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Excerpt From HealthyPet Newsletter Dr Jane Bicks:

This month I would like to touch on the immune system because it is very important to your companion animal’s health and longevity. You probably know that a strong immune system is essential, but what is it and how does it work?

The immune system is made up of a complex and integrated arrangement of organs, tissues, white blood cells and antibodies. The system works by protecting the body from potentially harmful bacteria, microbes, viruses, toxins and parasites fighting disease, infections and various pathogens. Although I could go on and on talking about this highly complex system, I would like to highlight two vital aspects of the immune system: antioxidants and the G.A.L.T.
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Antioxidants are the most commonly discussed nutrients in relation to the immune system because they protect the body by destroying harmful substances known as free radicals. Free radicals are formed inside the body as a by-product of metabolism and also in response to environmental elements, like exposure to ultraviolet light, air pollution, etc. In order to support healthy immune function, it is vital that your pet gets enough antioxidants to disarm harmful free radicals.

Fruits, vegetables and grasses are full of powerful antioxidants. Actually, I believe that Life’s Abundance Premium Health Food was one of the first brands to include antioxidants from whole foods. Dogs and cats need antioxidants from a wide variety of foods, including squash, zucchini, rice germ, flax seed meal, herbs, liver, and natural vitamin E. You can give your dog apples, pears and other fruits. Fresh veggies work well for dogs and occasionally for cats. I have a cat that carries raw string beans in her mouth and howls as though it is something important, and eventually eats most of it.

Another critical part of the immune system is found in the intestines or the Gut Associated  Lymphoid Tissue (G.A.L.T.), which communicates with the immune cells located throughout the body. In some respects, the G.A.L.T. is the first line of defense in the body. That’s why Life’s Abundance foods and other HealthyPetNet products contain a special fiber and mix of friendly bacteria to support intestinal health.

We all want the very best for our beloved animals. We should feel fortunate to live in a time when breakthroughs in medical research help us to help them live longer and happier lives. Thanks to the solid research we now have regarding immune and GI health, we are pleased to bring you a truly superior line of food, treat and supplement products for your companion animals. To better health for all dogs and cats!

Dr. Jane Bicks

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My Nikki….that sunshine looks so good right now.  We are in a cold temperature alert.  Sunshine and warmth; I can almost feel it.

Dr. Jane Bicks, DVM
HealthyPetNet Veterinarian Formulator

For years I’ve been working to persuade countless people to recognize one simple notion that nutrition is the foundation of life. In my years at HealthyPetNet, I’ve done my utmost to formulate foods and treats that help to establish and maintain this important foundation. Our companion animals depend on us to provide much-needed proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals and other crucial nutrients to help them grow when they are young and to maintain health through their hopefully long adult years.

Many pet foods are made based upon formulas that, at least on paper, fulfill the generally accepted nutritional requirements, which are then labeled complete or balanced diets. As a veterinarian, my nutritional philosophy differs from that of most pet food manufacturers.

Over the years I’ve seen hundreds of undernourished puppies and kittens, whose ears, skin and intestinal tracts are in various stages of decline. I’ve also witnessed them respond positively to increased consumption of nutrients and whole foods, having the effect of improving their health and shoring up their immune systems. I’ve also seen far too many middle-aged cats and dogs on these diets pass general examinations but lack energy, have dull eyes, are disagreeable, experience urinary tract issues, suffer with skin and coat conditions. I know from these professional experiences that for a food to be truly nutritional, it must be formulated based upon different standards. These higher standards must take into account the actual physiology of dogs and cats in addition to accepted nutritional requirements.

Dogs and cats are complex organisms. At HealthyPetNet, we believe that a pet’s food must address all the many aspects of their bodies and chemistries. That’s why we’ve included such a broad spectrum of nutrients every ingredient in Life’s Abundance is selected to enhance specific parts of the body. The resulting balance of ingredients is combined in a very particular way, which becomes our holistic formula — each ingredient working with the others to fulfill the needs of every dog and cat.

And believe me, there are many needs to fill! For example, some dogs have skin problems and others do not. It is heartbreaking to see a dog, or cat, scratch excessively and bite, further damaging their skin.

When formulating Life’s Abundance, I selected ingredients to support all of the important bodily structures and functions. However, I would like to touch on skin and coat health since biting and scratching are among the top reasons pet parents take their companion animals to the vet. Protein is crucial especially for puppies and seniors so I selected highly-digestible, superior-quality proteins, putting in exactly the amounts that both young and old require for optimal skin and coat health. We also added flaxseed meal because it includes proteins that meats don’t have and antioxidants which the skin needs for optimal health. Not only that, but flaxseed meal contains a nice mixture of B vitamins and oil. We added Omega-3 fatty acids (from fish oil), as numerous studies have shown it’s essential to skin health. As well as addressing the direct requirements of skin and coat, we included ingredients to help enhance the immune system, a must for the healthiest possible skin. Life’s Abundance has numerous vegetables because they contain a wide array of antioxidants. Special easily-absorbed minerals were also added because minerals work to improve the effectiveness of antioxidants (skin just loves zinc). And since one of the largest immune organs is located in the gut (GALT), several ingredients were selected to provide nourishment for this important immune organ.

