Chew on this: Pet food category gets healthy

Slow down!
For those dogs who snarf their pet food so quickly that it makes them sick, the St. Marys, Ontario, Canada-based Omega Paw will be launching a novel product called the Dog Hog in March at the Global Pet Expo. “The Dog Hog is designed to slow a dog down when they’re eating,” Terry Hannaford, CEO of Omega Paw, said. The Dog Hog is a large silver ball that fits within a pet owners existing feeder and prevents a dog from eating too fast.

What pets ‘Crave’
At the beginning of this year, the McLean, Va.-based Mars Petcare introduced additions to its Crave brand lines, including Crave Wet Dog Beef Paté with Shreds of Real Chicken. These protein-rich diets provide the nutrients for a lean, healthy body and the energy to play, the company said. Like the diets of their wolf and wildcat ancestors, Crave recipes are crafted with real, high-quality animal protein, the meaty flavor dogs love and no grains.

New pet food line is lovingly simple 
With dog and cat owners who want to purchase food appropriate for pets with food sensitivities, supplier I and Love and You in February crafted a line of limited-ingredient dry, or LID, pet food called Lovingly Simple. The recipe features a short list of wholesome ingredients for dogs and cats with sensitivities to poultry, beef, grains, white potatoes, soy, corn, rice, dairy and eggs.

While most LID options on the market dip into the 20% range for protein content, the Boulder, Colo.-based pet food manufacturer’s Lovingly Simple contains 30% protein for dogs and 36% protein for cats. “The new Lovingly Simple recipes address some of the common food sensitivity issues pet owners see today, without sacrificing protein levels,” Lindsey Rabaut, vice president of marketing and innovation, said. “With everything we do at I and Love and You, we aim to increase the bond between pets and their humans. Finding a holistic, wholesome food with premium ingredients that keeps pets happy is key to that bond. The best food is the best love.”