Hi Something Fishy About The DCM Cardiomyopathy and Grain Free Controversy

Please note this is strictly an opinion article and does not constitute medical advice in any way. Please consult your vet immediately if your pet has any medical issue.

So lately we have been getting a lot of questions in our store because of a recent FDA press release which names Acana as one of the commonly reported pet food in cases of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in dogs. 

DCM is a heart disease that can lead to congestive heart failure. Certain breeds have a genetic predisposition for DCM, including many large breeds like Doberman’s, Golden Retrievers etc.

A family dog in the Natural Pet Foods ownership family actually died of this and ate grain free a good part of his life. But this 150 lb dog died at the age of around 13. The equivalent of about 100 years old for a dog this size. It's hard to accept the hardest part of pet ownership, and we know that. But dogs can live a great life on grain free diets, and know this from experience. Here is his photo on one of his last couple of days.

However, it isn't our opinion that a small proportion of legumes in pet foods will lead to this condition at a premature age. Rather more that dogs are living longer lives, and that they are able to live longer lives because of better foods like Acana, and supplements like Recovery Glucosamine, to extend the life of their joint health.

Another family pet Maya died in the winter at age 15. She had probably been eating a grain free diet for 10 years. Here is her photo a few years ago. Tri-acta and glucosamine helped her keep going for a few years beyond what would have been possible 25 years ago. So, pets do routinely live longer lives now and age related diseases will be reported more. 

Here is a link to the FDA press release on June 27th regarding the DCM issue

https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-issues-third-status-report-investigation-potential-connection-between-certain-diets-and-cases

Here is a more complete breakdown of the occurance of DCM

https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-issues-third-status-report-investigation-potential-connection-between-certain-diets-and-cases

Some customers buy food at their vet and often that brand is Science Diet and Royal Canin (Medi-Cal). There is a reason that medical doctors cannot sell medicine; it is their function to prescribe medication based on objective medical standards. We have seen at times that this could be a  conflict of interest if vets to be profit off pet food sales with financial gains, while at the same time being truly in the vet business for the welfare of animals. In this time that we have been in the natural pet foods business we have seen the quality of pet foods improve dramatically while the vet sold foods like Royal Canin and Hills Science Diet types of foods continue to include corn, corn gluten, by-products etc. It is easy to see the quality when you read the ingredients panel and see so many foods listed that would never be allowed in the human food chain.

There is an account of cardio myopathy in this case Hill's Science Diet (which includes grains) on the FDA website 

https://www.fda.gov/media/128303/download

Here is the text from the FDA website

"Hills prescription diet u/d canned food and dry food Dog Dalmatian 8 Years Male 96.4 Pound Hills Prescription U/D caused developmental cardiac deficiencies in our dog (b)(6). We believe it is unsafe to be used in canines over any length of time. We have extensive medical records for proof of this fact. (b)(6) was diagnosed with urolithiasis in March 2007 and after surgery was prescribed Hill Prescription Diet U/D dry and canned food. This was his only source of nutrition along with baby carrots as treats. On May 15, 2013, he developed an unusual cough which was continuous for the entire afternoon and evening. He woke up coughing at 3:00am as well. The next day I took him to the vet we were seeing at that time. He received an ECG after the vet heard a gallop heartbeat. He was diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy and we immediately went to (b)(6) to the cardiology department. At that time, he was diagnosed with congestive heart failure and started on enalapril, LASIX, taurine, L-carnitine , , and fish oil. His diet was changed to Royal Canine, low purine and Hill's L/D at the recommendation of the (b)(6) Nutrition Department. At that time, his cardiologist, Dr (b)(6), suspected that his heart disease was nutrition related. Hill U/D does not have enough of the proper nutrients in it to allow for adequate heart development and function. We knew that several months would have to pass before we knew for certain if this was indeed the case. We took him back to the cardiologist in August and he was showing some mild improvement. We took him again and February and the improvement in his heart function was astonishing. He still has dilated cardiomyopathy but it is improving vastly with his dietary changes. The improvements are not seen with heart medications alone according to his medical records. His long term prognosis is still uncertain but continued improvement is hoped for. It is not common knowledge among general veterinarians that this food is unsafe for long term use. This food should come with a warning label at the very least. I request that it be pulled from the market as it is the catalyst for heart disease and unsafe for canine consumption."

