What's the fish meal in our food? back to top
The Atlantic menhaden fishery is probably America's oldest business. When the first colonists arrived in New England, the local Indians showed them how to fertilize their crops with menhaden caught close to shore. Over the years, the fishery grew from its use as an agricultural fertilizer to a source of oil for lamps and then to animal feed supplements.
The menhaden is a remarkable citizen of the sea. Spawned in the ocean, the menhaden travel in large schools of similarly-aged menhaden to the coastal estuaries where they feed before returning to the ocean to spawn at about age 2. A typical menhaden grows to about 12 to 15" and lives about 3 to 5 years. Because of the compactness of the schools of menhaden, the measured bycatch (non-menhaden), measured numerous times over many years, is less than 1%.
The meal made from menhaden provides a unique, high-protein blend of nutrients and is a component of many feeds where it improves growth rates. The oil pressed from menhaden, which is rich in heart healthy Omega 3 fatty acids, is a FDA approved health food additive. The high Omega 3 fish oil is an ingredient of enriched foods including pasta sauces, salad dressings, sports drinks, baked goods and soups. The menhaden oil has been popular for many years in Europe as a health food supplement and as a primary ingredient in margarine.
Do we use human grade ingredients? back to top
Yes and No. Once the human grade ingredient enters a pet food manufacturing facility it can no longer be considered a human grade food.
Do we use euthanized or diseased animals in our foods? back to top
Absolutely not! We are monitored very closely since our food is produced in a certified organic facility.
What are by-products and do we use them? back to top
By-products are the parts of the animals or grain that have almost no nutritional value, but act as a filler. They are the feet, beaks, hooves, intestines and spines of the animals or the hulls of the grains. And No we do not use them in any of our foods.
Define chicken meal and lamb meal? back to top
Meal is what is left after the meat has been ground up into particle-like size with the water removed. It is the single best source of protein pound for pound that you can use in pet food.
Where does the lamb and chicken come from? back to top
The lamb comes from New Zealand or Australia, because these countries can provide the best quality meals and because they are free of Mad Cow Disease. Chicken meal comes from the USA from areas free of avian influenza.
What type of preservatives are used in our food? back to top
We use only vitamin E and C along with rosemary extract to preserve our food Naturally. There are no chemical preservatives in our food.
What is the shelf-life of our food? back to top
Unopened dry food has a 16-month expiration date while canned food has a 3-year shelf-life. Once the product is open, dry food can last between 4-8 weeks while an opened canned food will last a few days in the refrigerator (covered).
Do we do testing on animals? back to top
Unlike many other companies who are becoming infamous for their inhumane testing on animals, Natural Life chooses not to do testing on animals.
Why do we use poultry fat in Lamaderm? back to top
It is a superior form of fat containing more unsaturated fats; thus, the pet’s body burns it more efficiently. Furthermore, if your companion is allergic to poultry do not worry as the allergy is to the protein and not the fat.
Is the Vegetarian Formula considered Vegan? back to top
Yes, our food is considered a Vegan formula containing no animal products
What is the protein in the Vegetarian formula? back to top
The protein is primarily from soybean meal
Can Vegetarian formula be fed to puppies? back to top
We suggest NOT feed your puppy a Vegetarian formula as it is not properly balanced for growing puppies needs.
When can we switch from Puppy to Adult food? back to top
We suggest for small and medium size dogs to switch between 10-12 months of age. For larger breed dogs we suggest to switch between the ages of 7-10 months.
What are chelated minerals? back to top
Chelated minerals are a superior form of mineral nutrients. They are absorbed into the bloodstream more than 100% faster than regular minerals; thus, providing a better source of nutrition.
Is our food organic or natural? back to top
Our food is natural. Natural food is preserved without using chemicals. Furthermore, you can expand ‘natural’ as food that is made with only wholesome unadorned ingredients. Being a natural pet food supplier we must provide the highest quality ingredients, produced in the best facility to ensure their nutritional quality throughout the life of the food.
