Here are two first aid videos that demonstrate the Heimlich maneuver. Depending on the situation and the dog, you can determine which technique suits you and your dog best. The second video contains first aid techniques for other first aid procedures as well as the Heimlich maneuver.
Here are some bargains for this Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Thanksgiving. Many of them have coupon codes that you must type in at checkout. Some sales might exclude certain items, but you can find some wonderful buys.
Thanksgiving is a fun time for family and friends to get together. Please be aware of what your dog is eating. The last thing you need is a sick dog or an emergency to occur. Avoid danger!
Tell your guests that no matter how tempting it might be, please refrain from giving any food to your dog. You know your company best. If you suspect that somebody is likely to give in to the desperate pleas from your dog, you might add that there are some foods that are toxic and you prefer to avoid a trip to the vet. From time to time, keep an eye on your dog and make sure food is not within his reach. You may ask your guests to keep food out of reach and to let you know immediately if they see Fido getting hold of anything.
As far as turkey goes, the bones splinter very easily after being cooked and could be very dangerous for dogs to chew on. I am not a big fan of turkey for dogs. Turkey contains the amino acid L-tryptophan. L-tryptophan has been used to treat certain nervous conditions in dogs and some dog food contains small amounts of turkey, but not all dogs react well to it. Vomiting and diarrhea are signs that your dog is having a bad reaction to. In the 90’s the FDA banned supplements L-tryptophan nutritional supplements for humans so I am a bit skeptical about randomly giving it to dogs. Turkey has naturally occurring L-tryptophan which is differs from the supplements that were banned. Although it might be fine in small amounts, I would just go easy on the turkey. Some people allow their dogs to feast on turkey and continue to them leftovers. Please be safe and remember that it’s better to be safe than sorry.
Thanksgiving Safety for Dogshttp://www.essentiallydogs.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Chih-Turkey-Costume-425.jpg
Conventional vets are just not educated about nutrition aside from what the pet food and pharmaceutical corporations provide. After all, it is those corporations that donate large sums of money to support the veterinary programs. As a result of synthetic kibble diets and over-vaccination, kidney disease and cancer have become extremely common. It should be common sense for vets to understand that a biologically appropriate diet (BARF diet). Species appropriate nutrition is critical, but dogs are getting more and more diseased because of ignorance.
OK… We all know that SH*T happens. Well what happens when your dogs are at home by themselves while the SH*T is happening??? I decided to make a wallet card in case of an emergency.
This is a very simple DIY project. Just print out the card, cut outside the black border and it will fit into your wallet. I highly recommend laminating the card. I made it a little bit smaller than a standard business card so you can leave an additional edge around the border if you choose to laminate it. Remember to fill it in BEFORE you laminate it!!!
Make sure that the people you list on the card have keys to your home so that they can access your pets.
In case there are legal issues with disclosing certain information regarding any details, I added your name, number and signature at the bottom of the card to provide your authorization. I’m not a lawyer, but I figured that it might be a good thing to add.
We all love our dogs. Each dog has unique physical attributes. You can find plenty of mass produced products that have characteristics of certain breeds. Cuddle Clones are 100% custom designed to look like YOUR dog and the his own quirky, one of a kind characteristics that are unique to him only.
The concept of Cuddle Clones can be deeper than just having an adorable stuffed animal that looks just like yourown dog. I have known people who have lost their dogs due to various situations (including death or due to a custody battle). I also know someone who takes her dog’s photo with her on business trips. A friend of mine has a son who is nervous about going to kindergarten and wants to take his best friend with him (his dog). Cuddle clones can offer some people a sense of warmth and peace as they can remember their pets when they are not close by.
This is how it works:
-Upload least one picture of your pet -Choose ear & tail position and more -Submit any other distinguishing features -Add products to your cart -Type in EDogs at checkout for your 10% discount – however, from August 17th 2015 there will be a 15% discount which will extend for 2 weeks! -Submit your order
It takes around 8 – 10 weeks for delivery, but there are rush delivery options as well.