The FDA's own website lists the mean age as 6. The mean is another word for average, and is often not an accurate indicator of the most common age because it can be skewed by one number being exceptionally out of the most common age range. 

The fact of the matter is that many good quality pet foods today are indeed grain free and IF there was an increase in reporting of DCM which it seems there was then it is logical that the names of popular pet foods like ACANA would come up more often. It's certainly one of the most popular choices in our brick and mortar store. 

Improved pet foods like Acana have lots of meat and also a portion of fruits and vegetables. The extra anti-oxidants and supplements in these foods are leading to longer lives for pets that are being fed this. The idea is that a carnivore like a dog or cat will eat the stomach of an herbivore in the wild and as such the vegetable content is simulating the natural diet. Most fruits and vegetables could have the same benefits for pets as they do for people. 

Royal Canin Medical Diet and Hills Prescription diet still include chicken, grains, and synthetic vitamins. Grains include corn and corn gluten meal which are simple carbs that convert easily into glucose and are a risk factor diabetes. 

Here is the ingrdient list for Hills Science diet from their own webpage in July 2019

Chicken, Whole Grain Wheat, Cracked Pearled Barley, Whole Grain Sorghum, Whole Grain Corn, Corn Gluten Meal, Chicken Meal, Pork Fat, Chicken Liver Flavor, Dried Beet Pulp, Soybean Oil, Lactic Acid, Flaxseed, Potassium Chloride, Iodized Salt, Calcium Carbonate, Choline Chloride, vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (source of Vitamin C), Niacin Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Biotin, Folic Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement), minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite), Oat Fiber, Taurine, Mixed Tocopherols for freshness, Natural Flavors, Beta-Carotene, Apples, Broccoli, Carrots, Cranberries, Green Peas.

Here is a link to hills science diet own page where you can click on a tab to view ingredients for yourself

https://www.hillspet.ca/en-ca/dog-food/sd-adult-large-breed-dog-food-dry

It's actually not a terrible food but if you want your dog to live its longest possible life is this the best you can do? As you can see they have added a few fruits and veggies themselves to the ingredient list at the end but the ingredient consituting the most weight comes first in the ingredient list. Their fruits and vegetables come at the end after the vitamins so it's not a big part of the total weight of the bag. 

Here are the current July 2019 ingredients in Acana direct from Champion's website:

"CANADA’S BEST AND FRESHEST INGREDIENTS

ACANA Pacifica features a rich variety of regional fish that are wild-caught by people we know and trust, and delivered to our award-winning kitchen fresh or raw.

Fresh whole Pacific herring (14%), fresh whole Pacific pilchard (12%), fresh whole arrowtooth flounder (8%), whole herring meal (8%), Pacific cod meal (7%), whole whiting meal (7%), whole green peas, whole red lentils, whole chickpeas, whole green lentils, pollock oil (6%), fresh whole silver hake (4%), fresh whole redstripe rockfish (4%), whole pinto beans, whole yellow peas, sun-cured alfalfa, cold-pressed sunflower oil, lentil fibre, dried brown kelp, fresh pumpkin, fresh butternut squash, fresh parsnips, fresh green kale, fresh spinach, fresh mustard greens, fresh turnip greens, fresh carrots, fresh Red Delicious apples, fresh Bartlett pears, freeze-dried cod liver (0.1%), fresh cranberries, fresh blueberries, chicory root, turmeric root, milk thistle, burdock root, lavender, marshmallow root, rosehips, enterococcus faecium.

SUPPLEMENTS: Vitamin E, Zinc Chelate, Copper Chelate."

*

Now here is a link to Acana Pacifica in our online store 

https://naturalpetfoods.ca/products/acana-pacifica-regionals-11-4-kg?variant=28194383816

Now we ask you if you feed one animal a diet of high protein with a small portion of nutritions fruits/vegetables, and feed another a diet of chicken, corn gluten meal, and synthetic vitamins; which one do you think will live longer?

The answer is probably the pet that is being fed a diet like Acana with lots of high quality protein, anti cancerous and anti aging fruits/vegetables, and supplements like glucosomine to extend their life into an old age. Playing the odds this would be the diet formula that gives you the maximum amount of time with your pet. 

