UPDATED APRIL 19, 2025

A decade ago, Food Fur Life was created in the middle of an avian flu outbreak.  Avian flu is not new, and the highly pathogenic form (H5N1) was first detected in the U.S. in wild birds and backyard flocks in the 2014-2015 outbreak. In January 2022,  the USDA/APHIS reported the first detection of HPAI in wild birds in the United States since that first 2014-2016 outbreak.

Testing protocols of not just avian flu, but the numerous contaminants common in the food chain supply of our human grade manufacturer and the human grade source materials used in our premix were primary factors in our relationship decision. Testing protocols of this manufacturer have kept humans and pets safe: they have a no recalls of any kind for any reason in their multi-decade history of production for national and international organizations, not just small companies like Food Fur Life.

Regarding the safety of ingredients of concern in the EZComplete premix:

- Egg yolk. EZC contains dried egg yolk, which is sourced as liquid yolk. This, by law (in the human grade market at least) is required to be heat pasteurized. This heat pasteurization has proven to  render the highly pathogenic avian flu unable to cause infection.

- Eggshell. The 450g bags of EZComplete fur Cats was already switched to calcium carbonate from eggshell in 2023. The 225g bags and 450g EZComplete fur Dogs at the current inventory fulfillment are also being switched to calcium carbonate from eggshell.

- Chicken Liver. Due to an outbreak of avian flu when EZComplete entered the market, the supplier of this ingredient switched from freeze-drying to spray-drying. We were upset about this at the time, but had more than sufficient supplementation of the B vitamins to account for the change. A decade later, upon verifying the specifications of the method used, it has been confirmed that the chicken liver ingredient in the premix is safe from the highly pathogenic avian influenza. The spray-drying of the product has an intake at 150C (302F) and is 100C (212F) at the outlet. This is more than sufficient for safety purposes of all known potential pathogens, including HPAI, especially notable given it is just 74 microns.

Despite the safety steps already in place, the food ingredients in EZComplete premixes are human grade and tested for avian flu. (HPAI is a serotype of avian influenza A and will test positive when tested for it). Of course, this is in addition to all of the other contaminant testing, and this means each ingredient as appropriate, each batch. The testing is done by one of the world's largest independent labs as a third-party provider to our human nutraceutical cGMP manufacturer with NSF certification.

REGARDING FOOD SAFETY: FOOD FUR LIFE RECOMMENDS COOKING POULTRY.

The EZComplete premixes are designed to make raw or cooked meats nutritionally complete and balanced per AAFCO nutrient guidelines. Cooking meat to 165F (79.9C) kills the avian flu virus according to the FDA. We recommend cooking all poultry, which is safe as meat used with EZComplete must be boneless.

When cooking meat to make food, please follow the instructions for how to properly make the food with cooked meats as the amount of premix to use is based on the raw weight prior to cooking. This information is on the bags and on the How To sections for Cats and Dogs here, on the website:

How to Prepare and Feed EZComplete fur Cats
How to Prepare and Feed EZComplete fur Dogs

Finally, it has come to our attention that some people feel locally sourced poultry is safe. To our knowledge, this is not the case. There is no step a local farm can take that is safer than a large factory farm: the only difference is the size of flock that may have to be euthanized. "Pastured" meat is definitely not safe, as that enables flocks to come into contact with infected bird feces outside. Make no mistake,  the source of avian flu is migrating birds.

"Imagine this: You go to your favorite supermarket and come out with three bags full of groceries. Before you get in your car, you toss one of those bags in the garbage. Sound ridiculous? Of course it does, but that's in essence what food waste looks like every day across our country," says Frank Yiannas, the FDA's Deputy Commissioner for Food Policy and Response in an article Confused by Date Labels on Packaged Foods?

By moving to a "Manufactured On" date ("MFG" on the package) from the prior "Expiration Date," Food Fur Life's manufacturer is responding to the FDA's Winning on Food Waste Initiative. Reports on food waste in the United States present  clear - and alarming - data on the amount of food waste each year in the U.S:

• 40% of the U.S. food supply is wasted each year.
• One-third of all food waste in the U.S., an estimated 133 billion pounds worth $161 billion, is by consumers.
• Food waste is the largest single category of material placed in municipal landfills.
• On average, $1,600 worth of produce per family is wasted each year.

