“You Are What You Eat!” Veg-ful and bursting with energy. Healthy meals make a BIG difference to our quality of life. But what about your special furry friend’s diet? How do you know what’s actually in their food, and what your four-legged family member needs to flourish?
According the American Pet Products Association, Americans spent more than $36.9 billion on pet foods in 2019! But where’s our guarantee that what we feed our dogs is safe and as nutritious as promised? Turns out, people are really starting to do their homework with interesting results.
Even the FDA has been paying attention to the issue of food purity and reports of illnesses possibly linked to certain dog foods. Most alarming lately is the agency’s warning that highly popular grain-free products may actually lead to DCM (dilated cardiomyopathy), a weakened heart condition that can lead to deadly congestive heart failure. Yikes!
While the studies are so far inconclusive, the FDA does not advise to stop your pet’s grain free diet if that’s what has been advised by your veterinarian, but to pay attention to food ingredients. DCM is real but rare, so owners of large breed dogs (especially susceptible) should relax a bit and read more before panicking.
What you need to familiarize yourself with is an essential ingredient named taurine, an essential amino acid necessary for canines to digest and metabolize dietary proteins. The FDA and other sources are warning that it’s often lacking in processed pet foods.
One alternative for standard pet food is coming to the rescue and to your front door – right here in southern Delaware. Pet Wants Rehoboth produces all-natural food in small handmade batches using only the finest ingredients available, all from American sources.
Owner and “chef” Chad Miller is a believer in Pet Wants formulas from personal experience. Searching for a suitable diet for his two retrievers who suffered digestive and allergy issues, he discovered the proprietary Pet Wants brand, and within 60 days of introducing it into their diet noticed vast improvements with both dogs.
Enthused, he then went on to buy a franchise in an unexpected career change, learning the craft and bringing organic Pet Wants to Rehoboth Beach.
Four years later, his business has generated hundreds of pet parents who appreciate the quality and (BONUS!) free home delivery within 15-mile radius of his store. Shipping options are now available for his loyal fans who’ve discovered him while summering here.
What makes Miller’s products superior? “I tell my pet parents (his term for customers) that we are providing the freshest, highest quality product available locally. Much of the commercial food available is damaged not just from time on the shelves, but more importantly from the high temperatures used in the process.”
Miller slow cooks his recipes at 185 degrees (as opposed to extreme high temps typical of commercial products), eliminating the danger of overheating essential nutrients. He then also adds supplements such as glucosamine for joint health, and natural taurine. Whether your pup’s food is grain-free or not, the most important ingredient to look for is the amount of animal protein – not plant protein! – it contains. Be conscious of canines’ needs for high animal protein.
Check out Chad Miller’s store on Rehoboth Avenue. In addition to his customized formulas for even the pickiest of our spoiled friends, he offers natural beef jerky treats, salves for skin irritations, insect repellent and “indestructible” toys. He even offers a free sample before you commit.:
You and your favorite companions can rest together knowing you are providing them with a healthy and responsibly sourced diet.
If only our own diets were so easy!
Footnote: Miller also provides cat food that is just as meticulously created for their unique dietary needs.