Not only does Cuddle Clones custom design stuffed animal to resemble dogs, but they also create stuffed animals that resemble other pets including cats, rabbits guinea pigs, birds, horses, and other animals.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXjlJyhqFEA
Cuddle Clones also make beds, collars, t-shirts, hoodies, figurines, memorials, and ornaments. Each of their products are custom made. Their beds are made from bison leather (with color options). The inside of the bed is made with orthopedic memory foam and may be ordered with a faux fur or bison shearling cover. They are beautiful!
Cuddle Clones Products
Cuddle Clones gives back to the pet community whenever and wherever possible through pet-related causes and animal charities. A portion of each Cuddle Clone purchase goes to various charities.
Coupon! If you purchase Cuddle Clones through my website you may use the Essentially Dogs Coupon which gives you 10% off your purchase. Just type in “EDogs” (without the quotes) upon payment. Visit Cuddle Clones!
So what does “organic” mean? Does it automatically guarantee that a food is “organic?” The quick answer is NO, but manufacturers are very sneaky about what they promise to their consumers and the FDA enables them to mislead us.
A woman at Evangers pet food told me that their ingredients do not come from China. She told me that some of the vitamins come from a third party supplier whom (she claims) does not source them from China. She reassured me that they carry some products that are certified organic. She explained that by default that ensures that the ingredients don’t come from China. She might very well be telling me the truth about their third party supplier. I just don’t have any proof of that because that information is proprietary. Sounds good???
This woman was not well-versed regarding the USDA’s loose regulatory practices. The Food and Drug Administration allows non-organic vitamins and minerals for fortification of food that fit certain parameters when approving for official USDA organic certification. Although a product is labeled with the official USDA organic seal, it doesn’t mean that the product is organic as we would naturally conclude. Certain non-organic vitamins are permitted. These ingredients could come from China and poorly manufactured. Our government lacks regulation for nutritional supplements. Yeah… That seems strange to me too.
An organic seal does NOT mean that all ingredients are organic. The FDA has protected the pet food industry. The Pet Food Institute (the industry’s lobbyists) got all upset because the cost of production would be prohibitive to many companies. Vitamin supplements must be added to commercial (canned and kibble) pet food to compensate for the food’s absence of nutrients. Sourcing vitamins and supplements from China enables manufacturers to earn much higher profits. The cost of sourcing these supplements elsewhere is so high that it would hurt the industry. China’s production practices are questionable to say the least and I think that most of us are aware of that. Sadly, 90% of the world’s ascorbic acid (vitamin C) is sourced from China because it is far less costly than anywhere else in the world. To read more about these unethical practices sanctions them read my article The Truth About Holistic & Organic Dog Food.
The NOP (Natural Organic Product) classification must consider the economic impact of any changes to the USDA organic regulations; if the action will significantly affect the industry, additional assessments and justifications are required. The Pet Food Task Force, which included individuals from pet food manufacturing, organic consulting, Pet Food Institute (the industry’s lobbyist organization), and federal agencies were responsible for changes made to the definition of “organic” to pander to the pet food industry.
Vitamins, minerals, synthetic nutrients, and other additives including those used as preservatives are exempt from organic requirements based on the following criteria:
-Ingredient required for a complete and balanced pet food. -Acceptable ingredients for use in pet food. -Availability of ingredients in organic form. -Structure of the pet food industry. -Number of organic producers supplying raw commodities for organic pet food. -Types of production costs
Products are certified without regard to source and “other ingredients” under the livestock feed standards. Certifiers have been using the livestock feed standards for our pets. How natural is that??? Hmmm.
Sources:
McEvoy, Miles V. “Tails” of the Organic Pet Food Rule.” The Organic Integrity Quarterly (Oct. 2012): 7-8. US Department of Agriculture. National Organic Program, Oct. 2012. Web. 28 Apr. 2015. <http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/getfile?dDocName=STELPRDC5100909>.
