As the Pet World Turns

Organic, Local, Natural What does that really mean?

by Pet Supplies 'N' More on 01/04/12

Organic, Local, and all natural, what does that really mean?

Premium, Super Premium, Gourmet - These words are simply enticements. Marketers can use these words and do not need any proof of their claim at all. Natural - Under AAFCO guidelines, ingredients must not have been produced by or subjected to a chemically synthetic process, and must not contain synthetic additives. Simply put, there should be no chemicals or preservatives in natural pet food. What about the vitamin/mineral packs they use? Those are mostly synthetic and most come from China.

Organic - according to the FDA, there are no official rules governing the labeling of organic pet food. However, the USDA's National Organic Program (NOP) offers a few guidelines in determining organic quality. The NOP says, "To be certified as organic, plant ingredients in pet foods must be grown without pesticides, artificial fertilizers, genetic modification, irradiation or sewage sludge".

Animal ingredients must come from animals raised on organic feed, given access- does not mean they go outside - just that they have access to the outdoors, and not treated with antibiotics or hormones. Producers must be inspected to make sure they adhere to these standards.

Grain-free - Made without wheat, corn, gluten, and rice. Some manufacturers say that wheat, corn, gluten, and rice are rich in carbohydrates and they may increase a pet's energy level, while producers of grain-free foods claim they're only fillers. (see below under What is a carb?) These are relatively new ingredients in terms of cats and dogs digestive system and some claim added grains(carbs) are the reason for the rise in pet obesity, diabetes, dental problems, and food allergies. But if you look at the Grain-Free products they still have "carbs" in them; I don't think it's the grains that is the problem, I think it's the "carbs" and a carb is a carb in a carnivores digestive system.

Human grade -This term is popping up on pet labels everywhere from food to treats. According to the FDA center for Veterinary Medicine, at the very least, pet food may be considered "human grade" if every ingredient in a product is edible. This means that it was processed according to rules of sanitation required of food sold to people. In other words, if it's good enough for you, it's good enough for your dog/cat. There has been some consideration over the "human grade" term in recent history and manufactures won't be able to put "human grade" on the packaging.

Weight-Loss Formula - Some weight-loss formulas have added fiber, which can be hard on an animal's system, particularly if you're at work all day and your dog can't relieve himself when he feels the need. Other formulas have reduced fat or carbs. In general, diet dog food isn't all that different from the foods humans eat to manage their weight. They tend to have fewer calories. I don't recommend weight-loss formulas, because there are some carnivores that just don't process the extra carbs that weight-loss formulas generally have. I just tell customers to cut treats, "people" food out and exercise the pet more. Pet foods often claim to be complete and balanced or 100% nutritious. (For example; there has been many things that change in formulas the most famous is taurine. All those foods also were 100% complete and balanced until they realized cats and dogs needed it) It's important to look beyond these and other marketing claims to determine what's really in the bag. According to the AAFCO, "complete and balanced" pet food must be tested for its nutritional adequacy in one of two ways.

1st - Pet food must contain ingredients formulated to provide levels of proven essential nutrients that meet the AAFCO dog or cat food nutrient profiles to be considered a healthy pet food product. This is sort of like what the government sets the RDA on human foods, and it is the minimum amount required to keep you healthy enough to sustain life.

2nd - Product is tested using the appropriate AAFCO feeding trial protocol(s). Once the product has been fed to dogs/cats under strict guidelines and found to provide proper nutrition, the AAFCO may determine that product to be a source of "complete and balanced nutrition." Meaning that not all the dogs/cats died or lost 15% of their body weight or got sick. So some animals can die and get sick or lose at 15% of their body weight during a trial, (on a 50 # dog that's 7 1/2#'s in a 6 week trial)and a food can still be considered complete and balanced.

Products are often labeled for a more specific use or life stage, such as senior, large breed, or specific (German Sheperd) breed. While these terms may be used as general guidelines, there is little information as to the true dietary needs of these specific categories and currently there are no official rules governing these types of statements.

Remember to read pet food labels. Don't just look at the front of the bag. Everything and anything on the front of the bag is Marketing and Doesn't Even Have to be TRUE. Turn the bag over and find the ingredient list. Really think about this for a minute, is there really a chicken pot pie, beef stew, a whole turkey, t-bone, chicken breast filet, lamb chop, or lobster in you dog/cats food? Have you seen the price of meats these days? Even if you go with chicken breast on sale at $2.99 # do you really think that there is even a # of chicken breast in a bag of food that costs $2.19 per #? The purpose of this is to get you thinking. Look for protein to be the first ingredient. Protein must be from animal not corn, soy, gluten, nuts, maize, pea, potato etc.. Carbs should not be the first ingredient or the main ingredients.

