Variety

One food for life - that is how pet food companies have marketed their products for many years. And most of us have embraced this concept whole-heartedly. After all, we like easy. However, with more and more commercial pet food recalls (some from very well recognized brands) it is time to question "the one food forever" philosophy.

Consider what has worked for dogs and cats for thousands of years before the invention of commercial pet food. Did the cat only hunt mice? No. Her diet was varied - birds, bugs, mice, moles, grasses and even small rabbits. Variety is one of the true essentials of natural pet nutrition. Your pet now depends upon you to provide it.

One of the problems with exclusively feeding any commercial, heat processed food lies within the cumulative effects of seemingly minor excesses or deficiencies of nutrients or chemicals. Over the 8-15 year lifespan of your pet - if he or she eats the same food daily - this can cause health problems, even shortened life span.

If you feed a commercial pet food please verify that it is naturally preserved. You do this by reading the ingredients label. If you are feeding any pet product with BHA, BHT or ethoxyquin stop now! These are dangerous preservatives not allowed in human food. See our ‘Ethoxyquin' article for learn more.

Variety can be achieved simply by periodically switching commercial foods. Rotations can be within a certain brand. For example, Wysong provides formulations that are designed to be interchanged. You can change from one brand to an entirely different premium brand. If you are concerned about GI upset that can accompany changes in food, ATG can help with the transition to a new food.      

You can rotate commercial food every other bag, every couple of months or even once a year. The important thing is that you do it. A fresh food or raw home-prepared diet is the ultimate in variety and rotation. With this, your pet can enjoy a different balanced meal every night of the week! Learn more here.

Against The Grain Pet Nutrition is a company that does things differently. We are a small business that is excited about offering pet owners better choices in pet nutrition. We believe that choosing appropriate pet food (be it commercial, raw or home prepared) is the most important factor in any pet's preventative health, convalescence and longevity.  Our name - Against The Grain - reflects our strong passion to provide pet owners with the knowledge to make healthy decisions about pet care even if we go ‘against the grain' of popular thinking.