Tag: dog treats

Top 10 Pet Food Companies in the World by Revenue

Brindle-n-Fawn

What do you think about the top brands on the list of Top Pet Food Companies in the World as provided by PetfoodIndustry.com?

Keep in mind that this list includes the top brands by REVENUE; not by nutritional value. When I started to research the best dog food for puppies in preparation for bringing home our Bullmastiff puppy, I was surprised to learn that companies best known for candies, ice cream, cereal, and jams are leading the sales of pet food. 

As I continued my research into the best dog food, I learned how kibble came to be and understand the reason why kibble was developed. However, the progression with pet food is severely lacking when compared to how far we’ve come with human foods. Today, humans have organic and non-GMO foods. But, the majority of our pets are still being fed foods that have the nutritional value equivalent to fast food. 

I believe there are some regulations that prevent better pet foods from reaching the mass market. In California, you are not able to produce dog food or dog treats under a cottage food permit. Not only do you need to prepare the dog food or dog treat in a commercial kitchen (which requires rent and insurance costs), you may need up to three different licenses from state agencies depending on the ingredients of the dog food and whether you want to be able to label your product as organic. I know this because I operated a gourmet dog bakery for a short time in Humboldt County, California.

And, we all remember what happened when Morgan Spurlock experimented with eating solely fast food for one-month straight in his document, Super Size Me. I fear that the ill-effects he encountered with his health is the same thing happening to our pets when we feed them kibble for every meal for their entire life. How junk would it be if you only got fed pizza for every meal of your entire life?

If you’re still buying commercial food for your dog, then make sure you read this eye-opening report on Healthy-k9.com about the 9 worst dog foods. You’ll likely know some some or most of these products.

If you are interested in human grade ingredient pet food and would like a list of recommendations for healthy pet food, I encourage you to check out Susan Thixton’s listat her website, truthaboutpetfood.com. I am not paid to promote Ms. Thixton’s list and I have not purchased it as I feed my own raw dog recipes. However, if you are looking for a resource, I trust the information Ms. Thixton provides on pet food.

SOURCE:
“Top Pet Food Companies Current Data.” PetfoodIndustry.com, Accessed 10 February 2023, https://www.petfoodindustry.com/directories/211-top-pet-food-companies-current-data.

Instant Pot Dog Food Idea #1: Hard-Boiled Eggs for Dogs

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Did you know that eggshell membranes are one of the best sources of nutrition for your dog? 

As shared in the video at the very bottom of this blog post by pet experts, Dr. Karen Becker and Rodney Habib, eggshell membranes provide joint support for our dogs that helps with joint degeneration such as arthritis.

I don’t care for hard-boiled eggs, so I never bothered to learn how to make them.  But, I eventually tried to make them when my two kids, husband, and dog all wanted to eat them on a routine basis…but I always failed!  I always overcooked the eggs when trying to prepare them by stove. It didn’t matter if I boiled them for 6 minutes or 9 minutes, there was always a gray or green ring around the yolk.  I even undercooked them once, which everyone, except for our Bullmastiff, thought was gross.

Then, I was clued in by a friend who had invited us to Thanksgiving dinner last year. She had prepared deviled eggs and used the Instant Pot to hard boil the eggs!  Did you know that the Instant Pot could make perfectly cooked hard-boiled eggs?  Knowing that eggshell membranes are an excellent addition to dog food, I was excited to try this new hack! 

I didn’t have an egg holder on-hand, but I did have our mesh steamer basket that I use when making homemade bone broth (post coming soon!)…so I gave it a shot.  While there are various methods recommended, like the 5-5-5 Method (5 minutes cooking in Instant Pot â€“ 5 minutes naturally releasing pressure – 5 Minutes in an ice bath), the process below is what has worked best for me to produce thoroughly cooked hard-boiled eggs with no green or gray ring around the yolk:

Keto Instant Pot Recipes for You

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DIRECTIONS FOR INSTANT POT HARD BOILED EGGS

Ingredients:

  • Chicken Eggs
  • Water
  • Ice

Tools:

Instructions:

  1. Pour 1 cup of water in Instant Pot 
  2. Place mesh steamer basket in Instant Pot
  3. Place up to 8 eggs in the mesh steamer basket 
  4. Cover Instant Pot with the lid and secure in closed position
  5. Make sure the knob is set to “Sealing”
  6. Push the “Egg” button and set to 4 minutes
  7. When the Instant Pot is done and beeps, turn knob to “Venting” (NOTE: Please use caution as there is very hot steam and water that sputters out of the vent.)
  8. Use a slotted spoon to immediately remove the eggs from the Instant Pot
  9. Place eggs in an ice bath for at least 5 minutes
  10. Enjoy!

**IMPORTANT: Try to retain as much of the eggshell membrane when cracking the eggs open so you can add it to your dog’s dog food, whether you feed raw or kibble.**

Watch Dr. Karen Becker and Rodney Habib explain why eggs are nutritious for your dog in this YouTube video: