A Harvest of
Golden Whole Grains

We buy fresh, whole grains and grind them fresh for each production run.  They are herbicide-free.  Grains, and amounts selected for each formula, vary based on over 60 different scientific nutrient values specific to each grain.  Pets require some carbohydrates in their diet.  We select grains for their carbohydrate value, not their protein or amino acid value.

  Brewers Rice

From field through milling about 12-24% of the kernels become broken; this broken rice is called Brewers Rice.  While White Rice purchased in the super market for human consumption contains about 4 percent 'brokens' or Brewers Rice, the balance is used mostly in pet food.  It is a nutritionally sound ingredient.

Top of page

  Brewers Yeast

This ingredient is a rich source of many nutrients including many B vitamins, phosphorus and chromium.  This variety and abundance of nutrients has made Brewers Yeast an enduring supplement.  (Michael Johnson, M.D., president of the American College for Advancement in Medicine).  It is an excellent supplement for developing children and is sold as a supplement in pet stores and in health food stores.  The chromium content helps regulate sugar metabolism.  The yeast is not live and "has no relation to yeast overgrowth in pets". (Nutrition Almanac, 4th Edition)

Top of page

  Brown Rice (Whole Ground)

This is rice with the hull removed but still retaining the bran layer.  Hulls have no nutritional value.  Some pet food brands use hulls as a poor grade of fiber/filler but most hulls are burned as fuel in power plants.  (www.plantsciences.ucdavis.com)  Despite its nutritional value, consumption of Brown Rice in human food is low because people do not care for its taste or texture, with humans preferring White Rice.

Top of page

  Corn (Whole Ground)

Corn is an ideal ingredient when used correctly in a formula.  It is 99% digestible, an excellent energy source, and one of the best natural Omega 6 fatty acid sources.

Carbohydrates are used in pet food primarily to provide energy.  Energy is required for the central nervous system, normal and high levels of physical activity and is also needed when anabolic activities like gestation, lactation and growth are proceeding at a high rate.  With little or no dietary carbohydrates available there is added strain on fat and protein.  This extra burden on fats and proteins can cause serious problems at birthing time.⁽¹⁾   Judicious use of carbohydrates in a meat meal based formula, i.e. corn, not listed first on the ingredient panel is a nutritionally sound and healthy use of corn and other quality carbohydrates.

(1) Hypoglycemia prior to welping, reduced plasma concentrations, reduced number of live births, lethargy, reduced mothering ability, fetal abnormalities, embryo resorption and reduced milk production.

It Is Not A Filler...
While we believe in meat meal based diets, meaning meat meal should be listed first on the ingredient panel, corn makes an important nutritional contribution to the formula, as noted above; fillers, such as wheat mids and peanut hulls, do not.

Rarely Does Corn Cause Allergies...
A complete literature review shows that corn is rarely incriminated as causing allergies.  "Small Animal Clinical Nutrition" addresses this twice:  "There have been only six confirmed cases of allergy to corn in dogs reported in the veterinary literature out of 253 total cases."  "Corn is a nutritionally superior grain compared with others used in pet foods because it contains a balance of nutrients not found in other grains.  Corn provides a highly available source of complex carbohydrates and substantial quantities of linoleic acid, an essential fatty acid important for healthy skin.  Corn also provides essential amino acids and fiber.  In a survey of veterinary dermatologists, corn was not listed among the ingredients most often suspected to cause food allergies.  A review of over 200 confirmed canine cases of food allergy in the veterinary literature revealed only three were caused by corn."

A Very Digestible Carbohydrate...
One pet food company that does not have ready access to corn states, rather crudely, that look how corn comes out after we eat corn on the cob and therefore it can't be very digestible.  This company knows full well that corn is ground very finely before it is added to the pet food formula.  According to "Small Animal Clinical Nutrition", 4th Edition, "Several reports (3) indicate that dogs and cats readily digest starches in commercial pet foods.  In studies, dogs were fed foods in which 30 to 57% of the food came from extruded corn, barley, rice or oats.  The starch was nearly 100% digested in the small intestine." 

It is difficult to do the math because some base numbers are not available, but probably only one dog out of several hundred thousand dogs are likely to be allergic to corn when used correctly in a Super Premium, meat meal-based diet.  With an ingredient that quality research shows to be an excellent ingredient, why would you not want to feed it as the carbohydrate component in the diet?

Sources:  The information above was drawn from fifteen research studies as listed in Small Animal Clinical Nutrition 4th Edition.

The Holistic Guide for a Healthy Dog.  Wendy Volhard and her husband, Jack, train dogs and conduct "Camps" on dog training, nutrition, and holistic care.  Howell Book House recently published a second edition of "The Holistic Guide for a Healthy Dog".  Volhard regards carbohydrates as crucial for a dog's health, and utilizes grains as the major provider of carbohydrates.

Frequently Asked Questions, Comments

Q.  I know of dog obedience trainers who take dogs off foods containing corn because they say the dogs work better.  Why is that?
A.  Studies show that varying energy levels in foods can affect trainability and temperament, but corn per se is not the culprit here.  The real problem is the total Kcal's of the diet.  The answer is to feed a true meat-based diet with more moderate levels of corn, or other carbohydrates, which in turn reduces Kcal's (i.e., corn not listed as the first ingredient).

Q.  I've heard that corn is missing several amino acids.  Is this true?
A.  Yes, but it doesn't matter.  Why?  Because our formulas derive amino acids from meat meal, not carbohydrates and soy.  That is the reason we use three meat meal proteins in our diets - each makes its own unique, natural and complete amino acid contribution to the formula.

Top of page

  Oatmeal

This new star of the health food industry is an excellent source of quality fiber.  The veterinary dermatology group recommends using oatmeal on dogs with skin allergies, both as a shampoo and in the diet.  Our human grade oatmeal is non-GMO, has not been irradiated, and contains no processing, chemical, nutritional or medicinal additives.  Oatmeal's high content of complex carbohydrates and fiber help stabilize blood glucose levels.  It is highly nutritious and free of sodium.

Top of page

  Spelt (used in our Holistix® Biscuits)

Another of our whole-health ingredients.  It can also be traced back 5000 years and  is the same today as it was then, i.e., not genetically modified.  It's strong hull naturally protects it from pollutants and insects, so pesticides are not needed.  The hull is removed before we process the spelt.  Spelt is highly absorbable by the body and boosts the immune system.  It is a super fiber source and high in B-complex vitamins.

Top of page

  White Rice

This is Brown Rice with the bran layer removed.  This layer comprises 10-12 percent of the brown kernel and has some nutritional value.  The amino acid value lost here is more than made up with the natural amino acids in our protein rich meat meals.  We blend Whole Brown Rice for its overall nutrition value and White Rice for its high digestibility and protein level and reduced fiber level.  White Rice is much more nutritious than most cereal grains and more digestible than Brown Rice.  That's why vets recommend White Rice for sick dogs. (Sage Foods and www.plantsciences.ucdavid.edu).