BSB Products brought Carnilove Active Salmon to the UK in three bag sizesVital Essentials adds freeze-dried salmon treats to its single-ingredient lineupThis story belongs to VeterinaryPracticeNow and does not run on PetRetailNewsororo extended its Westminster sponsorship through 2028 without announcing a pet retail programIndiePet Names Bill Greene Executive Director After Four Years on Its BoardEnifer's PEKILO mycoprotein appears in first European pet food brandBuild-A-Bear opens three specialty shops inside its Orlando ICON Park location November 5Petco Love launches eight-pet blind-box plush line at Petco stores starting October 26BSB Products brought Carnilove Active Salmon to the UK in three bag sizesVital Essentials adds freeze-dried salmon treats to its single-ingredient lineupThis story belongs to VeterinaryPracticeNow and does not run on PetRetailNewsororo extended its Westminster sponsorship through 2028 without announcing a pet retail programIndiePet Names Bill Greene Executive Director After Four Years on Its BoardEnifer's PEKILO mycoprotein appears in first European pet food brandBuild-A-Bear opens three specialty shops inside its Orlando ICON Park location November 5Petco Love launches eight-pet blind-box plush line at Petco stores starting October 26
On the ShelfBy The PetRetailNews Desk2 min readOctober 22, 2026
Vital Essentials adds freeze-dried salmon treats to its single-ingredient lineup
Carnivore Meat Company launched Diced Salmon Treats under its Vital Essentials brand, adding a single-ingredient salmon format to the freeze-dried raw lineup.
Carnivore Meat Company launched Diced Salmon Treats under its Vital Essentials brand, adding a single-ingredient salmon format to the freeze-dried raw lineup the company already runs for dogs and cats.
The treats are made from skin-on salmon fillets, freeze-dried to preserve what the company calls a light, flaky texture rather than a hard crunch. The format is 100% salmon, with no fillers, grains, gluten, or artificial additives, according to Carnivore Meat Company. The product is positioned for training, rewarding, or everyday treating, and it's sized for both dogs and cats.
The protein expansion buyers are running
Vital Essentials already stocks freeze-dried raw food and treats across multiple proteins. The salmon addition gives stores another option in a category where variety matters, because pet owners are asking for rotation and single-ingredient formats let them do that without changing the treat type.
Ashley Li, VP of Brand at Carnivore Meat Company, said the launch is about giving pet parents "another simple way to incorporate high-quality raw protein into their pets' routines." The company framed it as a clean-label play: real ingredients, no extras.
Salmon brings omega-3 fatty acids and protein, which support muscle maintenance and coat health, the company said. The skin-on format adds texture and aroma that some pets respond to.
Our read: the dual-species angle simplifies the assortment decision
This is a straightforward line extension, but the dual-species positioning is the part that changes how the shelf works. If you stock freeze-dried treats for both dogs and cats, a single SKU that works for both reduces the number of facings you need to cover the category. That matters when freeze-dried real estate is limited, and in most independents, it is.
The salmon format also slots into a premium price tier. We'd watch whether the brand holds its price through the next salmon supply cycle, because that's where the margin promise either delivers or doesn't.
If your freeze-dried section is already tight, subscribe to PetRetailNews for the category moves that change the assortment.
The treats are available now at independent pet stores and online through Vital Essentials' site, Amazon, and Chewy. The company did not disclose pricing, pack sizes, or distribution targets.
What changes on the shelf this quarter
If you already stock Vital Essentials freeze-dried treats, the salmon SKU competes for space against the proteins you're already running from the same brand. What matters is whether your customer base is asking for salmon specifically, or whether they're satisfied rotating through what you already carry. If salmon requests are coming up at the register, test it. If they're not, the existing assortment probably covers the need.
For stores that don't yet stock freeze-dried raw treats, this launch doesn't change the entry decision. The category still requires customer education, and the margin only works if turnover is there. Salmon as a single-ingredient format is another option in freeze-dried, not the first one.
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