Category Archives: Nutrition

  • 22
    Oct 24
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Pet Feed Marketing In A Veterinarian Quiz

Category:Nutrition

By Susan Thixton

A quiz – directed at veterinarians – was sent to me by a well-known and trusted holistic veterinarian. I won’t share the name of this veterinarian because the quiz is only accessible to veterinarian members of Clinicians Brief – a publication for small animal vets. (And because I was able to access the veterinarian only quiz…I don’t want to get anyone into any trouble.)

The problem with the quiz is the biased information it presents to our vets as uniform facts. Such as…

The quiz tells vets that home prepared pet foods made from 100% human grade ingredients is no healthier than a feed grade commercial diet. Of course they neglect to disclose to veterinarian quiz takers that feed grade pet foods are allowed by FDA to source ingredients from diseased or non-slaughtered animal material.

The quiz also discussed the nutritional benefits of by-products – again with no mention of inferior (and potentially dangerous) quality feed grade by-products.

The quiz tells veterinarians that carbohydrates are a quality source of nutrition for cats – although they did disclose more research is needed.

No great surprise, the quiz reports that prescription/therapeutic diets are more effective than ‘over the counter’ pet diets. The quiz neglects to tell vets that therapeutic pet diets are allowed by FDA to make drug claims (to cure, treat, or mitigate disease) without being held to any drug safety requirements. Further the quiz neglected to tell veterinarians that therapeutic diets can be made with inferior (and potentially dangerous) feed grade ingredients.

This quiz was little more than pet feed marketing in quiz form. The vet that shared the quiz with me so correctly pointed out that the quiz neglected to mention significant points and it will unfortunately give practicing vets biased information that will unfortunately be preached to pet owners.

Until more vets are educated to the dramatic differences between feed and food, pet owners will continue to face challenging discussions with them. For more educational documents, visit the following links:

Human Grade & Feed Grade
Do you know what the differences are between Feed Grade and Human Grade pet food? Click Here.

The Regulations
Pet Food is regulated by federal and state authorities. Unfortunately, authorities ignore many safety laws. Click Here to learn more about the failures of the U.S. pet food regulatory system.

The Many Styles of Pet Food
An overview of the categories, styles, legal requirements and recall data of commercial pet food in the U.S. Click Here.

The Ingredients
Did you know that all pet food ingredients have a separate definition than the same ingredient in human food? Click Here.

We know that the pet feed industry isn’t going to be fully transparent with veterinarians about feed grade products…but we can be.

Wishing you and your pet the best –

Susan Thixton
Pet Food Safety Advocate
TruthaboutPetFood.com
Association for Truth in Pet Food

Click here to read this article on the TruthaboutPetFood website.

  • 14
    Nov 23
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Freeze Dried Food and Toppers

Category:Nutrition

Freeze Dried Food, Treats and Toppers are a convenient way to provide your dog added nutrition to their daily diet. There are various ways of providing this added nutrition. Certainly, feeding freeze dried food is an option, as well as replacing just some of your dog’s dry kibble with the freeze dried food. Toppers and treats can be used as high value reinforcers during training classes and during the dog training you integrate into your daily living. Toppers and treats can be use in the same way, providing a convenient nutrition bonus for our dog!

Freeze-drying retains most all nutrients unlike many traditional kibble based foods and treats. The nutrition your dog needs from the foods like proteins, enzymes, fats, amino acids, probiotics and other nutrients are available for your dog to benefit from. The nutrient Vitamin C can get depleted from the freeze-drying process, however dogs make their own vitamin C so it isn’t usually something they need to always get in their food. When a dog is sick or stressed it will produce less vitamin C. Signs of low vitamin C can include bleeding gums, joint pain or loose teeth. In times where your dog may be producing lower amounts of Vitamin C you can provide them with vitamin c rich foods such as berries, red peppers, pumpkin, broccoli or spinach. Blending the fruits and vegetables in a nutribullet blender is a quick easy way for your dog to be better able to absorb the nutrition instead of your dog eating them whole.

Click here for a list of 2023’s 10 Best Dog Food Toppers according to PetMag.com

See the list below of the Freeze Dried products we currently have available.

Dr. Marty’s Nature’s Blend Food
Instinct Raw Longevity Freeze Dried Food
Instinct Mixers Toppers and Treats
NEW! Tricky Trainers Freeze Dried Treats
NEW! Vital Essentials Toppers and Treats
NEW! Dr. Marty’s Treats
NEW! Bocce’s Food Toppers and Treats

  • 14
    Nov 23
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Benefits of Blended Raw Foods

Category:Nutrition

A recent study found that feeding puppies and adolescent dogs a non-processed meat based diet as well as berries, vegetables and even leftovers from human meals decreases the likelihood of a dog developing Inflammatory Bowel Disease/Chronic Enteropathy later in life. Additionally, research shows that feeding as little as 20% raw can reduce the risk of skin allergies! Read about the science and the studies that were done at the links below.

