| Q. Why should I try 'another
food'? |
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| 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. |
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| Q. How can a dry pet food be
'fresh'? |
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| 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. |
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| Q. Why is this important? |
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| 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. |
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| Q. What about canned foods? |
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| 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. |
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| Q. We all know fats or oil
can go bad. How does RIPLEES RANCH prevent this? |
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| 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. |
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| Q. What happens when oil or fats go bad? |
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| 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. |
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| Q. What type of preservatives
do other pet food companies use? |
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| 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. |
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| Q. Since RIPLEES RANCH pet
foods don't contain chemical preservatives, what is the shelf
life? |
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| 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. |
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| Q. What are 'super premium'
pet foods and how are they different from grocery brands? |
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| 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. |
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| Q. Aren't super premium pet
foods more expensive than grocery brands? |
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| 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. |
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| Q. How do I know the pet food
is really 'super premium'? |
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| 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. |
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| Q. Why do many foods use cane
molasses? |
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| 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). |
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| Q. What is 'life stage' feeding? |
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| 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. |
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| Q. What is taurine and why
do cats require it? |
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| A. Taurine is an 'essential amino acid' for cats.
This means that it cannot be manufactured in the body and must
be in the cat's 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. |
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| Q. Do all foods contain essential
amino acids? |
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| 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). |
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| Q. What are essential fatty
acids, and does RIPLEES RANCH provide all that are necessary? |
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| 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. |
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| Q. Are supplements, such as
Pet Tabs, necessary? |
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| 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. |
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| Q. Which is better: dry or
canned food? |
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| 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. |
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| Q. How do I know if my animal
will like RIPLEES RANCH. |
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| 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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| Q. Is it O.K. to feed a cat
'dog food'? |
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| A. No! Cats are not small dogs. Cats are carnivores
(i.e. meat eaters) and require higher levels of protein and
specific nutrients not commonly found in sufficient levels in
dog foods, e.g,. taurine and arachidonic acids. |
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| Q. What is FLUTD? |
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| A. The Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disorder (FLUTD)
is a condition of male and female cats that results from anything
such as bacteria, viruses or calculi (crystals) that causes
irritation of the lower urinary tract. 90% of all clinical cases
of FLUTD are the result of crystal formation. Most studies have
shown that high dietary levels of magnesium (which result in
elevated urinary magnesium) and high urine pH (i.e. basic urine)
appear to be the primary factors responsible for the formation
of crystals and thus the occurrence of many cases of FLUTD. |
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| Q. What is ash? |
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| A. Ash is a term used to state the mineral content
of foods. Ash may consist of salt, or any number of minerals.
One of the components of ash, magnesium, is important in FUS.
The ingredients commonly used to provide protein (soy meal,
poultry and meat by-products and fish meal) in animal foods
may contain high amounts of magnesium. RIPLEES RANCH is formulated
to be low in magnesium. |
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| Q. Do dry foods contain high
levels of magnesium? |
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| A. The feeding of most commercial dry cat foods
results in higher levels of urinary magnesium than when canned
foods are fed. RIPLEES RANCH dry foods are higher in caloric
density and lower in magnesium and thus do not predispose to
FUS. RIPLEES RANCH foods are also formulated to keep the urine
acidic, further reducing a predisposition to FUS. |
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| Q. When are adult dogs considered
'senior citizens'? |
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| A. For nutritional purposes, most dogs should
be considered aged at seven (7) years, and giant breeds of dogs
aged at five (5) years. |
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| Q. What do you mean aged? |
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| A. Like people, aging, results in changes in the
utilization of certain nutrients and a decreased tolerance to
nutrient deficiencies or excesses. Older animal are less active
and require fewer calories. Reduced proteins, phosphorus and
sodium intakes are very important for older dogs and cats. |
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| Q. How many 'dog or cat years'
equal a human year? |
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| A. A dog and cat at 1 year of age is at the same
physiological stage of life as a 15 year old human. At two (2)
years of age, a dog or cat is the same as a 24 year old person.
Each successive 'dog (or cat) year' is equivalent to four (4)
years for people. (Example: a cat at 12 is equivalent to a 64
years old human.) |
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