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Are natural pet foods healthy?

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Contributed by: David Abrams on 8/5/2008

The natural food trend is going to the dogs and cats as a means to provide a healthier lifestyle for pets. According to a recent Greenfield Online study, forty-one percent (41%) of Denver residents feed their pet natural foods. Interestingly, thirty-eight percent (38%) of these pet owners began feeding natural foods to their cat or dog in the past year.

But when it comes to pet food natural doesn't always mean healthy. A shock to the ninety-three percent (93%) of Denver residents who believe natural foods are somewhat or very healthy. In fact, eighty-nine percent (89%) of Denver residents who feed a natural pet food believe that the ingredients are an indicator that a natural pet food is healthy. While natural products may contain better ingredients such as real chicken and vegetables, many aren't nutritionally balanced. Excess nutrients can lead to serious health conditions for pets including kidney, urinary and digestive disease.

Do Denver Residents Really Know What's in the Bag?
-Sixty-six percent (66%) of Denver residents say they read the nutritional label before buying pet food.
-Sixty-six percent (66%) of those people believe they have an excellent or very good understanding of the nutritional label. Yet only six percent (6%) of cat owners and three percent (3%) of dog owners knew the proper calcium levels their pets should consume on a daily basis.
-In addition, fifty-four percent (54%) of dog owners and sixty-one percent (61%) of cat owners who read the nutritional label did not know the proper level of sodium their pets should consume on a daily basis.

What Should You Be Looking For?
To help Denver residents, a team of 250 veterinarians, food scientists, technicians and PhD nutritionists that developed Nature's Best - the first and only clinically proven natural pet food to provide complete and balanced nutrition - have put together "nutritional nuggets" to help select a natural pet food.
-Protein: The proper nutrient level of 15-30% maintains strong bones, lean muscles and the building blocks of all cellular materials
-Crude Fat: The proper nutrient level of 10-20% helps cell membrane functions, maintains healthy skin and is a source of energy
-Fiber: The proper nutrient level of 5% maintains digestive system health and helps promote satiety
-Calcium: The proper nutrient level of 0.5-1.0% aids in proper bone and teeth health, muscle function and nerve transmission and blood clotting
-Phosphorus: The proper nutrient level of 0.4-0.9% aids in proper bone, teeth and muscle formation, proper metabolism of fats carbohydrates and proteins
-Sodium: The proper nutrient level of 0.2-0.4% aids in the ability to metabolize water and with proper waste excretion

For more information, please visit www.hillspet.com/naturesbest

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CONTRIBUTOR INFORMATION

David Abrams

New York , NY

David Abrams has posted 2 stories and 0 comments since joining on 4/24/2007. David Abrams 's average story rating is 0.

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