With all the recalls in pet foods and problems with made in China ingredients, pet owners have had to become more knowledgeble. Consumers understand today that the chicken and corn gluten diet is not equivalent food quality to their own. People are more educated, care about their pet, and want it to eat like a member of your family. Would you feed your children a diet of corn gluten meal and vitamins? It wouldn't be a surprise if they got cancer and died an early death though we all know the unusual case of a person who smokes, eats McDonald's and lives to be 95 years old. It's the same thing with dogs who are fed a low quality ingredients like Hills Science Diet. 

Maybe pet food sales are down now for the vets with consumers being more educated. Pet foods have improved at a much faster rate than the stuff they sell. Now this article pointing a finger at high quality foods like Acana and Fromm has come out. 

https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/dog-food-dcm-fda-1.5199186

The comments in this article are very telling. Like this one that we have copied and pasted here from the CBC article. 

From Margaret Yakubovich on July 4th / 2019

Questionable timing isn't it? 

Some of the best Pet Food manufactureres replaced potatoes in previous grain free diets with lentils for some very good reasons. They're an excellent source of fibre, lower glycemic (lower risk factor for diabetes), and have more age slowing protective antioxidants in them. 

The basic idea behind the allegations against a lot of grain free diets seems to be that grain free diets with a lots of beans or lentils cause heart problems because they  interfere with the absorbtion of taurine.

The manufacturer of Acana Dog Foods is Champion Pet Foods and they made this statement online that states that they regularily test for taurine levels in dogs and that their studies indicate normal levels of taurine in Acana. 

Here is a link to the Acana Orijen website with their response 

https://www.championpetfoods.com/faqs/dcm/

Fromm has also released a statement on the safety of their food.

We think this is a wrong conclusion. Seems that you can’t block that much taurine from being absorbed with the addition of a few lentils or chickpeas. Don't get caught up in the fear mongering about grain free diets. 

At the end of the day it's unlikely that the large amount of taurine naturally in a food like Acana could be neutralized by legumes and vegetables. It seems intuitively wrong. A bag of Acana is 65% sourced from animal protein sources. Companies like Champion Pet Foods and Fromm have also started adding more taurine to some formulas since the DCM issue.

Natural Pet Foods position is that dogs and cats are simply living longer lives because of good quality foods like Acana and Orijen and that is what is allowing heart problems to be develop and be detected at an older age. They are getting these heart problems BECAUSE the superb health benefits of the foods allow them to live long enough to get them.  

I would also suggest that the dog owners that spend money on a premium food are likely the same group of dog owners that spend money at the vets for their pet. It is not a broad spectrum study that looks at the dog population as a whole. Hopefully that will come in time. As pet owners we will have to wait.

In the meantime my dogs are fed a rotational diet. They love Acana, Orijen, Fromm, Farmina, Open Farms, etc and they do great with this varied diet, much like my own.

According to this online article heart disease unfortunately is even more common in dogs than people. It suggests that berries may be of benefit to dog owners concerned about protecting heart health.

https://www.petnet.io/blogs/food/feeding-a-dog-for-a-healthy-heart

If you want to supplement your dogs diet with beneficial berry powder then the Cranimals Very Berry is a great way to boost antioxidants in your dog's diet. You can get it in our online store here

https://naturalpetfoods.ca/products/cranimals-very-berry-powder

We invite you do your own research and make your own conclusions, but whatever you choose we have the diet solution that fits YOUR bill in our online store. 

This article in no way constitutes medical advice and is strictly the opinion of Natural Pet Foods. Please consult your vet to discuss any medical issues. 

Recently I decided to try out some Recovery joint support powder that was getting near its best buy date. I had been using it for just a few days, and last night I went to my usual cardio class. I really noticed that there was less stress on my joints doing jumps and lunges, and my arms moved more fluidly. The last point was an educational moment because previously whenever someone said joint problems I thought of my knees. Now I understand it's about the total movement of the body. I expect there to be further improvements over time. My family had previously used Recovery with an Irish Wolfhound and it made a huge difference in his mobility. 

The Recovery formula is vegan sourced from corn which makes it a little different than most shellfish derived glucosomine. Dog's who may have a shellfish allergy have nothing to worry about with this one. But lets go through some of the individual ingredients now. 

