FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q. Why should I try 'another food'?
A. RIPLEES RANCH is not just another food. It is a very special, super premium natural food made with nutrient dense ingredients and formulated to the life style of your pet. And it is delivered fresh to you.
Q. How can a dry pet food be 'fresh'?
A. Immediately after cooking and cooling, RIPLEES RANCH dry pet foods are sealed in our RIPLEES RANCH package, ready for delivery to the customer, unlike most commercial dry pet foods which may have been on warehouse or retailer's shelves 9-24 months before purchase.
Q. Why is this important?
A. Dry pet foods are lower in essential fatty acids than canned foods. Prolonged contact with oxygen or moisture will cause oxidation (rancidity) of fat and may result in a food that no longer supplies the nutrients your dog or cat needs.
Q. What about canned foods?
A. Canned foods are cooked right in the cans and sealed tight to maintain sterility, nevertheless, the less time between cooking and eating the better the taste.
Q. We all know fats or oil can go bad. How does RIPLEES RANCH prevent this?
A. RIPLEES RANCH uses Vitamin E, nature's antioxidant. Vitamin E occurs naturally in plant oils to protect against oxidation and protect the original flavor, aroma and color of our ingredients.
Q. What happens when oil or fats go bad?
A. The fat molecules react with oxygen to form peroxides and hydroperoxides. The ultimate decomposition of these radicals produces an offensive rancid odor and destroys the flavor's taste of the food. More important, the results of this process are harmful to the health of animals. Antioxidants, such as Vitamin E, help prevent these negative developments.
Q. What type of preservatives do other pet food companies use?
A. Many other pet food companies use chemical preservatives such as BHA, BHT, Ethoxyquin, Proply Gallate and Propylene Glycol. Many health conscious pet owners feel that these chemicals are associated with health problems. Some veterinarians even feel that many allergic reactions in dogs (and possibly cats) are due to chemical preservatives.
Q. Since RIPLEES RANCH pet foods don't contain chemical preservatives, what is the shelf life?
A. We recommend that pet foods be consumed as soon as possible after cooking, although our dry food maintains its nutritional value and taste for 9-12 months.
Q. What are 'super premium' pet foods and how are they different from grocery brands?
A. Most grocery and economy brands are variable formula diets. The ingredients used vary, depending on availability and cost. Super premium brand pet foods are produced from fixed formulas. Super premium pet foods are made with the highest quality ingredients and are higher in nutrient density and availability. These foods are formulated for specific life stages and activity levels. And up until recently, super premium pet foods were available only through veterinary hospitals, specialty pet stores and natural food markets.
Q. Aren't super premium pet foods more expensive than grocery brands?
A. On the shelf - yes. On a cost per serving basis - no! On providing optimum nutrition for health, longevity and performance - no! no! Super premium foods contain high quality, nutrient dense ingredients that promote superior digestibility. This means that the animal will need to consume less to receive the same, or better nutrition. There is also less clean-up.
Q. How do I know the pet food is really 'super premium'?
A. Read the labels. RIPLEES RANCH for example, uses high quality poultry, fish, lamb and grains (rice, wheat, corn). Lower quality products may use soy, cereal fines, or oat hulls. There are not chemical preservatives such as Ethoxyquin, BHA or BHT.
Q. Why do many foods use cane molasses?
A. Cane Molasses is a by-product of sugar processing. It is highly refined and processed and used as a sweetener to increase palatability (like adding sugar to cereal).
Q. What is 'life stage' feeding?
A. Dogs and cats have different and specific nutrient requirements that vary with age, temperament, activity levels and health or reproductive status. For example, during his first year of life, a puppy grows as much as a human does in 14 years. To accomplish this phenomenal growth, puppies need twice the amount of nutrients per pound of body weight because their bodies are undergoing major constructions. An older, less active cat on the other hand still needs the protein, vitamins and other nutrients for a healthy skin and hair coat and proper digestion, but without excess calories.
Q. What is Taurine and why do cats require it?
A. Taurine is an 'essential amino acid' for cats. This means that it cannot be manufactured in the body and must be in the cats diets. Taurine is necessary for the proper development and continued functioning of eyes, heart, nervous and reproductive systems. Plants are devoid of taurine, where as fish and animal tissue contain high levels. RIPLEES RANCH cat food provide the correct level of taurine recommended by the CVMA.
Q. Do all foods contain essential amino acids?
A. YES. An animal would die without these important amino acids. Generally, super premium foods such as RIPLEES RANCH provide higher and more evenly balanced levels of the essential amino acids. Dogs have a requirement of ten essential amino acids, whereas cats require eleven (taurine being the eleventh one).
Q. What are essential fatty acids, and does RIPLEES RANCH provide all that are necessary?
A. Essential fatty acids cannot be manufactured in the body and must be supplied in the diet. Fats are either saturated or unsaturated. Linoleic acid is an unsaturated essential fatty acid required by all animals and is the main fatty acid in vegetable oils. Cats also require Arachidonic acid, a fatty acid found in fish oils, but not in plant products of any kind. Animals receiving a diet containing insufficient essential fatty acids often have a dry, dull hair coat and scaly skin.
Q. Are supplements, such as Pet Tabs, necessary?
A. Some pet owners argue that although commercial pet foods contain adequate amounts of essential nutrients, supplementations will provide an extra level of 'certainty' and excess will do no harm. There is ample evidence that excessive feeding of any nutrient, including protein, fats, minerals (e.g. calcium) and fat soluble vitamins, can result in significant development and growth abnormality in all pets. Improper supplementation must be avoided.
Q. Which is better: dry or canned food?
A. The quality and nutritional value of food is not dependent on its form. In other words, both forms are good, especially in a super premium natural food. Dry foods are less expensive to feed, can be fed free choice and may prevent the accumulation of dental tartar. Canned foods are more palatable and digestible than dry foods and have a longer shelf life, but can be more expensive.
Q. How do I know if my animal will like RIPLEES RANCH?
A. The experts at RIPLEES RANCH have worked very hard to formulate foods and supplements based on high quality natural ingredients and healthy nutritional principles. They have worked equally hard to make sure that your animals will enjoy eating the right foods. RIPLEES RANCH has great taste and palatability and all the nutritional qualities of a super premium food. Some animals are picky and may resist changing from artificially flavored and palatability-enhanced foods. Remember, pet owners understand which foods are really most healthful for their pets and are willing to work at providing the best.
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