Tillman’s Treats By Natural Balance Compliments Of Mr.Chewy!!

Hi everyone! It’s Dakota, and today I am taking over MY blog to tell you about something delicious that I have wanted to tell you about for quite some time.

Mom and I were excited a few months back when we were contacted by Mr.Chewy (the online go-to for many of your pet’s needs such as dog and cat food and treats,  pet health products, etc.!). My brother, Cody had been contacted by Mr.Chewy last year and he was so happy that he blogged about his experience.

Now it’s MY turn!

For my review, I was one of a few lucky dogs who were chosen to taste a super delicious treat! Tillman’s Treats made by Natural Balance Pet Foods. Oh My Dog they are delicious! I gobbled them up so fast that I was too fast for Mom to take a photo of me enjoying them!

See Tillman on the package? Mom was so bummed because he was at BlogPaws and because Mom was sick she never got to meet him!

For those of you that may not know, Natural Balance Pet Foods was co-founded by Dick Van Patten who just happened to be the “Dad” , (Tom Bradford) on the cool TV show Eight is Enough. Mom watched that show all the time when she was in college back in the Stone Age, but I digress…

When Patten and his partners started Natural Balance in 1989 their goal was to create a pet food based on sound scientific principles, not marketing hype.  Their goal was to create a line of pet food that will “nourish your dog or cat through every stage of  life.”

Natural Balance Food Facts:

• Natural Balance products provide all-natural, complete, and balanced nutrition.
• They are used and respected worldwide by top trainers, breeders, veterinarians and kennels.
• They contain no corn, soy, wheat, artificial flavors or colors.

You can read all about their products here.

In addition to their dry and canned pet food (which I did not try), Natural Balance offers a full range of healthy treats! You can choose from the soft snack that I had, Tillman’s Chicken and Veggie Training Tips,

 

or the oven-baked crunch of Turkey, Oats & Cranberry Healthy Bones. They have ya covered!

The cool part is Mr.Chewy offers the full line of Natural Balance food and treats for both dogs and cats, and they deliver directly to your doorstep!!  Kinda like ordering a pizza eh? From my pawsonal experience Mr.Chewy delivers so darned fast that he is ALMOST as fast as the pizza guy….almost! He runs a good close second!

If you want some deliciousness in your world and I KNOW that you do…start tapping that keyboard and visit Mr.Chewy NOW!

Barks and licks and love, Dakota

I would like to thank Mr.Chewy for giving me the opportunity to taste these delicious treats!! In full disclosure. I was not compensated monetarily for this post. I was given treat samples to taste/review. I did not try the Natural Balance  dog food.

 

Pet Food Marketing 101: What Consumers Should Know about Purchasing Pet Food

Martin J. Glinsky, Ph.D.

A Guest Blog By: 

By Martin J. Glinsky, Ph.D.

Chief Science Officer of SmartBones (www.smartbones.com)

Pet food products have changed significantly over the last 30 years, as have our purchasing patterns. In the 1970s, almost all pet food was purchased at the grocery store and there was not very much real difference between various brands. Corn, meat and bone meal, animal fat and vitamin/mineral fortification were common ingredients of almost all dry pet foods. Today, a significant amount of pet food is bought at pet food stores, mass market retailers, farm and fleet locations and even on-line (although this is fairly limited at the moment).

Pet food formulas have also changed dramatically. Categories now include: natural, holistic, organic, grain-free, hypo-allergenic (the FDA does not allow this terminology any more) and others. Ingredient listings often contain a variety of unique ingredients, including rice, sweet potatoes, omega-3 fatty acids, bison, real chicken, salmon meal, etc. Commonly, this segment is often referred to as the “high-end market.”

Dakota enjoying his SmartBone

From a business perspective, pet stores needed high-end pet foods, not available in mass retailers, in order to increase their margins selling pet food and allow them to make a profit. Pet owners would not pay 15-25% more for the same food sold at the pet store. Thus, pet food marketers kept developing more unique foods for this burgeoning retail segment.

This proliferation of brands and formulas is an area of intense marketing differentiation. Every brand is looking for an identity that key their marketing efforts. “No corn,” “no soy,” “no wheat” have become important formula attributes in this segment. While there is absolutely no data to support the notion that these three excellent grains are somehow “bad” for pets, the high-end pet food segment, needing to differentiate it from “grocery-store brands,” have developed and proliferated this false theory.

