FAQs: ANSWERS to COMMON QUESTIONS

WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO CHANGE MY PET’S FOOD?
 It is always a good idea to start out slowly on a new diet with any pet. Slowly increase the amount of new food being added to the present diet over a period of 3-4 weeks. If any digestive upset or loose stool occurs, make the transition more gradual. It is a good idea to allow your pet's digestive system to calm down and return to normal before proceeding. There is no need to rush this transition.

HOW OFTEN SHOULD I FEED MY DOG/CAT?
 We recommend feeding your pet twice daily. Studies have shown that feeding more than once a day may help to prevent bloat and behavior issues. We suggest talking with your veterinarian to determine the best feeding schedule for your animal companion.

WHAT DOES COMPLETE AND BALANCED MEAN?
 Complete and balanced means the diet contains all of the necessary vitamins and minerals that your pets needs for daily health and well-being.  This is based on AAFCO standards.

WHAT IS AAFCO? 
 The term AAFCO stands for the Association of American Feed Control Officials.
The AAFCO is in charge of developing and implementing uniform and equitable laws, regulations, standards and enforcement policies for the manufacture, distribution and sale of animal feeds.

WHAT DOES A GUARANTEED ANALYSIS (GA) TELL ME?
 This is the most common form of nutrient information that the consumer will find on the bag. This nutrition information is regulated by federal and state laws.  The Guaranteed Analysis provides minimums and maximums that the food producer must meet, but this only provides a fraction of the information that pet owners, professionals, retailers, and veterinarians need to know when making decisions about the food and the amount to offer.

WHAT DOES A NUTRIENT ANALYSIS (NA) TELL ME?

 Some companies provide a full Nutrient Analysis for the product. This listing of nutrients is much more comprehensive than the GA. It often mirrors the AAFCO* nutrient profiles. Some companies may also provide an abbreviated listing of these nutrients or computations to express the nutrients on a different basis, e.g. dry matter or metabolizable energy basis.

WILL THE GUARANTEED ANALYSIS AND THE NUTRIENT ANALYSIS BE EXACTLY THE SAME?
 This listing of nutrient information may look slightly different than the GA. For example, the GA may list minimum protein % as 24, but the NA reports 24.53%. The difference is due to the fact that the formula is predicted to be slightly over the minimum so that the consumer gets equal to or more than they are guaranteed to receive.

WHY WOULD THE NUTRIENT ANALYSIS CHANGE IF THE FORMULA HASN’T CHANGED?
 The ingredients used to make pet foods are derived from fresh and dried food ingredients. There are differences in these ingredients from one season to the next, one supplier to the next, and can even be slightly different from one lot to the next.  It is this simple fact about variation in nutrient composition in ingredients which drives the differences between the GA and the actual NA.

HOW DO I UNDERSTAND THE PERCENTAGES IN THE FORMULAS?
 A percentage is based upon the whole; e.g., for a bowl full, a cup full, or one piece of kibble. This means that ___% of whatever amount they are eating will be protein or fat or whatever.

SHOULD I CONSIDER A GRAIN FREE DIET FOR MY PET?
 Like Wolves, dogs are opportunistic feeders that thrive on diets that are almost exclusively meat based, with very few carbohydrates. This puts them in the Carnivore category.  Carnivores do not have the long digestive tract needed to digest grains, nor do they produce the digestive enzyme –amylase- needed to break down vegetables and grains, also known as complex carbohydrates. Most Complex carbohydrates pass through the intestinal system undigested, creating large stools.
    Many pets are allergic to grains and grain free diets provide a relief from these allergies. Only you can decide if a grain free diet is best for your pet.  Always consult with your veterinarian before making changes.

HOW DO I KNOW IF MY ANIMAL HAS ALLERGIES?
 There can be many signs that your animal is allergic to food; from digestive upset to dry skin, scratching or itching.  If you suspect your pet has an allergy, contact your veterinarian and discuss it with them.

Provisions Pet Pantry  

78A Lincoln Street

Exeter, NH 03833

(603) 583-4853
allrightprovisions@gmail.com

Directly across the street from Arjay/Ace Hardware.

 Please be sure to visit us there for all your pet's needs. 

HOURS
Sunday Closed
Monday Closed
Tuesday thru Saturday 10 AM to 6 PM