable between 6-12 months. But remember, storage conditions matter.
You Can Take It With You
We don’t expect our customers to buy cold-pressed dog food and leave it on the shelf for more than a year before using it. Shelf stability isn't usually a concern in that regard. But what about after it's opened? You still get considerable shelf life out of Nextrition cold-pressed dog food.
This makes our dog food perfect for traveling. Unlike some fresh or raw dog foods that don’t travel well, you can take Nextrition food with you when you go camping, RVing, road-tripping, or just spending a full day in the woods. You can even carry it in the same package it originally came in. How convenient is that?
Cold-pressed dog food offers impressive shelf stability. Don’t think that just because our food isn't cooked at high temperatures, it’s any less stable. Under normal conditions, you have nothing to worry about. Cold-pressed dog food offers the stability modern life demands. We hope that sets your mind at ease.
Choosing the right feeding approach for your canine companion can be a puzzle. Both free feeding and scheduled feeding have their advocates, and each method has its own set of advantages and considerations, regardless of whether you're offering off-the-shelf kibble or an all-natural option like Nextrition cold-pressed dog food.
Free feeding involves leaving out a dish of food for your dog to graze on throughout the day, accompanied by fresh water. This approach is undeniably convenient for pet parents. There's no need to stick to strict feeding times or rush home to feed your dog.
One of the perks of free feeding is that it allows dogs to consume their food at their leisure, which some argue mirrors natural feeding habits in the wild. However, since domesticated dogs have different lifestyles, this comparison might not hold true in practice. Free feeding can be particularly beneficial for dogs who tend to naturally graze and eat in small amounts.
However, free feeding isn't without its pitfalls. The most significant concern is the risk of gorging and overeating, which can lead to bloating, throwing up, digestive issues and weight gain. This approach can be especially problematic in households with multiple dogs, as it may lead to competition and food dominance issues.
The downsides to scheduled feeding include less flexibility in your daily routine and the potential need for more frequent feedings for dogs with specific health conditions.