The Nutribullet is a small and powerful blender that can provide a way to make feeding fresh raw foods more economic and convenient to you! The greatest benefit is it can break down ingredients like fruits and vegetable into fine particles yet retain nutrients. Just add a couple handfuls of healthy leftovers or a handful of veggies that aren’t going to last much longer in your fridge with a little bit of water and blend. No need to go out and buy extra ingredients, use what you already have! The Nutribullet will help you create a healthy addition that supports the digestibility and palatability of your dry dog food. Adding nourishing foods to your dog’s diet also gives them a variety of tastes and smells which aids in happiness.

Misty Pines Sale now through the end of the year: Receive $20 off when you purchase a Nutribullet. Mention this email at the checkout counter to receive the $20 off. Keep in mind you can also make delicious blending and smoothie recipes for yourself and human family members too! A great gift for everyone, give the gift of fresh blends every day!

The effect of puppyhood and adolescent diet on the incidence of chronic enteropathy in dogs later in life – PMC (nih.gov)

Inflammatory Bowel Disease | Case Study | Instinct Raw Pet Food (instinctpetfood.com)

  • 29
    Jan 18
  • -

Canines Dealing with Dry, Itchy Skin in the Winter

Category:Health,Nutrition Tags : 

The furnace is on! This winter has been a cold one and we still have February and March to go before Spring arrives. While our furnaces work to keep us warm, they rob our air of moisture so you may find your indoor pet experiencing dry skin and shedding. This is usually the result of low humidity. Frequent brushing helps remove dead hair and skin and stimulates oil glands but brushing alone is often not enough to keep a dog’s skin and coat healthy; diet and supplements can play a major roll here as well.

Many skin disorders and other health problems of pets are caused by a lack of proper fats in the diet. The most important types are Omega 3s and Omega 6s. These essential fatty acids (EFAs) are polyunsaturated fatty acids that the body needs for health but cannot make on its own. EFAs must be obtained from food. The body needs EFAs to make and repair cell membranes. They also govern growth, vitality, mental state, oxygen transfer, hemoglobin production and control the movement of nutrients through cell membranes. The most important Omega-3 fatty acids for pets are docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA).

EFAs play a key role in both the pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory pathways. Lack of sufficient EFAs tends to manifest in the skin first. The skin is the first to lose oils and the last to get them. The deficiency can lead to dry, flaky, itchy skin. Another area of the body influenced by the dietary imbalance of EFAs is the joints; arthritis is merely an inflammation of the joints. Studies have shown that adding fish oil to the diet can reduce the stiffness, pain and inflammation associated with this debilitating disease. Supplementing fish oil in the diet can prevent or reduce the development of arthritis in the first place. Some animals have trouble absorbing oils in their diet. Digestive enzymes, such as papaya, found in Digestive Enzymes by NaturVet or aspergillus, found in Prozyme, can be added to the diet to increase absorption of EFAs by 200%.

Misty Pines carries Grizzly Salmon oil, recommended by Dr. Doug Kneuven, and UltraOil, both of which are oils balanced to provide the optimum levels of Omega-3, Omega-6 and Omega-9 fatty acids. It is recommended to rotate between bottles, meaning that when you’ve finished the Grizzly, get the UltraOil next time. Each different type of oil contains the EFAs in different quantities so rotational usage ensures that all the body’s needs are being met. Misty Pines also carries Prozyme and Digestive Enzymes, which are recommended by Dr. Kneuven. Stop in to Misty Pines today and get 10% off any Salmon, Pollock or UltraOil products as well as Prozyme or Digestive Enzymes.

Resources:

Canine Nutrition. What Every Owner, Breeder, and Trainer Should Know by Lowell Ackerman, D.V.M.
Why Fish Oil for a Dog by Dr. Doug Knueven D.V.M.
http://www.grizzlypetproducts.com/what-is-the-difference-between-your-salmon-oil-and-pollock-oil/

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    • Vaccination Requirements for All Services at Misty Pines Pet Company: All dogs must be current on Rabies, DHPP, and Bordetella (Bordetella every 6 months) vaccinations. The Leptosporosis (Lepto/L) vaccine is not required, however, Misty Pines highly recommends that your dog receives it. All pets must have received inoculations at least 10 days prior to their visit to Misty Pines. The waiting period will allow your dog to build sufficient immunity to the vaccinations which will make your dog less susceptible to catching or transferring any unwanted viruses. This includes new and updated vaccinations. Your pet cannot be over due for vaccinations - NO EXCEPTIONS. For example, if your pet is scheduled to visit Misty Pines on May 14 and received vaccinations on May 6, we cannot accept your pet due to the insufficient 10 day waiting period. Please bring vaccination records with you or fax to the Misty Pines office at 412-367-7387.
     

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