We all love our pets and want the very best for them…don’t we? Pets, like people, thrive and have a better quality of life when they are getting proper exercise and nutrition. One of our core values at Leashes & Leads is we are committed to the highest standards of pet care in ALL areas of our services to promote your pets’ health and wellness. A central area we live out this value is in our pet food philosophy. We believe in providing quality pet food options rather than popular, well-marketed “mainstream” brands.
The problem…
Many of the popular pet foods you find in stores today meet only the very minimum of health standards and are filled with byproducts, fillers, and artificial ingredients. Because they contain more “filler” ingredients, such as corn, your dog will have to consume a greater quantity of food per day to get the necessary and appropriate nutrition they need. This can lead to other health related problems, such as obesity, very quickly. See the photograph below from NutriSource that illustrates serving portions. NutriSource is a good brand to consider, but there are others equally as good to consider based upon the needs of your pet.
Aren’t I already feeding my dog healthy food?
Generally, I believe there are three main reasons many of us pet owners choose these more popular, less nutritious foods. The first being convenience. In our fast-pace culture it’s far more convenient to pick up a bag of pet food while doing our grocery shopping than making a special trip to another store. The second reason, I believe, is the perceived greater cost in buying premium pet foods. However, as illustrated above, because premium pet food is far more nutrient-dense, the serving size is much smaller thus extending the life of the bag of food. Also, many of these premium food distributers have frequent buyer programs further saving on the pocket book. Not to mention the potential of less veterinarian visits over the lifetime of the pet. The third, and final reason, is probably the most significant issue of the three. That is “we don’t know what we don’t know” to borrow a common phrase. One thing the “mainstream” pet food companies are very good at is marketing. I’m sure you’ve seen the commercials boasting about how “good” and “healthy” their foods are for your pet, so we buy their product without REALLY learning about the ingredients and what your pet is eating. Why do we believe that food is “healthy”?…because their commercial said so. No shame here…we all do it to one extent or another. We buy not knowing that there are not only much better, healthier choices, but that some of their ingredients may actually be a detriment to your dogs’ health.
Leashes & Leads and our Pet Food Philosophy…
“We’re committed to promoting the health and wellness of your pet. That’s why you’ll only find healthy, high-quality foods on our shelves. It’s important to know what’s in your pet’s food because they’re quality of life is worth it.”
We see this as building trust with you, our customer. We want you to trust that when you come here and buy food for your beloved pet, you know that we have done our homework and only put healthy food and treat options on our shelves. It’s more important to us have your trust knowing we have your pets’ best interest at heart rather than just selling popular pet foods and moving them off our shelves.
So, here’s some questions for you to consider…What are you feeding your four-legged friend? Have you done your homework to find out what is actually in the food your giving them? Furthermore, have you considered what is “healthy” for your pet and just as important what is “unhealthy” for your pet?
Resources
Here are some independent resources for you to look at. In fact, these are the resources we use before allowing a new food to be sold at Leashes & Leads.
Click here to view the premium brands of dog foods available on our shelves or call one of our Pet Supplies Store sales associates.
How do I read and interpret pet food ingredient labels? Click below if you would like more information and helpful tips on how to understand pet food ingredient labels i.e. what to look for and what not to look for.