I hope that you can see the importance of building a food based on the physiology of our precious companions. I truly believe that Life’s Abundance represents the ultimate holistic pet food, with all the ingredients necessary to help companion animals live long, healthy and happy lives.

For all of you already feeding Life’s Abundance, I thank you for being responsible pet parents, and for being agents of positive change in the lives of your companion animals.

Warmest wishes,
Dr. Jane Bicks

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photo credit: without prescription href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/40883475@N00/4253278000/” target=”_blank”>Hanumann

Pet food formulator, Dr. Jane Bicks, speaks directly to customers, potential customers, and representatives every week on a national conference call.

Healthy PetNet uses proteinated minerals (for better absorption), the food provides probiotics (friendly bacteria to help promote a strong immune system), and other health promoting ingredients.

There are many pet foods that do have similar ingredients, and some may even have a few more ingredients of quality. But none do offer the total health value package that this company does. Even the treats are good for our pets

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Come check out the website, do some comparison shopping (the comparison chart is right on the site).  Listen to an audio of Dr Jane…and much, much more.

I have always had dogs in my life, and healthy pet food has always been a top priority for my.  That is why I am a HealthyPetNet representative.

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Message from Dr. Jane

Every minute of every day, there’s a battle going on inside your pet’s body.  Thankfully, there are some excellent ingredients in many foods that are widely recognized as effective weapons for this fight to preserve health.

The troublemakers in this ongoing conflict are free radicals, which can negatively affect DNA, lipids and proteins.  Their combined impact can lead to cell mutation, disruption of normal cellular processes and even the death of cells*.  In fact, cells can be “attacked” by free radicals many thousands of times … every single day.
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Free radicals can be caused by any number of environmental sources, including pollution, secondhand smoke, chemicals from cleaners … even oxygen!  Additionally, the normal chemical processes of the body can trigger the creation of additional reductil online free radicals.

According to many health authorities, if we can somehow prevent the excessive development of free radicals, it’s likely that we could also prevent any number of medical problems**.  Research journals and popular magazines alike have praised the health benefits of antioxidants for years.  We now have evidence that supports the view that antioxidants are a necessary line of attack in fighting free radicals.  It seems pretty clear that antioxidants are our best hope of destroying free radicals before they negatively impact your pet’s health.

As a holistic veterinarian, I have seen firsthand how antioxidants are just as beneficial to companion animals as they are to humans.  That’s why so many of our recipes feature an antioxidant component.  In fact, HealthyPetNet was one of the first companies to incorporate antioxidants in their pet food and treat formulas.

Antioxidants are widespread in nature and can be found in numerous vegetables, fruits, spices, nuts.  Ingredients like vitamins C and E, as well as beta-carotene, are actually classified as antioxidants.  The greater the variety of antioxidant sources, the better a body is equipped to fight off free radicals.  That’s because different antioxidants have special affinity for different areas in the body.  For example, the antioxidants from carrots cluster largely in the eyes, while those from tomatoes directly affect the heart.

Healthy-pets, In a time when many are trying to cut costs and trim budgets, I’m particularly concerned about how the economy will affect our nation’s four-footers.  I’m worried that pet parents, while still recognizing the need to feed a premium diet, will go back to feeding pet snacks.  It bears repeating how harmful some of these inferior-quality products can potentially be.  Often, what’s lurking in those brightly colored bags (featuring words like “Happy”, “Tail-wagging” or “Doggone-Good”) are more health threats than healthy treats.  I can assure you that HealthyPetNet’s treats are not empty-calorie junk; each morsel is a powerhouse of nutrition.

As a caring pet parent, you should be aware of and approve of the approach behind the formulas.  At HealthyPetNet, we believe that everything your pet eats should play a role in achieving the ultimate goal … helping them to live happier, longer and stronger.

We’ve all heard the common saying that a recipe simply tastes better when love is one of the “ingredients”.  I’d like to think that this expression accurately reflects my commitment to providing the very best for your dogs and cats.

I put my heart and soul in every recipe, and I’ve been told that that’s especially obvious in the two tasty treats featured in this newsletter:  Antioxidant Health Bars – Oatmeal & Apple Recipe and Life’s Abundance Gourmet Cat Treats for Healthy Skin and Coat.  To give your sweet companion a healthy helping of natural goodness, I strongly recommend these delicious morsels, not only as sources of great nutrition, but also for their daily happiness, too.

As always, I thank you for all that you do to make the world a better place for companion animals.

Very best regards,
Dr. Jane

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In bold at the bottom of the box, there is a recommended bag size, number of days the bag will last and an Autoship frequency (in weeks). Now, there’s no more guessing. The Pet Food Calculator does all the work for you. Please note that the Pet Food Calculator works perfectly when browsed with the
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