Discussed in the reports, not only does this staggering amount of food waste have health consequences given it could have nourished families in need, there are environmental and financial impacts as well: the water, energy and labor that went into its production was also wasted. This level of waste in the U.S. is not news, the EPA, USDA and FDA have had numerous programs over the years in an attempt to reduce food waste. But in 2019 the USDA, FDA and EPA finally announced an interagency strategy to prioritize actions to reduce food loss and waste.

20% of Food Waste at the Consumer Level is Due to Confusion about Date Labeling

The FDA does not require nor regulate date labeling on packaged foods (other than infant formula). 41 states and Washington DC require some date labels - but there is no consistency nor coordination among states. There is no  standardization of terms, no industry-wide definitions, no regulated or standardized method of determining what date should be used, how it is determined, and just what, exactly, the date is.  Manufacturers are left to determine these dates with no guidelines nor date definitions. In fact, the dates on packaged and frozen foods were never meant to convey safety, rather "peak" freshness. Surprised? Most are!

Due to a lack of information about the intent of these dates, most of us throw away perfectly good food. More than 80% of Americans are under the misconception these dates on packaged and frozen foods are related to health consequences of consuming the product. Not so.

From the USDA's Before You Toss Food, Wait. Check it out!

"Food poisoning bacteria does not grow in the freezer, so no matter how long a food is frozen, it is safe to eat. Foods that have been in the freezer for months (recommended freezer times chart) may be dry, or may not taste as good, but they will be safe to eat. So if you find a package of ground beef that has been in the freezer more than a few months, don’t throw it out. Use it to make chili or tacos. The seasonings and additional ingredients can make up for loss of flavor.

"What about the foods in your pantry? Most shelf-stable foods are safe indefinitely. In fact, canned goods will last for years, as long as the can itself is in good condition (no rust, dents, or swelling). Packaged foods (cereal, pasta, cookies) will be safe past the ‘best by’ date, although they may eventually become stale or develop an off flavor. You’ll know when you open the package if the food has lost quality. Many [most] dates on foods refer to quality, not safety. See FSIS’ Shelf-Stable Food Safety fact sheet for more information."

Thus, in-line with the goal of reducing food waste, our manufacturer has moved to simple date labeling by providing the manufacturing date. Given the prior "expiration" date was quite random and had nothing to do with "freshness" or nutrient life, we're happy to support this move and participate in the effort to reduce food loss and waste, an effort clearly needed.

So How Long Does the Nutrition Remain Intact?

Freeze-drying in particular makes foods incredibly shelf-stable, and freshness / nutrient retention is related to the quality of packaging and storage conditions. You can't beat cans (thus 25 year freeze dried cooked ham and chicken exist), but if in packing that minimizes oxidation, and the package properly sealed and stored long term in a cool, dry place, freeze dried foods remain fresh for years. With double-walled, BPA-free, food grade mylar with an aluminum core, the longevity studies conducted *on our products with our packaging* found our premixes remain nutritionally intact for the life of the shortest-dated product in them: the green lipped mussels, that are dated three years by the producer. It is between the third and fourth years the efficacy of the omega 3 begins to degrade. This does not impact consumption from a safety standpoint, but a nutritional standpoint. The EZComplete Premixes can be fed for at least three years from the date of manufacture with confidence your pets are getting the nutrition they need to thrive.

It is our hope this move to a manufacturing date on Food Fur Life packaging is educational for all of us feeding EZComplete or using the EZ Egg Yolk. For those of us that thought these dates were related to safety, it is our sincere hope that now better informed, we can all take a new approach to using instead of removing what's in our cupboard or freezer, reducing food waste at home.

At long last, Food Fur Life's new batch of EZComplete fur Cats is scheduled for delivery, Wednesday July 7. !!!! And yes, that is THIS YEAR! (Just thought we needed to be clear about that, given the number of times the "expect it by" date has been moved).

