Pet Dental Tips

Our pets' oral health is essential to preventing systemic problems down the road. Oral health is also an indicator of potential internal and systemic ailments. As a former OHSU dental student, I realized a long time ago that we cannot avoid taking care of our teeth and gums if we are to live comfortably for years to come. The same principle applies to our pets. Unfortunately, they cannot take care of their own teeth or we would probably have a bunch of pets much more concerned with what they eat and drink. The responsibility is on our shoulders. Below, I have listed a number of recommendations that will help keep your pet's teeth healthy and strong.

1) Brushing regularly (just as important for our pets as it is for us)
2) Raw bones (from pet store - need to be properly handled and stored); raw bones have intact enzymes that help with digestion as well as keep the oral cavity cleansed (my personal favorite is the Nature's Variety raw bison bones)
3) Mouthwash for dogs/cats (basically the same as over-the-counter human brands but designed specifically for dogs/cats to be placed in their drinking water)
4) High-quality pet food (low-grade pet foods often have simple carbohydrates that convert easily to sugar and change the pH of the oral environment. The drop in pH is the reason for many dental problems, so make sure your pet eats good treats and good food to minimize sugar in the diet)
5) Dental treats (although raw bones are the best dental treat, they are not always the most practical, so research and look for good dental treats to help reduce plaque buildup); some of the best dental treats include - dried sweet potato chews, breath-a-licious, Merrick breath biscuits & the newly reformulated greenies (old formulation caused serious problems so make sure you are getting the new formulation)

Even with the best pet dental hygiene, problems may arise. Visit your local veterinarian regularly for a dental checkup. The time and money saved long-term through good oral care and regular checkups is worth it.

Visit your local Nature's Pet for other great pet oral health ideas.

Low Cost Natural Dog Foods

In today's difficult economic times, many are searching for reasonably priced alternatives to some of the high cost super premium pet foods. This post addresses 2 foods that are directly targeting the new economy: (1) Dog Lover's Gold & (2)Taste of the Wild.

Dog Lover's Gold: A great low cost super-premium pet food. This food has no corn, wheat or soy and uses lamb meal, chicken meal & fish meal as its primary protein sources. The ingredient list is simple and the formulation is excellent, especially for active dogs. I like this food so much that I recommend it to all customers looking for a great food at a great price (part of the reason it is priced well is the packaging is horrible - looks very generic). My dog loves it and so has just about every dog that's tried it. Cost is between $39.99 - $43.99 for a large bag.

Taste of the Wild: A low cost brand free of corn, wheat & soy with some of the most palatable formulas on the market. This all-stages brand has an excellent allergy fish formula and a bison formula. Cost is in the mid to upper $40s for a large bag.

Customers are often surprised that they can purchase super-premium all natural dog food for less than national brands like: Eukanuba, Science Diet and others. Spend less, get better food, feed less because of the quality of ingredients, and pick up less during walks. Sounds good to me!! Natural Dog Food

How pet food is made

There are several different methods of how pet food is made. I have attached a link to a podcast by Natura Pet Products (manufacturer of brands such as Innova, EVO, California Natural & Healthwise) that explains the process in detail for anyone interested. http://podcast.naturapet.com/

Chicken vs. Chicken Meal (Which is better?)

One of the most discussed topics within the pet food industry is whether fresh chicken or chicken meal is a better ingredient. The truth is that both are chicken - plain and simple. The difference is in how much chicken is contained within a given weight.

Let's say you have 1o pounds of either chicken or chicken meal. 10 lbs of chicken equates to about 7 lbs water & 3 lbs actual chicken. That's right, if a pet food label says chicken as the first ingredient, it is important to realize that 70% of the weight of that chicken is water.

Chicken meal, however, is a denser form of weight. Let's look at the same 10lbs. Instead of 70% water and 30% actual chicken meat, chicken meal would contain about 90% chicken meat and 10% water.

So ultimately which is better? The answer is that both are still chicken but the meal ingredient has a more concentrated amount of chicken meat as compared to the water.

Chicken Fat and Allergies

Chicken Fat in Pet Food

There is some controversy over the use of chicken fat in pet food and whether it is an allergen or not to some dogs and cats. The fact of the matter is that fat in its purest form is not an allergen. Dogs and cats cannot be allergic to pure chicken fat even if they have a chicken allergy. The allergy comes from a reaction to the receptors on chicken protein. Unfortunately, not all pet foods "clarify", or purify their chicken fat enough to eliminate all protein residues. Some of the manufacturers that do "clarify" their chicken fat and essentially eliminate the allergens include: Wellness, Canidae & FirstMate. If your dog or cat has an allergy to chicken and your food has chicken fat, be sure to call the manufacturer and ask if the chicken fat is "clarified" or not. This will help you decide what food is best for your allergy sensitive feline or canine friend.

The Truth about Corn in Pet Food

There are many sites that have attempted to answer some of these questions, but few if any have been successful. For example, most of us have heard time and time again that corn is bad for dogs and cats. The usual justification for this information is that dogs have a difficult time digesting this ingredient. Also, many argue that corn is one of the leading causes of allergies in dogs and cats. Is this true?

Actual Answer: Yes and No

Yes, it is true that many of the pets that come into our stores that have skin problems benefit substantially from eliminating corn from their diet. Whole corn, corn by-product, or corn meal have virtually no benefit to cats and dogs and should not be in your pet's food.

No, corn is not totally useless. Corn gluten meal has been found to help prevent cataracts in cats. It must be processed, however, in such a way that it is digestible for cats. To my knowledge, only Royal Canin has the ability to process in this manner and therefore contains corn gluten meal in some of its cat products.

Is corn gluten meal necessary? Not according to the majority of super-premium pet foods and I would agree. I think there are more problems than benefits from its inclusion.

Menu Foods Recall Facts

Since the Menu Foods pet food recall, many pet owners have been concerned about the food they are feeding their pets. Three primary areas of concern about existing pet food brands have been raised: 1) where is the food made (what facility and company), 2)where are the ingredients sourced (USA, China, etc.), and 3) what are the ingredients in my pet's food and are they harmful.

This blog will attempt to break these concerns down and give you the facts as well as links to great informational websites for further investigation.

Natural Pet Food Pet Blog Welcome

Welcome to the greatest source of natural pet food and supply information on the web. My name is Mike Seitz, and I am one of the founders of the Nature's Pet natural pet food and supply franchise system in the Pacific Northwest.

This pet blog is designed to be a place where I can share what I have learned about the pet food and treat industries as an insider. There are many articles and pet blogs out there that publish unsubstantiated information about various products without knowing all of the facts. I'm going to set the record straight.

What we publish here is the real deal! Our product reviews are unbiased and intended to inform, not to scare or manipulate. I am a firm believer that all of us have an innate ability to make proper decisions about our animals and their health if we have the proper information. This pet blog is a work in progress, so please check back frequently to see updates and the latest in pet nutrition and information.




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