November 9, 2016

Pet Food Safety and Nutrition

Trust that you are getting quality, safe nutrition for your pet with Natural Balance food and treats.

Today I’m going to shift away from people nutrition for a brief moment to talk about nutrition for the most important part of my family (besides my hubby, of course!). I’m talking about my pup, Ace. Mr. Table and I added him to our family as soon as we got married, and he has been our little baby and the center of our world for almost a year and a half. He’s made our lives so much better just by being alive, so naturally, we want to be the best dog parents we can. We want to protect him, make sure he is healthy and growing, and able to hang around with us for as long as possible (Yes, we are those people who think our dog is a kid).

Not only is Ace our cuddly house puppy, he’s a hunting dog as well. He makes us smile and laugh all day long with his funny personality. He keeps me company in the kitchen and inspects all of my photo shoots. He accompanies Mr. Table on quail and dove hunts (and keeps him safe from the snakes!) and truly is like our child. We’d been feeding him a brand of pet food that a friend was feeding to his hunting dogs, so we figured it was fine. Until his dogs got sick. Come to find out, a few batches of that pet food was contaminated with Salmonella that was making dogs ill. I was kind of shocked that pet food could even have salmonella, and wondered how I could make sure the next food I bought (which was immediately, needless to say) was safe for my pup to eat.

Luckily, Natural Balance® goes the extra mile. Not only are all of their pet foods and treats developed by animal nutrition experts (yay!) that are dedicated to my dog’s health and wellness, but they also perform 9 safety tests on every batch of food. You can even go online and see the results of all nine tests (Aflatoxin, Cyanuric Acid, DON (Vomitoxin), E. coli 0157H7, Fumonisin, Melamine, Ochratoxin, Salmonella, Zearalenone) for each batch of food, straight from their laboratory. Their nutrition experts can even help you choose the type of food best for you dog’s specific dietary needs. Each formula is made with high quality ingredients (hello chickpeas, sweet potatoes, real meat, and whole grains!) for balanced nutrition.

As if that weren’t enough, Natural Balance also has a Buy With Confidence® satisfaction guarantee. They stand behind all of their products and guarantee the highest quality ingredients, safety testing of every batch of food, and consulting top nutrition experts. They will do everything to make sure your dog has safe, quality nutrition.

Now, I wasn’t all in until I knew the cost of such a guarantee. I love my pup more than just about anything, but I’m also just getting out of school with a small mountain of student debt. I’m not about the spend more on a meal for my dog than I am for myself. I was relieved to know that I can find Natural Balance at PetSmart, Petco, independent pet retailers or buy it online. And it didn’t cost a fortune either. (Whew!)

Of course, no food will be nutritious if your pet doesn’t eat it. Taste is one of the most important parts. So what did Ace think of the food? He loved it! I had a hard time getting him to keep his head out of the bowl for me to get a picture of him. He also loved the variety of treats, which are perfect for training. I now feel better knowing I am feeding my dog high quality food that is tested for safety. I also love that it doesn’t cost too much! AND because they use trusted nutrition experts (which is kind of my thing, you know), I believe in Natural Balance to keep my pup running circles in the yard for years to come! Natural Balance is my saving grace in an industry full of food recalls and issues. Normally, paying more for a product means that it is higher quality but that isn’t a guarantee in today’s world. That is why Natural Balance goes the extra mile to test all of our products for safety. They care about your pet’s health and happiness above anything else!

To be sure you are buying safe food for your pet, follow these other tips:

Purchase products in good condition (no damage or dents in the packaging).
Discard food that is past the expiration date.
Make sure your pet’s food and water bowls are clean.
Don’t feed your pet people food that could be toxic. (psst… here’s a list!)
Visit the FDA’s Pet Food Safety Tips for more information.
You can also check your individual bag of food for safety on the Natural Balance website.

This post is sponsored by Natural Balance. I was compensated for my time, but all opinions are my own.

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