The store is open for PRE-ORDERS. We will not have product delivery until Wednesday (July 7), thus orders will start shipping Thursday (July 8). As always (when we have inventory), there are no restrictions on purchases.

We want to thank everyone for your understanding and patience through this covid-related supply chain ordeal. We know it's been frustrating for those new to or interested in EZComplete fur Cats. Your support for our decision to allocate very limited inventory to kitties already dependent on food made with EZComplete was overwhelming and is something that truly warms the heart. And to those with kitties eating food made with EZComplete? Your willingness to be clear about your stock and food on hand versus need is deeply appreciated. Without ALL of your help, we would not have been able to make it through the numerous delays with inventory to ship to those in need. This is truly a community of people that care not just about their own kitties, but ALL kitties.

Right to the point, the shortest possible version:  EZComplete fur Cats is in the last step prior to release for delivery. Our rep at the manufacturer “swears” we will have our product delivered by the end of this week (Friday, June 25). Given 2021 has been The Year of the Delay, Food Fur Life takes that to mean we will be back in stock sometime next week (Friday, July 2).

(Please note, we do not mean to be flippant, but laughter is an important tool in getting through trying times. We take the health and needs of your furry family members VERY seriously. That  is why we put the product on allocation for those kitties dependent on it, and provided resources to those who asked for alternatives to EZComplete while waiting for it to become available).

The longer version if you would like to know what happened.

As everyone is aware, 2020 and 2021 have seen covid-related supply chain problems in just about every industry. Reduced capacity, staff reductions, diminished shipping and freight capacity globally, new rules and restrictions, changes in processing of imports at borders – at every step there is the potential for impact. Covid-related supply chain problems have affected almost every company and every industry around the world. An Ernst & Young survey published in February found just 2% of respondents of the largest companies in a wide variety of industries report they were not affected.

The pet food industry is no exception. Shortages of any number of ingredients meant some foods were off the shelves for weeks to months. Shortages in packaging, whether bags, bottles or cans meant companies had to reduce production: some managed the problem by rotating flavors available in popular brands.
 
Food Fur Life was no exception. The new batch restock order was placed into a worldwide shortage of calcium. Our food grade eggshell ingredient is made in the U.S. with domestic shell, but eggshell is an easy replacement for calcium carbonate. Reduced production during the lockdown and high demand after meant a significant delay in delivery. Our manufacturer's strict quality controls means adding an alternate ingredient takes at least three months with audits and product testing. There was nothing to do but wait. And wait. Food Fur Life's eggshell finally arrived at the manufacturer - over two months later than our new batch normally would have been delivered to us.

The “back in stock” date turned out to be a moving target. And thus it is we are pleased to FINALLY report EZComplete fur Cats is near the end of the last step prior to release for delivery: post-production testing. Of course, as it turns out, the (third-party) lab is backed up.  Prior turnaround time was so reliable it was simply referred to as “the 5-day hold.” Ingredients are always ID and quality tested prior to production. Post-production testing is simply to ensure there was no contamination during production. (There never has been with strict controls in place during mixing and bagging). The manufacturer is certain testing results are imminent and we will have our new batch delivered this week. The bags are packed into cases, the cases are on pallets, ready and waiting for pick up on release of that data. BUT given 2021 is The Year of The Delay, Food Fur Life’s official expectation for delivery is next week (the week of June 28). There is no reason to expect further or even freight delay at this point. But there are 40 crossed paws by the “Food Fur Life” pets helping to make sure that is so.

We know this has been a long and frustrating process. We thank everyone for your support and understanding during these most extraordinary times.

When we have the actual delivery date scheduled (directly with the freight company) - typically two days in advance of delivery - we will mark EZComplete fur Cats back in stock and open the store to short-term pre-orders. (You place your orders ahead of the delivery normally through the store, they just can't ship until the day after delivery). ALL orders will be shipped the day after we receive delivery of EZComplete fur Cats. The website store will be back to business as usual, and there will be no restrictions on purchases.

