Salmon Oil or Flax Seed Oil:

Salmon Oil & Flax Seed Oil are an important source of omega-3 essential fatty acids. Omega-3 EFAs are beneficial to the immune system, the nervous system, the heart, and help stop inflammation, such as in arthritis and allergies. They also support brain development of puppies and fetuses. This is probably the most important supplement to give, no matter what you feed, as Omega-3 EFAs are hard to find even in a natural diet, and are highly perishable when exposed to heat, light or air, so they do not survive in commercial foods even if added. Omega-3 EFAs are found in fish body oil, not liver oil. They are also found in flax seed oil. Recommended amount is 1000 mg fish oil (containing 300 mg combined EPA/DHA) per 30 pounds (14 kg) of body weight. Maximum dosage for dogs with health problems would be 1000 mg fish oil (300 mg EPA/DHA) per 10 pounds (4.5 kg) of body weight. Note that fish oil is not the same as cod liver oil, which is high in vitamins A and D. Never add cod liver oil to a commercial diet, as they are already high in vitamin D, and too much is harmful.

Ben’s Bark Ave Bistro carries both Grizzly Salmon Oil & Flax Seed Oil from Solid Gold, for your dog's ultimate health!

With - What Does It Mean to Your Pet?

How important is the word "with"?? It's very important in conveying what is really in that pet food you're purchasing. An unsuspecting consumer purchasing a food named "Brand X with Lamb and Rice" will likely assume that "lamb and rice" are the primary ingredients of this food. It's clearly stated on the bag, right? Wrong. In actuality, the addition of the word "with" to the label means the manufacturers are only required to include lamb and rice as 3% of the total food ingredients. If this food was labeled "Brand X Lamb and Rice Dog Food", AAFCO (American Association of Feed Control Officials) would require the lamb and rice combined to comprise 95% of the total ingredients (excluding water used for processing) - a very HUGE difference for such a small word!

Don't Feed Corn!

Corn often appears as one or two of the top three ingredients in lower quality pet foods, yet it’s purported to be the third highest allergen for dogs and cats. It causes shedding, itchy skin, buildup in the ears, and, in some cases, throwing up. Dogs will bite at their paws and cats will cough up hairballs. Long term, corn can cause stress on the kidneys. This can result in health problems, including renal failure, as the animal ages. So why do so many pet food companies put corn in their food? Quite simply, corn is cheap and it boosts the protein percentage in the guaranteed analysis of a pet food. These are the only reasons for its use. There is a lack of regulation in the pet food industry that allows the use of inferior ingredients, but the brands we carry adhere to their own higher standards. The brands we provide at Ben’s Bark Ave Bistro use all natural ingredients and USDA grade meats. They use only good, easily digestible whole grains, not inferior grains like corn, wheat and soy.

Meat vs. Meal on Pet Food Labels

What is the difference? Are they good or bad? First off, it's a given that we are talking about high quality sources, not the inferior sources and by-products used in some brands of pet food.

Meat - Pet food labels found in grocery and mass marketers like to use chicken or lamb to represent real meat. It is real meat, but it is 70% moisture. This leads you to believe that their product is meat based. Chicken or lamb meats are heavier than grains prior to cooking. The moisture contained in the meats is reduced by 2/3 after the cooking process, thus leaving the total formula as a grain base food after processing. Something to consider - Is that hamburger 1/4 pound before or after cooking??

Meal - Chicken, turkey and lamb meals are dry and are less than 10% moisture and contain 50-65% meat proteins. In processing, the meat meals do not shrink below the grain weight, thus producing a true meat based formula for your carnivores. AAFCO label rules require that the heaviest to the lightest ingredients be the order listed on the guaranteed analysis panel, regardless of water content.

That being said, a combination of meat and meal is even better.

Our Promise To You!

To provide the healthiest food products available for your pet and to teach you about the healthy pet food alternatives that are available.
We simply ask that you take the Ben's Bark Ave. Bistro Pledge for your pet's health and longevity:

BEN'S BARK AVE. BISTRO PLEDGE:
"I will never again buy unnatural food for
my pet. I resolve to learn the nutritional needs of my canine or feline companion,
and to the best of my ability I will
feed my pet according to its nature
and not in accordance with commercial
pet food advertising and exploitation."