What are Carbs? - Wheat, Corn, Barley, Oatmeal, Rice, Brown Rice, Sweet Potato, Pea fiber, Tapioca, Millet, Garbanzo Beans, Lentils, etc., it's what they use to hold the kibble together in another word FILLER, they can't make a kibble without something to hold it together, if it's a kibble it has some type of "glue".

Let's look at a food. Are Carbs the main ingredient in this ingredient list?

At first glance most would say no: Chicken, Organic Barley, Organic Oats, Organic Peas, Chicken Meal, Organic Sorghum, Organic Soybean Meal, Chicken Fat (Naturally Stabilized with Mixed Tocopherols (a Source of Vitamin E), Organic Brown Rice, Organic Millet, Organic Rice, Organic Flax Seed,.

This food looks great! Look at all the organic ingredients, but take a closer look. First it's mostly grain (8 grains or carbs) and second the stuff that is the most important to a carnivore is the chicken and chicken meal and they are not organic, so you're paying big bucks for organic grain. (The cheapest I could find this product on the internet was $2.15 per #; would you pay $2.15 per # for organic grain? I don't think so.) If we use the ingredients just to the fat source and say it's a 5# bag of food or 80 ounces - and we have 7 items before the fat source that would be .71# each or 11.42 ounces each so for the meat the chicken and chicken meal together it would be 1.42# or 22.84 oz. for the grain stuff it would be 3.55# or 57.10 oz . As you can see it's over 60% grain.

Here is another example - This is a list just to the first fat source after that everything else is minimal. Here's the list:

Whitefish, menhaden fish meal, Ground Brown Rice, Rice Bran, Ground Barley, Oatmeal, Rice, Flaxseed, Sweet Potato , Chicken Fat. This food looks great also, most would say it's mostly fish. Well here is how it gets tricky, let's say we have a 5# bag of food and each item listed was 1/2# so that would be 1.10# of fish and 3.85# of grain or carbs the rest would be the vitamin/mineral pkg. This food is over 60% grain/carbs.

Most times everything before the main fat is the majority of the food. (in recent times some companies have been changing this formula and adding more grain after the fat so more filler). See how manufactures? Trick us, they break up the grains/carbs into different types and with more ingredients it decreases the weight of the grain/carbs and makes the chicken or fish heavier.

Avoid lots of added chemicals. Avoid dyes (those are put there for you not your pet, they could care less if it colored), Avoid BHA, BHT, Propylene glycol, Ethoxyquin, Propyl Gallate, Phosphoric Acid, Glyceryl Monostearate just to name a few.

Avoid Artificial anything, meat meal, animal by products, meat by products, bone meal and bone meal by products.

These are some of the things I avoid at all cost and why.

a. Cellulose - Most sources of cellulose are from dried wood (saw dust). b. Beet Pulp - This is the left over from the sugar industry. There is a lot of controversy about beet pulp. If it was really used for the feeding of beneficial bacteria (prebiotic) as it is claimed, then I wouldn't have a problem with it. But, in 95% of the foods that beet pulp is used it is used as cheap filler. Beet pulp, even though they say the sugar has been removed, it's a sugar beet and if everything has been removed then where is the nutrition in that? Prebiotics feed on nothing? Isn't that the claim it's put into food for, to feed the prebiotics? So if the sugar is removed than it can't be feeding the prebiotics, so it must be filler. Right? c. Corn Bran - It's the outer coating of the corn kernel no nutritional value at all. d. Corn Cellulose again leftover of the cell walls of corn, no nutritional value. Rice Hulls, Oat hulls or peanut hulls - left over from dehulling the Rice, whole oat kernel or the peanut. Hulls are what protect the grain from the elements. e. Soybean and Wheat Mill run - An inexpensive byproduct of human food processing with no real nutritional value. These are just some of the things I avoid at all costs. Next time you look at a label think about the ingredients. Let's look at a ""good" kibble, again whatever is before the fat source is the majority of ingredients anything after the fat source is minimal. Chicken Meal, Millet, Chicken fat. Now, there is some controversy about Meal. In an ideal world, it would be chicken, chicken meal, millet, and chicken fat because the chicken would still have most of its amino acids intact where the meal is cooked so much the amino acids may not be.

