Vital Essentials Mini Nibs are great to stuff Kong dog toys with!
The Mini Nibs are a freeze-dried raw dog food and one of my top nutritional finds at the Global Pet Expo in sunny Orlando, FL back in 2016.
That said, I’ve included them in my dog treat approach ever since!
Disclaimer: This blog post was originally published in 2016 and has been updated in 2024. It contains affiliate links I may earn compensation through at no additional cost to you.
Vital Essentials Mini Nibs: Company Facts
I found Vital Essentials in the natural section of the show floor. They’re a US based company that’s family-owned & operated.
They’ve actually been making a difference in what we feed our dogs and cats since 1968!
The brand meets all the requirements I’m looking for in a company who produces healthy, species-appropriate dog nutrition.
I’m going to let their company facts speak for themselves:
Vital Essentials sells raw frozen patties as well as raw freeze-dried complete meals.
The freeze-dried meals offer ultimate convenience because they don’t have to be refrigerated.
That makes them a great alternative to raw feeding when camping. Click here to read more about this topic.
That’s thanks to the slow, 48 hour freeze-drying process of the raw meat, bones, and organs.
Freeze-Dried Vital Essentials Mini Nibs
The freeze-dried Mini Nibs are available in beef, chicken, turkey, and duck.
That said, here’s what the duck and turkey nibs samples my pups taste-tested consist of:
Ingredients Duck Mini Nibs
Ground duck with bone, duck liver, duck gizzard, duck skin, herring oil, mixed tocopherols, d-alpha tocopherol.
Ingredients Turkey Mini Nibs
Ground turkey with bone, turkey heart, turkey liver, herring oil, mixed tocopherols, d-alpha tocopherol.
I Used The Mini Nibs as Dog Training Rewards & to Fill Dog Food Puzzles
I felt very comfortable letting Missy & Buzz taste-test the nutritious turkey and duck Mini Nibs I brought back for them.
Obviously, I didn’t have enough for a whole meal, so I incorporated one half in a little dog training session, and the other half in a dog food puzzle.
As you can see in the pictures below, I rewarded Missy with the Mini Nibs for holding a “down-stay” combined with a “leave-it”.
Buzz got some Mini Nibs for holding his “paws up” on our chaise lounge combined with a “leave it”.
That’s a great core-strengthening dog exercise, by the way!
Filling The KONG Toys
I also filled the pups’ hollow KONG toys with a mix of the:
- Mini Nibs
- Peanut butter
- Plain greek yogurt
- An apple/carrot/pineapple smoothie
Tip: It’s best to purée plant matter because dogs lack the enzymes that break down plant cell walls.
Learn more about vegetables for dogs (and in raw dog food) here.
The filled KONGs then went into the freezer for about 6 hours.
I also could have offered them non-frozen, but that way they only would have lasted about 10 mins.
Freezing them adds about 20-30 minutes of licking time.
Missy & Buzz got to enjoy their frozen goodies when I came back from my dog walking visits on one of our awesome, warmer spring days!
As expected, they lasted a little over 30 mins, which gave me some time to unwind with a cup of coffee while watching the pups enjoy their frozen treats outside in our yard.
Meeting KONG At Global Pet Expo
Speaking of our KONG toys – of course I also had to stop by the KONG booth while I was at Global.
I had the pleasure of meeting Minoru and chatting with him about the importance of mental doggie stimulation – which is just as important as physical exercise!
Click here for lots of ideas on how to exercise and train your dogs.
Food puzzles are an excellent means of burning mental energy because they ask dogs to figure out how to get to the edible goodies inside of them.
I can’t recommend them enough, especially when you’re in need of some “me” time.
Vital Essentials Mini Nibs: Our Paw-Sitive Verdict
I’m stoked, to say the least, to have found another raw feeding company who sets itself apart from the big commercial dry dog food brands.
Here’s to all the amazing health benefits associated with raw food for dogs:
- Healthy Skin & Coat
- Reduction of Allergies
- Reduction of Cancer Risk
- Improved Weight Management
- Improved Digestion & Oral Health
More Freeze-Dried Goodness from Vital Essentials – Minnows
Vital Essential’s wild-caught, freeze-dried Minnows are a small freshwater fish typically used for bait by fishermen.
I’ve been looking into adding more fish protein to Missy & Buzz’s diet and treat allowance, so I’m excited that I’ve been finding out more about fishy products.
These particular ones don’t smell and are a hit with the pups!!
Has your pup taste-tested some of Vital Essentials’ yummy foods and/or treats?
As always, I’d love to hear from you in the comment section below this blog post!
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