Rodeo City Raw

06/03/2026

Rodeo City Raw foods first 4 ingredients are muscle meat, heart, kidney, and liver along with ground Chicken, turkey ,and duck neck for these blends. All human grade ingredients no grains, no protein boosters. Every meal meet 100% AFCO compliance for all nutrients.

🐕 BEYOND THE %: The Crude Protein Illusion on Your Dog’s Food Label

Many pet parents flip over a bag of kibble, see a reassuring "30% Crude Protein" on the Guaranteed Analysis, and assume their dog is getting an abundant, muscle-building supply of high-quality animal protein.

But that number hides a critical nutritional truth: crude protein measures total nitrogen content, not digestibility, quality, or origin.

The laboratory calculation assumes that all nitrogen originates from protein, even though nitrogen can come from a variety of ingredients with vastly different nutritional value.

If you look closely at the ingredient panel, you may often find concentrated plant proteins and heavy legumes helping support that percentage:

▪️ Pea Protein
▪️ Potato Protein
▪️ Corn Gluten Meal
▪️ Wheat Gluten
▪️ Soy Protein Concentrate
▪️ Soy Protein Isolate
▪️ Lentils
▪️ Chickpeas
▪️ Fava Beans
▪️ Split Peas

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The Bioavailability Gap

Dogs do not have a requirement for "protein" as a bulk number; they require specific, highly bioavailable amino acids to thrive.

While plant isolates can significantly inflate label protein percentages, they provide a less biologically appropriate amino acid profile and lower digestibility than animal-derived proteins.

Furthermore, legumes contain anti-nutrients such as phytates and lectins that can bind to essential minerals and may interfere with digestive efficiency and nutrient absorption.

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The Damage of High-Heat Processing

It gets more complex. Even when commercial diets include animal meals, the intense thermal processing required to manufacture kibble can alter protein structure.

This heat exposure contributes to the Maillard reaction, a chemical process that can reduce the biological availability of important amino acids such as lysine.

The result? Two diets can both boast a 30% protein label, yet deliver vastly different nutritional value at the cellular level.

One may provide highly digestible, bioavailable amino acids that support tissue maintenance, repair, immune function, and metabolic health. The other may provide a substantial protein number on paper while delivering fewer usable nutrients to the dog.

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The Manufacturer’s Playbook: Ingredient Splitting

To keep animal protein appearing as the primary ingredient, manufacturers may utilize a practice known as ingredient splitting.

For example:
▪️ Peas
▪️ Pea Protein
▪️ Pea Fiber
▪️ Pea Starch

When listed separately, these ingredients appear lower on the ingredient panel. Combined, however, they may represent a substantial portion of the formula and potentially outweigh the meat ingredients consumers believe dominate the food.

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Formulating for True Cellular Health

A number on a bag only tells you what survived a chemical analysis in a lab, not what your dog can actually absorb and utilize.

At The Holistic Canine, we promote and formulate fresh, raw, and gently cooked diets according to established NRC nutrient standards. By utilizing fresh, minimally processed animal proteins, we strive to provide the intact, highly bioavailable amino acids dogs are biologically designed to utilize, without relying on concentrated plant protein boosters or extensive high-heat processing.

When it comes to long-term health, cellular bioavailability matters far more than a marketing number.

Take a look at your dog's current food label. Do you see plant proteins or heavy legumes among the top ingredients? Let’s discuss it below. 👇

The Holistic Canine 🐾
theholisticcanine.us

NRC balanced meals at home:
👉 Fresh feeding explained—finally.
"Fresh-Food Feeding Explained" eBook
Available on our website❗️
https://theholisticcanine.us/ebook/

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06/03/2026

A peer-reviewed, randomized controlled clinical trial published in Veterinary Sciences, a Q1 veterinary journal, found that dogs🐕 with osteoarthritis🦴🔥 receiving just 40 mg of UC-II® (undenatured type II collagen) experienced improvements in mobility and comfort comparable to those seen in dogs receiving robenacoxib, a prescription anti-inflammatory medication.

