Cats
DogsChoolip Ingredients
Every ingredient, on one page.
No Magnifying Glass Needed
What each one is, and which products it's in. Plus a decoder for the small print, and every full label, word for word.
Kiki: I read every label.
Leo: She does. It's exhausting.
Every Ingredient Across the Range
What it is, never what it promises. The tags show which products it's in.
Kiki: # whole foods. I checked.
Chicken Breast
Lean white meat from chicken.
- Joints
- Eyes
- Brain
Salmon
An oily ocean fish.
- Joints
- Coat/Skin
- Heart
- Liver
- Brain
- Total Balance
Tuna
An ocean fish.
- Heart
- Kidneys
- Eyes
- Total Balance
Pollack
A white fish in the cod family, and a staple of Korean cooking.
- Coat/Skin
- Kidneys
Lobster
A shellfish.
- Liver
- Total Balance
Cod
A white ocean fish.
- Total Balance
New Zealand Green Mussel
A shellfish farmed in New Zealand.
- Joints
- Berry Good Milk
Soy flour and soybean meal
Ground soybeans.
- Fiber Veggie Bites
Cauliflower
A vegetable in the cabbage family.
- Joints
Broccoli
A green vegetable in the cabbage family.
- Coat/Skin
- Total Balance
- Fiber Veggie Bites
Tomato
A fruit, botanically. Cooked as a vegetable.
- Heart
Pumpkin
A winter squash.
- Kidneys
Shiitake Mushroom
A mushroom widely used in Korean cooking.
- Liver
Carrot
A root vegetable.
- Eyes
- Fiber Veggie Bites
Red Cabbage
A purple-red cabbage.
- Brain
Potato
A starchy root vegetable.
- Fiber Veggie Bites
Sweet Potato
A sweet root vegetable.
- Fiber Veggie Bites
Squash
A firm, mild winter vegetable.
- Fiber Veggie Bites
Spinach
A leafy green.
- Fiber Veggie Bites
Parsley
A leafy herb.
- Fiber Veggie Bites
Kale
A leafy green from the cabbage family.
- Fiber Veggie Bites
Apple
A tree fruit.
- Joints
- Fiber Veggie Bites
Mango
A tropical fruit.
- Coat/Skin
- Total Balance
Strawberry
A berry.
- Heart
- Fiber Veggie Bites
Blueberry
A small blue berry.
- Kidneys
- Fiber Veggie Bites
Pear
A tree fruit.
- Liver
Banana
A tropical fruit.
- Eyes
Kiwi
A fuzzy brown fruit, green inside.
- Brain
Cranberry
A tart red berry.
- Berry Good Milk
- Fiber Veggie Bites
Water
The first ingredient in most sticks. It's what makes them lickable.
- All 7 sticks + Total Balance
Tapioca starch
Starch from the cassava root. It thickens the stick.
- All 7 sticks + Total Balance
Milk
Cow's milk, the base of Berry Good Milk.
- Berry Good Milk
Vegetable glycerin
A plant-based liquid that keeps the bites soft.
- Fiber Veggie Bites
Vitamin E
A fat-soluble vitamin.
- Joints
- Coat/Skin
- Kidneys
- Liver
- Eyes
- Brain
- Total Balance
- Berry Good Milk
Fish Oil
Oil from fish. A source of the omega-3s EPA and DHA.
- Joints
- Heart
- Kidneys
- Eyes
- Brain
Taurine
An amino acid.
- Heart
- Liver
- Brain
- Berry Good Milk
L-Carnitine
A nutrient made from the amino acids lysine and methionine.
- Heart
- Brain
L-Arginine
An amino acid.
- Brain
Zinc
A mineral, added as zinc oxide.
- Coat/Skin
- Liver
- Eyes
- Total Balance
Vitamin C
A water-soluble vitamin, added as ascorbic acid.
- Coat/Skin
- Eyes
- Brain
- Total Balance
Choline
A nutrient often grouped with the B vitamins, added as choline chloride.
