Not All Pet Foods Are Created Equal
When reading the ingredient list on a bag of dog or cat food we look for easy to read, real meat protein, low carbohydrates, whole food ingredients and a list of wholesome vitamins and minerals. High amounts of grains, corn, wheat, and soy are commonly used as a filler to make the most profit at the cost of our pet's health. If we see a label in this order for example: poultry by-product meal, ground yellow corn, wheat, corn gluten meal, soybean meal, brewers rice, etc we may be led to believe that "poultry" is the main ingredient. This form of labeling is called "splitting". If corn is listed in only one form, then it may be the prime ingredient and would have been the first ingredient. However, by splitting the corn up into two categories: ground yellow corn and corn gluten, they can put poultry as the first ingredient making us believe that meat is the main source of protein when in reality this bag of food is mainly corn.
When understanding the poor standards and regulations that are acceptable in the pet food industry, one really gains understanding on the importance of education. It's simply not an option to blindly trust any pet food company. There are so many fancy marketing teams out there crafting the perfect ad or packaging and putting little money into the actual quality of their product. At Bentley's we pride ourselves on doing the work for our customers and creating an environment where you can trust the integrity of every product we carry.
Although there are many brands of pet foods out there we choose to carry only the best for our customers. We believe and know that dogs and cats do not need a high carb/grain filled diet. With that we will not carry any food products that are made with CORN, WHEAT or SOY. Why, because they are the 3 most common food allergens to dogs and cats. We also do not carry any food or treats that are made in China. There have been too many recalls there and too many pets getting ill from those recalls. Another requirement we have is no byproducts and no chemical preservatives.
Raw
Ancestral diet consists of real raw, uncooked food. Cooking reduces the potency of almost all nutrients and completely destroys some nutrients therefore raw is the most nutrient dense and is an easily digestible food. Many may be concerned with the bacteria (which dogs can handle more than humans), however most raw food brands pressure pasteurize their products. This is a highly sophisticated technique that kills most bacteria and viruses without using heat, therefore maintaining the integrity of all the enzymes and nutrients.
Dehydrated
Removing only the moisture and retaining most natural nutrients found in fresh, raw, whole food ingredients. Fresh raw produce is dehydrated below 104°F using warm air to blow away the moisture. Fresh raw meats undergo gentle steaming at 140°F to 165°F to eliminate pathogens without irradiation then evaporate the moisture leaving more nutrients intact. Simply rehydrate foods with warm water to create an instant meal. It's a natural way of preserving the ingredients without the need for chemicals.
Freeze Dried
Another way of feeding raw without the moisture. The product is first frozen and then put into a freeze dryer where powerful pumps create a vacuum and an extremely cold temperature. Low levels of heat are applied to the shelves enabling the ice within the meat to sublime directly into water vapor skipping the liquid stage. This changes the food to freeze dried without being cooked therefore retaining the nutritional value of raw.
Air Dried
Another way of retaining as much of the original nutritional value as possible with minimal moisture. Air drying allows the fresh raw meat to keep and maintain the nutritional integrity in a dry form without having to add water.
