ZiwiPeak – Hunger From Down Under
The first in the series of foods that I feed my dogs is ZiwiPeak. Most people probably have not heard of this company or food. Mark and I were really excited when we first discovered this food 3 years back at a tradeshow. ZiwiPeak is from New Zealand. It is a very unique product, super high in quality, extremely palatable and best of all, you can still scoop and go like kibble.
Like most of the foods that I rotate through, the premise of Ziwipeak is the same. Feed a high protein, low carb (think Atkins for dogs) diet that hasn’t been high heat processed. Ziwipeak is 95% meat and a completely balanced diet. The food comes in three flavors – Lamb, Venison and Venison-Fish. The formulas use kelp, fish oil, green lipped mussel and parsley to round the diet. This is a great diet for dogs that have any grain or chicken/beef allergies. The meat is free range, antibiotic/hormone free and humanely raised, which is really important for me!
A common argument used against these “ancestral diets” are that these lapdogs you see in purses or just lay around all day is nothing like a ferocious wolf or coyote. This may be true but the evolution of the dogs anatomy has not changed that significantly from the cousins in the wild. Also, in place of high protein, many dog food companies use carbohydrates. Carbohydrates can be a detriment to the dog’s health because if it is not burned, it turns to sugar in the body which can lead to obesity and diabetes in dogs. Obviously, there will be some exceptions to the rule especially if there is a medical condition like pancreatitis.
The food is gently air dried and is not cooked through a high heat extrusion process like kibble. This preserves the protein structures and nutritional value of the food. If you look at the food, you will think it is a dried jerky. In fact, most people think the food is actually treats. Although it is food, your dog will probably think the same as they devour the food. When we have dogs that are finicky eaters, this is one of our top choices as we rarely see a dog turn away from this food.
The amount of food you feed is significantly less as well. As a result the bags come in 2.2lb and 11lb bags compared to your traditional 5lb, 15lb and 25lb bags of food. The dogs are able to absorb all they need from this nutrient dense food. There are no fillers to add weight to the food. The huge benefit that I enjoy (having 3 dogs) and that many owners agree is that since they eat a lot less, they also poop a lot less.
Owners are often concerned that ZiwiPeak portions are usually not enough food but this is because they are accustomed to feeding kibble or lower quality foods. Also since they will be eating less in volume, it is a great way to help avoid weight difficulty issues. Did you know 40% of nation’s dogs are obese? This is really problematic as the dog ages. Many dogs will suffer hip and joint issues as a result.
I think I ate too much
What is also important to note, is that Mark and I know the owners of the company. We have met Peter Mitchell and his lovely wife Kimberly on several occasions. ZiwiPeak is a family run business with high standard of ethics and morals which value highly. We have the utmost confidence in their product, manufacturing and business practices.
The only downside is the product is higher in price than your traditional dog foods. For small to medium size dogs, the amount of food your dogs eat allow you the option of going to a brand like ZiwiPeak without absorbing too much of a price increase. It can be harder to feed exclusively ZiwiPeak for larger dog owners but don’t think it is all or nothing. Pairing ZiwiPeak to a high quality kibble can allow your dog to have some of the nutritional benefits of the food rather than none at all. Trust me, your dog will thank you for it!
If you have any specific questions about the food, please don’t hesitate to leave it as a comment and I will get back to you shortly.
Appreciate the support and you reading the blog. Stay tuned for more on different foods in coming entries.
You can buy ziwipeak at our online store by clicking here.
I have 12 lb chi-mix that I rescued almost 2 years ago. She should probably weigh under 10 lbs. I have tried a variety of foods and have not had a lot of luck. I have tried Ziwi Peak and she turns her nose up at this as well. The only thing she will eat with gusto is the Natural Balance food logs which I have been told is like junk food for dogs. She hates kibble. Any other recommendations?
@Rhonda – Wow! Your dog is one of the rare few that turn away from Ziwi.
Have no fear thought, there are a few different options that you might want to try including the Stella and Chewys Freeze Dried patties or some of the raw foods. I will be writing in detail about these foods in coming posts. Stay tuned and thanks for reading!
Hi. I currently feed my 6lb female maltese Ziwipeak. Before Ziwipeak she was on a homecooked diet due to allergies. I tried Stella and Chewys for a month or so while weaning her off homecooking. I noticed when my dog went to the bathroom on Stella’s it was small, chalk like and very fine. Heard it was due to her body using all the nutrients of the raw. The difference on Ziwi is when she eliminates it looks like real poop andis larger. Do you have any idea why this is?