- Liver
B Vitamins
Thiamine (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacinamide (B3) and pyridoxine (B6).
- Coat/Skin
- Total Balance
Folic acid
A B vitamin.
- Coat/Skin
- Total Balance
Vitamin A
A fat-soluble vitamin, added as vitamin A acetate.
- Coat/Skin
- Total Balance
Iron
A mineral, added as ferrous fumarate.
- Coat/Skin
- Total Balance
Calcium
A mineral. Added as tricalcium phosphate, or as seaweed-derived calcium in the milk.
- Coat/Skin
- Total Balance
- Berry Good Milk
Vitamin D3
A fat-soluble vitamin.
- Berry Good Milk
The Small Print, in Plain English
This is the back of a Joints pouch, word for word. Tap a number.
INGREDIENTS: Water, Chicken Breast, Salmon, Tapioca Starch, Cauliflower, Vitamin E Supplement, New Zealand Green Mussel, Fish Oil, Apple.
GUARANTEED ANALYSIS: Crude Protein (min) 8.0%, Crude Fat (min) 1.0%, Crude Fat (max) 1.8%, Crude Fiber (max) 0.2%, Moisture (max) 84.0%, Ash (max) 1.0%, Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA) (min) 0.02%, Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA) (min) 0.15%, Calcium (min) 0.01%, Phosphorus (min) 0.10%, Vitamin E (min) 6 IU, Omega-3 Fatty Acids* (min) 25 mg
*Not recognized as an essential nutrient by the AAFCO Dog & Cat Food Nutrient Profiles.
CALORIE CONTENT (CALCULATED): 889 kcal ME/kg; 13.3 kcal ME/stick
DAILY FEEDING DIRECTIONS (for 12 months and older): 1 Stick: Cat under 7 lbs / Dog under 9 lbs; 2 Sticks: Cat 7–13 lbs / Dog 9–18 lbs; 3 Sticks: Cat 14–22 lbs / Dog 19–26 lbs; 4 Sticks: Cat above 22 lbs / Dog above 26 lbs
THIS PRODUCT IS INTENDED FOR INTERMITTENT OR SUPPLEMENTAL FEEDING ONLY.
Refrigerate after opening and serve immediately. Distributed by Choolip Inc, Montrose, CA 91020 USA. Made in Korea.
Ingredients
Listed by weight, heaviest first, as US pet food labels require. That's why water usually comes first.
Kiki: Water first. Every time.
Guaranteed Analysis
The least or the most of protein, fat, fiber, moisture and ash, plus anything else the label guarantees. It's a guarantee, not the exact recipe.
Leo: Guaranteed. I like that word.
"Crude"
"Crude" describes the lab test, not the quality. It's the standard method for measuring protein, fat and fiber.
Kiki: Nothing crude about it. It's salmon.
Min and Max
Min means at least this much. Max means no more than this much. Moisture is a max: up to 84% in this stick.
Leo: Max moisture. Mostly water. Still delicious.
The Asterisk
AAFCO, the group that writes the US nutrient profiles for pet food, doesn't list omega-3s as essential. The label tells you anyway, so you know they're there.
Kiki: Asterisks are where the honesty lives.
kcal ME
Calories, calculated as metabolizable energy: the energy available after digestion. 13.3 per stick here.
Leo: 13.3. I'm counting.
Feeding Directions
How many sticks a day, by your pet's weight, for pets 12 months and older.
Kiki: Four for big pets. Noted.
Intended Use
"Intermittent or supplemental feeding only" means it isn't a complete meal. Keep feeding their regular food alongside it.
Leo: Snack, not dinner. Understood. Reluctantly.
Words on the Label, Defined
What each one is. For what it does in your own pet, ask your vet.
Taurine
An amino acid.
FOUND IN: Heart, Liver, Brain, Berry Good MilkEPA and DHA
Two omega-3 fatty acids. In our sticks they come from fish and fish oil.
