The Path to Wellness

PHD Pet Food Products

There are hundreds of pet foods on the market. Each manufacturer tries to convince you that his product is superior, providing your animal with “all the necessary vitamins and minerals” that comprise a “complete and balanced diet.” What they fail to tell you is that merely adding vitamins and minerals to a blend of overcooked grain does not constitute a balanced diet.

PHD products provide the meat carnivores need without the byproducts commonly found in other commercial foods. Our grains are table-grade, and our vegetables and herbs provide essential micro-minerals and give natural healing properties to our foods.

We use only the best natural ingredients, so our food may vary in texture and color from order to order. Rest assured, our products maintain their high integrity and quality at all times.

Carnivores eat meat. PHD, therefore, provides up to 42% lamb and chicken meal (concentrated meat) in its Canine Growth and Maintenance formula as our FIRST two ingredients, not meats which are generally a "slurry" or a wet version of a meat. These slurries are extremely heavy as they are a liquid qualifying them to be placed (by weight) first or second in the ingredient listing. When cooked though, this "meat" looses most of it's volume therefore the amount of actual meat in the kibble (what you're really buying) is relatively low. Viand provides 42% chicken and chicken meal in its Feline formula as well. Our chicken comes from plants that are inspected by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Our lamb is free range, imported from Australia and New Zealand, and is certified by the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service as 100% lamb meat. The meat and meat derivatives we use are defined by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) as containing a high percentage of organ meat, striated meat and bone meal. Our foods are low in ash and consist of highly bio-available and digestible ingredients. Our feed does not include by-products-such as feathers, heads, feet, hides, hair, hoofs, horns and entrails-that are often found in other commercial foods. And, we use natural antioxidants with no artificial colorings or flavor enhancers.

The grains we use-brown rice and oat groats are high quality. They provide a nearly perfect grain profile and a full complement of carbohydrates, plant protein, omega 6 fatty acids and fiber when combined synergistically. All the grain products of each of our suppliers are laboratory tested for harmful pesticides, herbicides, aflatoxins and other potentially harmful, biological pathogens by the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point Official.

Vegetables and herbs such as North Atlantic kelp, garlic and yucca provide essential micro-nutrients to the diet. We use probiotics (friendly bacterial cultures) in our formulas to assist the digestive process and to increase absorption, which results in a more complete digestion and a greater assimilation of the nutrients. In addition, probiotics help to maintain a proper acidic level in the gastro-intestinal system. They also produce natural antibiotics, which defend against anti-microbials and therefore maintain a positive bowel ecology. Bowel cleansers, such as montmorillonite clay, and diatomaceous earth, can help in the prevention of lead, cadmium and arsenic poisoning. These heavy metals and pollutants have contaminated our drinking water, air and even our soil.

We feel that we have created the highest quality commercial food available using nature as our guide. As a first step we used the same dominant ingredients in the same percentages found in the natural diet. Then we searched for the highest-grade ingredients available. We incorporated as many chelated minerals as possible and replaced neglected micro-nutrients that are lost in the cooking process. Finally, we ensure the food's vitality and freshness by manufacturing in small batches and shipping frequently. This minimizes the nutrient loss that occurring during months of warehousing.

We have learned much from the holistic community, especially this truth: Feeding a live creature dead food cannot deliver optimum health.

One important factor when raising and maintaining the overall wellness of your animal is by incorporating varied ingredients regularly. We endorse the introduction of leftovers in a reasonable proportion (5%-10%) into their daily diet if your refrigerator can supply it. We are not strong advocates of canned foods as they are mostly water and quite frankly, how much canned meat do we eat? Canned, moist or processed food loses most of its integrity and nutritional value during high-temperature manufacturing.

Because we understand the value of raw feeding along with our food, if you choose, we are often asked "What about parasites?" The most common questions concern E.coli and Salmonella. (E.coli is a bacterium normally found in the billions in the colons of our animals.) E.coli is essential for life and helpful to the digestive process since it breaks down various food components. Only when an unhealthy animal is fed decaying meat can the colonies of E. coli multiply and cause harm, which will pass through the animal, not kill it.

Our pets easily process raw meat, what enters a carnivore's stomach is subject to almost double the amount of hydrochloric acid found in a human stomach.

Raw meat contains live amino acids through which energy and life force are conveyed from one living organism to another. Raw meat contains live enzymes, necessary for food conversion, digestion and use. Raw meat contains an array of bacteria needed in the breakdown and digestion of food. We feed our dogs raw, red meat and chicken wings and backs. This is not to say that Salmonella, predominately found in poultry, cannot be present. If you wish, lightly cook the poultry and do not feed pork! The meats of least risk are beef, lamb and venison. The benefit of feeding raw meat as well as other raw foods substantially outweighs the risk.

Never feed your pet COOKED bones since they can splinter.