Why Vets Trust Pet Wants 

Veterinary professionals support our nutrition-first approach to wellness and rigorous pet food standards. 

The trust some veterinary professionals place in Pet Wants goes beyond recommending our pet food. Several have also invested in the brand, becoming owners of a Pet Wants in their community and using the business to support pet health and wellness outside of their clinic. 

Dr. Nate Wichmann, DVM is one of them. In addition to being a practicing small animal and exotic veterinarian, he is the owner of Pet Wants Lex in Lexington, Kentucky. He sees Pet Wants as a natural extension of his work. 

"Nutrition might be the most underappreciated aspect of pet health," Wichmann said. "The two nutrition-related issues I see most often in my veterinary practice are obesity and food sensitivity. We discuss them with as many as 80% of pet owners.” 

"Pet Wants gives me an opportunity to meet more pet parents and build another level of trust. I really view it as an extension of my veterinary practice." 

–Dr. Nate Wichmann, DVM, practicing veterinarian and owner of Pet Wants Lex 

What Veterinarians Look for in Pet Food 

Veterinarians evaluate pet foods differently than most pet owners. Their training, experience, and daily exposure to pet health challenges give them a unique perspective on what pets need to thrive. 

To recommend a pet food, they consider multiple factors, including ingredients, nutritional value, and how the pet food is prepared. 

• Quality Ingredients: All of our ingredients are sourced responsibly from trusted suppliers and tested for quality before use. Our recipes center on high-quality animal proteins: salmon, duck, whitefish, chicken, lamb. Pet Wants never uses sugar, corn, wheat, soy, artificial colors, animal by-products or fillers in its food. 
• Nutritional Value: Each Pet Wants recipe is formulated by a PhD animal nutritionist. All Pet Wants recipes are 100% complete and balanced, except for our maintenance recipes. Each one also meets The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) standards and supports all life stages. 
• Nutrition Crafted in Small-Batches: Unlike many mass-produced dry pet foods, Pet Wants recipes are made more frequently in small batches. This ensures your pet's bowl is filled with food that hasn't been sitting for long, losing its nutritional value. Our recipes are gently cooked at lower temperatures and for longer periods, helping preserve more of the natural nutrients, flavor, and quality ingredients your pet needs. Combined with rigorous quality and safety standards that meet USDA and FDA requirements, our careful process delivers a fresher, more nutritious meal in every bowl. 

Building Trust Beyond the Clinic 

"I usually am limited to meeting pets when they're sick, or if they're healthy, maybe only a few times a year,” Wichmann said. "Owning and operating Pet Wants Lex gives me an opportunity to address pet health proactively and engage with more pet parents in an entirely different setting and build another level of trust. I really view this as an extension of my veterinary practice."