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Since the food scare of a few years ago when hundreds of dogs died around the world there has been increased focus on the safety of dog and cat food. Regulations were tightened and the result is that there have been an increasing number of recalls of products by companies due to contaminated ingredients. In the last few months alone such well-known companies as Eukanuba, Iams and Nestle One have all had to remove some of their formulas from sale. Most of the problem has been caused by the presence of aflatoxins. These are naturally-occurring fungal substances that are highly toxic to animals, causing liver cancer.

So how do you know if the food you are feeling is really safe? Often these contaminations are only picked up once the food has already been put on the market for sale. And although there is testing, the first sign that there is a problem can be the illness or even death of pets. Losing your pet this way would be a terrible shock to any pet owner, but fortunately there are things to minimize the risks.Firstly, buy a food where the company can guarantee the country of origin for the ingredients. There are few companies who will actually give you this guarantee, but the problem is that they may source ingredients from countries where the cost is lower, but which have low controls on quality. Most of the problems with petfood contamination have come from ingredients from Asian countries that have much lower standards and controls than the US. The highest regulations for quality are the US and Canada so if the ingredients all come from there the risks are minimal.
Secondly, make sure the ingredients are ALL from the US or Canada (avoid Asia). These countries have the most stringent controls on ingredients in the world so foods made from ingredients sourced from these countries will be safer. Beware, though, that just because a food is made in the US or Canada doesn't mean all the ingredients come from there.

Thirdly, go for the best quality food you can (based on the ingredients). Supermarket and other cheap brands are cheap for a reason, containing all sorts of fillers and things that pets are simply not designed to eat. They may not be illegal, but that doesn't mean that they can't be harmful. A better quality food is going to give your pet all sorts of benefits, including better coat, clearer skin, less smell and better energy. You're going to save money in the long run too, because you won't have so many trips to the vet.There is one company that is virtually unique, having NEVER had a food recall in its entire 25 year history. It also guarantees the source of its ingredients, and they all come from the US (apart from the lamb used in those formulas, which comes from Australia and New Zealand). It also has no genetically-modified ingredients, another thing that very few companies can claim. There are no fillers or harmful additives in the food either; it is all made from natural human-grade foods. And it is sold at an economical price.
The company? Pro Pac

We're very pleased to bring one of the safest and healthiest dog and cat food brands to New Zealand and know it is one of the best choices you can make for your pet's health.With the increased tightening of regulations surrounding petfood ingredients the number of food recalls is predicted to increase. But with Pro Pac's stringent quality controls being amongst the highest in the industry, you can be sure it will remain one of the safest foods on the market.

Christmas is a time when we can give dogs foods that can be harmful. Here's what to know to avoid creating health problems for your dog.
Christmas can be a particularly hazardous time for dogs. It is a time when we tend to consume foods we don't eat any other time of year, and if some of these find their way into our dog's digestive system they can cause some quite severe health problems. The other thing which can make things worse is that, being a time when we socialize with friends and family more than usual, it can be other people who unwittingly feed dogs things they weren't designed to eat. It is no wonder that health problems with dogs occur at Christmas more than at any other time of the year.

The first thing to realize is that dogs have very different digestive systems to humans. Their digestive tract is short and wide, meaning they are designed to have food pass through quickly. Anything that they cannot digest quite rapidly may cause a problem.The amount of food a dog can digest is also a lot less than a human. It is of course obvious that dogs are smaller than humans (usually!) and so the size of their stomach is much smaller. Most people overfeed their dog at the best of times but at Christmas – with the amount of extra food on offer – it is more tempting than ever to give the dog scraps from the table.
Just remember that table scraps are never a good idea for a dog. Human food is entirely unsuitable, and feeding scraps is one of the main causes of obesity in dogs. Don't feed your dog bits from your table and make sure your guests know that you don't want them to do that either. Your dog will be perfectly happy without the extra food. You also don't want your dog to get into the habit of begging either.

If you make it a rule not to feed your dog any human food it will be easier to steer clear of any food related health problems. Be aware, however, that some foods are also harmful to dogs. Some can even be fatal, even in small doses. The worst include chocolate, alcohol, grapes and raisins, fruit pips and avocado.Of course all of the above are what we tend to favor at Christmas. Take extra care not to leave any of these foods within reach of your dog. Christmas is a time for fun with all your family, including your pets. Keep a watchful eye on what your dog eats and have a safe and happy time.

