Ask Our Vet
WHAT MAKES
DIFFERENT
Built by a Veterinarian.
Proven by Results.
Guided by Common Sense Nutrition.
BUILT IN A VETERINARY CLINIC, NOT A BOARDROOM
Best Breed was created by a veterinarian who was frustrated by the issues he was seeing in his patients — and determined to do something about it.
Dr. Gary Cotton, DVM spent years observing the same conditions in his clinic: itchy skin, chronic ear infections, digestive complications, joint issues in dogs — and hairball control, urinary tract issues, and chronic digestive problems in cats.
The available diets weren't solving these problems. In many cases, they were contributing to them.
So he built something better. Every Best Breed kibble formula is grounded in veterinary experience and refined through decades of real-world results.
COMMON SENSE NUTRITION – IN AISLES FULL OF NOISE
The pet food industry is full of trends, buzzwords, and marketing theatrics. Superfoods. Celebrity endorsements. Ingredient theater meant to impress, but destined to confuse.
Best Breed is none of that. We formulate for truly holistic animal health – for dogs and cats alike – not for marketing appeal, cost shortcuts, or trends.
Every ingredient must serve a clear nutritional purpose and earn its place in the formula. If it doesn't make the food healthier, it doesn't belong.
This is what Dr. Gary called Common Sense Nutrition. Thirty years later, nothing about that commitment has changed.
FORMULATED FOR BREED, NEED, SIZE & LIFE STAGE
A Poodle and a German Shepherd don't have the same nutritional needs. Neither does a working K9 and a senior Retriever. Breed, size, life stage, and activity level all shape what a dog actually needs from their food.
Best Breed recipes are purpose-built to address the breed-specific nutritional challenges Dr. Gary observed throughout his veterinary career. By adjusting diets and seeing meaningful improvements in his patients, he developed recipes tailored to a dog's unique physiological needs.
The result is recipes shaped by real clinical experience, formulated to support energy requirements, digestive tendencies, and long-term health across breeds, life stages, and activity levels.
SLOW COOKED AT LOWER TEMPERATURES – FOR MAXIMUM DIGESTIBILITY
Commercial pet food kibble is cooked fast and at high heat – a production shortcut that compromises the nutritional integrity of the ingredients.
Best Breed does it differently. Our diets are produced using a unique slow-cook, low-temperature extruding process – a deliberate choice that means slower production – but it's what helps ensure that natural vitamins, minerals, and proteins maintain their integrity. The slow cook process conditions carbohydrates for easy digestion and maximum nutrient absorption.
Our food is made in small batches so that quality and consistency are closely monitored at every stage — and smaller batches mean faster inventory turns, keeping the food on shelves fresher.
The result: higher bioavailability — meaning your pet absorbs and utilizes more of the nutrition in every meal.
OTHER KIBBLE
Slow Cooked for Digestibility
Slow cooking at lower temperatures helps preserve nutrients and support easier digestion.
Cooked Fast at High Heat
High-heat processing can reduce nutrient integrity and make ingredients harder for some pets to fully utilize.
More Nutrition Absorbed
Higher bioavailability means pets can absorb and use more of the nutrients in every meal.
Less Nutritional Availability
Even when nutrients are present, processing methods can reduce how effectively the body uses them.
Smaller Batches
Smaller batches mean we produce food more frequently, helping ensure the freshest food for your pet’s bowl.
Large Scale Production
Larger production runs can prioritize efficiency over close quality monitoring.
Fresher Food on Shelves
Smaller batches mean we produce food more frequently, helping ensure the freshest food for your pet’s bowl.
Longer Inventory Cycles
Longer production and distribution cycles can mean food sits longer before reaching pets.
Built Around Nutritional Integrity
We choose slower, lower-temperature production over faster output – a deliberate tradeoff that protects the integrity of every ingredient.
Built Around Production Speed
Faster processing methods often prioritize manufacturing efficiency – at the expense of ingredient integrity and nutrient availability.
EU APPROVED INGREDIENTS - A HIGHER STANDARD
Not all ingredients are created equal. For example, there are dozens of grades of "chicken meal." Then there are cheap fillers that technically qualify as protein, by-product meals, gluten meals, and artificial additives that have no business being in your pet's bowl.
None of them are in Best Breed.
We pay a premium for some of the highest-grade, functional ingredients available - EU-approved, non-genetically engineered, and fully traceable.
30 YEARS OF PROVEN RESULTS - ONE PET AT A TIME
Best Breed hasn't grown through corporate funding or national ad campaigns. We've grown by consistently delivering real, observable results for pets and the people who care for them..
We’re a family-owned business, built over three decades through hands-on care and personal relationships. By learning the needs of each individual pet and pet parent, our formulas have been refined based on what truly works.
Every decision we make is guided by integrity, veterinary expertise, and a commitment to doing what’s right for dogs and cats – one pet at a time.
WHAT WE STAND FOR
Common Sense Nutrition
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Common Sense Nutrition
We formulate for health – not trends, marketing claims, or cost-cutting shortcuts. Every ingredient must serve a clear nutritional purpose and earn its place in the formula. The result is balanced, practical nutrition designed to support long-term health.
Veterinarian-Founded, Time-Proven
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Veterinarian-Founded, Time-Proven
Every Best Breed formula is grounded in the clinical experience of Dr. Gary Cotton, DVM, and refined through decades of hands-on results. Developed in his veterinary practice and proven over 30+ years, our nutrition is built to support lasting health – not short-term trends.
Uncompromising Ingredient Quality
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Uncompromising Ingredient Quality
We pay a premium to use only high-quality ingredients — never by-product meals, fillers, gluten meals, or artificial additives. Premium proteins, functional fibers, and nutrient-dense ingredients are carefully selected to support optimal health in every recipe.
Formulated for a Purpose
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Formulated for a Purpose
Every Best Breed recipe is intentionally developed to address a specific need — breed, size, life stage, or health condition. Nothing in our lineup exists for marketing reasons. Every formula exists because a real animal needed it.
Family Built, One Pet at a Time
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Family Built, One Pet at a Time
Best Breed has been independently owned and operated since 1994. We've grown organically over three decades through hands-on care, personal relationships, and a simple commitment to doing what's right for every pet and pet parent we serve.
START WITH OUR BESTSELLERS
The formulas pet parents return to again and again for everyday health, digestion, skin & coat support, and lasting vitality.
PET CARE & NUTRITION RESOURCES
Simple, practical vet-backed guidance on feeding, ingredients, wellness, and the everyday choices that support lifelong health.