Health & Nutrition:
5 of the Best Dry Dog Foods Around
When buying dog food, it’s true what they say: You get what you pay for. Top quality dog foods are going to be more pricey than grocery store and big box store brands, but in the long run, you will save money on vet bills due to
skin problems, digestive issues, etc. These are my top 5 favorite dry dog foods, considering ingredients, quality control, and overall nutritional value.
1: Orijen (all flavors)
Grain free, high quality never frozen fresh meat, wild caught fish, fruits, vegetables, and botanicals
2: Acana (all flavors)
Grain free, fresh regional ingredients
3: Fromm Surf and Turf
Grain free, high quality meat, very balanced with probiotics
4: Fromm (5 star Flavors)
good meat content, high quality grains, excellent probiotics
5: The Great Life
Grain free, fresh meat, organic ingredients, probiotics and active enzymes
Tip of the Day: Add Salmon Oil to your Dog’s Food for a Shiny Coat and Healthy Skin!
For dogs with skin issues, salmon oil is a great addition to their diet. Rich in protein and Omega 3 fatty acids, salmon oil can benefit almost every aspect of your dog’s health. From skin and coat and joint health to brain and organ function, the benefits of salmon oil are great! You can find salmon oil at many small pet supply stores and health food stores.
Procter and Gamble Buys Natura: Will You Still Use Natura Products?
The P&G takeover of Natura happened back in May, but the pet food industry is still buzzing over the news. As an owner of an independent pet supply store, I am disheartened by the takeover because I know that eventually, Natura products will lose their “family owned and operated” feel and the wholesome, quality ingredients will become junk. P&G is a HUGE conglomerate…don’t they own enough already?
According to a P&G executive… “This move enables P&G to expand into the attractive “holistic and naturals” segment of the pet food category, complementing P&G’s current Iams and Eukanuba brands and helping the Company advance its overall growth strategy of “reaching more consumers in more parts of the world more completely.” First of all, “Iams and Eukanuba” should not be in the same sentence as “holistic and naturals”. Years ago, Iams and Eukannuba were known for being premium pet food brands. Where are they now, after being bought by P&G? Mass produced in supermarkets and big box pet store chains. Not to mention the many recalls associated with these pet foods. Click here for the most recent recall. …continue
The Truth about By-Products in Pet Food
If animal by-products are listed in the ingredient list of your dog’s food, please think twice about feeding it to him. The contents will turn your stomach. 
Animal by-products include everything from dead and diseased animal meat that does not adhere to human-grade food qualifications to hair, nails, teeth, feathers, beaks, bones, and blood. Little goes to waste when it comes to pet food and “meat by-products” is actually very misleading because by-products usually includes everything but fresh meat. Many by-products are filled with cancerous tissue, spoiled meat, road kill, and diseased animal parts. …continue
What’s in your Dog’s Food? Good vs. Bad Ingredients
I know the cute fluffy dog and raining vegetables on the “Beneful” commercials might be appealing, but if you really look at the ingredients in Beneful dog food(and most other popular pet foods), you will be shocked. Take a look – this is the ingredient list for Beneful Healthy Harvest dog food:
Ground yellow corn, corn gluten meal, whole wheat flour, animal fat preserved with mixed-tocopherols (form of Vitamin E), soy protein concentrate, soybean meal, pearled barley, brewers rice, tricalcium 
phosphate, sugar, water, animal digest, sorbitol, phosphoric acid, salt, potassium chloride, L-Lysine monohydrochloride, calcium carbonate, sorbic acid (a preservative), dried spinach, dried sweet potatoes, dried apples, dicalcium phosphate, choline chloride, calcium propionate (a preservative), DL-Methionine, added color (Red 40, Yellow 5, Blue 2, Yellow 6), zinc sulfate, ferrous sulfate, Vitamin E supplement, manganese sulfate, Vitamin A supplement, niacin, Vitamin B-12 supplement, calcium pantothenate, riboflavin supplement, copper sulfate, biotin, garlic oil, thiamine hydrochloride, pyridoxine hydrochloride, thiamine mononitrate, folic acid, Vitamin D-3 supplement, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of Vitamin K activity), calcium iodate, sodium selenite. …continue
