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Review Summary
Our final verdict
We give Dr. Elsey’s Clean Protein cat food a rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars.
In 1987, Dr. Elsie and his wife Kathy founded Dr. Elsie, Inc. with the goal of providing assistance to people and pets in need. As poor litter habits are the main reason cats end up in shelters, Dr. Elsie wanted to put an end to this problem once and for all, so he developed his own cat litter and provides free cat litter and shelter kits to rescues and shelters every year.
However, while the company started out in the cat litter sector, they have now expanded into feline nutrition with their own line of cat food called Clean Protein.In this article, we take a closer look at Dr. Elsie’s Clean Protein Cat Food and give you our honest opinion.
Dr. Elsie’s Cat Food Recipes
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Dr. Elsie’s Clean Protein Food High Protein, Low Carb No Grains or Fillers Boost Your Energy Check Price
Dr. Elsie’s Cat Food Review
About Dr. Elsie’s products
Dr. Elsie and his wife have been in the cat care business for many years, supporting cats and their owners in every aspect of their lives, originally creating products for general toilet care but now expanding into nutrition as well.
Who makes Dr. Elsey’s Clean Protein Cat Food and where is it produced?
As mentioned above, the Dr. Elsie company was founded by Dr. Elsie himself and his wife. Dr. Elsie cat food is manufactured right here in the USA. It is the only company that works so hard to create products that benefit cat owners.
What types of cats is Clean Protein Cat Food best for?
Clean Protein is a cat food that has been stripped of all the nasty ingredients that can make your cat sick or unwell. This cat food is highly recommended for healthy adult cats, senior cats and kittens, especially those with above average energy levels.
Would a different brand be better for which type of cat?
Most adult cats can benefit from our Clean Protein formula, so we don’t necessarily recommend a different brand. The only thing we can say is that for cats with chicken allergies, we would recommend a different Clean Protein recipe. However, if your cat has specific health issues that require a special diet, they may need a more appropriate food made for their specific needs.
Image credits: Krakenimages.com, Shutterstock
Recall History
Whenever a company gets into pet food, there is always the concern of product recalls. Certain foodborne illnesses or additives get into foods that shouldn’t be in them, forcing companies to recall these products and offer a better solution.
When a company has multiple recalls, it can become very alarming for pet owners as they wonder if the company is serious about their products. Recalls can result in minor to severe problems or even death.
However, you will be pleasantly surprised to know that as of the time of this review, Dr. Elsey’s Clean Protein cat food has never been recalled.
A discussion of the main ingredients (good and bad)
So, to give you a solid understanding of what’s inside that bag of Dr. Elsie’s Clean Protein Chicken Recipe, we’ll give you a breakdown of the first few ingredients and what effect they have on your cat.
Chicken: Chicken is a complete protein source from lean meat. It contains beneficial vitamins and minerals such as Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12, Riboflavin, Thiamin, Zinc, and Iron. Hydrolyzed Pork: Pork is a great source of protein, so it is naturally beneficial for cats. You may be wondering what exactly hydrolyzed pork means. It is simply pork that has been broken down into smaller pieces to allow it to pass through the digestive system more efficiently. It is a great choice for sensitive cats. Pork Plasma: Pork plasma may be one of those ingredients that makes you raise your eyebrows. After all, what is it all about? Plasma is a by-product obtained when processing pork. It is very rich in protein. Gelatin: Gelatin is a very tasty additive that enhances pet foods with high meat content. It prevents crumbling from crumbly kibble and keeps it fresh and moist. Gelatin is highly digestible and rarely causes allergies, but it also does not have much nutritional value. Chicken Fat: Chicken fat is another tasty part of chicken that cats love. Chicken fat is a good source of linoleic acid, which helps keep your cat’s coat fresh and supple. Chicken fat also adds flavor. Flaxseed meal: Flaxseed is a great ingredient for cat food. It is highly digestible and contains omega-3 fatty acids, which naturally reduce inflammation, and dietary fiber, which aids digestion. Natural flavors: Instead of synthetic or artificial flavors, natural flavors are extracted from plants and animals and used to enhance the flavor of recipes. Unfortunately, even if a product says “natural” on the product name, it may still contain a certain amount of synthetic ingredients and still be considered natural.
Formulas for All Life Stages
Dr. Elsie has created a recipe line for every stage of life, and while we know there are pros and cons to this, let’s start with the pros.
Because it’s a recipe for all life stages, you can feed your cat this special formula from kitten to senior years without having to worry about switching diets, which can be a big challenge for some cats.
