With the upgrade to the Super Premium Canine Diet formula dog food, we are one step closer to perfection. A recent article in the Whole Dog Journal presented their picks for the Top Ten foods (obviously they don't know about us yet!). Here are the criteria that they used in their selection, and I am happy to say that we meet them all:

No sugars and sweeteners like corn syrup, sucrose, and ammoniated glycyrrhizin

In addition, we use only the purest, highest quality ingredients and have now included dried carrots, potato, kelp, apples, celery, beets, parsley, lettuce, watercress and spinach to create the perfect blend of essential dietary needs for our dogs. Each ingredient is carefully selected and balanced to ensure efficiency of digestion and nutrient intake. In addition to the aflatoxin and mycotoxin testing explained later in the article, we add all natural probiotics (Lactobacillus Acidophilus, Lactobacillus Casei, Bifidobacterium Thermophilum, Enterococcus Faecium) to aid in the efficiency and maintenance of the dog's digestive system. But even more importantly, we have added a three stage, slow cooking method that is unique to the pet food industry. We are one of the only companies to add our probiotic after the third and final cooking stage and after the kibble has been cooled to ensure the life and activity of the probiotic enzymes. The addition of Mannan Oligosaccharides (MOS) to dog food is revolutionary! Dynamite is the first company to include MOS, a type of protein complex derived from the cell walls of yeast. MOS protects the animal from harmful colonization of pathogens without depleting the natural gut flora that your dog needs for survival. They are a natural alternative to the use of antibiotics, and they won't damage your dog's natural internal balance.

A recent fiasco with a popular commercial brand of dog food, in which corn with aflatoxins was inadvertently used, has pointed up the superiority of the Dynamite formulation. And of course the with pet food recall of 2007, the importance of clean, quality ingredients has further been brought to light. Dynamite uses only the purest ingredients, of US origin. We use no wheat gluten. Each ingredient is carefully selected and balanced to ensure efficiency of digestion and nutrient intake. Every batch of Super Premium Diet for Dogs undergoes 50 different quality control checks so that you can be sure that only the purest and freshest ingredients are used......free of pesticides, perservatives, hormones, mycotoxins and harmful chemicals of any kind. Every batch of Super Premium Dog Food is tested for aflatoxin and mycotoxins. Unlike other manufacturers, we guarantee that your dog's food is safe from these agents.

Artificial preservatives are so common in the marketplace, and sadly, are present even in some of the premium diets sold by veterinarians. Ethoxyquin is the "biggie" that has come under much fire as the years go by. Dr. Gloria Dodd is a veterinarian who has led the charge, citing evidence of reproductive problems, allergies, liver and kidney disease, tumors and more in dogs fed this preservative, which also is used as a rubber stabilizer for tires, and as a roadside spray. Can you say "Ick"? Because it preserves fat, the ethoxyquin content of dog foods has risen along with higher fat contents in modern foods. Now that you know how to spell it, read labels. And check out some commercial horse feeds and supplements, especially high fat senior rations and coat conditioner products; ethoxyquin is going into horses now. BHA and BHT are, respectively, butylated hydroxyanisol and butylated hydroxytoluene, enough said there. Commercial brands often spend up to 2 years on the shelf, going thru various distribution channels and warehouses. I am especially sad when I see huge volumes of pet foods showing up in the discount warehouse stores, because I know that indicates giant purchases and the resultant potential for long storage times. Here is a huge clinker to remember: just because preservatives are not listed on the labels does NOT mean they are not in the food. Due to shaky labeling regs, if the final manufacturer does not add the chemicals, they do not have to state that they are in the product, even if they purchase the ingredients already preserved. So it is important to purchase from an ethical company that takes a firm stand against preservatives. Because the cheap grocery store foods are way scary, I won't even address those, other than to say "by-products, preservatives, addictive flavorings and sugar." Do people really dislike their dogs that much? Dynamite foods are proudly preserved with vitamin C and vitamin E, and we scoured the country for ethical mills and sources to ensure a clean food.

