➳ All about
ingredients ngredients Healthy pet foods come down to the ingredients used to make them. At Companion magazine, we want to help you recognize and understand the ingredients in the foods your pet eats every day.
basil is an herb that aids the digestion process. Basil also contains the antioxidant monoterpenes, which is associated with cardiovascular health.
dandelion is another ingredient that helps digestion. It’s a mild laxative and diuretic, meaning it gets both solid and liquid waste moving out of your pet. Dandelion also has an anti-inflammatory effect on the skin. urinary birch leaf is an anti-inflammatory that is commonly used to treat urinary tract infections.
Camomile is well known as a calming tea for people, and it provides similar properties in pet food. Camomile calms stress and anxiety and relaxes the lining of the digestive tract. indigestion. lemon balm, much like camomile, reduces stress and eases indigestion.
Kelp is a brown seaweed which is a rich source of natural organic minerals like iodine, potassium and calcium, as well as B vitamins and Vitamin C.
Parsley helps purify blood and other body fluids. It supports liver, kidney and adrenal gland function.
thyme, a member of the mint family, is an herb with antiseptic properties. immune garlic contains the powerful antioxidant allicin, which supports immune functioning and has antimicrobial properties.
Marigold is a source of lutein, which helps protect eyes from harmful ultraviolet rays. and rosemary is an antioxidant which helps to support cardiovascular and
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Dogs have a much better sense of smell than people – up to 100,000 times more powerful! This fact of life is why dogs are used for law enforcement. Highly trained dogs can track a scent and sniff out drugs and explosives. Amazingly, earlier this year German research discovered that dogs could also detect cancer, specifically identifying lung cancer from breath samples. Multiple anecdotal stories have also surfaced of dogs identifying cancer in their owners. One dog smelled his owner’s breath and then nudged her right breast. It was cancer. Another dog wouldn’t stop licking a mole on her owner’s leg. It was a malignant melanoma – cancer. These amazing canine feats are leading to more research, including an attempt to determine whether cancer has a specific scent. If it does, machines could be invented that detect cancer in a much less invasive way than current technology. In the mean time, we should all pay attention to our dogs. They are amazing.
liver functioning. The antiseptic properties of rosemary make it useful as as a natural preservative.
As you can see, herbs and botanicals provide much more than flavoring to a pet food. In general, they provide ‘boosters’ like antioxidants, antiseptics and anti-inflammatories which protect and enhance the natural functions of the body, ideally resulting in a health boost.
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like "sliders" for dogs
Introducing Performatrin Ultra Grain-Free small Bite formula – the same great food in a smaller kibble size! Since the launch of Performatrin Ultra Grain-Free, dog owners have been asking for a smaller-sized kibble. Many small dogs only eat small kibble, which is common with small-breed dog food formulations. Since Performatrin Ultra Grain-Free is an all breed, all life stage dog food, the new Small Bite bags are perfect for puppies, small breeds, and any other dog that prefers smaller kibble. Look for it in Pet Valu, Paulmac’s and Bosley’s stores in early February.
• Kibble shown actual size. Left 〉〉 Small Bite Right 〉〉 Original
Winter 2012 - Companion 19