First on the ingredient list is the Nutricol bioflavenoid mix made from extracts of grape seed and green tea. The Nutricol complex decreases cell damge and trauma by strengthening the structure of an individual cell's walls. Cellular use of oxygen increases cell damaging free radicals, and Nutricol contains compounds that can reduce some of these. The result may be slowed down age related inflammation that can damage joint health. Circulation is improved, toxins in the blood are reduced, and inflammation is reduced. This creates a better healing environment. 

Under these improved conditions, joints and connective tissue have a better chance to recover from injury and maintain themselves. Each chewable tablet has a 250mg inclusion of glucosamine and has a great fruity taste to it. Grape seed extract is safe for dogs in case you had any question about that.  Here is a link to one such study. 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4973095/

Glucosamine is one of the building blocks of healthy joints. It's a component of cartilage which is the tough tissue that cushions them. Osteoarthritis is a type of arthritis which is age related and characterized by the degeneration of joints. By providing glucosamine you give your pet's body the raw materials it needs to repair itself. Recovery also contains MSM (methyl sulfonyl methane). This is a sulfur containing compound that can significantly reduce joint inflammation and thus reduce pain. The sulfur is also an important component in the maintenence of collagen and cartilege to build healthy joints. 

Inflammation is the body's natural response to injury but it can also be harmful. Inflamed joints are characterized by redness and swelling that can cause pain, and make them difficult to move. When the cell walls are damaged, harmful substances are released into the body through those cell membranes. Recovery works with a proprietary antioxidant complex called Nutricol to stabilize this membrane and reduce associated pain. It's proposed that regular use of Recovery will reduce the overall production of harmful, age accelerating free radicals with it's neutralizing antioxidants.

You can find Recovery Join Support supplements in our online store here. For the price, it's well worth trying out!

https://natural-pet-foods.myshopify.com/admin/products/7999551240

Boost Your Pet's Health With Kelp

Freeze dried kelp, seaweed, and algae are all things that could solve and prevent health problems in your dog or cat.  The diverse benefits include vitamins, Omega fatty acids, fibre, chlorophyll, possible anti tumor activity, and antioxidants. Natural Pet Foods carries a selection of freeze dried pet foods. Freeze Drying preserves the nutrition in the food while it makes it convenient and easy to add to food. This article will highlight some of the great benefits you can get by adding it to your pet's diet.

KELP IS GREAT FOR VEGAN DOGS

Kelp and algae are from a seperate kingdom of life from plants and animals. Irish Moss, Bladderwrack, and Dulse are other commonly used seaweeds you may see in pet food. This means they are a perfect way to get additional protein and Omega 3 fatty acids into your pet diet. But the benefits are great for any pet. Kelp is actually not a plant as some suppose, and is instead classified as multi cellular algae. Kelp can be 25% protein or more, and single celled algae like chlorella and spirulina can be as much as 65% protein. As you can see, kelp is actually just a kind of algae even though it looks like an aquatic plant.

GREAT FOR SKIN AND COAT - LOADED WITH OMEGA 3s

Besides protein,  Algae contain significant amounts of essential fatty acids. Omega 3 fatty acids are of great benefit to brain health, coat shine, heart health, and are anti inflammatory. Anti Inflammatories can improve joint health in arthritic dogs and  brain health is especially important for a developing puppies brain but Omegas are fantastic for all ages of pets. When you see the words EPA and DHA that means you have the most powerful Omega 3s in that product.  Essential acids like these are commonly found in fish oil, but the original source of the Omega3s is actually the algae. Fish like salmon eat kelp/algae and absorb the nutrients from them. Therefore algae is actually the most pure source of Omega 3s. Some fish oils may even be rancid so you will avoid that problem entirely with freeze dried algae. And what's more is that Kelp and Algae are perfect additions to a vegan diet. Vegan diets can be good for dogs, but often enough they are a little short in Omegas, antioxidants, and green food. You can get all these things by adding algae to your dog's kibble. Usually they love the sea taste of kelp, but some algae is grown in steel tanks and has a neutral taste too. 

Kelp contains a variety of vitamins and minerals to maintain good health. Algae can be so complete in nutrition that a NASA scientist was able to live off the freeze dried powder alone. It has a high content of prebiotic fibre which is a substance that beneficial microbes in your pet's body will feed on. Iodine is also found in kelp and this can be beneficial to support and balance thyroid function. The thyroid produces the hormone thyroxine which regulates metabolism so if your dog is displaying symptoms like lethargy and hair loss it could be an indication of thyroid problems and the addition of iodine rich kelp could help out. Some types of Algae also contain Vitamin A and astaxanthin. Both of these things could help to protect eyesight, and astaxanthin may increase energy as well. 

