A New Path of Food Topper for Dogs & Cats
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Time to read 3 min
When your dog or cat refuses to eat
Few things are more frustrating than a dog that won’t touch its food. While some dogs are adventurous, many grow attached to the smell, texture, and flavor of what they’re used to. A well-meaning switch to healthier food can easily turn into mealtime battles. That’s why many pet owners resort to liver pâté or squeeze tubes — quick fixes that seem to work. But here’s the catch: these are highly processed, often packed with additives, and not ideal as daily solutions. That’s where a natural, nutrient-supporting cat & dog food topper like Hokuō® Reindeer & Duck comes in.
The problem with highly processed food
Most liver pâté and squeeze pastes on the market are classified as ultra-processed foods. From studies in both humans and animals, we know that ultra-processed diets negatively affect overall health—especially gut health and the delicate microbiota that live in the intestines of both humans, dogs, and cats. These microbiota play a key role in your pet’s well-being but are easily disrupted by synthetic additives.
Additionally, liver pâté contains high amounts of vitamin A. As a fat-soluble vitamin, it’s stored in the body and can easily be overdosed. Many pet owners use dried liver as treats—often the only thing their picky pet will accept. When liver pâté is also added to meals, it’s easy to reach excess levels of vitamin A, which can lead to joint and skin issues.
Hokuō®’s answer: A healthy and tasty topper
So, what do you do when your dog or cat will only eat if the food is "upgraded" with liver pâté or paste? That was the question that inspired the development of Hokuō® Reindeer & Duck Topping . Christian wanted to create a topper that was both incredibly tasty and health-promoting—something safe to use daily without risking nutritional imbalance. On the contrary, it should support the animal’s health and well-being.
That’s when Christian reached out to me. He had already crafted a well-thought-out sauce and wanted help adjusting the recipe—and the production method—so that it could become a daily part of a pet’s meal plan while still offering real nutritional value.
Benefits of Hokuō® Reindeer & Duck Topping
The result is a topper with a variety of nutritional benefits for dogs and cats who get to enjoy it:
Collagen from cartilage : Supports the gut lining and may help prevent digestive disorders.
Vegetable fibers : Feed the beneficial gut bacteria, contributing to better digestion and general well-being.
Small amounts of liver and heart : Just enough to create a rich taste and add nutrients—without risking vitamin A overload.
"Especially this last detail shows how far Christian goes to get the most out of every product—and as a nutrition expert, I deeply respect that!"
Gentle processing for maximum nutrition
Since the sauce is a processed product, it was crucial to design the production in a way that preserves as many nutrients as possible—while avoiding synthetic additives.
This is achieved by:
Using low processing temperatures and rapid cooling afterward.
Cooking animal and plant ingredients separately to minimize the Maillard reaction , which can reduce protein digestibility.
Why is this important? Because the vegetables in the sauce don’t just provide fiber—they also contain starch and sugar. When protein-rich ingredients like liver, heart, and cartilage are cooked together with sugar- or starch-rich ingredients, the Maillard reaction kicks in. This reaction makes it harder for your pet to absorb the protein in the food.
In other words: protein digestibility drops, and your pet gets less nutritional value from the meal.
By cooking the animal and vegetable ingredients separately, and only mixing them after cooking, this reaction is minimized—so your pet can benefit from more of the nutrition in every bite. Once again, this shows how far Christian goes to get the very best out of his products—and that’s something I truly admire!
The Author: Ann-Kristin Meyer
MSc in Animal Science from the University of Copenhagen, specializing in canine nutrition, Owner of HundeFoderNørden
