It goes without saying that FURCHILD only sources the very best ingredients for our beloved pets.
Going beyond, our Raw Goat Milk Kefir is responsibly sourced from a family farm located in California, USA. And the goats used to make our kefir are healthy and roam happily on a 36-acre farm with green, grassy fields. (pictures below)
If you’re new, kefir is an active milk product cultured from 40 to 50 different probiotic bacteria and yeasts.
Now, What are the Benefits of Kefir for Dogs and Cats?
Since kefir is a naturally sour cultured milk, it is rich in probiotics.
Moreover, goat milk kefir’s health benefits for dogs and cats include its antibacterial properties from the Lactobacillus Pylori probiotic and Kefirin extract that are unique to milk kefir.
These prevent the growth of Salmonella, Helicobacter Pylori, E. coli, and other pathogens.
Kefir’s benefits for pets also include boosting the immune response, providing a wealth of nutritional value, as well as offering some proven health benefits such as help with cancer, asthma, allergies, osteoporosis, IBS, and lactose intolerance.
The Quality and Sourcing of Kefir for Dogs & Cats
Furchild’s kefir is made from rich premium raw Guernsey goat milk using our proprietary kefir process.
None of the commercially available cultures have the right characteristics to produce rich, smooth, and evenly cultured goat milk on their own so it took a lot of time and experimentation to get the right results.
The farmers call it “EAD Live” – a culture made with several different live kefir grains from Germany, Russia, the US, and Australia.
They then add the “EAD Live” culture to their raw milk immediately after milking goats, when the milk is most active. And because our cultured milk is so active, it needs to be refrigerated, otherwise it keeps fermenting.
When kept cold, the kefir’s shelf life is over 2-3 months. It’s also because the farmers do not add any sweeteners, thickeners, or colouring… only 100% Raw Goat Milk with the “EAD Live” culture.
How is Our Kefir Different from Other Commercially Available Kefirs?
Commercially manufactured kefirs are made by adding just a few strains of bacteria back into pasteurised milk. They only have a few strains of bacteria and do not provide the strength or variety of bacteria or yeasts obtained from using kefir grains.
As with homemade kefirs, made using grains, these farmers get 40 to 50 different bacteria strains and yeasts that give us pet parents the strongest probiotic available from any milk!
This is a result of our Guernsey goats and the high butterfat content in the 5% to 6% range.
Also, here’s an actual picture of the goats used for our Kefir, roaming freely in the farm.
A Few Tips for New Users
Kefir is a live-cultured milk product and it continues to ferment and culture if left at room temperature, causing it to become more sour, expand, and possibly even separate.
And it is normal for kefir to separate into curd and whey. Just shake well before using it, and it’s all good to be used.
To keep the benefits of kefir for our dogs and cats intact, we recommend that you store it in a cold refrigerator at 38 degrees or below.
Whether your pet is eating a raw, cooked, canned or dry pet food diet, adding our Raw Goat Milk Kefir is recommended for all sizes, ages, and breeds of dogs and cats.