Another awesome benefit of algae is its detoxifying power. It will actually bind to and neutralize toxic heavy metal. Algae also contains nutrients that can help to build a healthy liver - one of the main organs of detoxification in your pet's body. The high amounts of chlorophyll in algae promote more efficient liver function in converting toxic substances to less harmful substances. When there are less toxins in your pet's body, you can expect body and breath odour to improve significantly. Toxins are often a cause of these stinky smells. Algae has strong anti bacterial properties but seems to have limited anti fungal effect. 

Some types of algae like Chlorella contain high amounts of nucleic acid which can be used for cell repair. In the case of chlorella, this is termed Chlorella Growth Factor or CGF. 

In summary, Kelp and Algae can provide diverse benefits for your pet at an affordable cost. Better coat health, brain function, cell regeneration, and detoxification are just a scoop of seaweed away.

You can find Kelp in our online store here  

Cranimals Detox - An antioxidant blast combo of seaweed and berries 

https://naturalpetfoods.ca/products/cranimals-vibe-120g

Sold Gold SeaMeal - Seaweed for Skin and Coat , Digestive, Immune

https://naturalpetfoods.ca/products/solid-gold-seameal-1lb

Norwegian Sea Kelp 312g

https://naturalpetfoods.ca/products/rawpaw-norwegian-kelp-312-g

Thrive Sea Kelp 350g

https://naturalpetfoods.ca/products/thrive-kelp-350g

Brown Kelp Dental Chews for Dogs 

https://naturalpetfoods.ca/products/wilder-harrier-dental-sticks-small-30-pieces-300g

 Links to webpages anti microbial activity of seaweed for further reading 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23569739

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13880200600897569

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5387034/

Seaweed for Joint Health

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-seaweed-arthritis/seaweed-supplement-may-aid-knee-arthritis-idUSTRE5224R620090303

 Don't worry it's not marijuana -- it's Hemp for your pet!

Many of you may have reservations about using Hemp to help your pet so we want to clear up the biggest misconception about hemp right away.

 Hemp is not Marijuana! It has very low amounts of the psychoactive compound THC so your pet will not get high off of it.

CBD is short for cannibidiol and could have therapeutic benefits for a wide range of conditions. These conditions include epilepsy, cancer, and mobility issues (arthritis). Research is ongoing but there are encouraging results so far. Many animals have receptors for compounds in Hemp so we believe that it is a natural component of their diet. 

 First a little about the general makeup of the hemp seed. Hemp is a complete protein containing all the essential amino acids. It can contribute to things like healthy brain function and a shiny coat, just like regular Omegas from other sources.  It is a great source of protein, and also many other nutrients like calcium, magnesium, zince, and even Vitamin D3.  In addition hemp powder has fibre that could benefit digestion. 

We have two great options for adding Hemp to your pet's diet. Firstly we have the hemp powder which is surprisingly affordable and with its nutty flavour will be an easy addition to a meal. You can find it in our online store here  on sale now for just $9.99  https://naturalpetfoods.ca/products/praise-hemp-topping-for-canine-and-equine

There is also  hemp oil available which is much more concentrated. You can buy it in our online store at https://naturalpetfoods.ca/products/thrive-hemp-oil-tincture-30-ml

With all the nutritional benefits of Hemp, it's pretty hard to go wrong feeding it to your pets. 

Mushrooms for your pet? Sounds a little crazy but wait to hear about the benefits!

Sounds a little out there doesn't it? But mushrooms really do have some amazing and unique benefits for your pet! We are going to tell you about a few of them.

The number one reason to include mushrooms in our book is because of it's remarkable immune boosting power. The Reishi mushroom, which has been described in Eastern culture as the mushroom of immortality, is one we point out on products all the time. It really is amazing in several different ways. Research has shown that it can boost the immune system's productions of Natural Killer cells which help to hunt down and destroy cancers and harmful bacteria. Beyond this it's possible that Reishi could balance immune function. One of our store employees had great success controlling an immune dysfunction with her cat. Reishi also has a high amount of antioxidants for a mushroom, and also like other mushrooms has fibre that can cleanse the digestive tract. Those fibres are also prebiotic, which means that they feed the friendly bacteria that support immune function and digestion. 