Another sample of good ingredients would be Chicken meal, russet potato, deboned chicken, deboned walleye, whitefish meal, peas, and chicken fat. Here you have both the meal and the fresh meat.

My favorite foods to feed dogs and cats would be the species appropriate diet of a carnivore which would be raw meat, bones etc. The species appropriate diet is better assimilated and the vitamins and minerals are bio-available along with the amino acids. The biggest reason that I prefer the species appropriate diet is because of the hydration factor. For at least 5 years, I was telling anyone that would listen my opinion about how I think our pets are living in a constant dehydration state. Not life threatening, but constant, so their organs don't function at 100%. Again, this is my opinion, and here is why I think that. All their lives our pets are fed dry kibble, dry treats, dehydrated meats etc... A few years back I did an experiment, I took 1 cup of a couple types of kibble and wanted to see how much water is needed to make the kibble digestible. For most of the kibbles I checked it was for every 1 cup of kibble it took 2 cups of water just to make it soft enough for them to digest.

Here are some questions to ask yourself.

Is your pet drinking enough water?
Is this why there is an increase in bladder problems?
Is that why dogs eat their own poop because it's coming out like kibble?
Is that why there is an increase in urinary track problems?
If organs are slightly dehydrated could that be why we are having an increase in allergies, diabetes, cancers etc.?

To help you with pet care questions you may have, stop in or call and we can help you make a choice that will fit into your lifestyle, budget and your pets needs without jeopardizing the health of your pet.

Call 262-679-6776 or stop in at Pet Supplies 'N' More S83W20411 Janesville Rd Muskego WI for more information on how to feed your pet.

All information contained in this newsletter/article/blog is the opinion of Paula Gorman.

This information is not meant to be a substitute for veterinary care.
While Pet Supplies 'N' More promotes natural treatments this should only be done in cooperation with your veterinarian.
We need the service our veterinarians provide. By working together with them, it is possible to combine the knowledge of conventional and holistic education, so that our pets receive the best care and live a long, healthy life. It is not difficult to expect a caring professional to protect you from what they perceive to be a hoax or, worse yet, harmful. So first, give them credit for doing their job sincerely, then prepare yourself to help provide them with education. As the legal guardian of your pet, you have the right and the ethical duty to do what you think is best.

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New Grain Free - Legumes & Garbanzo Beans?? My Take on it.

by Pet Supplies 'N' More on 12/01/11

By Paula Gorman

Before I start on this blog, I have to let you know that what I am writing is my opinion and theory. Plus I have to give you the background of my thinking about growth inhibitors in grains and seeds. On grains and seeds there is a growth inhibitor ( Phytic acid) Do grains have phytic acid (phytates) and should we care? Generally speaking, grains have high levels of phytic acid, a substance that reduces our absorption of minerals such as calcium, iron, zinc, and magnesium. So yes I think we should be concerned. So as many of you may know in recent years many people are becoming wheat or grain intolerant, well I think it has to do with the growth inhibitor (Phytic acid) that is on seeds/grains so the growth inhibitor is killing off the bacteria in our gut. So here is why I am having a problem with the Legumes and Garbanzo beans, if they are not soaked to remove the Phytic acid then our pets may start with the problems of mal-nourishment, which we don't always see right away. Phytase is the enzyme that neutralizes phytic acid and liberates the phosphorus. This enzyme co-exists in plant foods that contain phytic acid. So some of the companies I have spoken to said that phytic acid is reduced when cooking yes this is true, Phytase is destroyed by steam heat at about 176 degrees Fahrenheit in ten minutes or less. In a wet solution, phytase is destroyed at 131-149 degrees Fahrenheit. Thus, the heating process , as in extrusion, will completely destroy phytase by processing. Extruded foods made of bran and whole grains are a recipe for digestive problems and mineral deficiencies! Cooking is not enough to reduce phytic acid—acid soaking before cooking is needed to activate phytase and let it do its work. If you want to have a complete understanding of this go to Weston Price or do a search on it - it can be very complicated.

My other concern is that Lentils are in the Legumes family and peanuts are a legume and peanuts carry Aflatoxin ,aflatoxins grows on grains and legumes mostly during storage.

Lentils are high protein so where is the protein in the foods really coming from?

