Woody’s Pet Food Deli

Many brands of dry dog and cat food tout their vitamin content, but none of them impress Enrique Palma, co-owner of Woody’s Pet Food Deli.

Palma says, “Unfortunately, people still think that processed food is good for dogs and cats, and for human beings, we know it’s not. There’s no food that is more processed than commercial pet food. It doesn’t matter if it’s a holistic pet food.”

The reason? Even though some pet food companies start with a decent vitamin and mineral content, because they use such high heat to cook their product (up to around 390 degrees in some instances), the end result is not very nutritious at all.

According to Palma, that lack of nutrition can result in all sorts of health problems for your pet, from hairballs to diabetes and kidney failure.

As Palma explains, “I always encourage people, if they’re going to buy a brand like Science Diet or Beneful—take a look at the ingredients. If you see corn, sugar, and a lot of meal stuff, you’re buying stuff that is going to hurt your pet down the road.”

Palma’s regular customers often see improvement in the health of their pets soon after making the switch, but he would prefer pet owners to view nutritious pet food as preventative care rather than a curative solution.

Woody’s Pet Food Deli provides a meat-based diet, either cooked or raw, mixed with vitamins and minerals, or vegetables and rice. It uses different meats for a more varied diet—anything from chicken or turkey to rabbit—and all meats are ground in-house.

Palma points out, “We only use human-grade chicken, and we grind the bones really small. It’s not a problem for any dog or cat, and we also grind the organs.”

Bones and organ meat may not sound as appetizing to us, but they include the kind of vitamins and minerals a dog or cat needs.

Surprisingly, although made by hand with higher-quality ingredients, Woody’s products offers a cheaper alternative to most canned food. Because canned foods contain so much water, you use a much smaller amount of Palma’s blend.

“If you’re buying canned pet food, you’re paying for water,” Palma remarks.

In addition to the regular menu, Woody’s Pet Food Deli also makes custom blends for your dog or cat’s special needs.

Woody’s Pet Food Deli
Year Founded: 2008
President/CEO: Enrique Palma
Number of Employees: 4
Address: 3008 W. 50th St., Mpls.
Phone: (952) 208-0335
Web Site: www.woodyspetdeli.com