Today Is National Holistic Pet Day!

What does "holistic" mean to you? And more importantly, what does it mean regarding the food you buy for your pets? It turns out that there are no regulations for using the term "holistic" in pet products, like there is, say, for the use of the term "organic". So our friends at Halo, Purely for Pets, co-owned by comedianne and animal activist extraordinaire, Ellen DeGeneres (see her pretty, smiling face below), decided to conduct a survey of nearly 850 pet owners about the term "holistic" as it relates to what they feed their pets.

           See...we told ya today is National Holistic Pet Day!

And the results might surprise you-here are just a few of the survey's fascinating results:

 First, consumers tend to agree on what they think standards governing the use of the term "holistic" should be. When asked what they consider critical elements in a holistic pet food, an overwhelming majority of survey participants gave the following answers: 

No artificial preservatives or colorings – 84.8%

All natural – 83.6%

No corn or fillers – 79.1%

No inferior by-products – 82.3%

No rendered animal parts, such as chicken meal – 78%

No “4D” meats (diseased, dying, disabled or dead before butchering) – 80.3%

Other top attributes included: Only fresh meat or fish (58.5%), includes lots of fruits and vegetables (50.3%), zero recalls (50.4%) and the use of ingredients one can find in their own kitchen (45.2%).

 If you want to read up on what two veterinarians have to say on the subject, check out these two links: 

Good Nutrition Heals by Donna Kelleher, DVM  http://blog.halopets.com/2012/08/21/holistic-pet-day-2/

Let Food be Thy Medicine by Donna Spector, DVM http://blog.halopets.com/2012/08/17/food-be-thy-medicine/

We'd love to hear what you think about the term "holistic' as it applies to the food you purchase for your pets. Do you make an effort to purchase what you believe is a holistic pet food, or for that matter, take an overall "holistic" approach to your pets' care? Let us know!

Share