Olubaigh Mairtin

Bone broth adds flavor, water and electrolytes to pet diets.
Bone broth is an ancient food with deep cultural roots that pet owners have begun to embrace as a new approach to connect with their pets.

How does mercury get into dog and cat foods?
Concern for mercury in pet food affects only certain cat and dog food products. Reports are saying that heavy metals and non-nutritional mineral levels in pet foods are not likely an issue.

Copper-associated liver disease in dogs may be found to be a pet food issue?
While most evidence currently points to genetics, it’s possible that copper as a dietary ingredient plays some role.

Do clay mineral ingredients have merit in pet food?
There are several pet foods on the market that contain clay minerals such as montmorillonite and bentonite. Inclusion of these earth elements at small amounts are purported to benefit our pets.

Will Betaine prove to be a natural ingredient for next generation of pet foods.
Betaine has become more common in pet diets in the last decade as natural and unique ingredients have become the driving force behind new petfoods. Betaine is a nearly pure chemical nutrient that hails from natural origins, and it certainly isn’t mainstream.

Does Sodium selenite ingredient in pet food warrant concern?
Selenium is an essential trace mineral for dogs and cats. Due to wide variation in selenium content among ingredients used to make petfoods, most manufacturers will include a supplemental source in their trace mineral premix. The predominant form used in petfood is sodium selenite, which has been used for decades without much issue.

Bones are seemingly a not-so-novel source of essential pet nutrients.
In human foods, bones have long been a staple for making ingredients like soup stock and gelatin; however, people don’t often eat bones directly. Rather, any bone that lands on our plates as a function of eating a steak, drumstick or chop often ends up being discarded or shared with the family pets.

Potassium chloride said to be a popular potassium source for pet foods.
When balancing the macro-mineral portion of a pet food, calcium and phosphorus are usually the first priority, magnesium seldom requires adjustment, and sodium and chloride, if inadequate, are easily met with a pinch of salt (sodium chloride). All that remains is potassium.