FAQs

Unlike most dog foods, Virchew is not a kibble. Our meals are a convenient dry blend that is jam-packed with clean, green proteins, essential fats (omega and DHA), complex carbs, healthful fiber, and dog-approved flavor. Just dish it up (with equal parts warm water) stir it up, and serve it up to your wagging pooch!

Complete and balanced* with Virchew's own 100% vegan custom supplement filled with essential vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and nutrients for our best pals.

VIRCHEW LOVE BOWL INGREDIENTS:

Pea Protein, Hemp Hearts, Oats, Potato, Spinach, Organic Carrots, Dried Golden Algae (Source of DHA), Salt, VIRCHEW Custom Supplement: Calcium Carbonate, Rice Hulls, Dicalcium Phosphate, DL-Methionine, Taurine, Choline Chloride, Vitamin E Supplement, Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Niacin Supplement, Copper Sulfate, Calcium D-Pantothenate, Vitamin A Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Calcium Iodate, Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Sodium Selenite, Vitamin D2 (vegan) Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement

100% Plant-Based / Vegan Ingredients

100% GMO-Free

100% Soy, Corn and Gluten Free

100% Love and Kindness

Guaranteed Analysis:

Moisture - 8%

If you ask your dog, the answer is: Give as much as possible all the time! But since you asked us, the answer is: we will provide the ideal, tasty amount per meal depending on your dog's age, weight, and activity level.

If your dog is in between weights, feed the approximate amount when you first start on the Love Bowl. You’ll weigh your dog weekly for a month so we can get the amount—and your pup’s happiness—absolutely perfect. More info will come in a very detailed “How to transition to Virchew” email with your first Love Bowl order.

We're working on a handy app so that you can enter your dog's info for an approximate answer - coming soon.

Email Shannon with any other feeding questions.

This is a popular and valid question. And the research (and Virchew results) say Yes. What we know for certain is this:

When properly balanced with supplementation and developed with a Board Certified Veterinary Nutritionist, a 100% plant-based diet is considered a healthy, safe choice for your dog's health.

Just as we've witnessed through the evolution of plant-based diets and their immense benefits for people, we're now at the beginning of the same learning curve in canine nutrition.

Here’s a shallow dive into the hundreds of hours of research we could share on the subject:

Dogs are omnivores or non-obligate carnivores. Which means, they can and do eat both vegetables and meat.

“Some folks have come to the erroneous conclusion that dogs must be carnivores because they fall under the order Carnivora. A close look at the anatomy, behavior and feeding preferences of dogs shows that they are actually omnivorous — able to eat and remain healthy with both animal and plant foodstuffs.” – Hill’s Pet Foods

"Compared to true carnivores, dogs produce more of the enzymes needed for starch digestion, have much lower protein and amino acid requirements, and can easily utilize vitamin A and D from plant sources, just as people do." - Cailin R. Heinze, VMD, MS, DACVN Tufts Clinical Nutrition Service

While it may seem “new”, vegan diets are not all new to veterinarians. In fact, they typically recommend and even prescribe vegan or vegetarian (hypoallergenic) options for dogs with food sensitives. Many commercial or prescription diet producers offer a vegan option and hunreds of thousands of dogs have eaten these foods for several decades.

We’re making it our mission to bring forth as much evidence-based data from clinical case studies as possible in collaboration with our veterinary partners.

Read more about our thoughts on this even more important question (in our humble opinion): “Is there a study that proves dogs cannot thrive on a vegan diet?”

The short answer is, Yes.

The long one is: Yes, but we need more. In fact in the past 3 years we've seen a growing body of the much-needed research.

This is the beginning of a plant-based nutrition era for dogs, so the research is currently limited. We’re committed to partnering with veterinarians and universities to produce the long-term, clinical evidence to answer this question with unquestionable certainty. Long-term research is critical.

• This study demonstrated a carefully balanced meat-free diet (100% vegan) can maintain normal hematological values in exercising, sprint-racing dogs.

• This study showed the evolution of a domestic dog’s digestive ability vs a wolf.
• This study using V-Dog food, showed promising results.

In our own veterinarian-guided trials, we have seen and are seeing very positive results. After several months on our fresh, plant-based foods, the dogs in our test group have thrived. That said, we are dedicated to long-term research and excited to see what the future will hold.