Garbanzo Beans is also high protein not quite as high carb so again where is the protein in the foods coming from?

When the potato, pea fiber, tomato pumace and other fillers came out I was concerned with some of these also, the biggest concern for lentils and garbanzo beans is the protein issue. Potatoes only have 2.1 for 100 grams so that didn't raise the protein level, couldn't find the exact for pea fiber but it's around 4%, Tomato pumace doesn't have even a % so not that I'm favorable or like these ingredients.

I have looked at alot of things surrounding this issue, here are some of my thoughts.

Are these lentils, garbanzo beans really digestible for dogs and cats? Would they be choosing to eat them if they had the choice between meat protein and lentil/garbanzo bean protein? Should we be filling our pets foods with things they wouldn't normally eat? Are they going to have the same gas issues that people have? Is this just another fad the pet food companies are trying to get you to follow so they get more of your buck? Are these just another cheap filler? Do you really want to pay

If you would like information on how your pets should/want to be fed Pet Supplies 'N' More has nutritional counselors on staff or come into the Resource Center and check out for yourself. There are over 150 books, magazines and DVD's to watch or read. Bring a cup of coffee, tea or drink and sit and relax.

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Calorie Count by Amanda

by Pet Supplies 'N' More on 11/05/11

We have switched a lot of pets around on different kibble, raw & freeze-dried diets, due to allergies, protein levels, and other specific needs in a diet. When we do this, we try to look at the calories the pet requires vs. feeding guidelines on the package. Each pet has a different body weight and activity level that requires certain calories. The package guideline is just that a "guideline" it helps figure out the approx. amount needed. Your pet may or may not fall into that category. Such as a 75lb lab that hunts during the fall and winter months will need a higher protein and food amount in those months, whereas during summer and spring if they are not being worked as hard they may need less. When we figure out ideal body weight and activity level we have our calories needed number. When keeping track of your pet's calorie intake for the day it MUST include: dog food, treats, bones (rawhides, bully sticks or chews) and table scrapes. You wouldn't believe the calories in a simple baked doggy cookie is approximately 30-50 calories per little cookie. Most dog food is for an 8oz. cup is anywhere from 300-500 calories. If you are choosing to keep up with treating your pet with high calorie treats, the best thing to do so the pet stays on target for calories is feed less during meal time. If you find that your pet is winding up with loose stools (pudding like consistency), he/she may not be able to handle that amount of food/calories. Keep lessing the amount of food and treats till you find the perfect amount that your pet can handle. A lot of people feel bad that they aren't feeding their dog a lot on the higher quality foods, and do not understand that when dogs eat, they are not like us that we eat for enjoyment. Some pets may seem like each morsel is savored but it is not they are just a slow eater. If your pet acts like it is always hungry and are you are feeding them adequately, provide something for them to chew on. They do not fulfill their chewing needs with a kibble or frozen raw diet.

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Raw Diet

by Pet Supplies 'N' More on 09/22/11

By Amanda

I never would have thought: I would be feeding raw diet food to my dog and cat. But it happen. I was never a believer of the raw diet let alone knew anything about the raw diet for animals. Before working at the pet store I had many dogs and cats growing up and they were on a kibble diet.

When I did start working at the pet store, I noticed there was a lot of people coming in and purchasing raw food. The customers would thank Paula daily for putting them on this diet. I thought to myself "No it can't be how dogs and cats are suppose to eat they would get sick, wouldn't they?" Their domesticated, they're not wild dogs and cats.

Yes I've seen my outside cats eat both kibble and mice here and there, but never thought anything of it. Well I kept listening to everyone say how wonderful the raw has worked out for their dog. How nice it was for dogs with certain allergies to be controlled, or how chunky dogs lose weight. The list of positive things about the raw diet just kept going on and on. I didn't know what to think, I took what I learned from the people I worked with, and what I had learned and applied to my parents 2 dogs. One of the dogs had some weight problems, and sure enough started being able to watch her calories and boom, she dropped weight. Their new puppy they had gotten the raw bones worked great for a chew toy. But I guess I wasn't a "true" believer of the raw diet till I started it on my own chocolate lab puppy. When I picked him up he was about 3 months old and only about 25lb and bloated. He was being fed Puppy Chow, now being that I was working for a pet store that is natural & holistic it was comforting to know that no matter what I choose in my opinion it would be a healthier choice than Puppy Chow. So I started out with some grain free kibble, got him off the Puppy Chow. Then since he is lab, they seem to be more prone to infections of the ears, or allergies to foods. So I decided to switch him to a raw diet.

