Why Pet Lovers are Choosing Gluten-Free Pet Foods

Gluten has received a lot more attention with pet guardians in recent years. The 2007 pet food recall, involving pet foods containing gluten contaminated with melamine, led to the loss of many beloved companions. Adding to the increased awareness is the fact that, like people, pets can have gluten allergies, also called celiac disease, a fairly common food allergy in dogs. Gluten allergies can result in skin and coat issues, as well as digestive difficulties. For these reasons, more and more pet guardians are choosing gluten-free pet foods.

How Are Added Synthetic Vitamin & Minerals in Pet Food "Natural?"

The safest and most natural source of all nutrients, including vitamins and minerals, is from food. If a pet food is marketed as “natural,” yet states it contains “added vitamins and minerals,” this tells pet parents that the food contains synthetic ingredients. How natural is that?

Blue Buffalo: Yet Another Pet Food Recall Due to Excessive Vitamins and Minerals

This has happened before. Blue Buffalo’s October 8, 2010 dog food recall is just one of many in recent years, due to excessive Vitamin D or other synthetic nutrients in pet food. In 2006, Royal Canin recalled several of their foods because they also contained too much added Vitamin D. In 2009, Nutro recalled cat foods, citing the formulas contained “excessive levels of zinc.” At about the same time, 21 horses at the U.S. Open Polo Championship in Florida died from a supplement overdose of the mineral selenium. The common factor to all of these events is the use of added man-made vitamins or minerals.

Mixing or Rotating Proteins in Your Pet’s Diet

We all want to feed the very best to our pets, to keep them happy, healthy and in our lives for as long as possible. But there are so many philosophies surrounding the best way to feed your dog or cat, it’s no wonder pet parents can become confused. One example is the debate over whether to feed just one protein consistently, or to mix or rotate the primary protein source your pet eats. So how does one sift through all the contradicting advice, and make a decision?

Helping Finicky Pets Eat as Nature Intended

Many pet-parents struggle with finicky dogs or cats, coaxing them to eat what we put before them. But dogs and cats are not, by nature, finicky eaters. Their cousins in the wild eat their killed prey with gusto, most likely because they are ravenously hungry when such a dinner arrives. So how did this happen? How can pet-parents encourage their dogs and cats to eat what we know they should in order to be at their best health?