The protein content of foods is often a bone of contention, so let's chew on that for a while (pun intended). Many vets want a low protein content for older dogs who are beginning to have kidney problems, etc. Actually, the protein content is relative to two factors: the total amount of food the dog eats, and the fat content of the food. Obviously, if 28% of a pound of our food is protein, but the dog only has to eat 2 cups a day because of superior digestibility, he is getting less total grams of protein than the dog who has to eat 4 cups of a 20% protein food. The protein to fat ratio is critical; the higher the protein level, the more fat must be present to balance the ration. Fat has a neutral pH and works to buffer the acid produced by the protein digestion. You will notice that our food is now 28% protein and 18% fat, and is so digestible that you actually feed 10% less than before. Because pups eat more food per pound of body weight than an older dog, they do not need a separate food. They receive a proportionately higher level of protein and minerals, and we have raised awesome pups on this diet over the years.

You may want to add a little of our daily Dynamite Showdown supplement for breeding bitches, growing pups, geriatrics, or hardworking dogs. As a point of history, Showdown came into being about 20 years ago when Sonny Olson from Kansas called Jim to let him know that his racing Greyhounds were setting world records on our horse supplement! So Jim said, "Well, why don't we make you a dog supplement?" Sonny has since continued to set records, and has even had instances of all pups in a litter being Grade A Stakes winners. He says as the generations go on, the dogs just get better. Genetic potential is achievable on a superior diet!

Many people tend to confuse cost with price. When people feed a cheap, low quality food, the dogs eat mountains of it, and are always ravenous. All animals (us humans included) eat to satisfy mineral cravings. Demineralized foods cause us to be hungry all the time, with resultant obesity and health problems. So people conclude that a more expensive, quality dog food will cost far more to feed. In reality, they are pleasantly surprised that the dogs eat far less, and are far healthier, resulting in fewer vet bills for skin allergies and worse. The Top Ten foods rated in the WDJ article ranged in price from $30 to nearly $50 for 40 pounds, and the more organic, "health food" brands like Newman's Own retail for $76 plus shipping for 50 lbs, so we are right in the ballpark for price at even the suggested retail of $64.. Note that when you order a 12 pack of the food, or half-tons or full tons, you can offer even better prices to your retail customers. My personal experience is that people are very loyal to the food, and will call to connect with me rather than switching back to a commercial brand. One faithful customer has her dog with her at work, and when her clients come in and pet him, they always comment on his gorgeous coat and clean smell. Sue tells them "It is the Dynamite food" and gives them my number, and many of them call to order. Here is an unsolicited email from a new Dynamite Super Premium Dog Food customer:

"My greyhound is 5 yrs old, and I've had him about a year. We've tried every food on the market, from the $40/bag all natural to the Nature's Choice venison that he is on now, which seems to work the best for him. But, he's had serious digestive problems since I got him. He's been to the vet a dozen times for bloody stool and gurgling intestines and the most insanely nauseating gas you can imagine. The official vet that works with Greyhound Pets, Inc (where I adopted my dog) did some tests on Mas (my dog) and gave me this funny answer that he is incapable of regulating the bacterial level in his digestive system, thus the symptoms. He also told me that some Greyhounds simply have this problem, and need to stay on antibiotics for the rest of their lives. Not to mention the cost of doing this, this just seems like a bad idea to me. Mas is on Tylan and has been on it for almost a year now. If we miss a dose (2x day) or cut back the amount very gradually, he instantly returns to the liquid stool and gas. AND, he eats his own feces, which we try our best to control. Do you have any thoughts? I have tried Wysong Pet innoculant, which only sends him to liquid feces instantly, and the idea of using anti-biotics to reduce the levels and then pump them back in seems contradictory, although I suppose they are different types of bacteria/flora. I spend about $100/month on food and antibiotic. (: I'd love to waste the money on GOOD food and maybe alleviate some of his symptoms? At best, his feces are pudding soft, which I have been told is fairly normal for greyhounds, but it seems like I am treating symptoms, not problems. I would love to hear your thoughts."

So, it just keeps getting better at Dynamite, doesn't it? Many thanks and congratulations to all of you Distributors who have hauled and stored tons of dog food, organized tonnage groups, allowed other Distributors to share your food stash, and just generally pioneered our dog food business. When Jim decided to make our own food, we knew it would be a task to educate the marketplace, find ethical sources, find room in our warehouses,etc. but YOU have hung in there and made it possible for the dogs of the world to be healthier and live longer lives. Pat yourselves on the back, and share this ever-better product with everyone you know.