Which food is best for skin problems? back to top
We suggest trying our line of Lamaderm formulas or our ACD Venison & Rice formula. Both are made from alternative meat sources (lamb and venison) and further enhanced utilizing brown rice and oatmeal so it is easier to digest. There are none of the ingredients that are typically placed into pet food that cause a food allergy in dogs or cats like: poultry, pork, beef, corn, wheat, dairy or yeast.
Which food is best for digestive problems? back to top
All our foods are highly digestible. We use whole ground grains and whole meats so that your dog is more able to digest what he is eating. Brown rice and oatmeal tend to be the grains easiest to digest; thus, Lamaderm and Venison & Rice diets would be excellent choices.
When should a dog go on Senior Formula? back to top
We suggest that when your dog is around the age of 7 for small and medium size and 4-5 for larger breed dogs that you will notice him putting on extra weight or just slowing down. This is when you should switch to a diet formulated to meet the needs of your senior dog.
Why do you use Lamb Liver in some of your formulas? back to top
Lamb is an excellent source of Zinc. Red meats, such as Lamb Liver are higher in zinc than poultry, cheese, grains, legumes or vegetables. Lamb is one of the most important sources of zinc.
The type of protein in foods such as Lamb promotes zinc absorption. This means zinc is more easily absorbed from meals containing meat. Zinc is a component of every living cell in the body. It is essential for the structure and function of over 50 enzymes. It is important for growth, night vision, appetite, sense of taste and smell, and aides in maintaining a strong immune system. It also helps in wound healing.
Other nutrients in lamb are the B group vitamins that also help maintain health such as vision, healthy skin, optimal brain function, while others are needed for the manufacture of red blood cells. Lamb is a major source of Vitamin B12. It also is a good source of vitamin B1 (thiamine), vitamin B2 (riboflavin) niacin and vitamin B6 (pyridoxine).
Why have you added Cranberries? back to top
Cranberries rank as one of the best sources of antioxidants such as flavonoids. According to a study published in the 2001 edition of the "Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry" These antioxidants may play a role in helping to prevent heart disease and certain cancers” according to the study’s author Dr. Joe Vinson at the University of Scranton, Pennsylvania.
Why have you removed Beef in some of the diets? back to top
With the BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy) and the experience in Europe and Asia with some of these problems related to beef and with customer concern in the USA as well, we met with a group of nutritionists that confirmed that we could keep the level of optimal nutritional balance without using beef in our formulas. Because Natural Life ships a lot of product to these countries we chose to take extra steps and testing such as Salmonella, Coliforms-Ecoli, Enterobacteriaceae, and Aflatoxin that are not required in the USA, which benefits all of our customers and ensures the quality of our products.
Why did you remove Kelp in some of the formulas? back to top
Kelp is a natural seaweed and is a very good source of vitamins and minerals, however, our team of nutritionists reviewed our canned formulas and it was determined that with the quality of meats being used, the formulas were receiving the needed vitamins and minerals for the complete and nutritional formula without the help of kelp. Since the manufacturing process is different than the dry process we continue to use kelp in our dry formulas to ensure the needed vitamins and minerals.
Why soybean in vegetarian formula? back to top
Like protein found in animal products, soybean protein was rated the highest quality among plant sources of protein by FDA and is "complete" – meaning that it contains all the eight essential amino acids needed. Soybeans are the only vegetable food that contain protein that are considered to be nutritionally complete. According to the American Heart Association, recent studies suggest that the isoflavones (also referred to as phytoestrogens) present in soybeans may contribute to cholestrol lowering and other positive cardiovascular effects.
Why did you change your can size? back to top
Natural Life originated with a 14oz. and 6oz. can size. Due to the difficulty of getting these types of cans, because the industry standard was changing, the standard moved to a 13.2oz. and 5.5oz. can size. Since we were already experiencing delays in shipments for cans, which held up the manufacturing process, and the fact that our can labels needed to be redesigned to meet the AFFCO guidelines similar to our dry product line, we felt it was time for us to conform to the changing standards and move forward with the project. Since we approached this as a positive move we also decided to add new canned cat formulas to our line up.
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