We have a couple of different product options if you want to introduce some immune boosting Reishi into your pet's diet.  Firstly we have the Healthy Pet  100 % Organic Mushroom powder supplement. This blend of mushrooms like Reishi and Turkey Tail will support healthy immune function as well as providing Prebiotic Fibre to support healthy populations of friendly bacteria in the gut. You can easily mix it in with wet food, or mix with water in your pet's kibble.

On Sale now !   $34.99

 You can find this in our online store at   https://naturalpetfoods.ca/products/mrm-healthy-pet-canine-matrix-1

Secondly we have the Healthy Pet Immune Booster. Easy to add into food because it's a liquid, this formula combines Reishi with immune and energy boosting ingredients to help your pet cope with an illness. It comes in both large and small size bottles and is suitable for either cats or dogs. You can find it in our online store at 

https://naturalpetfoods.ca/products/omega-alpha-healthy-pet

We think you will find that mushrooms deliver big benefits for a very affordable price!

Are you paying lots of dollars for this brand of food? There are some good reasons why you shouldn’t.  

When Natural Pet Foods opened up years ago in the Ottawa neighbourhood of Westboro, Royal Canin was one of the best brands we could stock. Since then though, there have been huge improvements in the quality of pet foods and an explosion in the number of brands available to customers. Royal Canin has not improved much though. It's expensive and not worth what pet owners are paying for it when much better pet foods are available.  Here's why. The ingredient list for Royal Canin Labrador Retriever dog food is as follows pulled off their website this day. 

INGREDIENTS

Chicken by-product meal, corn gluten meal, brown rice, oat groats, brewers rice, barley, natural flavors, chicken fat, dried plain beet pulp, pea fiber, wheat gluten, pork meal, fish oil, vegetable oil, sodium silico aluminate, calcium carbonate, potassium chloride, psyllium seed husk, salt, sodium tripolyphosphate, taurine, fructooligosaccharides, vitamins [DL-alpha tocopherol acetate (source of vitamin E), inositol, niacin supplement, L-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (source of vitamin C), D-calcium pantothenate, biotin, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), riboflavin supplement, thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B1), vitamin A acetate, folic acid, vitamin B12 supplement, vitamin D3 supplement], L-lysine, choline chloride, glucosamine hydrochloride, trace minerals [zinc proteinate, zinc oxide, ferrous sulfate, manganese proteinate, manganous oxide, copper sulfate, calcium iodate, sodium selenite, copper proteinate], L-carnitine, marigold extract (Tagetes erecta L.), tea, chondroitin sulfate, rosemary extract, preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid.

http://www.royalcanin.ca/products/catalog/Royal-Canin-Breed-Health-Nutrition-LABRADOR-RETRIEVER-ADULT-dry-dog-food/183015

When we look at the ingredient list this Royal Canin dog food the first ingredient is chicken byproduct on an ingredient list we looked up on April 26th 2018. This means they are likely  using cheap non-human grade parts of the chicken. The stuff that wouldn't go into grocery store packages of chicken for humans and isn't on the ingredient list of any pet foods we sell.

This is how wikipedia defines chicken byproducts. 

 "Poultry by-product meal (PBM) is a high-protein commodity used as a major component in some pet foods. It is made from grinding clean, rendered parts of poultry carcasses and can contain bones, offal and undeveloped eggs, but only contains feathers that are unavoidable in the processing of the poultry parts."

And from the PetMd website

"By-products (for example, chicken by-products or beef by-products): clean non-rendered "parts", other than meat, derived from slaughtered mammals. It includes, but is not limited to lungs, spleen, kidneys, brain, blood, bone, fatty tissue and stomachs and intestines freed of their contents."

https://www.petmd.com/dog/nutrition/evr_pet_food_for_your_pets_sake

Things that are rendered are considered unfit for consumption by humans and can taste bad to pets. This can sometimes require pet foods to be sprayed with fats or salted excessively. In the case of Royal Canin the salt shouldn't even be on the ingredient list. It is very hard for an animal being fed a good diet tro be salt deficient.