Hello again. Regarding my last message, I feed my dog the canned Ziwipeak daily cuisine and the jerky treats. Thanks.
Hi, I was wondering if I could get the nutritional info on the Ziwi Peak good Dog treats. I’m specifically interested in the cholesterol. Right now I am giving my dog the Lamb recipe but I have given her venison and liver in the past. Recently on a blood test she showed very high on cholesterol and very low on thyroid. Most of her regular diet is 93% sirloin alternating with a white fish. I’d like to get a sense of what nutritional values she’s taking in. It may have nothing to do with her diet, but it would be helpful to know. Thank you, Karen.
@Sun Thank you for your comments. The chalk like poop is the result of bone in the diet. Most raw diets have some bone which is healthy for dogs.
Ziwipeak does not use bones in their diet and that may account for the difference in the poop matter. Hope this helps!
Great review! I have 2 Chihuahuas and have been researching pet food for quite a while now, and after all of my research I’ve been drifting towards a raw diet for them. A good friend of mine had switched her’s to the Honest Kitchen and after researching into that food, I decided to switch my two to it. While THK is a terrific food, it doesn’t contain as much protein as I’d like them to get and lately I’ve been considering adding Ziwipeak (wet) in to THK. While my oldest furchild just loves THK, my youngest turned her nose up at it. We started with the Force formula and next I’ll try Keen to see if she’ll like that one. If not, I’m going to add Ziwipeak to her kibble so she can at least get some of the benefits of a raw diet!
@Karen Here is a link to the ziwipeak site that includes the guaranteed analysis of the treats.
http://ziwipeak.com/nzl/treatsfamily.shtml
Treats should not be given as food and we have not had dogs come back with high cholestrol or low thyroid from treats. It may mean an indication of hormonal imbalance.
I would also consider re-evaluating the diet. Make sure if you are making a home based diet, that you are using a supplement to insure that all the vitamins and minerals are in place. Hope this helps!
@Nadine – I recommend the Ziwipeak/HK combo. You can increase the protein into the HK diet. Also HK is coming out with ZEAL a new fish formula that will run higher in protein.
Thanks for reading!
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So if ZiwiPeak does not contain bone, does a bone meal supplement need to be added to the dogs diet?
@Jen –
I followed up with the owners of ziwipeak and I stand corrected. There is bone content in the food – very fine but its there. I made the mistake because bone is not listed as an ingredient which led to the confusion.
No bone meal supplement would be necessary.
Thanks for the response.
So we switched our very skinny 10 pound rat terrier over to the dry Ziwipeak after numerous digestive issues on kibble. She loves it and hasn’t had any digestive/stomach issues since we switched, but now shes ravenously hungry all the time. We are feeding her the amount from the weight class above her (22 lbs) but shes still hungry after she eats. I thought this would go away as she got used to the portions but its going on 2 months now and still the same behavior. We supplement it with cottage cheese or plain yogurt at times but just wondering if anyone else has dealt with this and looking for any suggestions.
Side note: it would be good if she put on a pound or two.
@Jen
If your dog is 10lbs and eating 22lbs rations, your dog should be gaining weight. If you find your dog the same weight, you could try feeding more or adding in pumpkin or sweet potato into the diet to add more calories.
We have also had clients mixed in the wet food to the dry food as a topper to add more calories to the diet.
Hope this helps!
Hi! Mi maltese puppy Gobo has always been a little bit skinny althogh I¡’ve always tried to feed him with premium kibble as Orijen. Gobo used to be a finicky eater but with Ziwipeak he’s very enthousiastic about the lunch time! Thanks to it, he’s been able to gain a little weight and look healthier.
As you point in your review, I’m lucky to have a small breed dog, so I’m able to feed him with ziwipeak at least twice a year, combined with another quality kibble. Ziwipeaks costs 18′45euros at my local dealer!
Sept. 03, 2011
i feed my 9 lb 2 1/2 yr old yorkie/chihuahua
Ziwipeak canned. She has been on it for 2 weeks now, and this is the longest she has gone eating all of the food at her mealtimes. GREAT FOOD!!!!!
Hi
lexee is a 2 1/2 yr old yorkie/chihuahua. She needs to lose a lb – which she is starting to do. i would really like to try her on ziwipeak dehydrated but the fat content is 27% – is that too high for her considering she has to lose weight and if it isnt would she still continue to lose weight. Currently she is eating hill’s r/d canned.
thanks
sharron