You know, I am a very natural kind of a dog. I like nature, I like being in nature, and I love things that are all natural. Mommy feels the same way. She is always on the hunt for "all natural" products and food for our family, and especially for me and my sisters. She feels strongly about finding foods that are all natural since we will be ingesting that food into our bodies. She reads the ingredients of everything, pouring over the packaging and analyzing every word. But here is a very important question to ponder: if a pet food says "natural ingredients" on the packaging, does that mean that it's a good balance of nutrition? Does it mean it will give me every nutrient in a way I will be able to absorb properly?
As I said before, reading the labels are one of the best ways to learn about what your pet is ingesting. Ingredients are important, but it's what's in those ingredients that really makes a difference in delivering those essential nutrients that every body needs, whether human or animal. Nutrient deficiency AND nutrient excess can lead to certain health conditions. Good nutrition is just about ingredients, it's about the proper balance of nutrients.
My friends at Hill's, the makers of the new Ideal Balance Pet Food, have an excellent grasp on this very same subject. They have a few answers for the question "Is natural enough?" Hill's Ideal Balance pet food has the best ingredients like chicken, potatoes, apples, cranberries, carrots and lots of vitamins and minerals, but more importantly, they make each recipe to be a perfect balance of nutrients from those ingredients. Not too much, not too little, so every pet that eats Ideal Balance will get the right amount of nutrients to stay strong and healthy. The goal of Hill's is to make a pet food with quality ingredients that delivers nutrients like protein, fat, carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins and minerals balanced in the right proportions to provide optimal nutrition for your pet. Protein is needed for muscle growth, carbohydrates are needed for energy, vitamins and minerals help create a strong immune system and strong bones and teeth.
According to Kathy Gross, Hill's Pet Nutritionist, “Creating a natural pet food is one thing. Creating a perfectly balanced one to Hill’s high standards is quite another.”
What makes Mommy and I feel good about recommending this food is that Ideal Balance is a true natural pet food crafted by pet nutritionists who know how to perfectly balance natural ingredients for better health for your dog and cat. See for yourself in this video featuring Hill’s Pet Nutritionist Kathy Gross, who chooses to feed Hill’s Ideal Balance to her own pets.
So, now that I've shared just some information on natural ingredients, good nutrients and Hill's Ideal Balance pet food, I encourage you to do some additional research yourself. I know you care as much as Mommy does about the food that your pet eats. Remember that balanced nutrition is the key to good health. Check out the Ideal Balance website for great information about finding the right Ideal Balance food for your pet, compare for yourself how Ideal Balance stacks up against the competition, and be sure to take advantage of the Try Me Free rebate!
Here are a few additional links with some further information to help you be as informed as possible:
http://www.hillspet.com/dog-care/choosing-a-natural-dog-food.html
http://www.hillspet.com/cat-care/choosing-a-natural-cat-food.html
http://www.petmd.com/cat/centers/nutrition/evr_ct_what_is_a_balanced_cat_food#.UP1IPh1QVp4
http://www.petmd.com/dog/centers/nutrition/evr_dg_what_is_a_balanced_dog_food#.UP1ILh1QVp4
Author has been compensated for completion of this article.
Hill's Pet Nutrition, Inc. is not responsible for the content of this article.
My friends, you know that I am a natural kind of dog that tries to stay as healthy as I can. Mommy and I both believe things should be simple, pure and as natural as can be. I've shared many an adventure where I've explored the great outdoor woods, celebrated the joys of little things, and shared wonderful food that Mommy has made for me that was all natural. I also believe that a healthy life is about balance. I love to play & exercise, but I get plenty of rest to balance that out. I love to learn new commands and tricks, but Mommy always makes sure that I only have fun with it. And, of course, I love to eat good food and treats that are a wonderful balance of nutrition. That is how I stay in top Pixel shape.
Well, imagine my joy when I was asked to try a new and all natural grain free dog food by Hill's called Ideal Balance. This dog food is unlike most other dog foods, in that Hill's really does believe in a perfect balance of nutrition and safe, natural ingredients. Hill’s Ideal Balance has no corn, wheat (which I especially like since I’m a wheat free dog), soy, artificial colors, flavors or preservatives. In fact, their healthy, all natural ingredients, such as real chicken meat, potatoes, peas, carrots, apples, cranberries, and flax seed, are guaranteed, or your money back.
