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FAQ

What does 'Holistic' mean?

Holistic simply put means entirely, of a whole, used by pet foods as natural - wholesome with all the ingredients being digestible & nutritious!

Aren't Natural / Holistic pet foods more expensive than grocery brands?

On the shelf - yes. On a cost per serving basis - no! On providing optimum nutrition for health, longevity and performance - no! no! Premium natural pet foods contain high quality, nutrient dense ingredients that promote superior digestibility. This means that the animal will need to consume less to receive the same, or better nutrition. There is also less clean-up

Are natural foods really better?

Many nutritionists & veterinarians are becoming increasingly concerned with use of rendering practices of the pet food industry, including artificial taste enhancers colors chemicals & denaturing products (fuel oil) with no government regulations other than the associations mentioned!

Oven Baking vs. Extrusion

Any cook can mix ingredients. The secret is in the total cooking process. This is one of the reasons our food is not easily duplicated by other manufacturers. Most companies prepare their food by steaming it as quickly as possible, usually less than 3 minutes, then extruding it under extreme pressure through a metal die. This process expands the food with air creating a uniform shape. This method does not produce the highly digestible food that your dogs' system requires. Many professionals believe extruded food can be a cause of bloat. In an oven baking process, the cooking time is longer while the temperature is lower.

Since the food is concentrated, there is more value with less food consumed. Feeding over-baked foods require 20-25% less food than steam-extruded foods. Pet owners will find fewer odors and stool clean up.

What's really in commercial dog food ?

(link to word document of the same name)

What are animal by-products?

By-products mean the ingredient contains the identified meat, plus a wide variety of "secondary" items from meat animals, including some of the internal organs. This term can be used to refer to everything from the trachea to the viscera.

What are added growth hormones?

In today's industrialized agricultural system, animals such as beef cows are commonly injected with or fed hormones simply to make them grow more quickly. Although no studies have been done specifically on pets, studies by the U.S. General Accounting Office and Consumers Union have warned of a link between growth hormones and cancer in humans.

What is antibiotic-fed protein?

Disease is always a danger when farm animals are overcrowded as they can be in some of today's industrialized agricultural systems. Animals in overcrowded situations are commonly fed low doses of antibiotics. Although no studies have been done specifically on pets, a recent issue of the New England Journal of Medicine warned that the maintenance use of antibiotics in animal feed may be sparking an increase in antibiotic resistant bacteria.

What are rendered meats and fats?

Rendered meats and fats are commonly listed as chicken meal, meat meal, and meat or poultry "by-product meal" on the ingredient label of pet foods. By-product meal, for example, includes the cooked and processed remains of the leftovers in meat and poultry processing. Rendered meats may be a source of protein in some pet foods, but will never be included in our products.

Why no artificial colors, flavors or ingredients?

We want pets to eat as nature intended. Many pet foods contain artificial colors to appeal to the consumer, not the pet.

Dogs are carnivores

Yes, dogs are carnivores. There are many degrees to carnivores. They are not a "true" carnivore like a cat but more a secondary carnivore. They need vegetables as well as meat to provide the correct metabolism and pH of body fluids. Meat provides protein in order to rebuild muscle tissue (heart, lungs, joints, ligaments, tendons, throat, etc.) and to keep the immune system going. Protein or more importantly amino acids provide a variety of jobs within the body. Meat is the best source of protein. Meat also provides essential fatty acids, vitamins (b-complex, A, E, D, etc.), minerals (Mg, Zn, Cu, Chr, Se, etc), enzymes, co-enzymes, co-factors, etc. Vegetables also provide protein, vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids, fiber, etc. Cats can eat more meat then dogs because they have a different body pH requirement. There are other anatomical differences too. The bottom line is dogs and cats are carnivores and they need meat in order to survive and feel well.

I CAN'T BE OVERFEEDING BECAUSE MY DOG ONLY EATS WHAT HE NEEDS AND LEAVES THE REST

NO !!! This probably means that the animal is eating to its maximum capacity. If your dog regularly picks at his food and leaves food behind then this means that he is eating as much as he wants rather than as much as he needs. It is likely that he could manage with a little less each day, his health would improve and he would probably enjoy his food more if he was eating less.

MY PET HAS DRY, FLAKY SKIN. DOES HE NEED MORE OIL IN HIS DIET?

Not necessarily! Dry, flaky skin (dandruff or scurf) can be a sign that there is an excess of waste matter in the system. Not necessarily a sign that anything is lacking in the diet. The solution could be to feed a high quality diet in smaller amounts, that will provide sufficient sources of good fat. This will enable the body to eliminate the waste matter and the skin condition should then improve.

MY PET IS UNDERWEIGHT. SHOULD I FEED HIM MORE?

It is first necessary to establish if the pet really is underweight. There are so many overweight dogs that a fit, lean dog looks underweight. Forget what the charts and scales say. You can assess your dog's weight by running your fingers down the rib cage.  The skin should be mobile and the ribs not immediately identifiable, but only a slight increase should allow you to feel individual ribs. Many dogs are lean because they are active, not because they need more food. Often, increasing the food intake will reduce the efficiency of digestion so the dog may not put on weight.

What is heartworm disease?

Heartworm disease is caused by a parasite called Dirofilaria immitis, which lives in the right side of the heart and the adjacent blood vessels. Its presence in these blood vessels causes cardiovascular weakness, compromised lung incapacity, and eventual death. Heartworm disease occurs primarily in dogs but can occur in cats and other animals on rare occasions.

Heartworm is transmitted from dog to dog (and cat to cat) by mosquitoes. Over 70 species of mosquitoes have already been implicated. Transmission of the parasite occurs as follows: when a mosquito draws blood from a dog or cat infected with heartworm, it takes with it a number of small immature worms called microfilariae. Once inside the mosquito, the microfilariae develop into larvae. Later, when the mosquito bites a new victim, the larvae are injected and that dog or cat becomes infected.

It takes about six and a half to seven months for the larvae to mature and start producing thousands of new microfilariae inside the circulatory system. The adult worms end up occupying the right chamber of the heart and the pulmonary arteries, while the microscopic microfilariae circulate throughout the bloodstream.

All these worms within the blood vessels produce an increased workload on the heart, along with restricted blood flow to the lungs, kidneys, and liver, eventually causing multiple organ failure. At first, pets may exhibit a chronic cough and reduced exercise tolerance, followed by sudden collapse and death.

Once infected, one pet can easily become a "carrier" or reservoir of infection for an entire neighborhood. Sometimes, a dog or cat may have heartworm disease but show no symptoms. By the time symptoms do occur, the disease is well advanced.

Prevention is preferred to treatment. While there are effective treatments available, most veterinarians prefer to promote prevention of heartworm disease. Oral and topical medications that are administered monthly and have shown to be highly effective in preventing heartworm disease are available from your veterinarian.