Just wanted to wish you and your family the very best for a great Christmas. We really appreciate your support this year in helping us to make Pro Pac a great success.

Remember, if you need more before Christmas there is still time to order and have it delivered. We will also be open throughout the holiday period. Our warehouse will be closed for deliveries on the statutory holiday days only.Again, thanks [!name!] and have a lovely Christmas. Give your pet an extra hug from us!

Does your dog appear to be allergic to its food? Here are some things to help you deal with allergy problems in dogs.

Food allergies are a relatively common problem in dogs. If a dog is allergic to one or more ingredients in food, some of the most common symptoms it will display include:

• scratching, biting or excessive licking of its paws or skin;
• rashes, redness or other skin irritations.

If your dog is displaying some of these symptoms then you should definitely consider it as a reaction to something in its food and there are several things you can do. Firstly, it is important to realize that it could be an allergic response to something other than the food. Other causes that are also common include fleas and ticks, medications and even irritations from grasses and plants (the latter are especially common on springtime). So don't automatically assume it is the food.

However, if you do think it is the dog food that might be causing the allergy, the first thing you need to do is to look at what you are feeding. If you are using a commercial food, look carefully at the ingredients on the product's packaging. Ingredients that most often cause allergic reactions and other problems in dogs are: beef, wheat, dairy, soy. Also, anything artificial in the food such as flavorings, colorings or preservatives.All of these are known to create allergies in dogs. Many people are surprised to learn that beef is actually one of the most common culprits. Your dog may also have a sensitivity to some grains, such as corn, although this is somewhat less common.
If the food you are feeding contains any of these ingredients then you should immediately suspect it as a possible cause. Try feeding your dog a food without any of these problematic ingredients. There are many good brands on the market and they are not necessarily expensive. You will also find that a better quality food works out to be quite economical; while the initial outlay for a bag may be more, you will find you don't need to feed as much (there are fewer fillers). You will also have fewer expensive visits to the vet!

Try your dog on the new food for at least six weeks to judge if there is an improvement. Of course if your dog's symptoms get significantly worse then you should stop immediately.Finding the true cause of a food allergy in your dog is something of a process of elimination. However, by eliminating the most common ingredients that are known to cause allergic problems you can speed up the process considerably.

Do you have a dog that can be fussy with its food? Here are some ideas that will help you.

Many people have to deal with a dog or puppy that is fussy with its food. It can in fact be quite stressful thinking that your dog is not receiving adequate nutrition because it doesn't appear to be eating properly. Apart from the stress it can also be frustrating, not to mention costly – you may have a cupboard full of opened bags of dog food that your pet has refused to eat!

The first thing to realize is that dogs are not naturally fussy. A dog will eat virtually anything (unlike cats). So if your dog is turning its nose up at food it points to different issues which are largely behavioral. The worst thing you can do is also base your buying decisions on what the dog appears to want to eat; it may not be the best option as far as nutrition goes. After all, we don't do this with our children – if we only fed them ice cream and fries it would not be good for their health.
So when addressing a fussy dog, of course the first thing to make sure is that you are feeding a decent food, with quality ingredients. Many low quality supermarket foods are filled with cereals and fillers that aren't very appealing. Some even contain sugars and flavorings that are designed to make the dog want to eat it but they certainly aren't healthy.

Assuming you are trying a quality food there really shouldn't be a reason your dog won't like it. But if it is being picky or refusing to eat at all it may well be the approach you are using to feeding it. If a dog believes it has a choice over when or what it eats, it will develop the mindset that it is in charge. It will think that it is the leader of the pack and by being fussy it is showing you that it is doing its job, which is to be in charge of the food.However, in reality a dog does not like to be in charge – it would much rather that you were. So you must start making the decisions for your dog. Ironically, once you let the dog know you are in charge it will actually be much happier. It will no longer have the stress of having to make decisions and you may well find its behavior improves in other areas as well.
Therefore, begin to instruct the dog when and what to eat. Put the food down at mealtime and don't allow it to start eating until you say so. If it does not start eating immediately don't get stressed and make a fuss. Leave the food for a while and if has not been eaten, remove the bowl until the next mealtime.

Don't feed your dog scraps from the table or allow it to beg. This again is showing that you are giving in to your dog's demands and it will encourage it to be fussy.With perseverance for only a short period of time you may well find that what you thought was a fussy dog is now eating perfectly normally.