Food Fur Life continues to ship on time (within one to two  business days), as per our shipping FAQs. We prepare packages for shipping typically in the evening, as pick-ups are the following morning.
 
But the United States Postal Service is experiencing delivery delays due to the impact of covid-19. Fulfillment is located in northern New Jersey, and all packages are shipped via USPS Priority Mail. There have been staff outages at many sorting facilities across the country, and the main sorting facility of the USPS in northern New Jersey is no exception. This has contributed to slower delivery times.  

U.S. Domestic Delivery

Further, the USPS Priority Mail system relies heavily on plane transport for the typical delivery time of 2 – 3 days depending on location. Clearly this ability for packages to travel by plane has been severely impacted in this environment. Most packages are now on the road. This means that packages seem to “disappear” from the system, sometimes for several (or more) days while “in transit to the next facility.” Neither Food Fur Life NOR the USPS has more information than that until the package is scanned in at the main sorting facility of the package’s destination.
 
International Delivery
 
As we have noted on the shipping FAQ page of our website, we have suspended service to Australia. We will re-evaluate this when international shipping returns to more normal processing procedures.  
 
Packages to Canada, Europe, Hong Kong and Japan are still shipping though delivery times may be delayed.
 
However, the USPS has suspended delivery to many countries. The full list of suspended services is available here: https://about.usps.com/newsroom/service-alerts/international/welcome.htm
 
 
We thank you for your understanding during these extraordinary times. And of course, we hope all of our pet parents and furry family members are healthy and stay safe!

Safeguarding the health and well-being of our customers (and their pets!) is of paramount important to us at Food Fur Life.

You, our valued customers, depend on our feeding solutions for your pets and our support in that process. We want to assure you we are taking utmost care with our product during storage, packing and shipping, as is our manufacturer when it is time to restock.

We are truly fortunate as we were really well positioned coming into the economic and social changes that occurred due to the arrival of the novel coronavirus here in the U.S.
 
You can rest assured we are taking every possible step to provide uninterrupted supply and to ensure your safety in the process. We hope that by doing our part, we're minimizing the negative effects of COVID-19 during this trying time.
 
We are monitoring developments as they evolve and taking the appropriate steps — consistent with government and healthy authority guidance — to help and support the ongoing wellbeing of everyone across the business and in our broader communities.

Thank you for your trust and confidence in Food Fur Life.

Stay safe, we wish only the best for you, your loved ones and your communities!

​Dear friends, this is a different blog post…. We usually write articles about nutrition and health, but this one is personal – this is the story of my own journey against this horrible disease.
Only those who have a cat with PICA know how devastating this disease is. Unlike any other, there is nothing you can do to prevent or foresee it – it can happen anytime, with horrible consequences.
I decided to write this post as up to now, I really hadn’t heard of a permanent solution, a “cure” for feline PICA… But then a small miracle happened – or was it? We beat it! And I feel I must share our experience as if we can help even one kitty out there…. All she went through might make sense…. Might have been worth it.
Without further ado, here is our story –
Blanket was found on the streets, either abandoned by her mom, or someone, but either way – she came to me as a malnourished soon to be bottle baby – itty bitty, and full of spunk!
It didn’t take much to get her going though – aside from tiny, she wasn’t ill, and good food would bring her to great health. She was quickly transitioned to EZComplete and had a voracious appetite. She grew into a gorgeous, healthy little kitty!
One day, when she was a little over one year old, I went out of town and upon my return I noticed that my blanket (how’s that for “well” chosen name?!) had holes in it! LOTS of holes! I didn’t know what had happened, and started watching all my cats like a hawk. 
​That’s when I caught Blanket eating my couch – yep – the couch. She had already made a huge hole in it and was already munching on the stuffing!
Little by little she started to eat everything – her favorites were cloth items – blankets, sheets, couch, towels, pants, shirts…. But she also ate my wall, the wooden cat tree, my mattress... There wasn’t a way to “keep things away from her” – because that meant not having a bed, a couch, clothes, mats, or even walls. 

