Take the Lead

19/08/2025

Many pet food brands highlight blueberries as a source of antioxidants, suggesting health benefits for pets. Blueberries are indeed rich in polyphenols, plant compounds with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that support both human and animal health.

In this study, researchers analyzed 40 popular bags of pet food (18 cat and 22 dog) purchased from four pet stores, Pet Valu, Global Pets, Rens Pet Depot, and Pet Smart, listing blueberries as an ingredient to measure quercetin, free phenolics, and antioxidant-protected phenolics. Overall, cat kibble had lower average levels of quercetin and antioxidant-protected phenolics compared to dog kibble. Free phenolics were minimal to undetectable in all products.

The findings suggest that extruded kibble containing blueberries is unlikely to provide meaningful levels of polyphenols on its own, and therefore may not serve as a reliable antioxidant source for cats and dogs.

Blueberries are one of the ultimate longevity foods, like a suit of armor for your pet.🐾🫐 Rich in prebiotic fiber and powerful polyphenols, they help repair DNA, fight free radicals, slow aging, protect against cell damage, and support the body’s antioxidant defenses making them one of the best anti-aging treats to share straight from your fridge! (opt for spray-free if possible!)

Start with ¼ to ½ tsp per 10lbs of body weight a day.

05/08/2025

Cat and dog grooming available at Bow Wow Pet Grooming
REMINDER: CLOSED on Saturday, 9 August 2025, as our groomers are all women, and we celebrate them this Women's Day!

29/07/2025

Posted • Herbaceous Health Hoaxes: Why Are We So Afraid of Feeding Dogs Real Food?

The internet is flooded with misleading lists of “toxic” foods for dogs. Online lists warning about “toxic” foods for pets are often bloated with confusion, fear, and half-truths.

But according to FEDIAF (the European Pet Food Industry Federation), only three foods and one supplement are truly toxic to dogs and cats:
• Grapes🍇 (and raisins)
• Chocolate🍫 (cocoa)
• Onions🧅 and their relatives (including chives and high-dose garlic extract—though fresh garlic is fine in moderation)

Compare this short list to the extensive “no-no” food lists found on websites like the ASPCA and AKC, and your head will spin.

Most of those longer lists mix up:
• Truly toxic foods
• Foods that should be avoided for pets with specific health conditions (like pancreatitis)
• Foods that can pose a choking hazard (like pits or whole plants)

For example, eggs🥚, seeds, and nuts🥜 are often wrongly labeled as toxic simply because they’re higher in fat. But these are healthy, nutrient-dense options for most dogs.

Even foods like almonds, peaches, tomatoes, and cherries are only risky if pits or stems are not removed.

Sadly, four truly toxic items have been lumped together with dozens of misunderstood or situationally inappropriate foods, fueling unnecessary fear.

The takeaway?
• Avoid grapes, raisins, chocolate, onions, and garlic supplements.

• Use common sense and real science for everything else.

Nutrition doesn’t have to be scary—just informed. European common sense for the win.

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26/07/2025

Don’t let anyone convince you that dry kibble is safer to feed your pet over minimally processed pet food.

In the past 5 years, over 69 million pounds of pet food have been recalled. The leading cause was mold contamination (aflatoxins), accounting for 60 million pounds, all from ultra-processed kibble.

The second most common reason was bacterial contamination. 8 million pounds were recalled due to harmful bacteria like Salmonella and Listeria. Kibble made up 97.7% of these recalls.

Refrigerated cooked foods accounted for 1.4%

Raw pet food was even lower, at just 0.7%

When it comes to safety, the data is clear: minimally processed pet food isn’t the risk—ultra-processed kibble is.

Check out the Truth About Pet Food for more tips like this!

26/07/2025

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