Commonly Asked Questions
Welcome to the FAQ page of Brunswick Fur Food! We're thrilled to answer any questions you may have about our high-quality pet meals. Below, you'll find answers to the most common inquiries we receive from our valued customers.
Note that a lot of the information on this page is based on very high quality research being conducted all over the world, and are derived from Dr Karen Becker, and Rodney Habib's phenomenal book "Forever Dog", we encourage you to read it for yourself, their website is found here https://foreverdog.com/
Q: What is wrong with the way we have been feeding our fur babies for decades?
There is a growing body of research pointing to the benefits of feeding a fresh, balanced and varied diet to our dogs. Over the last half a century, the commercial pet food industry has prioritised buyers' convenience over health of our pets, resulting in shelf steady, highly processed food, that is far from suitable for our pets' nutritional needs. Here is some research on the problems our dogs are facing:
- Research conducted by Association For Pet Obesity Prevention has found that pet obesity rates in the United States have been steadily increasing for decades, reaching 59% of dogs and 61% of cats classified as overweight or having obesity in 2022. Australia is no different in what it feeds its pets. So we expect the numbers to be similar.
(Source: State of Obesity Report)
Additionally, obesity in pets is a great indicator of animal lifespan, if you want your fur friend to be with you longer, then watch what they are eating
(Source: Kimberly A. Greer, Larry M. Hughes, and Michal M. Masternak, “Connecting Serum IGF-1, Body Size, and Age in the Domestic Dog,” Age (Dordr) 33, no. 3 (September 2011): 475–83. doi: 10.1007/s11357-010-9182-4. Epub 2010 Sep 24.)
- Dogs eating dry food or kibble tend to have higher inflammation and obesity rates
(Source: See LeeAnn M. Perry, et al., “Risk Factors Associated with Canine Overweightness and Obesity in an Owner-reported Survey,” bioRxiv 2020.01.06.
896399; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.01.06.896399 .)
- Most commercially available dry dog food is high in starch, a study however found that after consuming food high in starch insulin levels in dogs remained elevated for up to eight hours
(Source: See Adrian K Hewson-Hughes, et al., “The Effect of Dietary Starch Level on Postprandial Glucose and Insulin Concentrations in Cats and Dogs,” Br J Nutr 106, Suppl 1 (October 2011): S105–9. doi: 10.1017/S0007114511001887.)
- Dry kibble is processed at very high temperatures resulting in creation of AGEs (Advanced Glycation End-products) when sugars react with proteins and lipids. These AGEs are linked with chronic health diseases including type 2 diabetes, kidney diseases etc.
- Dogs consume up to 122 times the AGEs in their diets as humans
(Source: See Malgorzata Teodorowicz, Wouter H. Hendriks, Harry J. Wichers, and Huub F. J. Savelkoul, “Immunomodulation by Processed Animal Feed: The Role of Maillard Reaction Products and Advanced Glycation End-Products (AGEs),” Front Immunol 9 (September 2018): 2088. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.02088. eCollection 2018)
- In additional, it is hard to tell what is in your pets food, there are shocking things found in kibble, however, the biggest shock is the #2 category of pet foods recalled per pound; pentobarbital - which is a euthanasia drug in doses of 2 to 10 grams, causing death within 15–30 minutes.
In 2017 and 2018 alone, more than 91 million pounds of pet food were recalled because they contained the euthanizing drug pentobarbital. All 30 million pounds of pentobarbital recalled pet food was canned pet food, totaling more than 89 million cans of pet food.
(Source: FDA enforcement reports)
Q: What can we do to change that?
- Fresh is good - fresher foods are more digestible and assimilative - where possible replace processed food with fresh food
(Source: See Patrícia M. Oba, Pamela L. Utterback, Carl M. Parsons, and Kelly S. Swanson, “True Nutrient and Amino Acid Digestibility of Dog Foods Made with Human-grade Ingredients Using the Precision-fed Cecectomized Rooster Assay,” Translational Animal Science 4, no. 1 (January 2020): 442–51.)
- Try and feed your dog, fruits and vegetables (lightly cooked or raw) that you eat yourself, there are only a handful of things that are known to be toxic to dogs ( chocolate, macadamia nuts, grapes and raisins, you can find a more comprehensive list here https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control/people-foods-avoid-feeding-your-pets)
Don't worry, wolves ate berries, grass, seeds and nuts too.
(Source: See Austin T. Homkes, Thomas D. Gable, Steve K. Windels, and Joseph K. Bump, “Berry Important? Wolf Provisions Pups with Berries in Northern Minnesota,” Wildlife Society Bulletin 44, no. 1 (March 2020): 221–23. Also see: Jose Motta-Junior and Karina Martins, “The Frugivorous Diet of the Maned Wolf, Chrysocyon brachyurus, in Brazil: Ecology and Conservation,” Chapter: 19 (Publisher: CAB International; Editors: D. J. Levey, W. R. Silva, M. Galetti): 291–303.)
- In addition, apiaceae class of vegetables contain gems contain polyacetylenes, an unusual class of organic compounds highly beneficial for reducing risk of inflammation and cancer
(Source: Christian Zidorn, et al., “Polyacetylenes from the Apiaceae Vegetables Carrot, Celery, Fennel, Parsley, and Parsnip and Their Cytotoxic Activities,” J Agric Food Chem 54, no. 7 (April 2005): 2518–23. doi: 10.1021/jf048041s.)
- Don't be afraid of giving mushrooms to your dogs, mushrooms are amazing sources of a variety of longevity promoting substance.
(Source: For a great review of medicinal mushrooms with links to studies, visit the North American Mycological Association at https://namyco.org/
scientific_research_and_ .)medici.php
- Where you can add some turmeric to your fresh food. Turmeric has shown promise in decreasing ocular inflammation in dogs suffering from uveitis.
(Source: See “Turmeric and Canine Uveitis: Not So Far-Fetched,” Texas A&M Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences CVMBS News, August 27, 2020, https://vetmed.tamu.edu/
news/pet-talk/turmeric-and- .)canine-uveitis-not-so-far- fetched/
Q: What are the main ingredients in Brunswick Fur Food meals?
A: We believe in using whole, natural ingredients that promote optimal pet health. Our meals typically feature high-quality proteins like chicken, beef, turkey, or fish as the primary ingredient. We complement these proteins with a variety of wholesome fruits, vegetables, whole chicken eggs, and small amount of brown rice to create well-balanced meals packed with essential nutrients.
Q: How can I transition my pet's food to Brunswick Fur Food?
A: We understand the importance of a gradual transition when switching your pet's diet. To ensure a smooth changeover, we recommend introducing Brunswick Fur Food gradually over a period of 7-10 days. Begin by mixing a small amount of our meals with your pet's current food and gradually increase the ratio of our meals while decreasing the old food until you've fully transitioned.
Q: How do I store Brunswick Fur Food meals?
A: To maintain freshness and quality, we recommend storing our meals in a freezer. Once thawed and opened, reseal the package tightly or transfer the remaining food to an airtight container.
Q: How do I determine the appropriate portion size for my pet?
A: The appropriate portion size depends on your pet's age, weight, activity level, and specific dietary needs. On each product, we provide feeding guidelines to help you determine the recommended daily amount. However, it's essential to monitor your pet's weight and adjust the portion size accordingly. Remember to provide fresh water at all times alongside our meals.
If you have any further questions or need personalized assistance, don't hesitate to reach out to our customer support team. We're here to ensure your pet's health and happiness with Brunswick Fur Food.