Pet Food Shortage: How to Prepare and Find Alternatives for Your Pet's Diet

If you’re feeling frustrated by recent difficulties in finding your pet’s canned food anywhere nearby, know that it’s not just you — and that solutions are available. The current canned pet food shortage has been ongoing throughout 2023 and getting even worse in recent months. A combination of sourcing and supply chain issues has left pet store shelves empty, and even many online pet food retailers need more stock.

The canned food shortage has been understandably concerning for pet parents struggling to find and stock up on the wet food their dogs and cats are used to eating — and there’s no telling when the shortage will end. Fortunately, there’s an excellent alternative: Vital Essentials Freeze-Dried Dinner Patties are healthier than canned food, more cost-effective per serving, and readily available in-store and online.

One of the biggest reasons for the current shortage in canned pet foods is the recent increase in demand for aluminum. Unfortunately, this increase in demand is happening at the same time as a major decrease in the worldwide aluminum supply. There’s also been some supply chain difficulty recently in acquiring a few key ingredients that many pet food brands use. In particular, many additive vitamins imported from China have been in a bottleneck.

Finally, many pet food brands are also feeling the impact of the steady price increase on corn and soy. These grains are commonly used as fillers to bulk up pets’ meals. So, why aren’t we impacted by these challenges here at Vital Essentials? Fortunately, we aren’t reliant on these particular ingredients or materials — and that’s because of the intentional choices we’ve made to keep our pet foods as natural as we possibly can.

Our food and treats are freeze-dried, never canned. Since we don’t use aluminum, that shortage doesn’t impact us.

Also, because our foods retain as many natural vitamins and minerals as possible with our minimal proprietary processing, sourcing vitamins is much less of a concern for us here at Vital. Plus, since we own and operate all our own equipment for freeze-drying and packing, we have much more control over the entire supply chain from start to finish.

Finally, all our products are proudly grain free, so corn and soy prices don’t impact us either. You won’t find artificial fillers or other unneeded ingredients to add bulk in any Vital Essentials food or treat.

Since we aren’t reliant on the volatile market for aluminum or grains, we’re much less likely to suffer from a shortage — now or in the future. Overall, Vital Essentials freeze-dried foods represent a much more secure and reliable option for pet parents than the unpredictable canned pet food market.

We prioritize high-quality sourcing meat and using the whole animal here at Vital Essentials. That includes muscle, vital organs, and bone — all parts of the animal your little carnivore would naturally be eating in the wild. Plus, we refuse to use rendered by-products in our pet foods and treats.

Now is the time to get your kitty or pup accustomed to eating Vital Essentials freeze-dried dinner patties, a high-quality pet food that provides better nutrition and a better price than the leading canned food brands. Plus, because Vital Essentials isn’t vulnerable to the same supply chain issues as other brands, you’re unlikely to see shortages of freeze-dried patties in the future.

Shortages are always a source of uncertainty and stress for devoted pet parents who want to do the right thing to care for their furriest family members. Fortunately, Vital Essentials Freeze-Dried Dinner Patties are widely available online and at a pet store near you — offering better nutrition at a better price!

For more information on Vital Essentials and our full product line, follow us on TikTok and Instagram. And if you have any questions, be sure to check out our FAQ page for answers. Together, we can ensure your pet gets the proper nutrition they deserve.