USA. USDA. National Organic Standards Board. Livestock Subcommittee Petitioned Material Proposal Required Synthetic Amino Acids for Pet Foods. N.p.: n.p., n.d. National Organic Standards Board. USDA, 05 Feb. 2013. Web. 28 Apr. 2015. <http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/getfile?dDocName=STELPRDC5102662>.
There are many issues regarding conventional veterinary education and practice. Vets who practice integrative medicine not only have the conventional veterinary degree, but they also continue to study additional veterinary treatment. Not all conventional medicine is bad. When it is the ONLY treatment that a vet is able to provide to all his patients, it is a huge concern. Sometimes there are cases in which conventional medicine is the only option for treatment, but it should not be the ONLY option that a veterinary practice is equipped to provide. Conventional veterinarians who practice ONLY conventional medicine are NOT treating our dogs. They are making them sicker because they don’t have the additional years of education including nutrition and natural treatment.
The best treatment for your dog is integrative veterinary medicine. That is the combination of the best of Western medicine combined with other therapies and modalities (nutrition, acupuncture, aquapuncture, lasers, and other holistic methods and treatments) to treat disease and to promote health (as opposed to merely making symptoms disappear). Integrative vets use Western medicine as a last resort. Many issues don’t require drugging up dogs unnecessarily. The education for such vets is extensive and requires further study which goes beyond basic conventional veterinary medicine. The goal in integrative medicine is to take care of the underlying issues that are causing symptoms to appear. Integrative vets are trained to use alternative methods to keep our dogs healthy and PREVENT issues rather that masking them.
Our dogs are being treated with antibiotics, steroids, pain-killers, antihistamines, which might manage the symptoms ONLY, but do not treat the immune system which weakens the immune system. Abuse of vaccinations is contributing to illness. Please see my articles about vaccination: Are Vaccines Really Safe? It is probably the most important articles in my website.
Ingredients of most commercial pet food is also compromising the health of our dogs. I have a plethora of articles about commercial dog food. A great one is What’s REALLY in Dog Food. I also have many articles about feeding dogs diets that are biologically appropriate. Why a Raw Diet is Vital. Like people, animals that have poor nutrition, compromised immunity will likely give birth to unhealthy dogs.
Most conventional vets know NOTHING about nutrition. They lack the training. Check out 8 Questions to Evaluate Your Vet. Believe it or not a great majority of conventional vets are not equipped to answer all those questions correctly! Pretty scary!!!
Essentiallydogs.com is an educational resource, and all information herein is strictly for educational purposes. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure disease, nor is it meant to replace the (prescribed) veterinary treatment. Always inform your veterinarian or healthcare provider of any products that your pet is taking, including herbal remedies and supplements. Please do plenty of research so that you may equip yourself with the knowledge necessary to be an effective advocate for your dog’s well-being.
Uh oh… Here we go again. The 4th of July is drawing closer. I can visualize my dogs on that evening. As the fireworks blast Harriet freaks out. She starts trembling and panting. Her eyes practically pop out of their sockets. She runs for cover into a closet or seeks refuge in the bathroom behind the toilet. I prefer to use holistic methods as opposed to drugging my dogs up as conventional vets have suggested the temporary use of Benadryl to do the same job for my dogs. This infuriates me! Unfortunately, this is not a part of conventional veterinary medicine. Therefore, the majority of vets who limit their practices to conventional veterinary medicine have no clue about alternative treatments. I have used several holistic remedies for my dogs. As far as anxiety and nervousness goes, these remedies are the best. I combine the following products on occasions that cause excessive anxiety for my dogs.
