Dr. Marty Nature's Blend for Active Vitality Seniors Freeze Dried Raw Dog Food

Dr. Marty Nature's Blend Active Vitality Freeze-Dried Raw Dog Food

Active Vitality is Dr. Marty's formula for older dogs. Before anything else, one piece of context that most senior foods never mention.

There is no such thing as an AAFCO senior food

AAFCO recognises growth, gestation and lactation, adult maintenance, and all life stages. It has no senior category. So every senior dog food on every shelf, this one included, carries an adult maintenance statement, and "senior" describes how the manufacturer formulated it rather than a standard it was tested against.

That is not a criticism of this bag. It is the reason you should look at what actually changed in the recipe instead of trusting the word on the front, and here that is easy because the changes are small and specific.

What's actually different

Active Vitality is Essential Wellness with two additions: tart cherry and New Zealand green mussel, sitting at positions twelve and thirteen, right after the pea protein. Nothing else in the ingredient list differs.

Green lipped mussel is a traditional inclusion in joint formulas, and tart cherry turns up in the same context. We are not going to tell you either one treats arthritis... the evidence in dogs is thinner than the marketing around it suggests, and a dog that is genuinely stiff or sore needs a vet, who has considerably better tools than a bag of food. What we can say is that both are in there, high enough in the list to be real inclusions rather than dust.

The more useful difference is the one nobody advertises. Active Vitality is the leaner bag. 27% fat against 33% in Essential Wellness, and 253 kcal per cup against 256 in a cup that weighs more. Older dogs slow down, lose muscle and gain weight, and carrying extra weight is harder on sore joints than almost anything else you can control. A leaner formula at the same protein is a sensible thing to feed a dog that has stopped doing six-mile walks.

When to switch

Dr. Marty's own guidance, which is their recommendation rather than a label statement: small breeds from about 10 years, medium breeds from 8, large breeds from 7. Bigger dogs age sooner, which is why the numbers run backwards from what you might expect.

There is no rush on the day of a birthday. Switch when the dog's habits change... shorter walks, longer naps, a bit more weight around the middle... rather than on a date.

Full ingredient list

Turkey, Beef, Salmon, Duck, Beef Liver, Turkey Liver, Turkey Heart, Flaxseed, Sweet Potato, Egg, Pea Protein, Cherry, New Zealand Green Mussel, Apple, Blueberry, Carrot, Cranberry, Pumpkin Seed, Spinach, Dried Kelp, Ginger, Salt, Sunflower Seed, Broccoli, Kale, Mixed Tocopherols (preservative).

No corn, wheat, soy or added grain.

Guaranteed analysis

• Crude Protein (min) ... 37%
• Crude Fat (min) ... 27%
• Crude Fiber (max) ... 4%
• Moisture (max) ... 6%
• Calcium (min) ... 0.5%
• Iron (min) ... 40 mg/kg
• Leucine (min) ... 2%
• Vitamin A (min) ... 50,000 IU/kg
• Omega-3 Fatty Acids (min) ... 2.5%*

*Omega-3 fatty acids are not recognized as essential nutrients by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles.

Read off the bag in our store. The manufacturer's own website publishes 40% protein, 31% fat and different calorie figures for this formula, and the package does not agree. The package governs.

AAFCO statement

Formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for adult maintenance.

Calorie content

4,689 kcal/kg ... 253 kcal per cup. A cup means a standard 8-fluid-ounce dry measuring cup, filled level, holding about 54 grams of this food... the heaviest cup in the line. It does not hold 8 ounces by weight.

Feeding guidelines

Dr. Marty's published amounts, dry and before water, split across two meals.

Starting points, not prescriptions, and worth revisiting more often with an older dog than a younger one. Appetite and activity both drift with age. Check body condition every few weeks... ribs findable under a thin covering, a waist visible from above... and adjust. If an older dog is losing weight without you cutting the food, that is a vet visit rather than a feeding adjustment.

How to rehydrate

Warm water at two parts food to one part water, three minutes, then stir through. Older dogs with worn teeth often do better with a little extra water and a longer soak, which is one of the quiet advantages of freeze-dried over kibble. Handle it like raw meat: wash hands and bowl afterwards, and don't leave a made-up portion out.

Switching over

Ten days. 25% of the new food on days one to three, 50% on four to six, 75% on seven to nine, all of it from day ten. If you are coming from Essential Wellness it is the same recipe with two additions and a lower fat level, so the change is gentler than most.

Sizes, and how many cups you get

6 oz, 16 oz and 48 oz, roughly 3¼, 8½ and 25 level cups. There is no 80 oz bag in this formula. For a 50 lb dog eating 2¾ cups a day that is about a day, three days, and nine days.

Storage

Seal it fully after each use, cool and dry. Dr. Marty puts an opened bag at up to three months, shortened by heat and humidity.

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