FOUND IN: Joints, Heart, Kidneys, Eyes (Brain lists DHA)Omega-3 fatty acids
A family of fats that includes EPA and DHA.
FOUND IN: Joints, Heart, Kidneys, Eyes, BrainL-Carnitine
A nutrient made from the amino acids lysine and methionine.
FOUND IN: Heart, BrainL-Arginine
An amino acid.
FOUND IN: BrainVitamin E Supplement
Vitamin E, a fat-soluble vitamin. "Supplement" is simply how a label names an added vitamin.
FOUND IN: Most sticks, Total Balance, Berry Good MilkAscorbic acid
Vitamin C, a water-soluble vitamin.
FOUND IN: Coat/Skin, Eyes, Brain, Total BalanceZinc Oxide
A source of zinc, a mineral.
FOUND IN: Coat/Skin, Liver, Eyes, Total BalanceCholine chloride
A source of choline, a nutrient often grouped with the B vitamins.
FOUND IN: LiverThiamine, riboflavin, niacinamide, pyridoxine
The B vitamins B1, B2, B3 and B6.
FOUND IN: Coat/Skin, Total BalanceFolic acid
A B vitamin.
FOUND IN: Coat/Skin, Total BalanceVitamin A Acetate
A stable form of vitamin A, a fat-soluble vitamin.
FOUND IN: Coat/Skin, Total BalanceFerrous fumarate
A source of iron, a mineral.
FOUND IN: Coat/Skin, Total BalanceTricalcium Phosphate
A source of calcium and phosphorus, both minerals.
FOUND IN: Coat/Skin, Total BalanceTapioca starch
Starch from the cassava root. It thickens the stick.
FOUND IN: Every stick, Total BalanceDried Lactobacillus plantarum fermentation product
The postbiotic in Total Balance: a fermentation product, heat-treated. It isn't a probiotic.
FOUND IN: Total BalanceKluyveromyces marxianus fermentation product
A fermentation product from a yeast, listed on the Berry Good Milk label.
FOUND IN: Berry Good MilkWhat's Not in It, Label by Label
Each list is copied from that product's own label, so they're not all the same.
Squeeze Vita Sticks
- No Grain or gluten
- No Artificial flavors or colors
- No Preservatives
- No Added salt
- No Added sugar
- No Sweeteners
- No Added trans fats
- No Meat by-products
Total Balance
- No Grain or gluten
- No Artificial flavors or colors
- No Preservatives
- No Added salt or sugar
- No Sweeteners
- No Meat by-products
Berry Good Milk
- No Grain or gluten
- No Artificial flavors or colors
- No Preservatives
- No Added salt or sugar
- No Emulsifiers
Fiber Veggie Bites
A different recipe with its own label. It contains potassium sorbate (a preservative) and dextrose (a sugar), so the stick list doesn't apply. Its full label is below.
So What's the Tapioca Starch For?
It's starch from the cassava root, and it's on every stick's label. It thickens the stick, so it's a lick and not a pour. It's the only thickener in the recipe.
Leo: Without it, it's soup.
Kiki: And you'd wear it.
Four Foods: Which Color Are They?
Tuna
Pollack
Pumpkin
Blueberry
Chicken Breast
Salmon
Red Cabbage
KiwiChicken BreastSalmon
Cauliflower
AppleSalmon
Lobster
Shiitake Mushroom
PearSalmonTuna
Tomato
StrawberryChicken BreastTuna
Carrot
BananaSalmonPollack
Broccoli
MangoKiki: I got this one in two seconds.
All Ten, Word for Word
Ingredients in label order (by weight, heaviest first) and calories, copied from each pack.
Joints9 ingredients13.3 kcal per stick
Ingredients: Water, Chicken Breast, Salmon, Tapioca Starch, Cauliflower, Vitamin E Supplement, New Zealand Green Mussel, Fish Oil, Apple.