Here are 4 natural remedies to alleviate that anxiety from the fireworks:
DAP is safe synthetic dog appeasing pheromones. It reproduces the properties of the natural pheromones that the lactating mother naturally provides to her puppies. The substance helps to calm and reassure her puppies and the DAP products performs in the same way for dogs who are nervous and frightened. This brand comes in four different forms. It comes in a spray, a collar, wipes, and an electric diffuser which you plug into an outlet.
Pet Acoustics is a bluetooth speaker that contains a music compilation that is specifically geared toward the hearing and brain activity of dogs to induce calmness.
PetCalm is an excellent homeopathic remedy made from a combination plant extracts and minerals. I find them to be very helpful. The formula comes in a spray and also in granule form. Both formulas are taken orally. PetCalm may also be combined with Problem Pet Solution to calm and balance the dog that expressing anxiety through unusually excessive behaviors like hyperactivity, jumping, barking, or chewing.
Although I have no video for this product, I have used it for years and I have found it to be very helpful. I have also used other products from this manufacturer as well. They make homeopathic remedies for people which can be found in the Native Remedies section of the website.
How can you know that a puppy store is getting their from puppy mills? It’s a fair assumption when a store has many puppies for sale and they receive stock on an ongoing basis. These stores get shipments of puppies like any other product they sell. This has been going on for too long and the problem is getting worse. Puppies in pet shops might look cute, but people who purchase puppies from pet shops are products of horrible circumstances. They might look fine, but they are subjected to cruel treatment (from birth up until they are sold from the pet shop). Their mothers are horribly neglected and abused beyond imagination. Puppy mills refuse access to veterinary care so prenatal care and nutrition is abominable and the puppies are born are at a huge disadvantage. Pet shops who deal with puppy mills are lacking compassion, hungry to rip off unsuspecting consumers and void of any sense of ethics.
The Humane Society Institute for Science and Policy Animal Studies Repository has performed puppy mill studies and campaigns. You can read 101 Puppy Mills: A Sampling of Problem Puppy Mills in the United States to learn about the basics of puppy mills and their impact. Another exposé about New York puppy stores (a great majority of which carry puppy mill dogs) is called, HSUS Investigates New York Puppy Stores. It actually names stores in New York. The stores were visited with hidden cameras. Here are the results:
1. American Kennels 798 Lexington Ave., Manhattan Refused to give breeder info; linked to puppy sources with problematic USDA reports, including Ruth Zuspann/ Zuspann’s Kennel in MO (see HSUS’s Dirty Dozen report update).
2. Le Petit Puppy 18 Christopher St., Manhattan Gave one breeder name; linked to suppliers with problematic USDA reports.
3. Citipups 45 Christopher St., Manhattan Gave breeder names and falsely stated that puppy miller/broker Sandra Blake has “wide-open spaces” for her dogs. Linked to puppy sources with problematic USDA reports, including Ruth Zuspann/ Zuspann’s Kennel in MO (see HSUS’s Dirty Dozen report update).
4. Metro Puppy 103-23 Metropolitan Ave., Queens Owner told the “shopper” that “legislation shut all that (puppy mills) down long ago.” 5. Raising Rover & Baby 1428 Lexington Ave., Manhattan Avoided questions about breeders; review of health certificates and USDA reports show they use some of the worst puppy mills, including Brandi Cheney.
6. Pets on Lex 1109 Lexington Ave., Manhattan Info on breeders obtained from health certificates; bad USDA reports.
7. Puppy City 2539 Ocean Ave., Brooklyn Info on one breeder obtained from salesman; bad USDA reports on suppliers (see Lone Sycamore Kennels and others).
8. Puppy Petite orThe Puppy Boutique They have two different names, two different websites, same location address 8002 17th Ave., Brooklyn Gave one breeder name – “It’s not a puppy mill or anything like that – we only work with private breeders;” linked to MO broker that buys from numerous kennels with bad USDA reports.
