Oak Ridge Feed

03/21/2025

👎 HALL OF SHAME 👎 Purina Dog Chow receives 1.5 stars - not recommended - from our pet nutritionists, because...

In a nutshell, the ingredients in this food do not meet a dog's nutritional needs well, its additives may be positively harmful, and the anonymity of some of its ingredients does not enable pet parents to identify & avoid food sensitivities 🥜

In more detail...

🌽 First, this food's main ingredient is corn. This inexpensive cereal grain's use in dog food is controversial. Aside from offering energy, corn is of only modest nutritional value to a dog.

🐂 Second, the next largest component is meat and bone meal from unspecified sources. It is usually slaughterhouse waste - what's leftover when the good quality cuts have been removed. It will likely have lower digestibility than most named meat meals, and scientists believe this decreased absorption may be due to its higher ash and lower essential amino acid content.

Worse still, the meat could come from any combination of animals — which makes identifying & avoiding specific food allergens impossible.

🫛 Third, while the food does contain beef fat, which is a quality ingredient, it is mostly made up of less costly plant-based products that boost the total protein reported on the label — but mask the amount of quality animal-based protein that the recipe contains.

Fourth, the additives...

Coloring - We’re always disappointed to find artificial coloring in any pet food. That’s because coloring is used to make the product more appealing to humans — not your dog. After all, do you really think your dog cares what color their food is?

Not chelated minerals - the minerals in this food do not appear to be chelated, which can make them more difficult for your dog to absorb. Chelated minerals are usually associated with higher quality dog foods.

Sodium selenite - the recipe contains a controversial form of the mineral selenium. Sodium selenite appears to be nutritionally inferior to the more natural source of selenium found in selenium yeast.

Garlic oil - although garlic contains allicin, which may benefit cardiovascular health in dogs as in people, it also contains thiosulfate, which is linked to Heinz body anemia. This is a condition in which the dog's red blood cells are damaged & cannot carry enough oxygen around their body. So, one must weigh the potential benefits of feeding garlic against its proven tendency to cause subclinical damage to the red blood cells of your dog.

Lack of probiotics - there appear to be no probiotics, i.e. friendly bacteria applied to the surface of the kibble after processing to help with digestion.

Menadione - a controversial form of vitamin K linked to liver toxicity, allergies and the abnormal break-down of red blood cells. Since vitamin K isn’t required by AAFCO in its nutrient profiles, we question the use of this item in any canine recipe.

For more dog foods to avoid, see the list of 1 star rated foods on our website: https://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-reviews/1-star/

You might want to check your furry friend isn't eating one of them... 👀

03/02/2025

A very good read from a reputable source.

You want to protect your dog from heart disease. But should you avoid grain-free dog food? Or legume-rich food? Or is there no link with diet? Discover the controversy below...

Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a disease in dogs that causes weakened heart muscle contractions & poor pumping ability. This can lead to an enlarged heart and, ultimately, heart failure. It is a terrible disease that none of us want our dogs to go through.

So, when the FDA started receiving a spike in reports of dogs with DCM in 2018, we all got concerned.

Initially, the FDA announced that 90% of reported dogs were eating a grain-free diet. Indeed, 93% of them were eating legume-rich dog food, containing lentils or peas in the top 10 ingredients. They also released a list of 16 dog foods that were coming up time and again in their reports - most of them grain-free. This was unprecedented - and, unsurprisingly, resulted in a shift in the market away from these dog foods and towards grain-inclusive foods. In the words of the FDA: "Publicity surrounding the suspected link... has driven down the once-promising market for grain-free dog foods."

However, over time, it has become clear that this may have been over-zealous.

First, the spike in reports may have been caused by FDA public announcements about DCM, rather than because lots more dogs were developing DCM.

Second, it has become clear in retrospect that vets were encouraged to report cases of DCM only if dogs with the disease were eating grain-free diets. This may have created bias in the reports, such that grain-inclusive DCM cases went under-reported by comparison with grain-free ones. “When you only look for what you want to see, you only see what you look for,” said Joseph Bartges, a professor of animal medicine and nutrition from the University of Georgia’s College of Veterinary Medicine in an interview on this subject.

Third, the vets who encouraged grain-free DCM reporting had research funded by grain-inclusive pet food companies, creating a conflict of interest that may have produced bias in the evidence.

In the words of the FDA: "A tangled web of pet food industry funding and interests may have influenced the origin, data collection and course of the FDA study, according to an examination of internal FDA records and extensive reporting."