Coat/Skin17 ingredients12.8 kcal per stick
Ingredients: Water, Salmon, Pollack, Tapioca Starch, Broccoli, Mango, Vitamin E Supplement, Tricalcium Phosphate, Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid), Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin), Vitamin B3 (Niacinamide), Vitamin A (Vitamin A Acetate), Ferrous Fumarate, Folic Acid, Zinc Oxide, Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine Hydrochloride), Vitamin B1 (Thiamine Hydrochloride).
Heart9 ingredients12.4 kcal per stick
Ingredients: Water, Salmon, Tuna, Tapioca Starch, Taurine, Fish Oil, Tomato, Strawberry, L-Carnitine.
Kidneys8 ingredients11.6 kcal per stick
Ingredients: Water, Tuna, Pollack, Tapioca Starch, Pumpkin, Blueberry, Vitamin E Supplement, Fish Oil.
Liver10 ingredients13.3 kcal per stick
Ingredients: Salmon, Water, Tapioca Starch, Lobster, Choline Chloride, Shiitake Mushroom, Taurine, Zinc Oxide, Vitamin E Supplement, Pear.
Eyes10 ingredients17.2 kcal per stick
Ingredients: Water, Chicken Breast, Tuna, Tapioca Starch, Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid), Zinc Oxide, Vitamin E Supplement, Fish Oil, Carrot, Banana.
Brain12 ingredients13.3 kcal per stick
Ingredients: Water, Chicken Breast, Salmon, Tapioca Starch, Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid), Red Cabbage, Kiwi, Taurine, Vitamin E Supplement, Fish Oil, L-Arginine, L-Carnitine.
Total Balance20 ingredients12.4 kcal per stick
Ingredients: Water, Tuna, Cod, Tapioca Starch, Salmon, Lobster, Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid), Tricalcium Phosphate, Vitamin E Supplement, Mango, Broccoli, Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin), Vitamin B3 (Niacinamide), Vitamin A (Vitamin A Acetate), Ferrous Fumarate, Dried Lactobacillus plantarum Fermentation Product, Folic Acid, Zinc Oxide, Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine Hydrochloride), Vitamin B1 (Thiamine Hydrochloride).
Berry Good Milk8 ingredients79 kcal per 100 mL
Ingredients: Milk, Seaweed Derived Calcium, Taurine, New Zealand Green Mussel, Liquid Kluyveromyces marxianus var. lactis Fermentation Product, Vitamin E Supplement, Cranberry, Vitamin D3 Supplement.
Fiber Veggie Bites27 ingredients4 kcal per piece
Ingredients: Soy Flour, Soybean Meal, Carrot, Vegetable Glycerin, Dextrose, Propylene Glycol, Potato, Sweet Potato, Squash, Guar Gum, Sweet Potato Flavoring, Potassium Sorbate (Preservative), Psyllium Husk, Broccoli, Spinach, Parsley, Carrot Powder, Plain Dried Beet Pulp, Dried Citrus Meal, Dried Plum Powder, Apple Powder, Kale Powder, Raspberry Powder, Pineapple Powder, Blueberry Powder, Strawberry Powder, Cranberry Powder.
My pet has allergies. Which one is safe?
We can't answer that for your pet, but we can show you everything. Every full label is on this page, so check it with your vet.
Is there chicken in every stick?
No. Joints, Eyes and Brain have chicken. Coat/Skin, Heart, Kidneys and Liver don't.
Are the sticks grain-free?
Every Squeeze Vita Stick label says no grain or gluten.
How do they keep without preservatives?
Each stick is sealed, then goes through a carefully controlled heat sterilization process. That is how it keeps its taste and texture without preservatives.
Why is water the first ingredient?
Labels list ingredients by weight, and a lickable stick is mostly water. Liver is the exception: salmon comes first.
Start Their Week for $22
The Trial Box: all seven sticks, two Total Balance Jumbo sticks and two Berry Good Milks.