9. Yipity Yap 1802 East Jericho Turnpike, Huntington (Long Island) Refused to give breeder info – “I have nothing to hide,” said the salesman three times as he refused to give breeder info; the store has purchased more than a dozen puppies from Brandi Cheney this year.
10. Vanity Pups 38-13 Bell Blvd., Queens Gave one breeder name after telling the “shopper” that the humane society tells everyone that all puppies are from mills because “they want the money.” Bad USDA reports for suppliers, one of which is Lourance in Oklahoma, who has some of the worst USDA reports The HSUS has seen.
11. A World of Pups 540 86th St., Brooklyn The HSUS has received more consumer complaints about sick puppies purchased from this store than any of the stores investigated; problematic USDA reports for many of the puppy mills it uses.
Some of these puppy stores are located in very exclusive areas and sell their puppies for top dollar. I know of people who have asked for my advice. Despite, they have chosen to purchase for a couple of the stores mentioned above. I practically beg people to look at my articles about puppy mills. I give them the actual links. For goodness sake, can’t people just take a moment to check? Why not? I just don’t get it. If you would like to read more of my puppy mill articles, check out The Truth About Pet Shops & Puppies and Do You Know Where Puppies REALLY Come From?
WAIT!!! Let’s back up. What is a puppy mill? The following video features Charlize Theron describing exactly what a puppy mill is:
So the most reasonable question to ask is: Why aren’t these puppy mills allowed to go on? The pet industry lobbyists, the enormous profits, payoffs to provide incentive for violation to be overlooked, payoffs to vets to discourage visiting, treatment, and reporting, and the list goes on. When penalties are imposed, the fines are mild and have no impact.
Petfinder has brilliant search engine options!
So where can you get a dog? Try Petfinder which is a wonderful website where I have found my dogs. It is basically a database that has listings of dogs (and other pets) from hundreds (maybe thousands) of different rescue organizations. You can type in your zip code, the breed, size, and the age of the dog you would be interested in. You can also fine tune your search by checking off other options to make a good fit. For example, if you have young children, there is a checkbox which will provide results showing dogs who are good with children.
PLEASE do NOT buy dogs online or from other advertising sources (even in vet clinics) – especially if the seller is not willing to allow you to meet the parents of the puppy at their home. Reputable breeders do not sell their dogs to strangers. If a breeder is truly an ethical, reputable, and skilled in breeding, there would be no need to advertise. I strongly recommend saving a dog from a shelter as opposed to contributing to the atrocities of unscrupulous breeders. Reputable breeders will require that you spay/neuter the dog that they sell to you and will not sell any dog without a written contract to do so. You can find virtually any breed on the Petfinder website. Before adopting dogs, rescue organizations have their dogs examined by qualified veterinarians, who vaccinate, microchip, and spayed/neutered so the dog dogs are all set to go. This is the reason why they charge adoption fees. Dogs from puppy mills who are sold in puppy stores are not provided with even close to the amount of attention an healthcare as shelter dogs.
If you MUST get your dog from a breeder, the best way is to find the official American Kennel Club website for that particular breed. They have rescues that need to find homes and they have lists of breeders. If a person is going to purchase from a breeder, there should be AUTHENTIC historical information that can be verified as well as genetic testing to ensure the genetic health of the dog. This is testing and process of breeding over 3 or more generations of the dog is VERY costly. Such professional breeders are few and far between and will interview you and grill you to make sure that one of their dogs will go to an appropriate home. They absolutely will ask for references and they might require a home visit to determine if your home meets the appropriate standards. In light of this, why not just rescue a dog?
The Humane Society of the United States, “A Horrible Hundred: Problem Puppy Mills in the United States” (2013). HSUS Puppy Mill Investigations and Exposés. Paper8.