If you’re interested in diving in deeper, we’ve written a detailed blog post here.

First, check in with your vet. It’s important to know the severity of the issue your dog is suffering with.

Next, the answer is “likely”.

There are good studies showing the benefits of a hypoallergenic, plant-based diet vs an animal-based diet for skin and some digestive issues in dogs. In fact, veterinarians often recommend a vegetarian food option to combat these problems. Many dogs actually have a sensitivity to animal-based proteins.

At Virchew, we very intentionally formulate foods that offer the most effective diet solution for dogs with these type of issues. The results speak for themselves. We're also in the process of developing nutritional programs to support dogs with specific medical issues.

Check out this recent blog for more info.

Virchew is a new-fashioned , home-cooked form of food. Dry-meets-wet. Dogs need moisture in their diet to possibly prevent health issues and to promote a healthy digestion, so our Love Bowl features ingredients that have been either dehydrated, airdried or produced in a dry form. Simply add warm water, mix well, and serve. The consistency is like an oatmeal or homemade stew.

Well, of course you can do anything you’d like to feed your dog. That said, after a short transition period, we highly recommend that you feed your pooch only Virchew or only another dog food. Combining it with a meat-based diet such as kibble, raw diet or other home-cooked foods will cause a different result.

After two years of results and feedback, we put together this blog on what to expect when transitioning to Virchew.

Please Note:Our products and services are not a replacement for the expert care and advice provided by your veterinarian. Any dietary or healthcare changes should be made under their guidance, especially in the case of existing underlying health conditions.​

Three simple and super quick steps:

1. Dish it up.

2. Stir it up. (Mix very well!)

3. Serve it up to your happy pup!

Tips:

• Some dogs prefer Virchew wetter, some prefer drier. Add more or less water to appease your pup's discerning tastebuds.

• You can make a full day or two of food in advance and refrigerate the rest for later. Just add a little warm water to it before serving.

You’re right, your dog's meal will definitely be larger if you’ve been feeding kibble up until now. That’s because Virchew has at least 50% more water than kibble. This means, your dog is likely to drink less water because they’re getting hydration from their food.

You can probably expect stools to be a bit larger but not likely more frequent. Good news: Virchew poos tend to be healthy-looking poos along with happy bums

If you’re new to Virchew, transitioning slowly over a 7-10 day period is ideal for your pooch and their digestive system. We provide directions for this transition with your first purchase.

Our LOVE Bowl is formulated for Adult Maintenance. Puppies (especially during their early growth stages) require a complete and balanced growth formulation with the proper ratio of calcium:phosphorous ratio (approx. 1:2) and high amounts of quality protein. Although Virchew's LOVE Bowl has been formulated with adequate amounts of calcium, phosphorous, and a high amount of quality, plant-based protein, we strongly recommend that you consult your veterinarian before transitioning your puppy to Virchew or any formulation that has not been specifically designed for your new puppy's growth. We will happily share all of our detailed nutritional information from our Board Certified Veterinary Nutritionists directly with your veterinarian.

Ask us how or ask further questions

Depending on where you live we either deliver to your door in the Greater Vancouver area or we ship across Canada.

We currently deliver to these cities in the Greater Vancouver Area:

• Vancouver

• West Vancouver
• Richmond
• Burnaby
• Coquitlam
• Port Coquitlam
• Port Moody
• North Vancouver / Deep Cove
• New Westminster
• Delta
• Langley or Fort Langley
• White Rock
• Pitt Meadows
• Surrey
• Maple Ridge

If you’re city isn’t here, sign up for our newsletter for updates on new delivery locations.

Yes! And Thank you! We love referrals. Please share this link with them: http://eepurl.com/hg1iob We'll send them a sample for their doggo. We can't wait to meet more cool dogs and their hoomans!

Yes! And, thank you for spreading the veterinary care love. If we've not met your veterinarian yet and you feel comfortable, we would welcome a warm introduction for sure! Ask them if they would like us to contact them directly to buy them lunch or present Virchew to their clinic team.

We have interviewed dozens of vets in the Vancouver area over the past few years. Twelve of them are now Virchew shareholders and a big part of our business development model.

If you want a list of these veterinarians, check out this blog post.