Dog Food Reviews

Dr. Harvey’s Paradigm – A New Whole Food, Low Carb Diet for Dogs

MyDogLikes reviews Dr. Harvey's Paradigm - the perfect base for a keto or low carb dog food diet.
Written by Kevin Sando

Dr. Harvey’s changes lives.

It really is that simple. After trying out their food for ourselves, we (and thousands of other passionate pet parents) have seen drastic improvements in the health of our companion animals. We credit Dr. Harvey’s with completely shifting our view of what makes a healthy dog food.

Dr. Harvey’s has made such an impact on us that we simply couldn’t keep it to ourselves. Last year, we joined up with them as brand ambassadors to help espouse the benefits of a whole food diet – a cause that they have been championing for more than 30 years!

The Kibble Conundrum

Though we keep telling everyone about the benefits of a whole food diet, we know that we are fighting an uphill battle. The major pet food brands have done a great job convincing the general population that highly processed kibble provides the optimum nutrition for their pets. Meanwhile, rates of obesity, cancer and diabetes have never been higher.

Think about it this way… Cereal is probably the closest thing in the grocery store to pet kibble. Yes, it may be fortified with all sorts of vitamins and minerals, but would you really feed it to your children for every meal? Something in your head certainly tells you that this is not a good idea. These dry processed bits can’t really be better than fresh, whole foods!

So why do we treat (and assume) that our pets are any different?

Dr. Harvey's Paradigm is a green superfood pre-mix for dogs.

Introducing Dr. Harvey’s Paradigm

Paradigm is a brand new green food pre-mix designed specifically for dogs who require a low carb diet. This food contains no wheat, corn, soy, grain, starch, or other fillers. Instead, only a holistic blend of dehydrated vegetables and herbs. Simply add meat, oil, and water to create a fresh balanced meal for your dog.

What’s the thought behind it?

Well, there is a growing body of research showing that sugar and carbohydrates worsen many of the most common health issues faced by our canine companions. Serious conditions such as:

  • Cancer
  • Diabetes
  • Seizures
  • Obesity

A ketogenic diet which is low in carbs, moderate in protein and high in fats, changes the way your body processes energy. Instead of burning carbohydrates for energy, you will begin to utilize fats. Sugar from carbohydrates is the primary fuel feeding cancer cells, so a ketogenic diet may essentially starve the cancer cells of their energy source. This type of diet has been showing very promising results for the treatment of canine cancer!

Dr. Harvey’s Paradigm Ingredients

There are 6 primary vegetable in Paradigm – all with a low glycemic index in order to digest slowly and prevent glucose spikes. The formulation is rounded out with herbs and a multi-vitamin supplement.

Full Ingredient List:

Broccoli, Green Beans, Bone Broth, Red and Green Bell Pepper, Cabbage, Pumpkin, Celery, Kelp, Alfalfa, Turmeric, Spirulina, Ginger, Red Clover, Milk Thistle, Slippery Elm, Dandelion, Cinnamon, Tricalcium Phosphate, Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Vitamin E Supplement, Manganese Proteinate, Vitamin A Acetate, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid

Our Paradigm Review

We are currently using Dr. Harvey’s Veg-to-Bowl pre-mix as a foundation for a home cooked diet. As soon as we found out about Paradigm, we were very excited for Harley and Charlie to give it a try.

Just like their other pre-mixes, Paradigm comes in dry form which must be mixed with water to re-hydrate. Though this only takes a few minutes, we typically like to prepare several days worth at one time so it is ready to go when the pups are hungry.

Preparing Dr. Harvey's Paradigm

Using the ratio’s suggested on the back of the bag, we mixed the food with water in a large glass dish. After about 5 minutes and a few stirs you are left with a consistency similar to oatmeal – though you can always add more water to fit your dogs preferences and needs.

Re-hydrated Paradigm - Just add water and wait a few minutes

Next up, you need to choose a protein to add to the meal. We opted for chicken thighs which are relatively inexpensive and easy to cook (especially in our Instant Pot!). Just make sure to take out the bones and remove most of the skin before giving to your dog!

Letting the chicken thighs cool after removing from our Instant Pot

After the chicken had cooled, we stripped the meat off the bones, added Dr. Harvey’s fish oil as a fat source and mixed these with our re-hydrated Paradigm.

Now doesn't that look better than kibble?! This is real, whole food for dogs!

Wow, doesn’t that look good? And judging by the picture of our bi-pedal twinkle-toes below, Charlie thought so too!

Charlie can't wait to give the new Dr. Harvey's food a try!

Finally it was time to eat, and both boys dove right in. They ate with enthusiasm and in no time the bowls were clean enough to be put back in the cupboard!

It’s no wonder – this is REAL FOOD – what dog wouldn’t go crazy for it?

Paradigm is a brand new class of dog food - designed as part of a keto or low-carb diet for dogs.

Why MyDogLikes Dr. Harvey’s Paradigm

Dr. Harvey’s has been ahead of the curve in pet nutrition for decades now and Paradigm is yet another example. This pre-made mix serves as the perfect foundation to a low carb or ketogenic diet and helps assure that your dog is still getting the nutrition that he or she requires. The ingredients are unparalleled in terms of quality and our boys loved it!

Though Paradigm would be great for any dog, we are particularly interested in the application of this type of diet as a treatment for cancer, diabetes, and other illness. Dr. Harvey’s has made us firm believers in the power of whole food when it comes to pro-actively managing health and we are very excited to have another option at hand.

Want to give Paradigm a Try?

They are currently offering a free trial!

Or you can use code “MDL1231” to save 10% on your Dr. Harvey’s order!

About the author

Kevin Sando

Kevin is a mechanical engineer with a degree from the Rochester Institute of Technology. He has move than a decade experience in new product design, prototyping and early stage manufacturing. Pairing this background with his love of dogs, gives him a unique perspective to evaluate the design and execution of new and interesting pet products.

18 Comments

  • My schnauzer has kidney disease. She cannot have phosphorus or protein and doesn’t drink enough water. Do you have a food for kidney failure? She only has 25% kidney function.

    • Hi Delana

      Thought I’d chime in. You might want to get a second opinion about your dog. Even with severe kidney decline dogs need protein in their diet. They cannot survive without protein and will go downhill fast if you put them on something like a vegetarian diet. Generally for kidney issues you want to feed high quality, low phosphorus meats so your best option is doing something like a home made diet. Low phorphorus protein sources include eggs and green tripe, but you can also do poultry, just avoid organ meats.
      I haven’t used dr harveys personally, but I’m sure this formula and other ones can be balanced with some meats to create an alternative diet for your pup. I have had good results with honest kitchen Keen and Verve for dogs with kidney issues and it lowered their values once switched to it and supplementing with kidney supporting vitamins such as Standard Process Canine Renal Support.

      Good luck

    • My dog has poor functioning kidneys and I give him 2 scoops of canine health and 1 of either paradigm or raw vibrance. He has 4 hard boiled egg whites as his protein and 3 squirts of salmon oil. He is doing very well and been eating this way for almost 2 years. I give him A LOT of egg whites because it is the cheapest protein overall vs salmon, cod, …

  • We have been feeding Dr Harvey’s Veg to Bowl for the life of our dogs (7 and 6 yrs.) We mix it with ground chicken breast and oil. They love it and are doing well. I was wondering if I substituted 1/4 cup of Paradigm at dinner time, would that be good?

  • wondering if there is special food just for weight reduction. My dog has to lose about 4 pounds…She now weighs 15 pounds and is supposed to weigh 11 pounds. I am interested in the Keto diet for dogs.

    • Please give Dr. Harvey’s a call directly at 866.362.4123 and they would be happy to point you in the right direction! Keep us posted on your dogs weight loss journey!

    • Hi MaryAnn, Dr. Harvey’s doesn’t currently offer any complete foods without chicken or beef, but they do have several pre-mixes where you can add your own meats. Paradigm (which we talk about above) is one of these, but we also recommend Canine Health or Veg-to-Bowl – Check them out and let us know if you have any questions!

  • I was making a homemade KETO diet for my rescued Boston Sadi based on a Facebook KETOEt group calculations. Sadi has a number of issues: kidney disease, a number of fatty tumors, some cancer cells in fatty tumor found after drawing fluid, possibly Addison’s or Cushing (per vet). I was measuring in grams when I made her hi-fat, medium protein, and low carb with liver food… but someone suggested using Dr Harvey’s Paradigm fir the veggies and since I couldn’t quite figure out how much of these veggies to add to my homemade KETO diet, I decided this week, based on Dr Harvey’s pamphlet testimonials to switch to making Paradigm for Sadi. I am very worried though that the greatest % in this food is carbs (however healthy they are-they are still carbs), and very low protein and guessing the oil is moderate %… I am worried Sadi’s cancer will not shrink like I’m positive it would have on the homemade KETO diet.

    • Hi Karen – first off, I am so sorry to hear about Sadi’s cancer. I’d definitely recommend contacting Dr. Harvey’s at info@drharveys.com to address your concerns and for some more specific recommendations! Please let us know what you decide to do – we will be keeping your family in our thoughts!

  • Hi Kevin – I did talk to Dr Harvey, and he’d like to see Sadi’s blood results. I have a past report but I’m going to get her blood sent off today and after I have the results, I will send them to him. Please let him know we totally appreciate his help and are hopeful Sadi will overcome her issues.
    Thank you so much, Karen

  • It would be so helpful if there was a more open discussion on carb content . . . or labeling that made it easy to know how many carbs you are feeding. Ive been romoting your foods to all kinds of people based on my belief you are low carb, but having that on the label would be sooooo nice!

  • Hi, I’ve been feeding my pups veg to bowl and incorporated paradigm not too long ago. Has anyone tried doing pup loaves using both of these mixtures? I’ve been prepping their servings daily but wanted to try a puploaf so it can last for a couple weeks.

  • My bloodhound Boone was diagnosed with a tumor way back in his nasal cavity a little over a week ago. At 10yrs old I was not going to put him thru the stress and sickness of radiation/chemo plus the numerous sedations he would have to endure. So after a 3 day downward spiral pity party for myself over Boone, I got to work researching and it kept bringing me back to food. He has transitioned almost completely to the Paradigm program with the exception of adding a little Taste of the Wild kibble (less and less each day). Seeing you make a batch of the premix ahead of time for future meals, I was wondering if I could prep the entire bag at once and make all his meals, divide them and freeze. Has anyone made the whole bag at once? Or is it better to do the daily routine? Thanks

  • Is it possible to combat diabetes in dogs with nutrition? I acquired a mini schnauzer that was diagnosed with diabetes and was extremely overweight. I have had her less than 2 months and have gotten a lot of weight off her. She is scheduled for another blood test to see how the diabetes is going, as I have not put her on insulin yet. Trying real hard not to……

  • Have u had results on dogs with seizures when they started Paradigm? I want to know have some stopped having seigures after eating this dog food. My dog had seizures at night. Takes keppra every 8 hrs. Hate side effects. Will diet stop seizures ?

763 Shares
Share84
Tweet2
Share
Pin677