Now listen to this. China has cornered the market on producing vitamins, supplements and even many of the inert ingredients that our pharmaceuticals are made with. Yes, I have issues with products that come from China, but it is really hard to avoid them. The big issue here is that when pet food products have that long list of vitamins and supplements that are added to their products, they are added because the food is processed so much that its nutrients are processed out. Basically, our pets are living off of those supplements only. Our dogs need their nutrients to come from the food itself, NOT from all the synthetic garbage that is added to over-processed product which is void of any nutritional value by itself. Pets who are eating commercial diets (kibble and canned food) are getting their nourishment from those vitamins which are acting as an alternative to real food. I am not opposed to supplements. I add some supplements to my dogs’ food because I cannot provide fresh kill for their meals. The best form of nutrition is raw which is most nutritious right after the kill before extended time, exposure to air and the natural elements affect the nutrients.
Being that manufacturers add so many additional nutrients, you would think that they would be careful to provide high quality supplements since they are providing inferior food product to make profits high. After all, they care about our pets so why would any corporation or manufacturer do their best to take those profits and purchase ingredients from Germany, France, or Japan? Yeah right… The cost of supplements from those countries are exponentially higher. These manufacturers have a conflict of interest.
I called several manufacturers and asked them if ANY of their pet food products contain any ingredients whatsoever that are sourced from China. I listed the label names that the manufacturers produce. I did not ask about each individual product. I wanted to give my readers a general list of foods that manufacturers sneak Chinese ingredients into. I feel that if a manufacturer is ok with putting Chinese ingredients into any of their products, it speaks volumes about the priorities of that manufacturer. There are no ingredients that cannot be sourced outside of China. It is purely a matter of making bigger profits at the expense of the health and wellbeing of our dogs.
I asked if there are any products that have ingredients sourced from China. Getting clear definitive answers was like pulling teeth. Here are some of their responses:
No. They continue by naming their meat sources and where it is imported from and that the food is all made in the USA.
I then asked if any of their vitamins were sourced from China. The answers included:
Yes, we get all our supplements within the USA.
I asked if they get their vitamins from a third party supplier. They often replied: Yes, but they are in the USA
I then asked where those suppliers source their products. Answers varied:
Some of the supplier’s products come from China. I don’t know. That information is proprietary. The suppliers get their products “globally.” Of course I couldn’t resist to mention that “global” encompasses China. They reiterated, the products are sourced globally and that they don’t know where.
The suppliers get their products from Asia. I reminded them that Asia is enormous. Contained in Asia is Australia, Turkey, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Russia, and (believe it or not) China. They reiterated, the products are sourced in Asia and that they don’t know where.
We pay extra money to ensure that the products are NOT sourced from China. Information about their suppliers is proprietary. (Whether or not they were truthful, it is not possible for me to verify that information because it is proprietary).
Many manufacturers decided to interpret my question as they wished. Those manufacturers required the third degree from me in order to get a clear answer. Even after the questioning, some of the answers were still not definitive in that they did not provide answers that could be verified. Because they I don’t understand why those people had such difficulty understanding that supplements ARE ingredients and by not acknowledging that, they are lying to the public (let alone their lack of knowledge with regard to geography).
Again, my question was: Are there ANY ingredients in any of their pet food products that contain any ingredients whatsoever that are sourced from China? I did NOT ask about each individual label brand of the manufacturer.
There are manufacturers that produce food that has no sourcing from China, but having dogs consume empty food that has supplements to compensate for its lack of nutritional value is just not right. Dogs are not meant to thrive on supplements as their only form of nourishment.
I just want people to be aware of how common it is for manufactures to provide inferior nutritional supplements. We are trained to avoid products from China, but look at what I found. Our pets are consuming nutrients that come from supplements which are sourced from China. These supplements are often the sole source of nourishment. Something can be MADE in the USA, but it doesn’t mean that the ingredients are from the USA.