Vet trips were done, but there was absolutely nothing wrong with her – she was the picture of health… Which was both good and bad news…. Good because of course you want a healthy baby! Bad because medically there wasn’t anything I could do.
There were theories about how kitties that are abandoned by their moms can develop PICA…. Some people found help by adding lanolin oil to their food, as in some cats this seems to be what is called “Wool suckling pica”, and by replacing this component of the wool – lanolin, you might be able to help to curb the craving... I did that, and I thought it was helping…. If it was, it wasn’t enough.
I also did the best I could to redirect her chewing to Lamb Ears chews – while she DID love that, I wasn’t able to make her chew on that 24x7.
Blanket’s first hospital stay with a blockage was on 10/21/2016 – she was 16 moths old. She started hacking and threw up what I came to call a “thing-ball” (Thing-balls were much like hairballs, but made up of things instead of hair). From that point on, she wouldn’t keep food down anymore, and would just keep vomiting. 
Off to the vet we go – X-rays are done, which show a pattern of gas, but are somewhat inconclusive. Since she went to the vet very early, she spent all day on fluids and getting X-rays to see the progression of the blockage – she finally passed it, and we dodged a major bullet.
Three months later, on 01/07/2017, Blanket passes another thing-ball and starts throwing up. I immediately take her to the ER, who tells me she isn’t blocked, and has gastritis – they want to keep her IV and antibiotics. I ask them to see the X-Rays. There it was, her stomach and intestinal tract all full of gas – when I brought that up, the vet said that nope – that wasn’t a blockage. No one in the ER would do anything other than leave her on fluids/antibiotics.
I took her home with me, as I KNEW that was a misdiagnosis, to wait for my vet on Monday (This was Saturday).
On Monday, at 7am I was on my way to my vet. There was no doubt that was a blockage when my vet saw the x-rays, and the radiology report confirmed the location for the exploratory surgery.
Blanket had ingested a piece of my exercise pants made of Dri-fit, and it had absolutely devasted her gut tract – it was as though she had ingested acid – her gut was paper thin, totally corroded.
A few days later, while Blanket was still in the hospital, my other cat Bugsy started having very similar symptoms…. Which was strange, since Bugsy doesn’t have PICA.
Misdiagnosis after misdiagnosis, to make a long story short, it turns out that Blanket had eaten my pants, thrown up half of it, and since she eats raw meat, Bugsy thought it was a nice lunch – yuck! Ate the meat, along with the other half of the pants that she had thrown up, and ended up blocked too. Now I had her on my vet, and him going through Emergency exploratory surgery at the ER, at the same time (I only foud what happened after Bugsy's surgery, when the ER vet scooped up the other half of the cloth).

​Fast forward to August 2017, seven months later. Blanket again tosses out a thing-ball, and I immediately go off looking for what it could be – I find my shorts, with a huge hole she had eaten (picture on the right). She starts again, throwing up violently. Luckily a day at the vet on fluids made her pass that one – another bullet dodged!
November 01, Blanket hacks and violently throws up dinner. I immediately knew that was bad. Decided to fast her and leave a message to my vet saying we were coming first thing in the morning with a blockage.
Sure enough – Blanket was blocked, and another exploratory surgery was in order. This time she had eaten the tip of my winter glove. It took me weeks to realize that she had fished this glove through a 1” opening on my dresser and eaten the tip of it. That-is-how-bad-she-was.

Anyways, as she is recovering from surgery at home, not even a week later, I catch her eating a bath towel.
I immediately picked up the phone and made the call to her vet that would forever change our lives.
First, I explained to him that I had just caught Blanket eating a towel, and that I was afraid for her life – it was much too soon to have another surgery. Then I said I needed him to keep a very open mind, as that had not been done before – but I had my reasons to think it would work.

• "I need you to remove her molars and pre-molars. I need a full mouth extraction"
• Silence.

