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7 Secrets to Choosing a Safe, Healthy Pet Food - Part 2 |
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7 Secrets to Choosing a Safe, Healthy Pet Food - Part 2By Susan Thixton If you scan the ingredient listings, you will be looking for BHA/BHT and ethoxyquin listed anywhere. Commonly BHA/BHT is used to preserve the fat in the food which usually is found higher on the list. And also look for any of these chemicals towards the end of the ingredient listing. Personally, I wouldnt touch a pet food that contained these chemical preservatives. You want a pet food that is preserved naturally - common natural preservatives are natural mixed tocopherols or vitamin E. Secret #5... The very best food to provide to your pet is a well made food using human grade ingredients. That should be simple enough...How do you find that? You already know that pet food manufacturers are NOT allowed to make any statement as to quality or grade of ingredients, the only way you can find out the grade or quality of your pets food is to call the manufacturer and ask them. Now, lets say you call the ABC pet food company and ask the question 'Is your Premium dog food and Premium cat food made using human grade ingredients?' It could be that you get the response yes, we use human grade ingredients - when actually only a couple of ingredients are human grade. Heres the trick to asking...ask them if they are APHIS European certified. Pet food manufacturers that are APHIS European certified assures you that ALL ingredients in their pet food are human grade. APHIS - Animal Plant Health Inspection Services - is a division of the USDA. APHIS European certification provides this pet food manufacturer with the opportunity to ship their foods/treats to Europe. When importing pet foods from the US, European countries demand that all ingredients are human grade and thus require this certification. Most pet food manufacturers that have APHIS European certification do not ship their products to Europe - they simply use this as a means to assure their customers to the higher quality of their ingredients. Again, you WONT see this listed on the label - its not allowed. You must call the manufacturer and ask. Often times the representative of the pet food wont even know what you are talking about when you ask about APHIS certification - if thats the case, you can assume they are not APHIS European certified. APHIS European certification is a bonus to pet owners - it is not required or even suggested that any pet food manufacturer go through the extra steps to obtain this. This is a special effort some pet foods go through to tell their customers they REALLY CARE about the quality of their products. Personally, I would NOT buy a pet food that doesnt have it. And by the way, if you cant reach the pet food manufacturer, or they do not return your call within a short time frame, lose their number! Any company that does not place a priority on answering customers questions - doesnt deserve your business! Secret #6... Minerals are a required ingredient in human diets as well as diets for our pets. Copper, Iron and Zinc are common minerals found in pet foods. Just as they are - copper, iron, and zinc are basically rocks, very difficult for anyone or any pet to utilize. Science has developed several ways to introduce minerals into the body (human and pet) for better absorption thus benefiting the individual far more. This scientific development is called chelating or proteinating and its been around for years. Through the chelating or proteinating process minerals are absorbed about 60% better than just the minerals alone. This secret is spotting the minerals in your pet food to see if they are chelated or proteinated. Notice the minerals on your pet food label, way down on the list of ingredients. You are looking for minerals that read copper proteinate or chelated copper. If you see just the mineral listed, your pet is sort of like Charlie Brown at Halloween saying I got a rock. If you want your pet to have the best, chelated or proteinated minerals are part of the best foods! Secret #7... This secret is called friendly bacteria. Although friendly bacteria sounds a little scary, the reason for it lies in your pets intestinal system. A large portion of your pets immune system is found within the intestinal system. Keeping the immune system healthy helps to keep the animal itself healthy. This friendly bacteria is similar to whats found in yogurt, however in pet food it is introduced in a fashion so that the cooking process doesnt destroy it. Looking at the fine print on your pet food label, this time you are looking for lengthy, scientific words like Lactobacillus Acidophilus or Bifidobacterium Thermophilum. If you do NOT see these words or some very similar, that pet food is not addressing the care of your pets immune system. And again, if you want your pet to have the best, you want friendly bacteria in their food. There are your seven very secrets to help you find the absolute healthiest and best pet food for your four-legged friend. Armed with those secrets - you now have the knowledge to find your pet the best food possible! A pet food that can extend their life and prevent early aging and disease. If you dont want to bother doing the homework involved, I urge you to subscribe to my monthly magazine Petsumer Report™. Through Petsumer Report™ Ive done all the homework for you - each month I review and rate over 40 different pet foods, treats, toys, and various other pet supplies. Its the ONLY publication of its kind providing pet owners with the information they need to know regarding their pet product purchases. For subscription information, go to www.TruthAboutPetFood.com/PetsumerReport.html. I want to share just a couple more things... Its best to feed an adult dog or adult cat two meals a day. The nutrition they consume with two meals is better utilized than with just one meal a day. If you are currently feeding your pet one meal a day, split that same amount into two meals and feed in the AM and PM. You should know that all canned or moist pet foods are anywhere between 70% to 85% moisture. This means that 70% to 85% of that can or pouch of food is useless nutrition - its water. Granted our pets need water, cats especially tend not to drink enough water. But since all canned or moist foods are mostly water, they do not provide adequate nutrition to be fed strictly a canned or moist diet. Use a canned or moist product to supplement your pets diet - not as the only food. The best pet foods are preserved naturally (secret #4) - but there is a concern with naturally preserved pet foods...freshness. Take notice of the expiration date on your pets food label - typically with naturally preserved dry pet foods (not as much of a concern with soft foods because of canning - very little need of preservatives) the expiration date is one year to 18 months from the date it was manufactured. Lets say the pet food you are considering to purchase on July 1, 2007 has a Best if Used by date of January 1, 2008. This would tell you that this particular bag of pet food is already 6 months old. While it is still good a fresher food - a bag that is only 2 or 3 months old - is better. Naturally preserved pet foods lose nutritional potency with time. Always try to find a very fresh bag. If you are considering changing your pets food, ALWAYS consult with your Veterinarian first. You should always keep your veterinarian advised of any changes you make with your pet. Dont take chances. And if you do switch pet food, make the change over very slowly. I always recommend to pet owners ¼ new food to ¾ old food for 4 to 7 days, ½ to ½ for another 4 to 7 days, and so on. Switching food quickly can cause intestinal disorder! Its short term, but we dont want intestinal disorder!!! One last thing, as you are already aware dogs and cats have a far better sense of smell than humans. And their food bowl can be a wealth of smells - both good and bad - for them. Some times a pet will refuse to eat simply because he or she smells a previous food in their bowl. Plastic food and water bowls retain odors the worst. And surprisingly so does stainless steel bowls. The best type of food and water bowl is a ceramic one. They retain odors the least. Frequently wash the bowls with warm pet friendly soapy water and if you can, switch to a ceramic food and water bowl. 'Animals are such agreeable friends - they ask no questions, they pass no criticisms.' George Eliot. I completely agree! Best wishes to you and your friends, Susan Thixton Pet Behavior and Nutrition Consultant Truth About Pet Food, Petsumer Report™, www.TruthAboutPetFood.com About the Author: Susan Thixton, pet behavior and nutrition consultant, has been helping pet owners for over 20 years. Known as the tell-it-like-it-is pet expert, shes helped thousands train, feed, and enjoy their pet through her private consulting, books, videos, speaking, and new magazine Petsumer Report. To learn more visit www.TruthAboutPetFood.com.
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