There is no doubt that many of today’s high-end pet foods do indeed possess some “performance characteristics” that many pet owners recognize and are willing to pay more for at their pet store. These include higher palatability, lower stool volume, and sometimes, “functional advantages” such as the association of increased levels of omega-3 fatty acids and a healthy immune system. On the other hand, using false and inflammatory statements to try and debase other products is an unscrupulous way to increase sales.

Dakota and his SmartBone

It is important to differentiate between sound nutritional concepts and marketing hype. Beware of those products that make claims or allude to concepts that seem overvalued. Contact these companies and ask them if they have scientific data to support their claims. The answer may surprise you, but it shouldn’t. Use common sense when choosing the best food for your pet. Pets, just like humans, require specific nutrients, not necessarily special ingredients, to obtain the nutrition necessary for a healthy life.

Trupanion® now offers coverage and/or premium discounts for therapeutic and preventative pet nutrition

The full line of Hill’s® Prescription Diet®

and Science Diet® Healthy Advantage™

pet foods are now part of the Trupanion™ Pet Insurance coverage! 

I have featured Trupanion on my other blog, Cat Chat, quite regularly and was pleased when I was contacted by Hill’s to see if I would be interested in sharing some new information!

Trupanion just announced this week that the company’s dog and cat insurance now includes benefits for veterinary therapeutic pet foods, including the full line of Hill’s® Prescription Diet® pet foods, and veterinary exclusive preventative nutrition, Hill’s® Science Diet® Healthy Advantage™ pet food. The insurance covers half the cost of therapeutic pet foods including Hill’s Prescription Diet pet foods for two months followed by a discount on the monthly insurance premium for continued feeding of the therapeutic pet food, available exclusively through veterinary hospitals. Veterinary healthcare teams can find out more about the program through their Trupanion Territory Partner or by calling 1-800-569-7913 (then pressing #1). 

“The high cost of medical care is a part of everyday life in human medicine, and insurance coverage can help offset that burden,” said Howard Rubin, COO of Trupanion. “We’re offering a similar plan to assist owners in giving their dogs and cats what they need to have a better quality of life.” 

Trupanion’s dog and cat policies offer one simple plan with 90 percent coverage and no annual, per claim, or lifetime payout limit. With a veterinary physical exam, Trupanion also offers a 30 Day “no obligation” Trial for pet owners, giving them time to decide if the plan fits their needs and budget. The 30 Day Trial waives typical waiting periods so coverage is effective immediately. 

“It makes sense for us to get the news out about Trupanion’s new coverage. This helps pet owners be in a better place to comply with a recommended veterinary therapeutic pet food and supports the healthcare team’s action plan when it comes to nutrition for every pet,” said Janet Donlin, D.V.M., chief veterinary officer at Hill’s. 

For more than a decade, Trupanion has offered affordable pet insurance coverage for cats and dogs that enroll between the ages of 8 weeks and 14 years of age. Trupanion offers pet owners one plan that covers accidents, illnesses, medications and lab work. In addition, Trupanion never penalizes pets for aging or being unlucky enough to file a claim. 

About Trupanion Pet Insurance 
Trupanion pet insurance is available for cats and dogs in the United States and Canada. Trupanion is underwritten by its’ affiliate, the American Pet Insurance Company, allowing Trupanion to offer a customizable pet insurance policy with no benefit schedules. Trupanion’s mission is to protect the cherished bond between pets and their families by ensuring that pets are able to receive optimal veterinary care. For more information about Trupanion, call 800-569-7913 or visit Trupanion.com. You can also follow Trupanion on Twitter or Facebook. 

About Hill’s Pet Nutrition 
Hill’s Pet Nutrition Inc. manufactures Hill’s® Prescription Diet® brand pet foods, therapeutic pet foods available only through veterinarians, and Hill’s® Science Diet® brand pet foods sold through veterinarians and finer pet specialty stores. Founded more than 60 years ago with a unique commitment to pet nutrition and well-being, Hill’s is committed to its mission to help enrich and lengthen the special relationships between people and their pets. Hill’s produces high-quality, great-tasting pet foods owners can trust and give to their canine and feline companions as part of a veterinary health care team recommendation. This ultimately improves patient health and the health of the practice. For more information about Hill’s Pet Nutrition Inc. and Hill’s Evidence-Based Clinical Nutrition™ visit HillsVet.com, follow us on Twitter or visit us on Facebook keywords “Hill’s Pet Nutrition.” 

 

 

I was not compensated for this post. I have featured Trupanion and Hill’s in the past and was happy to do so again. I believe in sharing information that might be of value to my readers.