I explained my logic – I observed how Blanket chewed, did some research, and got to the conclusion that even if she chewed, she wouldn’t be able to rip and tear the material she was chewing on, greatly reducing, if not eliminating the danger of blockage. He did agree that it made sense.
He met with all the vets in his practice, and all but one agreed with me and him. We scheduled the surgery for as soon as possible, and that day couldn’t come soon enough!
The days leading up to that surgery were excruciating – walking on eggshells doesn’t quite explain what I was feeling. Every day she didn’t hack, every day she didn’t block, was a victory…. And then finally, the day arrived!
I had all these feelings within me – guilt, sadness and relief. Guilt and sadness because I knew I was putting her through pain, and couldn’t explain to her why she was going through that yet again <3…. Relief because if that worked, she would never go through that again! I was finally looking forward to sleeping a full night without the fear of her eating something that could potentially kill her….
Blanket did great through surgery, and the 4 large molars and 4 large pre-molars were removed. 

​We came home, she ate a meal, and few hours later, something very interesting, very telling, happened:
Blanket jumped on the coffee table and incessantly started to look for something to chew. She was completely OCD – desperate. She finally found a dried lamb ear that I had hidden from her, as I was scared of being too rough on her stitches…. Since she was so desperate, I gave it to her and she ran away to chew on it. My instincts kicked in, and I decided to give her a dose of buprenex – that was just too strange... She was just too desperate to chew on something. As soon as the bupe kicked in, she stopped chewing. And that was the last time she chewed on something – the last time.
Folks, Blanket’s PICA wasn’t OCD – it was PAIN.
Even though there was nothing that could be seen through X-rays, and she had no teeth/gum disease, she was in pain, and she chewed to relieve that pain. That became SO clear when I gave her Buprenex and she stopped chewing! And of course as clear as day now, that her teeth are gone, and so is the behavior.
I wasn’t expecting this – I was expecting her not to be able to rip and tear the cloth material…. But the behavior itself is gone.
In hindsight, it all makes sense…. Babies chew to relieve the pain of teething…. Kids with braces chew gum for pain relief…. Why wouldn’t cats?
The issue with cats is that as obligate carnivores, their teeth are made to rip and tear – unlike us that chew in and up and down motion, they chew back and forth – and when they rip, their tongue hooks complete the job in aiding them swallowing whatever they are chewing. The damage is done.
Friends, I don’t know if this is a solution for someone else other than us…. But after going through what we have gone through, I can’t imagine why it’s not possible to think that this might be a physical problem, instead of purely a behavior problem – honestly.
My Blanket is not, by any means, a stressed out kitty – she isn’t OCD in anything else – she has no reason to be. She displays no signs of any OCD behavior – why PICA? Why are all these cats suffering from PICA? Why is no one out there considering the possibility of pain?
I know this might be seen as a radical solution – trust me, I was well judged when I shared this idea in an online group, and I might be judged now – but to me, it was far more radical to know that she would be going through a life of one exploratory surgery after another – she simply wouldn’t survive. 
It might be too soon…. But this is the longest she has been without chewing on something….  Her recovery was very quick, and she didn't skip a beat. As for me? I am finally able to sleep through the night knowing that when I wake up she won’t be blocked. Walking on eggshells is finally behind me. 
Carolina

Egg yolk, a true nutritional powerhouse, is rich in choline and vitamin E, and brings almost every nutrient our pets need. New Zealand green-lipped mussels provide a unique combination of anti-oxidants, anti-inflammatory omega 3s, and are rich in glucosamine and chondroitin, important in joint health. Digestive enzymes bring many benefits, reducing organ stress, improving digestion, and increasing nutrient utilization. These are an important inclusions especially for those that opt to cook the meat, as cooking destroys the naturally occurring enzymes in the meat. Tragically, one out of every two dogs will be diagnosed with cancer sometime in their life. Thus, we view the addition of kale, brussels sprouts, carrots and blueberries a valuable inclusion to the diet, important in helping to reduce their cancer risk. Finally, a few vitamins and minerals are included to account for what is missing by not feeding whole prey.
With EZComplete fur Dogs, dog moms and dads will be able to control the main ingredient, the meat, their pups able to enjoy fresh, truly human grade meat, so easy to make complete & balanced with EZComplete!
​We look forward to helping puppies and adult dogs thrive as EZComplete has done for kittens and cats!

