Why We Built a Veterinary Advisory Board

When we set out to create the Philippines' first human-grade, AAFCO-balanced fresh dog food, we knew that good intentions alone would not be enough. The pet food industry is full of brands that rely on trendy ingredients, appealing packaging, and vague nutritional promises. We took a different path. We assembled a veterinary advisory board of specialists whose entire careers have been dedicated to animal nutrition science.

Our advisory board is not a marketing prop. These are the professionals who design every recipe from the ground up, who review our guaranteed nutritional analyses, and who ensure that every batch of McDuffy meets or exceeds the nutrient profiles established by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO). Their involvement is continuous and hands-on — not a one-time consultation.

This matters because canine nutrition is genuinely complex. Dogs require precise ratios of over 40 essential nutrients, and getting even one wrong can lead to deficiencies or toxicities over time. A recipe that looks healthy on the surface — real chicken, fresh vegetables, whole grains — can still be nutritionally incomplete without expert formulation. That is exactly the gap our advisory board fills.

Meet Our Advisory Board

[Note: The profiles below are templates. Actual names, photos, and credentials will be updated as partnerships are finalized.]

Why Veterinary Nutritionists Matter

Not all "vet-approved" or "vet-formulated" claims are created equal. In the pet food industry, these terms are largely unregulated. A brand can claim a recipe is "vet-approved" after a single cursory review by any licensed veterinarian, regardless of whether that vet has any specialized training in nutrition.

A board-certified veterinary nutritionist (DACVN) is fundamentally different. To earn this credential, a veterinarian must complete a DVM degree, then undertake a multi-year residency focused exclusively on animal nutrition, publish original research in peer-reviewed journals, and pass a comprehensive board examination. It is the veterinary equivalent of a medical specialist — the difference between a general practitioner and a cardiologist.

When a DACVN formulates a recipe, they are not simply picking ingredients that sound healthy. They are calculating precise nutrient levels down to milligrams per kilocalorie, accounting for nutrient interactions (for example, excess calcium can inhibit zinc absorption), and ensuring the recipe meets all 40+ essential nutrient minimums and maximums established by AAFCO. This level of precision is what separates nutritionally complete dog food from well-intentioned but potentially harmful homemade or boutique diets.

Our AAFCO Formulation Process

Every McDuffy recipe goes through a multi-stage formulation process before it reaches your dog's bowl. Here is how a recipe goes from concept to a finished, AAFCO-balanced meal:

1. Nutritional Targeting: Our lead formulator establishes the target nutrient profile based on AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for adult maintenance. This includes minimum levels for protein, fat, essential amino acids, fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals, as well as maximum safe levels for nutrients like calcium, phosphorus, and vitamin D.
2. Ingredient Selection: Working with our ingredient sourcing criteria, the formulator selects whole-food ingredients that naturally provide a broad spectrum of nutrients. For example, sardines in our Coastal Blend provide not only protein but also omega-3 EPA and DHA, calcium from edible bones, and vitamin D. This reduces reliance on synthetic supplementation.
3. Computer Modeling: Using professional nutrition software, the formulator models the complete nutrient profile of the recipe, adjusting ingredient ratios until every AAFCO requirement is met. This is an iterative process — changing one ingredient affects dozens of nutrient levels simultaneously.
4. Premix Design: A custom vitamin and mineral premix is designed to fill any remaining nutritional gaps. Unlike generic premixes, ours is tailored to the specific whole-food base of each recipe. This means our Surf & Turf premix is different from our Coastal Blend premix because each recipe has a different nutritional starting point.
5. Pilot Production: The recipe is produced in small batches at our human-grade facility. Samples are sent to an independent, accredited laboratory for full nutritional analysis. The lab results are compared against the formulated targets to verify accuracy.
6. Adjustment & Validation: If lab results deviate from targets, the formulation is adjusted and re-tested. This cycle continues until the finished product consistently meets all AAFCO nutrient profiles within acceptable tolerances.
7. Ongoing Monitoring: Even after a recipe enters full production, we conduct regular laboratory testing on production batches. This ensures consistency over time and catches any variations in raw ingredient nutrient content, which can fluctuate seasonally.

You can review the guaranteed nutritional analysis for all three recipes on our Quality & Certifications page.

Ongoing Research & Development

Nutrition science does not stand still, and neither do we. Our advisory board continuously reviews emerging research in canine nutrition to identify opportunities to improve our recipes. Current areas of focus include:

• Digestibility studies: We are exploring digestibility testing to measure how efficiently dogs absorb nutrients from our recipes, not just what is present in the food. A highly digestible diet means more nutrition reaches your dog and less ends up as waste.
• Life-stage formulations: Our team is developing puppy and senior formulas that will meet AAFCO profiles for growth and all life stages. Puppies and senior dogs have different caloric and nutrient requirements, and we want every McDuffy formula to be precisely right for each stage of life.
• Functional ingredients: We are investigating the inclusion of functional ingredients like turmeric (for anti-inflammatory properties), probiotics (for gut health), and additional omega-3 sources (for skin and coat). Any new ingredient will only be added after thorough review by our advisory board to ensure it provides genuine, evidence-based benefits.
• Local ingredient research: The Philippines has unique locally available superfoods like moringa (malunggay), which is already in our recipes. We continue to evaluate other local ingredients that could enhance our formulas while supporting Filipino farmers and suppliers.

Our Commitment to Transparency

We believe you have the right to know exactly what is in your dog's food and who designed it. That is why we publish our guaranteed analyses, detail our ingredient sourcing, and introduce you to the experts behind our recipes. If you ever have questions about our formulations, nutritional data, or advisory board, we encourage you to reach out. We would rather answer a hundred questions than have a single dog parent feel uncertain about what they are feeding their pet.

McDuffy exists because Filipino dogs deserve world-class nutrition formulated by world-class experts. Our advisory board is the foundation of that promise.