After only 30 days, mobility improved by 32.7% in the UC-II group compared to 31.5% in the medication group, with no adverse effects reported in either group. One of the most surprising findings was how quickly UC-II worked, producing measurable benefits within just one month, faster than many previous UC-II studies have reported.

Unlike pain medications💊 that directly suppress inflammation🔥, UC-II works through a process called oral tolerance, helping retrain the immune system to reduce cartilage-targeting inflammation and support long-term joint health.

It’s important to note that dogs with severe arthritis responded better to the prescription medication, while UC-II appeared most effective in dogs with mild to moderate osteoarthritis.

That’s why Dr. Karen Becker included undenatured type II collagen (UC-II) in MOBILITY MATRIX™—a comprehensive, science-backed formula designed to support joints, muscles, cartilage, and connective tissue in both dogs and cats. By combining UC-II with other targeted mobility nutrients, MOBILITY MATRIX™ was created to help pets stay active, comfortable, and moving with ease.

👉🏼Comment MATRIX to learn more about this science-backed mobility formula and we’ll DM you the link.

05/24/2026

Yes, THIS. It's that simple...

🐾🙏🏼🐾 Dana

05/21/2026

Proof life is good:

You have a dog
You love your dog
Your dog loves you back 🐾

That’s it. That’s the whole thing.

05/21/2026

Only Fresh human grade ingredients with no grains in all of Rodeo City Raw meals.

A new peer-reviewed study analyzing commercial dog and cat foods found multiple mold toxins present across all diets, with higher levels in foods containing more cereal ingredients like corn🌽, wheat🌾, barley, oats, and rice🍚. Researchers detected 63 different compounds⚠️, with common toxins such as DON, zearalenone, and fumonisins often appearing together at low levels.

While all amounts were below safety limits, the study highlights uncertainty around long-term and combined exposure. Pets are exposed to multiple toxins at once, and the effects of these mixtures over time are still largely unknown. Broader research suggests some mycotoxins may act additively or synergistically, potentially amplifying their impact, and have been linked to immune and gut changes in animal models.

Contaminated corn🌽, in particular, has been associated with some of the largest pet food recalls and highest reported pet death events in modern history. Notably, the Midwestern Pet Foods SPORTMiX recall was linked to over 130 dog deaths and 220 illnesses, while a Sunshine Mills recall affected multiple brands. Corn’s susceptibility to heat, humidity, and poor storage makes it a common source of aflatoxin contamination.

05/17/2026

Rodeo City Raw carriers 5 Different blends Chicken Pork Turkey Duck and Beef, with a seasonal blend coming soon.

A new peer-reviewed study published in the Journal of Animal Science found that nearly half of dog owners feed the exact same dog food every day, same brand, same flavor, little to no rotation. Researchers also found that protein source, especially chicken🐓, heavily influences purchasing decisions.

While consistency may help some sensitive dogs short term, long-term dietary monotony can reduce microbiome🦠 diversity and create a less resilient gut ecosystem over time. Different proteins, fibers, and plant compounds feed different beneficial bacteria, so repetitive diets may contribute to dysbiosis, weaker gut resilience, lower postbiotic production, and a greater risk of sensitivities and inflammatory issues.

The takeaway? Convenience and routine may come at the expense of microbiome diversity and long-term gut health.
If you cannot change your food, adding a variety of foods like veggies can also help nourish the microbiome by providing different types of fiber and plant compounds that feed beneficial gut bacteria. Probiotics as well can help support microbial diversity, strengthen the gut barrier, improve digestion, and increase resilience during stress, antibiotics, and dietary changes.

If you’re looking for a science-backed probiotic option for your dog, check out 👉🏼 proactivepaws.com

05/16/2026

Rodeo City Raw meals are all made we think 100% Human grade ingredients. All meats are Choice cuts or above. We use no grains or fillers. We are happy to share our ingredients and nutritional analysis when th anyone who asks.

Don't let misinformation from the ill-informed mislead you.

12/31/2025

Rodeo City Raw would like to wish everyone and their fur babies a Happy New Year!!