Since the initial controversy, there have been scientific studies on both sides that have purported to show both: Minor positive heart changes on a grain-inclusive diet and perfectly good heart health on a grain-free, legume-rich diet. In each case, however, the sample sizes have been vanishingly small (66 & 28 respectively). This is because it is difficult and expensive to diagnose & monitor dog's with DCM.

So too, in the study which purported to show positive heart changes, some dogs had been supplemented with taurine - a deficiency of which has long been suspected of contributing to DCM. Was it the dietary change or the taurine supplementation that led to the heart changes? Or was it just chance in a sample size this small? We don't know. Again, just because 28 dogs didn't develop any heart problems while eating a diet for 5 months, does not mean that diet is off the hook for causing heart disease over a lifetime.

It's frustrating for pet parents, but the fact is the studies leave us unable to draw any firm conclusions either way.

This is why, in 2022, the FDA announced that, after 4 years, it had "found no firm link between diet and dilated cardiomyopathy. Nor has it rejected such a link, and the research is ongoing." It does, however, note that "The American Veterinary Medical Association estimates that there are 77 million pet dogs in the United States. Most dogs in the U.S. have been eating pet food without apparently developing DCM.

It is also why we do not downgrade or exclude grain-free or legume-rich dog foods when rating their nutritional make-up on Dog Food Advisor.

For more information, on anything mentioned here, you can find links in our stories & story highlights.



100 Reporters Investigation: https://100r.org/2022/07/did-industry-funding-influence-an-fda-investigation-into-canine-heart-disease-and-grain-free-dog-food/

66 heart health study: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jvim.16397

28 husky study : https://www.petfoodprocessing.net/articles/15566-the-pulse-of-it-does-pulse-inclusive-dog-food-affect-heart-health

FDA latest: https://www.fda.gov/animal-veterinary/outbreaks-and-advisories/fda-investigation-potential-link-between-certain-diets-and-canine-dilated-cardiomyopathy

FDA Q&A on the topic: https://www.fda.gov/animal-veterinary/animal-health-literacy/questions-answers-fdas-work-potential-causes-non-hereditary-dcm-dogs

02/13/2025

Brushy brushy or I shavey shavey

02/09/2025

BHA is a controversial preservative found in many dog foods. But it's been linked to cancer & reproductive disorders... so is it really safe...? 🤔

US government regulations allow BHA in dog food, considering it safe in low doses. But BHA has been found to produce malignant tumors in lab animals & the State of California includes it on its “Chemicals Known… to Cause Cancer or Reproductive Toxicity” report.

So too, the EU considers BHA a ‘hormone disruptor‘… because studies have shown it can damage the s***m quality of male rats and the s*x organs of females. Indeed, BHA is banned from use in certain EU food products for this reason 👀

And dogs may be at greater risk. This is because, unlike humans, who vary their diets with each meal, dogs are typically fed the same food continuously. Day after day. For a lifetime.

It’s that cumulative exposure to a risky chemical (like BHA) that can magnify its effect on your dog's body.

So why take the risk? 🤷‍♀️

Dog food companies include BHA in recipes because it extends the shelf life of a dog food longer than natural preservatives. It does a great job of stopping fat going rancid. Which can make the food more profitable for the pet food company.

But does it make the food more dangerous for our dogs?

By contrast, many pet foods are preserved with super-safe natural preservatives like…

✔️ Ascorbic acid (vitamin C)
✔️ Mixed tocopherols (vitamin E)

Look. Here’s the point. Considering all the dangerous health issues linked to BHA, it seems logical to avoid dog foods that contain it. After all there are many quality dog foods that don't contain this controversial ingredient.

As our expert pet nutritionist, Laura Ward, says "I prefer to avoid BHA. It does a great job as an antioxidant - it certainly works to delay foods becoming rancid. But, since there are other options now, such as antioxidants which are based on vitamin E, I don't see any need to use artificial antioxidants for which studies have shown there is the potential for negative health effects."

Our best advice is to check your dog food labels. Look for the “fat” ingredient, followed by the words “preserved with BHA. And avoid where possible.

02/07/2025

Why waste your money on cheap birdseed full of fillers like milo and corn? Give the birds the foods they want, like Bugs Nuts & Fruit from Mr. Bird! No waste, less mess!

02/04/2025

The Bluebirds are already choosing their nesting sites. Help keep them happy by offering Songbird Essentials dried mealworms! Now available by the tub, in bulk, or by the pound.

Mealworm feeders are also in stock!

02/01/2025

Black oil sunflower, Special Songbird, and mealworms, oh my! Which brings the most birds to YOUR yard?

01/29/2025

"FEED THE BIRDS, THEY'RE HUNGRY!"

