Kibble Shelf

Lindsay Perreault

Behind Kibble Shelf

About

Freelance UX researcher, Asheville NC. I share a small house with Banjo, a nine-year-old shepherd mix, and Pickle, a four-year-old beagle rescue who showed up in 2021 and has been present for every food transition I've run on Banjo since. Pickle has opinions. I log them.

Banjo's bloodwork in early 2022 flagged early kidney markers. The vet recommended switching away from his long-term kibble to something lower in phosphorus and protein. Over the next eighteen months I rotated through five fresh food subscription services, logging each transition in a Google Sheet: weight weekly, energy observations daily, stool quality tracked for the first two weeks of every new food. The data showed real differences between services. I couldn't find anyone publishing that kind of detailed tracking, so I started doing it here.

The research expanded from there. Banjo's sleep deteriorated around month seven of the food switch (not dramatically, but enough that I noticed). I went into supplements, worked through joint support and omega-3 sourcing, tried a CBD product after the vet suggested it. Last spring our local clinic stopped taking same-week non-emergency appointments, which pushed me into pet telehealth. Three separate research categories I didn't plan to be in, all starting from one bloodwork appointment in February 2022.

No vet credential. No pet nutrition certification. This started with a $400 emergency visit (a food-related blockage) that made clear how much I'd been assuming without checking. The spreadsheet is the result of deciding not to assume that way again. Use what's here as detailed first-hand tracking notes from a dog parent who has been doing this carefully for three years, not as a substitute for your vet.

Posts by Lindsay Perreault

Disclosure

Some outbound links on this site are affiliate links. Buy through one, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Nothing here got reviewed without at least one of my dogs eating it or trying it. Details in the Editorial Policy.