Another questionable ingredient on the Royal Canin Labrador Retriever ingredient list is corn gluten meal. Despite it's name corn gluten meal is not a gluten. It's often a byproduct of processing corn is an inexpensive filler that bumps up protein levels in a pet food. For most pets the most digestible protein comes from high quality animal meat, fish  or eggs.  Even grocery store foods  are sometimes superior to Royal Canin. Ask yourself why you are shelling out $75 or more for something that shouldn't cost more than grocery store food. Or better yet ask yourself what's in Natural Pet Foods brands of pet foods. 

In our store we carefuly choose the brands we carry. We want a wide selection of pet foods that will allow all customers to find what they are looking for. There are no byproducts, cheap fillers, artificial flavors/preservatives, or Chinese produced rice etc. This is why Natural Pet Foods is your  trusted source. From the begining we wanted to have the healthiest possible choices for your pet.

What our foods do have is lots of high quality meat. Often times there are healthy natural fruits and vegetables. These superfoods have antioxidants that could slow down aging and have anti cancer effects.  This is why Natural Pet Foods is your  trusted source. From the begining we wanted to have the healthiest possible choices for your pet.

These natural sources of antioxidants are almost totally absent in Royal Canin dog food. No surprise there because they are trying to make their food cheaply and things like berries and spinach are expensive. The ingredient list of Royal Canin Dog Food makes a tiny mention of marigold extract and tea at the end of the ingredient list but this is really ridiculous because the ingredients at the end are the LEAST heavy by weight in the pet food kibble when we looked at it. 

http://www.royalcanin.ca/products/catalog/Royal-Canin-Breed-Health-Nutrition-LABRADOR-RETRIEVER-ADULT-dry-dog-food/183015

If you buy Royal Canin for your pet you should be asking yourself 

"How healthy would I be if all I ate was chicken byproduct, corn gluten meal, and synthetic vitamins?"

We often tell our customers that dogs are survivors and that they will survive on anything. For a while at least. And some do live long lives on whatever they are given. On the other hand, research is hinting that certain plants like fruits and vegetables have cancer protective properties and that their antioxidants could prolong life and maybe even protect against cancer. Secondly most of our store's customers treat their pet as a member of their family, and as such want their pet to eat a diet that , like theirs, that contain at least a portion of the fruits and vegetables that they have in their own diet. Dogs and cats being carnivores eat a smaller fraction of these plants, but all the same when they consume some when they eat their natural prey. 

. Many people are also attracted to the breed specific bags like the Labrador Retriever bag we looked at. Our opinion is that the small differences in these foods should not be very significant. 

In our online store we carry some of the top rated pet foods like Orijen, Acana, Fromm, Natural Balance, Boreal and Pulsar. These companies often own their factories and are very conscientious about the quality of the ingredients that go into making their kibble. There have been very few recalls of these brands in contrasts to cheap foods made at facilities where cross contamination from other brands produced there is possible.

Our store is online and you can simply search for the right result. We highly suggest the Orijen 6 Fish Lines for it's superior Omega 3s and joint support ingredients, as well as it's high inclusions of whole fish from sustainable sources.

Just for comparison check out just a few of the ingredients in the Fromm Chicken A La Veg for dogs formula

INGREDIENTS

Chicken, Chicken Meal, Pearled Barley, Oatmeal, Sweet Potatoes,Brown Rice, White Rice, Dried Whole Egg, Menhaden Fish Meal, Millet,Chicken Fat, Dried Tomato Pomace,Safflower Oil, Herring Meal, Cheese,Flaxseed, Carrots, Broccoli,Cauliflower, Apples, Green Beans,Chicken Cartilage, Potassium Chloride, Cranberries, Blueberries,

Looks just like what you would eat dosn't it? And it should because your pet is a member of your family and should eat just as well as  you.

Check out some of our great natural pet foods  in our online store at www.naturalpetfoods.ca

Annoying Insects!!!

Nothing ruins a pleasant hike for you and your pet quite like an annoying cloud of mosquitoes or black flies.What was supposed to be a fun can get turned into torture by bugs relentless biting. Bug season is almost upon us here and we have an outdoor herbal spray that could make life much easier for your pet... without any synthetic chemicals. Our favorite herbalist makes a wide range of products that work on a variety of conditions, and the Outdoor Herbal Spray is one that sells consistently every year. Made of an alcohol free combination of witch hazel and a propritetary blend of essential plant oils, this All Natural Spray could be a safe way to reduce those nasty bug bites. 

