COMING SOON!!

COMING SOON!!

Sometimes it’s hard to find things that are in alignment with our values. Products, services, establishments… as a responsible pet parent you seek to find the best advice, best products, best vet, and so on. They say there’s no manual for how to raise a child – equally, there’s no manual that can teach you… Continue reading How to audit the quality of a retailer

This ingredient could potentially be the actual cause of diseases like DCM (heart disease), cancer, obesity, and diabetes in pets If you’re like most people, you chose your pets food with some level of care. Perhaps, you trust it because you had a conversation with someone that seemed like an authority on it. Perhaps you… Continue reading The Most Dangerous (hidden) Ingredient In Almost Every Pet Food

If you’re like most people you put some thought into choosing your pets' foods. Maybe you spoke to an authority you trust and they recommended it. The product's advertising or labeling might seem to align with your criteria and values. Or you might use a product that your family has used for years. One thing… Continue reading What’s hiding within that ingredient label? … a possible under-evaluated nutritional contributor to DCM in pets

What is it? CBD, or Cannabidiol, is one of several hundred cannabinoids. The most researched phytocannabinoids, or exogenous cannabinoids, to date are: CBD, CBG, CBC, CBN, CBDA, CBGA, CBCA, CBDV, Δ9-THCA, Δ9-THCV, Δ8-THC, and Δ9-THC. CBD, as well as other cannabinoids, are naturally occurring in a variety of plants.  Hemp and Marijuana contain a higher level of… Continue reading CBD and other Cannabinoids for Pets

Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) create definitions for your pets food and treats (as well as for foods for Agricultural animals that you may consume) but you’re not allowed to see it unless you pay for attendance to their meetings. AAFCO’s Official Publication (OP), which contains legally accepted pet and ag ingredient definitions,… Continue reading AAFCO Polls the Public – Finds out no one knows who AAFCO is!

Food Regulation Facts Alliance is an advocacy stakeholder organization for independent pet supply store retailers, owners and employees. We represent retailers at AAFCO meetings, and teach retailers about regulation when they need it. NGPFMA is an advocacy stakeholder organization for small pet food manufacturers. NGPFMA represents manufacturers at AAFCO, and teaches them about regulation when… Continue reading Food Regulation Facts Alliance (FRFA) and Next Generation Pet Food Manufacturers Association (NGPFMA) come together – how it affects you!

Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM) in dogs eating grain-free diets is a hot topic in pet news right now.  Many pet parents feel concerned, confused, frustrated and even a little misdirected right now.  The implication is that pet foods that don’t contain grains are in some way missing a vitally important nutrient, Taurine, and that this inadequacy is resulting… Continue reading The Taurine Controversy

No matter what you’ve chosen to feed your pet your head is probably spinning with concerns. If you’re feeding kibble you may be wondering if it’s increasing your pets’ risk of cancer. If you’re feeding grain-free you may be wondering if it’s increasing your pets’ risk of Dilated Cardiomyopathy. If you’re feeding canned you may… Continue reading How Big Business profits affect the safety and regulation of your pets’ food

This information is sourced from the CDC that lists every identified and named Salmonella Serotype (culture confirmed and partially serotyped) between 2006-2016. While there are over 2,500 serovars, CDC only identified names for 1,020 of them. Below is a summary that reflects the number of illnesses associated with each in this timeframe. To find the… Continue reading Salmonella Statistics from CDC

Rad Cat announced Monday that they have shut their doors. This is the first ubiquitous raw pet food company to close its doors since the FDA placed its focus on raw food sampling assignments in 2012. What happened?  Here’s what’s important for you to know. Understanding the recall process - Sampling – Sampling is done… Continue reading Rad Cat Goes Out Of Business – what you need to know about the industry

Science and statistics published by the FDA contradict statements made by the FDA about raw pet foods Data reported by the FDA demonstrates that raw unprocessed foods are safe. Yet this might surprise most people, including representatives of the FDA itself, since FDA recommendations state the opposite of the FDA reported data. Cooking and drying… Continue reading Scientific FDA Publications Contradict FDA Statements Against Raw Foods

The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) and its USDA (Department of Agriculture) minions have placed a specific focus on bullying raw food companies since 2012.  While there was little involvement prior to that time, that seems to be when they took aim and started firing at the raw food sector.  Meanwhile, they have continued to… Continue reading The many ways in which the FDA is breaking the law by bullying the raw food industry

Written by Chelsea Kent The amount of food works for my pet is way different from what’s on the package… why? – When a manufacturer is creating a package they have the option of simplifying or complicating their label.  Unfortunately, when it comes to the feeding recommendation guide manufacturers usually make one single chart that… Continue reading How much you should feed your pet! Calories, volume, mass and metabolism

Written by Chelsea Kent What is Pentobarbital? Pentobarbital is a fatal drug most commonly used to euthanize dogs, cats and most pet horses. It is NEVER used in animals intended for consumption, such as livestock. It is capable of surviving high temperatures associated with cooking if it is put into a pet food product and… Continue reading Pentobarbital (Euthanasia drug) has been found in a variety of Pet Foods, even “natural” ones, in the last year. How safe is your pets’ food from this dangerous contaminant?

Written by Chelsea Kent Recent reports have been associating grain-free kibble products with an increase in incidence of Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM) in breeds that historically have never been diagnosed with this disease.  In theory, the high levels of lectins found in legumes and non-grain binding ingredients are inhibiting conversion of taurine from cysteine. As dogs are… Continue reading Grain Free Kibble and Heart Disease… the science of kibble-borne disease

Many co-ops claim to be cheaper than commercially raw foods, but the same quality.  We went on a hunt to find out if this is true. Here is what we found... quick summary, they're more expensive in most cases, and where they are less expensive it is minimal, and the quality is questionable.   Key points on… Continue reading IS RAW FOOD FROM A CO-OP SAFE? IS IT CHEAPER?

AAFCO (American Association of Feed Control Officials) was established over 100 years ago. Only about 35 years ago AAFCO realized that commercially available pet foods were significantly deficient in health-sustaining nutrients, leading to the addition of synthetic vitamin and mineral pre-mixes in commercial pet food products. (1) This supplemental requirement was intended to meet the minimum nutritional requirements to… Continue reading “Complete and Balanced” vs “For Intermittent and Supplemental Feeding Only” – what it really means

AAFCO is looking to change the names of many of their worst ingredients. This is not being done to improve the ingredients, rather, it is being done because consumers have been become too educated for the industry. Industry continues to want to use trash from the human food industry, bio-diesel industry, rendering industry, oleo-chemical industry… Continue reading AAFCO Villain Ingredients