Pets deserve and require better fare than standard pet food brands provide. Have you ever heard of generic dog/cat food disease, or supermarket syndrome? Your vet probably has. Do you know what's in standard flea collars, shampoos, and tick killers? The answers are pretty disturbing, and this is why natural pet care is becoming more and more common among vets and owners alike. Sales of natural pet care products tripled between 2000 and 2002. And, 36% of vets responding to a recent survey reported using alternative therapies in their practices, while another 12% expressed interest.

Let's examine some problems with standard pet products, and some healthy natural alternatives.

Pet Foods and Snacks
Today, many pets suffer from diet-related human diseases such as allergies, skin problems, hypertension, heart disease, cancer, diabetes, arthritis, liver and kidney dysfunction. It's no wonder, once you take a close look at standard pet food. It's sugary, salty, lifeless stuff made with undesirable, hard-to-digest meat byproducts-including 4-D material from dead, dying, diseased, or disabled animals. Add toxic artificial ingredients, empty calories from refined sugars and starches (e.g., devitalized wheat middlings), and you have minimal nutrients and maximum health risks.

Fortunately, today's pet owners have many good alternatives. Natural brands provide examples of the natural approach to pet food. Each canned and dry food is prepared from wholesome, highly digestible meats, organs, fish, chicken, vegetables, and fresh-milled whole grains, for the perfect balance of nutrients. As a result, pets get just as many calories, and far better nutrition, with less food. Natural brands also offer pet foods for each stage of life, and vegetarian options. (Only for dogs, as felines require more protein than can practically be obtained from plant foods.)

Natural pet foods also eschew excess sodium, magnesium, sugar, and ash. And there are no artificial colors or preservatives (e.g., ethoxyquin), which cause cancer in lab animals, and are strongly suspected of producing allergies and suppressing immunity in pets. Natural brands also contain nutritional antioxidant preservatives like vitamins E and C. And dyes are added to appeal to humans, not pets, so look for brands without them.

Pets deserve treats, too, like nutrient-dense peanut butter and brewer's yeast-garlic biscuits. (Yeast has B-vitamins and protein, while garlic is heart-healthy, anti-microbial, and unappetizing to fleas.)

Health and Body Care
A well-balanced diet promotes a healthy coat and skin. And proper foods offer the best assurance of optimal health - unless your pet suffers poor digestion, or is sick or aged. But most pets need extra help from time to time - whether for bad breath, infected ears, fleas, or basic hygiene. New natural products offer safe, effective solutions to most pet care problems, especially when their use is guided by a holistically minded vet. Look for pet supplements that provide antioxidant vitamins and minerals in a whole grain base. Skin and coat supplement should contain essential fatty acids and vitamin E.

What about fleas? Standard pesticides contain synthetic pesticides such as DEET and fenvalerate, plus inactive ingredients, which may include known toxins like benzene or toluene. Plant-derived pyrethrins are effective and quite safe for pets, but products like Raid use persistent synthetic pyrethrins, as well as chemical synergists that heighten health risks to pets. In contrast, natural brands employ flea-repellent botanicals (tea tree oil, citronella, garlic, etc.), and/or natural pyrethrins, which safely degrade within days or hours instead of weeks.

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