We have read anecdotal that witch hazel will both repel insects and soothe existing bites from them. If you have any doubts that plant essential oil can be effective then have a look at this study that showed catnip oil (one of several oils registered with the EPA as a mosquito detterent) could 10X as effective as the chemical DEET. 

 http://www.mosquitosolutions.com/iastateu.html

DEET has been linked to neurological problems in humans so it may be something you want to avoid putting on your pet. You also want to limit your use of ANY chemicals on your puppy as they still have developing systems. In humans DEET is not recommended for use on infants comparatively. 

Essential oils are plants natural defence against biting insects that would devour them so you know you have millions of years of evolution on your side with this strategy. You will have to reapply every few hours but studies have shown that essential oils can be as effective as chemicals.

Be prepared with Outdoor Herbal Spray available in our online store. This potent mix of essential oils features neem, lemon grass, and cinnamon. 

It's available in our online store here

https://naturalpetfoods.ca/products/totally-raw-totally-outdoor-pet-spray-formally-known-as-flea-tick-defense-250ml

Essential oils are plants natural defence against biting insects which would otherwise devour them so you know you have millions of years of evolution on your side. 

Are you looking for a company truly does something for animals? Almo Nature has been extraordinary in this department. And now they have gone another big step forward. In 2018, Almo will become a non profit owned by the animals!

Like Natural Pet Foods, Almo Nature has always been in business for the animals first. Natural Pet Foods was one of the first stores selling exclusively high quality pet foods with no chemicals or artificial preservatives. Likewise, Almo Nature was one of the first pet foods made exclusively with human grade ingredients and setting new standards for the industry. Natural Pet Foods business grew in the city of Ottawa, and competing businesses have copied it's vision to make pet's lives better by only selling healthy pet foods.

Almo Nature is pursuing several projects with the aim of improving pet's live. "A Pet Is For Life" is a program that aims to reduce abandonment of pets. Almo also donates 1 million meals to pets in need, and is actively trying to improve animal protection laws in Europe. 

From January 1st, all profits will be donated to the Italian charity Fondazione Capellino (Capellino Foundation). The sole purpose of the foundation is the defence of dogs and cats in general and the protection of biodiversity. 

The words of the company's founder  Pier Giovanni Capellino illustrate the foundation's philosophy very well:

Toys are a very important thing. They satisfy your dog's instinct to chew, are mentally stimulating, and provide play. But some dogs are such good chewers that owners can really use advice on which toys will last the longest and provide the best value. 

The best recommendations come from you the customer of course... So here are some of the best picks. 

Westpaw

 Westpaw dog toys are known to be fun and hard to destroy too. Always a reputable pick for a hard to destroy toy. 

https://naturalpetfoods.ca/products/westpaw-mini-tizzi



Mega Last Toys - One of our customers told us that his dog could destroy any toy. We suggested he try out the Mega Last toys and a couple of weeks he came back and told us his dog couldn't get through it! We highly recommend the Holee Roller Ball. Our store manager tells us that she loves buying the Holee Roller for her dog Henry because when she throws them in the snow they will stay on top rather than sinking. That plus they are so tough she has had them for years :)

It's tough but bouncy too! In our online store here

https://naturalpetfoods.ca/products/jw-holee-roller

Kong - One of the most well known and oldest names in tough dog toys. The classic. They are really tough, but still have an erratic bounce to chase after. You can stuff them with treats or kibble too keeping your dog busy for hours!

The Kong Extreme is stronger than the classic so we suggest it. Here's the link to buy it today

https://naturalpetfoods.ca/products/classic-kong-extreme

Beco Ball - Made in Great Britain, nicely Vanilla scented, and composed of environmentally friendly rice husk and rubber. These are a great pick for your dog's chewing needs. 

Check them out in our online store here

https://naturalpetfoods.ca/products/beco-ball-green

Planet Dog - This is a great quality manufacturer. One of our staff's friends told us her friend's pit bull couldn't destroy the Orbee Tough ball!

Planet dog makes toys that are both tough and environmentally responsible. The Planet Dog Foundation raises money for important issues!

You can find the Orbee Tough balls  in our online store here

https://naturalpetfoods.ca/products/planet-dog-orbo-large-dog

So what's your tough toy story? We would love to hear your testimonials so we can share them with everybody. Drop us a line at info@naturalpetfoods.ca