The benefits of omega-3s in pet food

In the video below, Dr. Signe Svinland, director of pet care for AkerBiomarine, discusses the processing and use of omega-3s in dog food. She covers the company's technique of harvesting and processing krill from Antarctica's waters for bioavilable omega-3s, as well as the use of those omega-3s to create healthful pet food for dogs. She also explains the simple test used to determine omega-3 levels in dogs, and how that test can be used to the benefit of other areas of the pet food industry.
Dr. Svinland spoke at Petfood Forum 2015, presenting "How well do dogs use the omega-3s in their pet food?"
The staff of Petfood Industry will be publishing daily video reports from Petfood Forum. Watch for interviews with speakers, attendees and exhibitors. With the move to Kansas City, Petfood Forum 2015 is shaping up to be the largest, most exciting event in its history.

Start-up petfood company creates warm dog food supplement

Wexford Farms Pet Food, a start-up company founded by three former Heinz executives, has created a warm dog food supplement called Warm Ups, and will be launching its second product line, Warm Meals, in November.  
Founded by Rich Rothamel, who has many years' experience in dog food at companies such as Heinz, Del Monte and Walmart, the warm petfood-topper products are being sold in pet supply stores as well as online through Pet360 and PetFoodDirect. The 1.75-ounce single-serve product is a blend of oatmeal, flavoring, rice and vitamins, which gets mixed with warm water and stirred by consumers, then added to a serving of the dog's food. Among other benefits, Wexford Farms developed the warm food so that the aroma is more intense once heated. 
Wexford Farms Pet Food has gone through two rounds of investment and raised US$1 million, according to filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The company invested in petfood production equipment for a 10,000-square-foot facility it's leasing in Warren, Pennsylvania, USA.
CEO Christopher Puma and Rothamel were working elsewhere while experimenting with a dog food enhancer, including hiring outside companies to run tests on the early versions. After deciding they had a potentially successful product, they hired a firm to run a standard 40-dog test. Of the 40 dogs tested, 35 showed a statistically significant preference for dog food that had been mixed with Warm Ups. The company is currently in the approval process for a patent on the warm food. 

LM Farms introduces new dog, cat treats line, pet food sprinkle

LM Farms, a maker of bird food and small animal food, introduced a new nutritional supplement sprinkle for pet food as well as a line of pet biscuits and treats for dogs and cats.
LM Farms Nutrition Boosters is a sprinkle for dog and cat food, which the company says provides an essential balance of nutrients, including omega fatty acids, probiotics and prebiotics, and contains farm-sourced natural ingredients like flaxseed and sunflower seed. The company also introduced the Hearty Slow Baked Dog Biscuits, Hearty Small Batch Dog Treats and Natural Bone Treats for dogs. All LM Farms products will be available at Petco and other pet specialty retailers. 

Arenus launches natural pet health, nutrition products for dogs, horses

Arenus, whose parent company is Novus International, launched a line of health and nutrition products for dogs and horses in March at 2011 Global Pet Expo in Orlando, Florida, USA.
Arenus introduced retailers to its natural supplements, which the company says reflect its commitment to holistic health. The company's new products include: Steadfast, for joint health; Assure, a digestive formula in two different blends; CoatPlus, beef-flavored capsules for healthy skin and coat; and Botanical Animal Flower Essences, targeted to pets' emotional problems. The company says it has been audited by the National Animal Supplement Council and its products have earned the NASC Quality Seal.
“The company saw that pet guardians were searching for safe, holistic, and easy-to-use products that address specific health issues,” said Simone Pophal, DVM, PhD, business manager for Arenus. “We had the expertise to deliver solutions to the marketplace, by offering unique, high-quality products that are backed by scientific data and address common but persistent pet health problems.” 

Fish oil good for pets

Fish oil supplementation may be helpful for pets with inflammatory diseases including allergies, arthritis, kidney disease and heart disease and has been shown to slow the growth of cancer, according to a recent article from www.examiner.com.
However, the article claimed eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which are omega 3 fatty acids found in fish oil, are too fragile to survive the shelf life of commercial petfood.
The only reliable source of EPA and DHA is salmon oil in capsules, according to the article.

Soy may aid in canine cancer therapy

Researchers at North Carolina State University say soy may increase the benefits of canine cancer therapy.
Genistein -- a molecule in soy shown to be toxic to many cancer cells in humans -- was found to kill canine lymphoid cells in a laboratory.
"Humans have been using soy in conjunction with traditional chemotherapy for some time as a chemo potentiator," Dr. Steven Suter, assistant professor of oncology at the university, says.
Researchers hope it will work for canines, too.

Supplement helps pets’ health

For pets with persistent skin, coat, inflammation or arthritis issues that can't be managed with premium petfoods, vets tend to recommend essential fatty acids and glucosamine supplements to their clients, according to an article by The Signal.
Veterinarian Dr. Robert Collett created The Missing Link, an essential fatty acid supplement manufactured by Designing Health, in 1994 after realizing that skin, coat and geriatric issues made up close to 80% of his business. The culprit: lack of nutrition, according to the article.
"Dr. Collett started comparing all the dog foods to see what was missing in the modern pet diet. … He began to develop these oil seeds and nutrients that would help to replace what was missing," said Nate Armstrong, vice president of Designing Health.
"Missing Link is only about 3% of a pet's diet. Petfood is kind of like the meat and potatoes, so we're the salad,” he said.

Non-Chinese nutrients now available

NaturaPet announced this month 100% of their ingredients will come from trusted, non-Chinese suppliers, according to an article by Examiner.com. Natura became the first petfood company in the industry to test and guarantee that all of its products are free from melamine and cyanuric acid. Supplements are needed to ensure that pets receive optimum nutrition, and among the necessary supplements - certain B vitamins and taurine - have been unavailable from anywhere other than China.
After working with its suppliers, Natura has found alternative sources and has been using them exclusively.
"We will not compromise on food safety and nutrition because both are so critical to the health of pets," said Don Scott, president of Natura.
The Natura product line includes Innova, California Natural, EVO, HealthWise, Mother Nature, and Karma.

Peanut Corp. of America extends recall

The Peanut Corp. of America (PCA) has extended its product recall to all petfood products produced since January 1, 2007.
The Food and Drug Administration’s January 27 report on the contamination found in PCA’s Blakely, Georgia, USA, plant cited them for 10 observations. PCA expanded the recall to include peanut granules, pieces, nuggets, meal, dry roasted, oil roasted, pieces, paste and butter. No problems have been found in Texas or Virginia plants owned by PCA.