The Missing Link Information
The Missing Link is a pet supplement company that was founded by a Veterinarian, Dr. Collette.
He founded the company after being concerned about recurring health issues in some of his pet clients, including hip and joint pain, itchy skin, digestion issues, and more.
Since then, The Missing Link has grown into one of the largest and most established pet supplement companies with thousands of regular customers.
The Missing Link sources all of its ingredients from countries such as the USA, Canada, New Zealand, and Argentina and includes a dedicated page on their site to showcase each ingredient’s source.
This level of transparency, especially from a supplement company, is extremely impressive and will give potential customers more confidence in the product.
The Missing Link is available at select retail pet food stores across the United States, and you can see if it is stocked locally by using their Store Locator tool.
In addition, The Missing Link is sold by several of the large pet food websites like Amazon and Chewy.
The Missing Link Product Range
Dogs
The Missing Link has a relatively large range of dog supplement products which can be split into three distinct ranges. This includes their Original range, the Collagen Care range, and the Pet Kelp range.
The Original and Pet Kelp range comes in powdered form and can be mixed with traditional dog food. However, the Collagen Care range comes in chew form and is designed to be eaten individually.
Outside of their supplement range, The Missing Link also produces some dental dog treats.
Cats
The Missing Link’s range of cat food supplements is noticeably smaller than their dog range. However, it still includes some variety, including two Original recipes and a Pet Kelp recipe.
The Missing Link does not produce any treats for cats.
The Missing Link Nutrition
Dogs
Given that The Missing Link is primarily a supplement company, the core nutrition (protein, fat, and carbohydrates) provided by its supplements is less crucial than if they were a pet food company.
However, the micronutrients, vitamins, and minerals included in The Missing Link are worth discussing.
Many of these supplement products contain very high levels of the Omega 3 and Omega 6 Fatty Acids, which are thought to provide several health benefits to dogs.
If you’d like to learn more about canine nutrition, we would highly recommend you read our Dog Food Guide.
Cats
Similar to the above, The Missing Link is a supplement company, and so the proportions of protein, fat, and carbohydrates found in their supplements are not critical to a cat’s health.
Once again, The Missing Link cat supplements include very impressive levels of the Omega 3 and 6 Fatty Acids, which can provide cats with several health benefits.
If you’d like to read more about feline nutrition, be sure to check out our Cat Food Guide.
The Missing Link Ingredients
High-Quality Meat & Fish Ingredients
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Given that The Missing Link is a supplement company, the inclusion of high-quality meat and fish ingredients is far less crucial.
While the vast majority of The Missing Link’s products are made from plant-based ingredients, some select supplements include small portions of Beef Liver.
Organ meat ingredients like Beef Liver can be excellent additions to pet food or pet supplements.
These ingredients can vastly improve the flavor and palatability of food and provide vitamins and minerals that are low in traditional meat cuts or pet food recipes.
Other Notable Ingredients
Like many other supplement companies, The Missing Link makes extensive use of Flaxseed. Flaxseed also features heavily in commercial dog food recipes.
One of the reasons it is so popular is that it is a reliable source of the Omega 3 Fatty Acids.
The fatty acids are believed to provide several health benefits to dogs and cats, including an improvement in the condition of their skin, coat, and fur.
However, Flaxseed can potentially provide many more benefits outside of its Omega 3 content which you can learn about in our article Flaxseed In Dog Food.
Rice Bran is another common feature of commercial dog food and is found in some Missing Link supplements.
Rice Bran is a by-product of certain grain processing activities, but many are not a fan of its use and would prefer the use of whole grains.
If you’d like to learn more about the difference between Rice and Rice Bran, read our article Rice Bran In Dog Food.
Small quantities of Alfalfa regularly feature on the ingredient list of premium dog food recipes, and it is also found within some of Missing Link’s supplements.
Alfalfa, which is also known as Lucerne, is believed to provide several health benefits and include many vitamins and minerals.
To learn more specifics about these benefits and Alfalfa’s nutrition, read our article Alfalfa In Dog Food.
Missing Link’s Pet Kelp supplements include a small portion of Pumpkin. Pumpkin is a well-known addition to pets’ diets and is best known for being a reliable source of dietary fiber.
Dietary fiber can be critical to some dogs to ensure they keep regular digestion and stools. However, fiber isn’t the only component of Pumpkin, it can also include beneficial micronutrients like Beta Carotene.
To learn more about Pumpkin and their use in dog food, we recommend you read our article Best Dog Food With Pumpkin.
Guar Gum is a surprising inclusion in some of The Missing Link’s products. Guar Gum is a binding agent and is traditionally used to bind ingredients together in wet/canned pet food to give them a uniform texture and appearance.
Why The Missing Link needs to include this ingredient in supplements is not abundantly clear.
Lastly, some of The Missing Link’s supplements include tiny portions of Powdered Cellulose. In short, Powdered Cellulose is pure fiber derived from plant material.
However, Powdered Cellulose can be an extremely controversial ingredient as many believe it is sourced and produced from low-quality sources such as agricultural waste products or even industrial waste products.
To learn more about why Powdered Cellulose is controversial, check out our article Powdered Cellulose In Dog Food.
The Missing Link Animal Testing
We can not find any information on whether The Missing Link participates in animal testing for its products.
Many smaller pet food and supplement brands do not perform large-scale testing or trials and avoid disclosing this information as it could be perceived negatively.
We strongly believe that laboratory or invasive testing of animals is a cruel and outdated practice. We hope that in the future, it will be eliminated.
The Missing Link Recalls
Based on our research (FDA, AVMA, DogFoodAdvisor), we have no information that The Missing Link has ever been involved in a recall which makes it a recall-free brand.
However, given that The Missing Link is primarily a supplement company, this is not surprising. It is exceedingly rare that supplement products for pets are recalled.
Nevertheless, pet owners should always be vigilant of any future recalls of The Missing Link or any other pet brand.
Best of The Missing Link
Original Hips & Joints Powder Review
The above Original Hips & Joints Powder recipe from The Missing Link is by far their most popular and has a cult following who claim that it has drastically helped to improve the joint health of their dogs.
The supplement includes Glucosamine, Flaxseed, Beef Liver, Alfalfa, and more which combine to provide a range of health benefits as well as critical vitamins and minerals.
While many similar supplements to the above are quite costly, The Missing Link is more affordable and could be a more viable option for those without deep pockets.
The Missing Link Featured Articles
At this time, The Missing Link has not been featured in any of our articles.
The Missing Link Full Product Range
Dog Supplements
Original Hip & Joints Powder
Original Skin & Coat Powder
Original Vegetarian Skin, Coat & Digestion
Original Vegetarian Hips, Joints & Digestion
Collagen Care Hips & Joints Soft Chews
Collagen Care Calm & Focus Soft Chews
Collagen Care Skin & Coat Soft Chews
Original Growth & Development
Original Senior
Pet Kelp Probiotic Blend
Pet Kelp Skin & Coat
Pet Kelp Joint & Bone
Dog Treats
Smartmouth Dental Chews for Petite/Extra Small Dogs
Smartmouth Dental Chews For Small/Medium Dogs
Smartmouth Dental Chews For Large/Extra Large Dogs
Cat Supplements
Original Feline Skin & Coat
Pet Kelp Feline
Original Vegetarian Skin, Coat & Digestion
Avian Supplements
Original Avian
Horse Supplements
Well Blend Senior Equine
Well Blend + Joint Equine
Skin & Coat Equine