Manufacturer
Label Names
Sourced from China
Artemis Company
Artemis
Yes
Petsmart Label Brand
Authority
Yes
Breeder’s Choice Pet Foods Inc
APD Select Choice AvoDerm Active Care Pinnacle Trader Joe’s Brand
Proprietary Information
Del Monte Foods AKA – Big Heart Pet Brands
Kibbles ‘n BitsNature’s RecipeNatural Balance Milo’s Kitchen
Suppliers source globally – not sure
Diamond Pet Foods Inc
Chicken Soup for the Doglover’s SoulCountry Value Diamond Premium Edge Professional Taste of the Wild
I have an ongoing promotion at Coupaw that is only available through my website alone: 5% off your first purchase. Use code EDOGS at checkout
Please read my product advice at the bottom of the page so you can make the most informed decisions!
Coupaw items are shown in order of sale expiration. I update sales daily. I ask that you please click on the links when you want to make orders as I receive a small commission when orders are placed via my website. This does NOT affect your price at all, but it affords me the ability to take the time and effort to maintain my website. Thank you.
I omit products based upon various factors including health, ingredients, safety, quality, a manufacturer’s honesty to consumers, amongst others. I like to provide alternatives. Regarding vehicle harnesses, I feel that SOMETHING is better than NOTHING so I included many that are not necessarily the best.
Before making purchases I recommend checking out the following pages: Favorite Stuff so that you can review similar products that I feel are the best of the best.
Harnesses for general use read:The BEST Harness EVER! I deliberately exclude certain items and devices. My reasons for those exclusions are at the foot of this page.
*Dog products need to be maintained due to safety concerns. Please make do not allow your dogs to eat the non-edible toys (especially the chew toys). Some chews might become brittle by their nature. When chewing on such treats, some small sharp pieces might break off. Please discard those sharp pieces. Because of how I feel about kibble, I suggest using chicken or organ meats that are dehydrated or freeze dried instead of kibble. Please feel free to read my articles about kibble. If you type in “kibble” as a keyword in my search bar, quite a few articles will appear.
An organic seal does NOT mean that all ingredients are organic. The FDA has protected the pet food industry. The Pet Food Institute (the industry’s lobbyists) got all upset because the cost of production would be prohibitive to many companies. Vitamin supplements must be added to commercial (canned and kibble) pet food to compensate for the food’s absence of nutrients. Sourcing vitamins and supplements from China enables manufacturers to earn much higher profits. The cost of sourcing these supplements elsewhere is so high that it would hurt the industry. China’s production practices are questionable to say the least and I think that most of us are aware of that. Sadly, 90% of the world’s ascorbic acid (vitamin C) is sourced from China because it is far less costly than anywhere else in the world. To read more about these unethical practices sanctions them read my article 
really hard to avoid them. The big issue here is that when pet food products have that long list of vitamins and supplements that are added to their products, they are added because the food is processed so much that its nutrients are processed out. Basically, our pets are living off of those supplements only. Our dogs need their nutrients to come from the food itself, NOT from all the synthetic garbage that is added to over-processed product which is void of any nutritional value by itself. Pets who are eating commercial diets (kibble and canned food) are getting their nourishment from those vitamins which are acting as an alternative to real food. I am not opposed to supplements. I add some supplements to my dogs’ food because I cannot provide fresh kill for their meals. The best form of nutrition is raw which is most nutritious right after the kill before extended time, exposure to air and the natural elements affect the nutrients.
high quality supplements since they are providing inferior food product to make profits high. After all, they care about our pets so why would any corporation or manufacturer do their best to take those profits and purchase ingredients from Germany, France, or Japan? Yeah right… The cost of supplements from those countries are exponentially higher. These manufacturers have a conflict of interest.
No. They continue by naming their meat sources and where it is imported from and that the food is all made in the USA.
degree from me in order to get a clear answer. Even after the questioning, some of the answers were still not definitive in that they did not provide answers that could be verified. Because they I don’t understand why those people had such difficulty understanding that supplements ARE ingredients and by not acknowledging that, they are lying to the public (let alone their lack of knowledge with regard to geography).
