Caveat Emptor – Buyer Beware < A version of this article was published in the October 2019 issue of Downeast Dog News> < A short link to this page – http://bit.ly/PetFoodComp > As a pet food retailer, I am part of an industry that many believe; myself included, has a well-deserved reputation for being deceptive. Many companies practice “legal’ marketing practices that any well-informed consumer would find intentionally unsettling. Some of the schemes used in the pet food industry make me hang my head in shame. I try to make up for that by learning everything I can and providing peo ..read more

< A version of this article was published in the September 2019 issue of Downeast Dog News> < A short link to this post http://bit.ly/DietRotation2 > Introducing Your Dog to Dietary Rotation Last month [ FMI – http://bit.ly/DietRotation1-30JUL19 ] we explored why dietary rotation should be a regular part of your pet’s life. Understandably, you may be hesitant to make this change based on past experiences where you changed your dog’s diet. I have been there personally, and the initial consequence of diet change for one of my dogs was ten days of bloody diarrhea and a miserable pup ..read more

< A version of this article was published in the August 2019 issue of Downeast Dog News> < A short link to this post http://bit.ly/DietRotation1-30JUL19 > < Updated 18JAN21 > Would You Be Healthy If You Ate the Same Thing At Every Meal? By Guest Columnist, Kate Dutra, CPDT-KA Tokyo turnips dipped in cilantro hummus; a ham, cheese and lettuce sandwich on organic seven-grain bread; raw pepper, tomatoes, and cucumbers; a handful of pretzels – this is what comprised my lunch today. Overall, most would agree that it was a healthy, well-balanced meal.  Now, what if I ate this ..read more

< A version of this article will be published in the March 2019 issue of Downeast Dog News > < A short link to this article – bit.ly/Things-Nutrition-1 > When I brought home my first puppy in 1975, I bought the dog food recommended by her veterinarian. When I got married, and both my dog and Paula’s dog came to live with us, our only thought about dog food was budgetary. I now know that feeding the food that costs the least per pound can have significant hidden health costs. In 1991 my wife and brought home our first puppy as a couple. On the advice of Paula’s employer, a veterinar ..read more

A great post from our friend Kohl Harrington the director of the documentary Pet Fooled in which he shares questions he asked the manufacturer of Meow Mix cat food and the brands owner, the J.M. Smucker company. You can read his post at http://www.petfooled.com/blog/questioning-meow-mix-their-marketing-and-carbohydrate-levels-by-petfooled-netflix   FMI on Pet Fooled Website – http://www.petfooled.com/ Facebook Page – https://www.facebook.com/Pet-Fooled-1793771757524419/ Recommended Resources Articles on Don’s Blog (http://www.words-woofs-meows.com) Pet Nutrition: Some Myths ..read more

< Click to Listen to Podcast > In this episode of The Woof Meow Show from July 29, 2017, Kate and Don interview Kymythy Schultze, a Clinical Nutritionist, and Animal Health Instructor, and the author of Natural Nutrition for Dogs and Cats: The Ultimate Diet, The Natural Nutrition No-Cook Book, and Natural Nutrition for Cats: The Path to Purrfect Health. Kymythy’s first book Natural Nutrition for Dogs and Cats has long been the first book I recommend for clients that want to prepare a homemade diet for their pets. I like that it is short, simple, and easy to understand while at the same t ..read more

<Click to Listen to Podcast> In this episode of The Woof Meow Show on May 6th, 2017 Kate and Don interview Kohl Harrington the director of the new documentary film Pet Fooled – A Look Inside A Questionable Industry. Pet Fooled offers a critical review of the pet food industry, and it is not pretty. Listen to this show and learn why big pet food companies may not be as concerned about your pet’s health as they want you to believe. Issues explored in the film and on this episode of The Woof Meow Show include; regulatory lapses which led to the pet food recalls of 2007, the high-powered mar ..read more

< A version of this article was published in the MAY 2021 issue of Downeast Dog News> < Updated 01MAY21 > < A short link for this page – http://bit.ly/PetNut-Opt-Cost-Con > One of my favorite authors and experts on pet nutrition is animal nutritionist Dr. Richard Patton. I recently interviewed him on The Woof Meow Show [ FMI – http://bit.ly/WfMw2wPattonAPR21 ]. I appreciate that Dr. Patton can break down a complex subject like pet nutrition into some basic principles. When he first appeared on the show in April of 2016, he stated, “You can have convenience and economy, or you ..read more

< Updated 11FEB20 > < A short link for this page – http://bit.ly/WhyWeLikeMyPerfectPet > We discovered My Perfect Pet at an industry tradeshow in September of 2019. After doing our due diligence and evaluating My Perfect Pet we test fed it with some of the Green Acres staff pets as well as some clients who volunteered to give it a try. As a result of that process, we knew the My Perfect Pet blends and the company and people behind My Perfect Pet represented the type of product we wanted to offer to you. In a recent press release, Green Acres co-owner, Don Hanson stated: “Common sen ..read more

Caveat Emptor – Buyer Beware < A version of this article was published in the October 2019 issue of Downeast Dog News> < A short link to this page – http://bit.ly/PetFoodComp > As a pet food retailer, I am part of an industry that many believe; myself included, has a well-deserved reputation for being deceptive. Many companies practice “legal’ marketing practices that any well-informed consumer would find intentionally unsettling. Some of the schemes used in the pet food industry make me hang my head in shame. I try to make up for that by learning everything I can and providing peo ..read more