He is now 10 months old and 75lb of pure muscle. He is at perfect weight. Last time we're at the clinic the vet told us whatever I was doing to keep it up because he looks wonderful. Gave us a clean bill of health! So with that little info in mind, when switching from a kibble diet to a raw diet you need to transition slowly just as if you were changing kibble foods. Never mix raw in with the kibble. Once the pet has transitioned over to the raw I do recommend rotating proteins. Some ways dogs pick up allergies is being fed too much of one protein for too long, and end up with that kind of allergy.( Example: feeding chicken for 3-5 yr. straight has a greater risk of picking up a chicken allergy) The raw food companies normally add least have 3-6 different flavors that you’re able to switch around to. You don"t have to stay with the same company you can switch around with those as well. Some do have a frequent buyer program that you're able to join. Ask the store clerks. Also some of the raw foods are "HPP"ed it is a type of pasteurization that some companies are doing to make it safer for humans to handle. When a company HPP's something even though they can say its "raw" you have to wonder if meats have been altered. Some dogs cannot handle the HPP process: I have seen dogs that vomit because of it as well as diarrhea.

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Flea's Urrrrrrrrrrrrr Get rid of them.

by Pet Supplies 'N' More on 09/09/11

By Paula

You might not have to resort to chemical warfare to combat fleas. If you catch it in time.

Fleas do not actually stem from the mere presence of fleas, but from health-related and environmental circumstances that allow parasites to weaken a dogs system. If your dog's body in overburdened with problems of poor digestion, inadequate waste removal, over vaccination or food allergies, his immune systems ability to deal with fleas will be reduced.

Switching from kibble to raw or home-cooked diet with an essential fatty acid (EFA) may also help.
Several herbal products are available to help repel or even kill fleas. Look for those that contain oils and/or extracts of juniper, citronella, eucalyptus, cedar, Canadian flea bane, or citrus oil.
Try adding apple cider vinegar(Organic only) to the animal's water dish.
If you do resort to a "spot on" use sparingly and never on a sick dog. Also monitor your dog closely.

If you catch your trouble with fleas early here are some things you can do to rid yourself of them.

Regular flea combing will help remove the adult and possibly some eggs.
Vacuum all the areas that your pet uses frequently, at least every two or three day and don't forget to lift cushions, rugs, throws, and pillows.
Change vacuum bags frequently and seal the bag in a plastic bag before disposal. I have in the past put a piece of a flea collar in the bag just the fleas would die.
Wash your pets bedding in hot water if possible, cover any areas the pet sleeps with a towel or throw that can be washed every other day.
Wash uncarpeted floors at least once a week, making sure you get around the molding areas.

Is there a natural way to rid you of fleas? Yes But.

Fleas can hop onto your dog at any time of the year, but when its warmer their population increases so you have a better chance of getting fleas in warmer weather. Traditional or Conventional remedies include anti-flea powders, shampoos, sprays, spot on treatments and dips. There are some Natural preventives and deterrents you can use but they require more time on your part. Cedar oil repels bugs, and that's why many dog beds come filled with cedar chips. Patti just discovered there is a company that is making cedar granules for sprinkling in the yard and it is suppose to keep the flea, ticks, and other bugs away. Lavender oil sometimes will repel fleas as with Citronella and Rosemary. I have in the past used a mixture of all in a spray bottle with distilled water, then spray the dogs down when we were going to be in areas with fleas and ticks, it worked most of the time but I would make sure to check the dogs before we went in the house and occasionally found a tick but never fleas. (Maybe I was just lucky). A few drops of the oils can be applied to your dog's collar, but be careful not to get it on their skin or if your dog wears a bandana you can make a mixture and soak and dry the bandana then tie on the dog. Diatomaceous earth can help cut down on the fleas in your yard just sprinkle (food grade not the swimming pool stuff) on your lawn. If you get fleas in your house you can take care of them naturally but it is a lot of work.

Sometimes if the fleas are so bad that they are making your pets sick, I think at that point you should just have a professional exterminator come in and rid you of your fleas. Making sure that they have a guarantee they will rid you of the fleas. In the long run even though it will be chemicals used, instead of months and months of misery for you and your pets. Just get it done with.

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