Comparing ingredients from one pet food to another is a good place to start.  If you see negative ingredients like by-products, corn, wheat, soy, bone meal, and other less than optimal ingredients, you can safely eliminate that product from your consideration.

 But, what about pet foods whose labels don't look too bad?

That is why we have assembled some of the most important things to consider when comparing any food to Life's Abundance without the need to become an "ingredient expert".

#1 How Is the Product Sold?

This may not appear to be important on the surface but it is vitally important in knowing whether or not you are buying a quality product.  Most products are sold through either grocery or pet food stores.  This presents a few challenges that cannot be overlooked.

• Competition for Shelf Space and Low Price - Ever wonder why there are so many varieties of pet foods from the same pet food manufacturer - small kibble, large chunk, medium breed, active lifestyle, indoor cat, etc, etc... Could it be that the more varieties a pet food company has, the more shelf space they can dominate and catch your eye?  This kind of fierce competition also creates price wars which may cause corners to be cut on ingredient quality.
• Inadequate Education - Buying your pet food from a store oftentimes leaves you just as much "in the dark" about your choices as when you walked in.  Can you really expect a retail store to offer an expert analysis on all of the pet foods they carry?  Most of the time you are directed to the food that is on sale or the one that most people are buying.
• Outdated Food - Try this simple test.  Go to any pet food store and start checking expiration dates on the bags of pet food.  Chances are you will find many pet foods that are set to expire in the near future.  You will also notice that most every pet food has a two year shelf life.  Why is that?  Does this mean that pet food companies are expecting their foods to be on the market two full years before they are purchased?  Would you rather buy a fresh bag of food or one that is two years old?

Life's Abundance is NOT sold in stores and therefore is not subject to the dictates of the commercial market place.  We only make the best formula's for your pet, price it accordingly, and educate our customers through websites, DVD's, conference calls with Dr. Jane Bicks, newsletters and an educated sales force.  We also deliver the freshest product in the industry which provides higher nutrition, and safety.

#2 Who Makes Your Pet Food?

You might be surprised to learn who is in the Pet Food Business today.  The same companies that make many of your household items like toothpaste, potato chips, laundry detergent, and more, are also making the majority of pet foods in the commercial marketplace.  Here is a small list for you to be aware of...

• Proctor and Gamble - Iams and Eukanuba
• Colgate/Palmolive - Science Diet
• Del Monte - Gravy Train, Natures Recipe, Kibbles and Bits
• Diamond - Kirkland, Chicken Soup, Nutra Gold
• Nestle - Purina products
• Mars - Royal Canin, Pedigree, Sensible Choice
• and more

Although there is nothing particularly wrong with the fact that these large companies are now in the pet food business, the real consideration is whether or not you choose to purchase your pet's food from a company whose primary focus is NOT pet food vs. a company whose primary focus IS pet food.  The question simply boils down to, who do you trust to feed your pet?

Life's Abundance is the careful creation of renowned formulator and Holistic Veterinarian, Dr. Jane Bicks, whose primary focus is pet food.  She is the author of three national books on pet care and nutrition and has served on professional boards including the Cornell Feline Health Center. Dr. Jane served as the President of the Veterinary Medical Association in NYC and was appointed by former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani to help start one of the largest animal shelters in the United States.  She has also appeared on many network television and cable programs and numerous radio stations as a veterinary expert.
Dr. Jane is dedicated to the creation and advancement of the purest pet products she can make and has a mission to help pets live a longer, healthier, happier life.  Her food is carefully made every couple of days and is shipped freshly and safely to your home within weeks of manufacturing.  All of the ingredients are inspected for human quality and are purchased from strict, reliably consistent sources. 

#3 What Is Their Product Variety?

If companies are concerned about providing the best nutrition possible, why do they make differently priced products?  Is it possible that they are packaging the same food in every bag but just charging more to those who will pay it?  Are they simply making foods to satisfy people’s budgets and sacrificing quality in the process?

Consider the mixed messages that are being sent by companies who make differently priced products and of varying quality.

 VS.    Both foods are marketed and sold as 100% nutritionally complete and balanced for the life of your pet, yet one is more expensive than the other.  What is the difference?  ProPlan is one of Purina's more recent foods and is marketed as higher in quality.  Why hasn't the cheaper, older formula been discontinued do to the latest scientific advancements contained in the more expensive formula?
By the way, both have similar ingredients...Corn, Wheat, Poultry By-Products, Animal Fat, Animal Digest.

  VS.   Here we find two formula's from Science Diet.  The first is their flagship maintenance food found in most veterinary offices and pet food stores.  The second is one of their later advancements called 'Nature's Best'.  If you were to guess what the major difference is between the two, you would be correct in saying that one appears to be a natural formula while the other is not natural.  That being the case, which food do you feel is better in quality - Natural or Not Natural?  The answer is obvious.  Why then do we still find the original Science Diet formula on sale everywhere when they have clearly made an advancement in technology by creating a more natural food?
By the way, both have similar ingredients...Corn, Wheat, Soy Bean, Animal Fat, Animal Digest

In summary:  If both pet foods are of equal quality there is no need to spend money on the higher priced foods.  If both pet foods are not of the same quality, why would you ever buy from a company who knowingly makes inferior products? 

Life's Abundance pet foods only come in one variety - The Best we can make.  While we understand that most people want to watch their budgets and not spend more than is necessary, we also understand that you get what you pay for.  Most people never consider that buying cheaper foods can lead to more expenses down the road with regard to vet costs, nutritionally related ailments, and shortened life spans.  They may also not realize that you could easily feed twice as much of a cheaper food in an attempt to equal the nutrition found in a food like Life's Abundance.

If we examine the actual cost of feeding Life's Abundance, we would be amazed to realize how inexpensive it is and why it makes no sense to consider an inferior product.

The average cost of feeding Life's Abundance
12lb cat = .29 cents per day
50lb dog = .90 cents per day
We could not expect to feed any single member of our family for such a small price without sacrificing good health.  Should we expect any different results when it comes to our pets?

Our philosophy is simple, people who love their pets will naturally want to feed them what is best, not what is cheapest.

#4 Can The Company Be Trusted?

Many consumers place 'blind faith' in pet food industry when shopping for a pet food.  The general concensus is that if a food is on the store shelf, it must be nutritious and safe.  But the sad reality is that many pet products (including food and treats) are routinely recalled, but not before there have been dreadful consequences.
In March 2007, our nation experienced the single largest recall of pet food ever.  More than 100 brands of pet foods were pulled off the shelves due to tainted ingredients.  Thousands of pets were sickened (the FDA received more than 17,000 reports) and an estimated 20% died.  You can view the list of recalled products from the FDA's website here.  While larger recalls such as this are publicized and brought to public awareness, many smaller recalls are not.

There is no need to "roll the dice" when buying pet food.  Dr. Bicks has been making Life's Abundance since 1999 without a single recall.  Much of that has to do with the first rate ingredients, the clean manufacturing facilities, and the fresh delivery practices that we use. 

 While tainted ingredients from cheap sources is a constant threat, there is also an ongoing issue of "acceptible" ingredients that pet owners need to be aware of.  Each ingredient used in the Life's Abundance formula is inspected by APHIS (Animal Plant Health Inspection Service - a division of the USDA).  this certification requires that not only is the pet food manufacturing plant inspected, all vendors are inspected as well by the USDA. Very few pet food manufacturers bother to have this certification.

Plus, we use only USA Ingredients (except for the organic chicken that is purchased from New Zealand for the canned cat food).
 

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