I was very excited to try it out, so we had some sent to us. It seemed like forever before it finally arrived, but it was well worth the wait! When Mommy opened that box and I saw those wonderful bags of new, all natural dog food to try, I couldn't help but give Mommy the biggest smile I could muster!
Oh, the excitement of getting a new yummy food that is safe to eat is always a highlight to me and my sisters. Peanut (the Pomeranian) and Dixie Mae (the Dachshund) were both excited about this new food too. Mommy said that only the very best ingredients go into the making of Ideal Balance. In fact, I remember getting to meet Dr. Kathy Gross at the BlogPaws conference back in May. Dr. Gross is a nutritionist at Hill's who was instrumental in the development of Hill's Ideal Balance pet food. She said that dog health, and of course cat health, is very important to everyone at Hill's.
When Mommy researched about Ideal Balance, she felt good knowing that Hill's sought significant consumer input on its pet food to better understand what pet parents wanted in a natural pet food.
The new, breakthrough packaging reflects the quality expected from Hill’s, showcasing the balanced ingredients inside. It outperformed other natural brands in "standing out on the shelf", looking unique and being viewed as a high quality product. ...at least that is what Mommy said. I said it looks yummylicious and it made me want to jump inside the bag right away and do my own taste test.
When Mommy was doing research about the food, she got to see the making of Hill's Ideal Balance pet food commercial, where they really highlight the idea of balanced nutrition for pets. Mommy pulled out her portable tablet and showed me, Dixie Mae and Peanut the making of the video too. We were very interested in how they used the latest technology to make the commercial. Mommy said we looked pretty enthralled as you can see from this photo.
Hill's created commercials set in a hyper-realistic world of balanced nutrition for dogs and cats. In separate commercials, they follow a dog and a cat as they discover the world of Ideal Balance. Along the way, the pets journey through the balanced elements that make up Ideal Balance: Perfect proportions of what pets need to be healthy – not too much, not too little.
After we learned all that in the "making of the video", we got to see the actual commercial with all the super cool special effects that made the dog look so beautiful, healthy and like he was walking in an amazing looking world of perfect balance....we REALLY got excited! We were barking and telling Mommy we couldn't wait to try it ourselves. Talk about getting the consumer interested in the product...we LOVED watching how they made it and then watching the actual commercials. As a matter of fact, I think they should do even MORE commercials, and that maybe they would to use ME in their next Ideal Balance commercial. I mean, I have mastered perfect "balance" while doing my twirls and can do all kinds of commands and tricks on cue.
Here is the "Behind the Scenes" video showing the making of Hill's Ideal Balance pet food commercials.
And here is the amazing commercial they made for the dog food...it is such a beautiful thing!
Finally, Mommy let me taste this great new food for myself. We read that Hill's has received excellent reviews from pet parents who stated that their pets "love the taste" (even picky eaters), plus their pet's coat became shinier. The new Ideal Balance pet food has been very well received by both cat and dog parents alike. You can read some of the reviews from happy consumers on their Hill's Pet Food Facebook page. In spite of all these great reviews, I told Mommy that I would be happy to give my own review. I am after all, a big authority on great tasting kibble. Now, the first thing I had to do was choose which bag to open first. The one on my left looked a little closer...
Mommy cut open the top and saw that the packaging is high quality with a really neat resealable zipper type seal. I, on the other hand, was so excited I stuck my head in before she could say a word! Don't worry, she was able to stop me before I downed a huge mouth full....unfortunately!
"Wait Pixel," Mommy said. "Remember...this food, and our eating habits, are all about balance. Not too much, not too little."
She measured out the perfect amount for me, based on my weight (12 lbs) and how many times a day I eat. I get 3 square meals a day, plus occasional snacks, so this equates one of my meals. Look at how nice and well formed those kibbles are. It smells real good too!
She set it down for me and I scarfed it up so quickly, she almost didn't get a photo, BOL!! I told her it was delicious!!! I give it two paws up in taste, texture and crunch! So Mommy, when is my next meal time again?
Well, now that you know a little more about what went in to making this amazing new, natural pet food – go out and get some for your own family, and see the difference perfectly balanced natural ingredients can make. Take it from me, Pixel Blue Eyes, I promise you'll be glad you did!
Hill’s website offers all sorts of information on the products, including where you can purchase them, online or in your neighborhood – and you can even try it free with the rebate offer!