|
Good nutrition lies at the cornerstone of good health and long life.
Every day we hear more and more about how our diets affect our health and the same is true about
our pets. On average, sixty percent of the pets we see, are suffering from nutritional imbalance.
This is seen as weight problems (too heavy or too thin), skin and coat problems, gastrointestinal
problems (vomiting and diarrhea),
bone and joint problems associated with obesity, hypertension, kidney
and bladder problems. The
reason for these problems lies in the quality and quantity of the feeds
we are feeding.
In
today’s marketplace there are literally hundreds of diet options for pet
owners to choose from. All
the different brands come in very attractive packages with claims about
how great the food inside is. If these claims were true, we wouldn’t be seeing all of the
nutritionally related problems noted above. So what is the difference between foods and how can we select the best
nutrition for our pets?
The pet food industry is not very tightly regulated by the government
and so they have a lot of leeway in how they formulate their diets, what they put in them and how they
label them. Most of the feeds on the market share the following problems:
|
Problem |
Result |
| Too
high in Calories |
Leads to obesity |
| Too
high in Protein |
May
lead to kidney failure, especially in older pets |
| Too
high in Sodium (Salt) |
May
contribute to high blood pressure, heart and kidney disease |
| Too
high in Phosphorous |
May
lead to Kidney Failure (the #1 killer of cats and #2 killer of
dogs) |
| Too
much indigestible protein |
May
lead to diarrhea, colitis, and food hypersensitivity |
|
Feeding Recommendations are too high |
Leads to obesity (Also leads to more food sales which the
companies love!) |
The science of nutrition is very complex
and the only way to properly evaluate diets is through
controlled scientific studies. Of course, consumers are in no position
to do this, so we must find a company that we trust and believe in.
After evaluating many of the better pet food manufacturers, we believe
that the Hills Pet Nutrition company stands out as the one company that
has the commitment, historical and scientific evidence and products to
earn our support.
Hills was the first company to develop
diets aimed at treating specific diseases in animals some 50 years ago.
They were the first company to introduce the concept of different diets
for different stages of life. They discovered the connection between
diet and feline urinary crystal development and created the most
effective diets at eliminating and preventing those crystals. Hills
maintains a massive research facility in Kansas with a colony of over
6000 dogs and cats of varying ages and breeds on which they
scientifically test each of their diet formulations.
The Hills diets are unique compared to
most pet foods in the following ways:
Each
diet has a guaranteed analysis, meaning the contents are
the same from bag to bag, can
to can |
Your
pet’s digestive system gets used to the contents of the food you
feed. Consistency in the diet reduces the chance of
gastrointestinal upset |
| All
Hills diets restrict the potentially dangerous minerals of
Phosphorous and Sodium to meet but not exceed the needs of
our pets |
These precautions help prevent high blood pressure, kidney
disease and heart disease |
| All
Hills diets are enhanced with Essential Fatty Acids |
Helps keep the coat and skin at their best |
|
Hills uses only the highest quality ingredients with
exceptional digestibility |
Reduces waste (less stool), Reduces hypersensitivity to the
feeds. Reduces true cost of feeding as you can feed much less of
these diets (in general) |
|
Hills diets taste great and pets enjoy them |
Hills maintains a scientist whose sole job is to make certain
their foods are exceptionally palatable |
| All
Hills products are 100% money back guaranteed |
You
don’t have to worry about your financial investment |
Most important, knowing the qualities of the Hills diets you are
feeding your pet allows us to tailor a specific
nutritional program for your individual pet. In fact, we offer free
advice from our trained nutritional
counselors while you are feeding your pet one of our diets. During
the counseling session we will:
- Determine the accurate weight of your pet
- Determine the optimal weight for your pet
- Determine the appropriate diet for your pet’s needs
- Determine the precise amounts to feed your pet to achieve our
nutritional goals
- Provide you with a daily feeding log and measuring cup to help
make it easy for you to maintain the diet
- Provide you with a safe detailed method for switching your pet
over to the new diet.
Many people have expressed concerns about changing their pet’s diets.
Here are a number of the most
common concerns and our responses to them.
|
Question |
Answer |
| My
pet looks great and loves his food, why should I switch diets
now? |
The
question of mineral and protein excess in your current diet may
put your pet at risk of developing hypertension, kidney or heart
disease |
| My
pet is very finicky, what if she won’t eat this food? |
Our staff will give
you a method that will help to get even the most finicky pets
interested in this food. If they won’t eat it, you have nothing
to lose as all Hills products have 100% Money Back Guarantee.
Bring us the unused portion and we will refund your money! |
|
Hills products may be very good, but I just can’t afford them! |
You may be surprised
at how affordable these products really are. Let our nutritional
counselors show you the actual cost per month of feeding these
diets to your pet, then you can make an informed decision. |
| |
|
We hope this handout has clarified many of the issues surrounding pet
food selection. Our mission is to help improve the quality and length of
your pet’s life. We believe that feeding your pet the very best and
appropriate foods available will help us achieve our goals. If you have
any further questions regarding nutrition or any aspect of your pet’s
health care, feel free to speak to our doctors or any of our well
trained staff. If you would like to speak to one of our nutritional
counselors, please inquire at the reception desk.
|
