Pet Nutrition

What is “Natural Food” and why is it better for your pet?

For starters, any natural or holistic food should not contain any meat or animal by-products, fillers such as corn meal or artificial colors or preservatives. If you are unsure about whether or not you’re feeding your pet all-natural food, follow these simple guidelines:

1. Food should be preserved naturally with vitamin E (tocopherols) and vitamin C (citric acid). All dog food contains necessary fat, the source of that fat is sometimes a mystery. Truly all natural foods will list a specific type of fat. More than likely it will be chicken fat, which is also good for preserving food. Although the Food and Drug Administration has stated that ethoxoyquin, BTH, BHA and other synthetic preservatives are generally safe, they should not be found in an all-natural pet food. None of the foods we carry contain these chemicals.

2. Be aware that pet food ingredients are listed by order of weight in the food, but although the label might list meat as the first ingredient, it may contain mostly water and some fat. Look for meat meal, which has had the fat and most of the water removed, as one of the first ingredients. Your dog or cat is not a vegetarian or even a herbivore like humans. So why are there so many grains in many commercial grade foods?

3. When considering protein sources in your pets food, make sure the label says what animal the meat comes from. Chicken meal, or chicken fat is much different than animal meal or animal fat and can contain anything from chicken and beef to horses and dogs. Natural food should also not contain any by-product whatsoever, no matter what the source. Some ingredients, usually fats, and some fish products, arrive at the factory containing artificial preservatives. The producers of these foods are not required to disclose this information on the ingredient list, due to the fact that they were not added at the factory.

4. Whole grains and vegetables are good sources of fiber and carbohydrates and should be included in the ingredients. However, some foods list wheat meal or corn meal, which has been stripped of most nutrition. Look for whole ground wheat or whole ground corn instead. All foods and treats we provide must meet our strict ingredient requirements.

The food we sell must not contain corn or wheat meal, animal by-products, or chemical preservatives such as BHT.  BHA and other synthetic preservatives are generally safe however, they should not be found in all-natural pet food.