We are proud to announce that human grade – no additives, no flow agents – powdered EGG YOLK is joining our product line-up!

Are you tired of Hairballs? Did you know that egg yolk is one of the best natural hairball Preventatives? 

As discussed in our article - Hairballs - How Best to Manage Them,  Egg yolks provide many nutritional benefits, but what concerns us as far as hairballs, are specifically the choline and lecithin.
 
Choline. A component of choline is acetylcholine. Acetylcholine acts as a major neurotransmitter for the autonomic nervous system (which includes the GI tract). The stomach and the intestines contain a muscular layer that allows for wave-like contraction of the organs, known as peristalsis. This process propels food through the digest tract. The National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse states that acetylcholine increases the contractions seen in the muscular layer, thus improving peristalsis and pushing food efficiently through the digestive tract. Choline (and its component acetylcholine) improves GI motility, which is what propels hair through so it comes out the proper end.
 
Lecithin. Fat is what binds the hair in the stomach, creating that sticky, often stinky, gooey mess that is a hairball. Lecithin is a fat emulsifier: it emulsifies the fat binding the hairball(s), enabling kitty to pass the ingested hair.
An species appropriate diet, brushing regularly, and adding egg yolk to your kitty's diet are great natural ways to prevent the oh-so-dreaded hairball problems. 

But wait! There is much more! “What's so special about egg yolk?” you ask?
 
Eggs are a nearly perfect food, and the yolk contains the bulk of that nutrition. Discussed as “nature’s multivitamin” in many articles, eggs are truly a powerhouse of nutrition as one of the most nutrient dense foods on the planet. With almost every essential vitamin and mineral our pets’ bodies need, egg yolk is the perfect superfood complement to any diet – and essential in a homemade diet, most notably for choline which almost always come up short without the addition of egg yolk (or whole egg).
 
There is no source of choline richer than egg yolks, with 820mg of choline per 100 grams. Not even beef kidney (the food with the next-highest choline content) rivals that of yolk - egg yolk contains 60% more choline per 100 grams. (!!)

• Choline is vital to proper nerve & muscle function and normal liver metabolism.
• Without adequate choline in the diet, there is a higher-than normal risk of chronic liver damage (and eventual liver failure).
• Choline helps protect against age-related declines in cognitive function. In humans, choline has been shown to play an important role in preserving memory, and low acetylcholine (a component of choline) levels are associated with the development of Alzheimer’s.
• Finally, of particular importance for our cats and ferrets, choline aids gastrointestinal motility, which is why egg yolk is an incredibly effective tool in preventing hairballs, as addressed above.

 
Egg yolks are also one of nature’s richest sources of biotin. Biotin supports healthy metabolism of fatty acids, amino acids, and glucose. It is essential for healthy thyroid and adrenal function, a healthy cardiovascular system – it also protects brain function and fights cognitive decline. However, biotin is probably most renowned for its role in healthy, beautiful skin, hair and nails. In our pets, this means egg yolk will contribute to soft, silky, shiny fur; aiding in resolving dandruff; and helping to prevent cracked dry nails and fungal infections.
 
To learn more about the benefits of egg yolk, we discuss each ingredient in the EZComplete premixes, including egg yolk, here.
 
Of course, the EZComplete fur Cats and EZComplete fur Dogs premixes already contain the egg yolk needed to provide a balanced diet. But if your dog, cat or ferret has a health issue that would benefit from a multivitamin - consider egg yolk! Or if your dog has dandruff, or your cat or ferret is suffering hairballs, consider supplementing with egg yolk.  And as fats moisten stool and increase transit time, if your pet is prone to constipation, reach for the egg yolk. It is a terrific tool for managing chronic constipation. Some pets may also need an osmotic laxative like lactulose, or a bit of fiber. But for our carnivores, this is the species-appropriate place to start.

For those that have pets that do not enjoy natural, raw yolk, or for those of you that need to cook too many eggs to be practical, we've done the work for you. EZ Egg Yolk is a very easy-to-measure and use alternative!