The All Life Stage formula is designed to take into account all the nutrients that will help your kitten grow healthy and keep your senior cat healthy. However, some argue that because kittens and senior cats have very different needs, the All Life Stage formula should have some sort of missing category. After all, is there really just one recipe that is enough to meet the needs of all the life stages your cat will experience? There are no direct complaints about this cat food line, but it is up to the owner’s discretion and veterinarian advice.
Image credits: LADO, Shutterstock
High Protein, Grain Free Products
A look at the ingredients label reveals that this product is significantly higher in protein than most others, with a whopping 59.0% crude protein per serving.
You may already know that cats are obligate carnivores – they need a lot of protein in their diet to maintain muscle mass and provide energy, and since they don’t typically eat grains in the wild, grains are not an important part of a cat’s nutritional profile.
Customer reviews don’t approve new recipes
We take customer reviews very seriously – after all, hearing from people who have actually used the product you want to buy is a great way to gauge the effectiveness of the product.
We scoured the web to see what others are saying about this cat food, and there are several reviews that rave about the product. However, it looks like the recipe was tweaked a bit between 2023 and 2024.
This has caused a lot of upset among cat owners, many of whom say it has upset their cats’ stomachs, causing diarrhea and other gastrointestinal problems. This may be because your cat’s digestive system is used to the old formula, and introducing new foods into your cat’s diet can cause stomach upset until your cat gets used to it.
However, I would like to point out that at some point the recipe was changed and was found to cause reactions in certain cats, so please keep this in mind when trying it on your cat so that you can anticipate any reactions beforehand.
Dr Elsie’s Clean Protein Food Review
Main Ingredients: Chicken, Hydrolyzed Pork, Pork Plasma, Gelatin, Chicken Fat, Ground Flaxseed Calories: 523 per cup Crude Protein: 59.0% Crude Fat: 17.0% Crude Fiber: 4.0%
Dr. Elsey’s Clean Protein Cat Food is a great source of rich nutrients, and I can’t wait to tell you all about it. First, this kibble is moist and flavorful, which will immediately appeal to most cats.
All of the protein in the recipe is from animal sources, promoting healthy function, weight and an active lifestyle. This cat food is designed to meet the nutritional needs of all cats, from kittens to senior cats, and is also formulated to benefit cats with weight concerns and diabetes.
We love this low carb yet high protein formula, and this recipe uses healthy ingredients instead of overloaded additives to create a more accessible meal for your feline friend.
This recipe is intended to increase the overall activity level of any cat, rather than tailoring it to your cat’s activity level, so even fairly lazy cats can benefit from the boost of energy this recipe provides, but be aware that more sedate cats may start to put on weight on this powerful food.
Overall, we love Dr. Elsie’s Clean Protein Cat Food, except that it’s not suitable for cats with chicken allergies, although Dr. Elsie does have other flavors available.
Strong Points
High Protein, Low Carb No Grains or Fillers For All Life Stages and Some Sensitive Skin Types Boost Energy
Cons
Not suitable for cats with chicken allergies. May cause weight gain in some cats.
Ingredient analysis
Crude Protein: 59.0% Crude Fat: 17.0% Crude Fiber: 4.0% Carbohydrates: 523 kcal/cup Moisture: 12.0% Vitamin E: 150 IU/kg
Calorie Breakdown per 1 cup:
Please break down the calories in your foods so that your post formatter can create a graph like the one below.
½ cup: 261.5 calories 1 cup: 523 calories 2 cups: 1026 calories
Other users’ comments
As we said at the beginning of the article, what other people say about the products in question is very important to us – everyone’s experience matters when it comes to reviews.
In general, after researching, we found that most users were happy with the product. People appreciated that it was high in protein, grain-free, and that it could be fed to all life stages.
However, there have been some negative reviews which we want to mention here – some people were concerned that the changes to the recipe had caused gastrointestinal upset in some cats. While these comments were in the minority, it’s definitely something to be aware of if you’re planning on feeding this recipe to a furry friend with a sensitive stomach.
Click here and scroll to the bottom to see what Chewy users are saying about the product.
Conclusion
Now that you know more about Dr. Elsie’s Clean Protein, you know that this high protein, nutritious recipe is suitable for all life stages and even benefits allergy sufferers, making this cat food a great choice for the right cat.
There has been a slight change in the recipe which appears to have caused some gastrointestinal issues for cats, so be careful before switching and keep an eye out for any irritation.
