Dr. G's Frequently Asked Questions
- My pet seems to be doing fine eating food off the shelf from the pet store…Why should I be concerned?
- My current food is all-natural…doesn’t this protect my pet from toxic substances?
- What happens if I run out of food before the next production date?
- My friend’s vet told her that Prescription Diets never contain any toxins…is this true?
- What is rancidity?
- What are “free-radicals”?
- If I don’t smell any off-odors in my current food, does it mean its okay to feed to my pet?
- Why can’t I just pick the bags on the shelf with the longest expiration date?
- Doesn’t the government have rules dictating the shelf-life companies must show on their pet foods?
- I order my pet food from an online retailer…isn’t this food fresh?
- Why can’t I buy this at my pet store?
- Dr. G’s may be the freshest food you can buy, but how do I know it’s really good for my pet?
- What about the fresh (refrigerated) product I’ve seen advertised…isn’t this fresh also?
- I’ve been thinking about producing my own raw diets for my pet…Isn’t this the safest way to insure health and safety for my pet?
- I’ve seen advertisements for another dog food brand, sold only via the internet, that also says its fresh…I thought Dr. G’s was the only fresh food available?
- Will Dr. G’s help my pet live longer?
- What if my pet doesn’t like the taste?
Question: My pet seems to be doing fine eating food off the shelf from the pet store…Why should I be concerned?
Answer: As we know, many cancers and other disabling diseases can be caused by long-term exposure to toxic substances. While your pet may be getting the nutrition she needs to sustain life, we don’t know what the affects toxic end-products of fat breakdown are having on her health and longevity.
Question: My current food is all-natural…doesn’t this protect my pet from toxic substances?
Answer: The natural preservatives in your current food can be used up very quickly. After manufacturing, the food you purchased has been stored in warehouses and on the shelf for many weeks or months. During this time the natural preservatives did the best they could protecting the product but they don’t last long enough to supply continuous protection.
Question: What happens if I run out of food before the next production date?
Answer: We often have a few extra bags available for emergencies, such as this. We make a little extra product for people that get their orders in late and to have replacement product for broken bags, etc. Normally, any extra food still available after all the orders have been shipped is donated to local humane societies.
Question: My friend’s vet told her that Prescription Diets never contain any toxins…is this true?
Answer: Unfortunately, its not. Many of these products contain synthetic preservatives, which can be harmful themselves. While they do a better job of protecting the food from becoming rancid (compared to natural antioxidants), these substances themselves can be toxic and may cause long-term health problems in animals.
Question: What is rancidity?
Answer: Rancidity is the result of the degradation (breakdown) of fat in the product. Pet food is extremely susceptible to rancidity because much of the fat contained in the product is actually on the surface and the breakdown process is called oxidation. The end product of oxidation are peroxides, which is the “turpentine-like” odor often associated with this process.
Question: What are “free radicals”?
Answer: These are reactive compounds that are produced as a result of fat degradation. Their continued production results in lipid peroxidation, which is the mechanism of peroxide formation. These are dangerous compounds that cause cell destruction and cellular disease.
Question: If I don’t smell any off-odors in my current food, does it mean its okay to feed to my pet?
Answer: Unfortunately, no. The human nose is not sensitive enough to smell these peroxides until they reach very high levels. Thus, by the time a pet owner actually smells something funny, their pet has already consumed these dangerous end products of degradation.
Question: Why can’t I just pick the bags on the shelf with the longest expiration date?
Answer: This may help a little, but you still don’t know when the product was produced and how it was handled after being made. You might end up with the freshest bag on the shelf, but most likely this was made months earlier and may still be old
Question: Doesn’t the government have rules dictating the shelf-life companies must show on their pet foods?
Answer: No, it’s up to the individual manufacturer to provide the expiration dates for their own product. For example, one company may print an expiration date (Best Used By) 3 years from date of manufacture and this is perfectly okay. There are no set guidelines established for companies to follow.
Question: I order my pet food from an online retailer…isn’t this food fresh?
Answer: No. The food being stored at the on-line retailer’s warehouse probably went through the same handling and storage as the food found in stores. Thus, the food delivered to your door, may be just as old as the store merchandise.
Question: Why can’t I buy this at my pet store?
Answer: We cannot insure the absolute freshness of the product, even if Dr. G’s sold it directly to the store. We wouldn’t know how long it has been sitting on the shelf.
Question: Dr. G’s may be the freshest food you can buy, but how do I know it’s really good for my pet?
Answer: Dr. Glinsky is one of the foremost authorities on pet nutrition in the world. He has been developing formulas and manufacturing product for 30 years. Many of the specialty products currently being sold in pet stores were developed by Dr. G. He has used his years of knowledge and experience to develop the best food available and he insists on getting it to you fresh so that all the nutrition and health he built into the food arrives in perfect condition.
Question: What about the fresh (refrigerated) product I’ve seen advertised…isn’t this fresh also?
Answer: A refrigerated product, as we are well aware (milk, meats, etc.) are NOT immune from spoilage. They actually degrade much faster than dry material and in the case of the refrigerated pet food on the market, no preservatives, natural or synthetic, are contained in the product. Thus, this product is much more sensitive to spoiling than most dry foods.
Question: I’ve been thinking about producing my own raw diets for my pet…Isn’t this the safest way to insure health and safety for my pet?
Answer: While the “emotional” aspects of a raw diet sounds like the optimum way to provide the nutrition your pet needs, you could be doing much more harm than good. The dangers associated with feeding contaminated meat are well documented. Listeria, for example, is a bacterium that is often found in uncooked meats and salmonella can be found in 30-40% of uncooked chicken purchased at the grocery store. Raw diets are definitely NOT the optimum way to insure safe nutrition for your pet. In addition, unless you possess some training in animal nutrition, your attempt at the correct fortification of vitamins and minerals could result in potentially harmful imbalances.
Question: I’ve seen advertisements for another dog food brand, sold only via the internet, that also says its fresh…I thought Dr. G’s was the only fresh food available?
Answer: Dr. G’s is indeed the one and only fresh pet food you can purchase. Other companies’ concept of fresh obviously is much broader than ours.
Question: Will Dr. G’s help my pet live longer?
Answer: That’s a difficult question because there are so many variables other than diet to consider, i.e., environmental pollutants, parasites, genetic predisposition, etc. However, considering only the presence of synthetic preservatives or the toxic end-products of degradation due to storage conditions, then yes…fresh, uncontaminated food should help your pet avoid the harm associated with toxins in their food and help them live longer, healthier lives.
Question: What if my pet doesn’t like the taste?
Answer: While this would be most unusual, our products are guaranteed 100%. If your pet does not like the taste of Dr. G's we will refund your purchase.
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