You've tried the rest, now try the best! Wild Bird Feast, Flaming Hot Feast, and Bugs Nuts & Fruit cylinders and seed from Mr. Bird are in stock!

01/15/2025

Sign up for your $5 coupon now! Got a new puppy? When you buy Fromm Gold Puppy or Large Breed Puppy, receive a FREE "Welcome to the Family" reusable tote bag and goodies!

Premium dog and cat food

12/25/2024

While we all know that dogs are often afraid/unsure/nervous around things that are novel — thus my consistent emphasis on proper socialization/exposure — there’s also an enormous reluctance/denial that many have embracing the hard, cold, unforgiving reality of genetics.

And I get it. If a pup or dog is dealt an unlucky and unfavorable hand genetically, it’s certainly not the dog’s fault, and it certainly feels unfair. But as sad and unfair as this genetic deal may be, it doesn’t dissolve into the ether simply because we don’t like it.

Are there things to be done, both with training and proper socialization, which can improve a pup/dog’s ability to better navigate their world? Absolutely. But is that “ceiling” of progress determined by the pup/dog’s genetics? 100%. Even if you don’t like hearing it.

Here’s the thing that very few want to honestly face: genetically robust/resilient dogs will also encounter novel things they are afraid/unsure/nervous about, but these dogs will quickly overcome these challenges. They will encounter, assess, and very quickly move on. Dogs who are less genetically robust/resilient will struggle with the same novel encounters to a far greater degree, and their ability to completely resolve their concerns and no longer be impacted by them will be determined far more by how they’re wired than by the work done with them.

Yep, all the socialization work in the world won’t make a highly unstable dog highly stable, or a moderately unstable dog perfectly stable. Whether we like it or not, the genetics trump the work.

Once again, does this mean the less lucky dogs have no room to grow, or can’t make huge strides? Of course not. But to ignore the realities that genetics play is to be extremely foolish, and delusional — and serves neither dog nor owner.

12/25/2024

Can we really blame our dogs for the confusion when their entire world is enveloped by mixed massages?

Why mixed? Because we knowingly or unknowingly teach them that they and us precisely the same. And then we become upset when they respond to what we’ve taught them by challenging us, pushing us, disregarding us, stressing us, overwhelming us, and sometimes even injuring us.

I’m sorry, but if you’re going to teach your dog that you and they are the same — meaning the social structure, aka the differences between human and canine aren’t clearly articulated — you can’t be upset when they run with what you’ve taught them.

This isn’t a student issue, it’s a teacher issue.

PS, I know many bristle at the fact that I point out that there should be a clear distinction between dog and human — with the human in charge and above in status, and and the dog subordinate and below in status. Feel free to bristle away. But when you’re struggling with your dog, refer back to this post and attempt to digest it with an open mind. The answers to why you’re struggling are likely here when you’re ready to find them.

PPS, here’s the kicker — you can disagree with this all you like, and even discount it as invalid “old school” nonsense — just remember that makes one of you. 😉

12/20/2024

Folks we just got alerted to another small situation needing a little Holiday Magic. Meet Gisella. She is 15 years old and her owner just passed away. At a time where this sweet senior should be snuggled in for a warm winter's nap, she finds herself in a cold shelter quarantine holding cage.

She is safe as far as timing goes as she luckily finds herself at the Oak Ridge Animal Shelter, but we all know that shelters are no places for seniors. If you know a senior looking for a loving new friend, or have a quiet home and a big heart, we urge you to apply directly with the Oak Ridge Animal Shelter for this sweet old girl. She is still in quarantine and may not be able to be home for the holidays, but we would love to see someone lined up to take her home the moment she is available. Call the shelter directly at 865-425-3423 Tuesday through Saturday Noon til 5pm for more info. When the automated phone voice picks up press zero to get transferred to the front desk. Please help us spread the work and share this message.

12/13/2024

Making spirts bright

12/05/2024

Treat your pup or kitty this holiday season! No coupon required!

Making spirts bright

11/28/2024

As a family-owned and operated company, we are beyond proud to support Small Business Saturday on November 30. Independent pet stores are critical to the communities and our mission at NutriSource. The next time you replenish your pets food or treats, consider supporting your neighborhood pet store. 💜 Every purchase truly makes a difference.

If you’re looking for a local pet store near you, click here: https://nutrisourcepetfoods.com/where-to-buy

11/25/2024

Click on Fromm's "Get Offer" link, sign up, and print out your coupon to save! Good through December 6th!

(Coupon MUST be printed out to be redeemed.)

01/15/2024

We are open, but please don't get out if you don't absolutely have to. Lana is staying at the shop, so she'll still be there when the roads have improved in a day or two!