Flint River Ranch All Natural Premium Pet Foods "Fresh from the Oven to Your Door" Our Flint River Ranch Super Premium All-Natural Formula is slowly TWICE OVEN-BAKED under carefully controlled conditions and proper temperatures. This unique baking process changes the hard-to-digest molecules of "raw" starches into easy-to-digest dextrines. This process acts as a "pre- digest" of the kibble food, resulting in less strain on the dog's digestive system and allows for a greater degree of food absorption. A dog's intestinal tract is short; it functions in the most efficient manner when the food is concentrated and can be quickly digested. The important vitamins, minerals and food ingredients can then be easily assimilated into the dog's digestive system. EXTRUSION vs QUALITY OVEN-BAKING: Most companies prepare pet food by steaming it as quickly as possible, usually less than 3 minutes, then extruding it under extreme pressure through a metal die (steam extrusion process). This process expands the food with air creating a uniform shape. This method does not produce the highly digestible food that the baking process creates. This extruded food (cooked in a very short time) is usually almost "raw" and requires the addition of what many nutritionists feel are harmful chemical preservatives (Ethoxyquin, BHA, and BHT) to maintain a reasonable product shelf-life. These chemical products may be associated with dry skin, allergic reactions, dental disease, poor health and degenerative organ dysfunction. OVEN-BAKING PROCESS: In the oven-baking process, a small 2 inch size biscuit is baked - moves slowly through the oven - then is broken into smaller, irregular kibble ranging in size from tiny morsels to about 1/2 inch. The smaller morsels are important; they will digest very quickly in the dog's system helping create immediate nutritional value for your pet. The larger, crunchy kibble naturally cleans teeth, exercises the gums and freshens breath. Since the food is concentrated, there is more value with less food consumed. The good value is baked in ... not sprayed on. HIGHEST DIGESTIBILITY MOST USABLE ENERGY LESS COST TO FEED Feeding oven-baked foods require 20-25% less food than steam-extruded foods. Pet owners will find less odor and stool clean-up. By feeding Flint River Ranch quality products, you will be able to see the difference in your pet's health, skin, coat, energy level and quality life-style. ALL-NATURAL INGREDIENTS: Quality ingredients provide for a pet's healthy well-being by helping the pet's body holistically heal itself through healthy nutrition. GRAIN: Wheat and Rice. Whole wheat and selected parts of the wheat berry are used as our base grain. Wheat grains are not only more digestible than com, it is one of the most nutritionally balanced cereal grains. It is an easy-to-digest source of carbohydrates, fiber and energy. A combination of grains, like a combination of meats, is better than just one source. Low quality fillers like wood fiber, com cobs, peanut hulls, cottonseed, straw, soy beans or citrus pulp are never found in Flint River Ranch products. MEAT: Chicken meat is our base meat source, with the addition of lamb and a small amount of fish. There are no rendered by-products, intestines, heads, feet or feathers in our formulas. The amino acids provided by the meats are the basic building blocks of muscle, skin, coat, bone, blood and the immune system. VITAMINS and MINERALS: Our minerals are chelated: bonded with amino acids (protein) and highly effective in providing metabolic absorption. Our products are preserved with a combination of mixed Tocopherols (Vitamin E) and Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C). No harmful chemicals are used. FLAX: The different proteins in flax provide a high proportion base of unsaturated, essential fatty acids and dietary fiber. Flax is recognized for its potential in reducing the risk of some chronic diseases as well as improving the thickness and sheen of the hair coat. It provides a great benefit to oven-baked food by resisting oxidation from the baking process and improving product shelf life. AAFCO NUTRIENT PROFILES: (Association American Feed Control Officials). Their profiles are Protocol testing and are the recognized industry authority on dog and cat nutrition for the purpose of substantiation of nutritional adequacy in commercial pet foods. All Flint River Foods are formulated to exceed their nutrition requirements. FLINT RIVER RANCH DIFFERENCE: All formulas are made from the highest quality ingredients and do not contain meat or grain by-products, color additives or chemical preservatives (BHA, Ethoxyquin, or BHT). The food is naturally preserved with mixed Tocopherols and Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin E and C). Some authorities indicate that Vitamin C is not required; however, we feel it is very important in supporting vitamin balance and to help handle daily stress and environmental pollution. RICE: A combination of brown and white rice. The white rice for digestibility and the brown for its added nutritional value. A diet product that is 100% brown rice can be somewhat hard for some animals to digest. WHEAT: Wheat flour is a fine-ground whole wheat grain. A course-ground whole wheat is also added for texture, along with a quality wheat berry. CORN: Corn is an excellent grain; however, it is more difficult to digest - either by humans or dogs. Therefore, corn is not used as an ingredient in our dog food. The feline digestive systems better utilize corn and supplies important diet benefits to cats and kittens. Corn is included in the feline formulas. ORGANIC CHICKEN: It is possible to put one organic chicken in 50 tons of food and legally say we use organic, range fed chicken. Some manufacturers take this option. While we purchase as much organic chicken as possible, we prefer to more correctly say we use human quality chicken that is hormone free. Like all of our ingredients, we pay a premium price for the very best available. Chicken meat provides essential amino and fatty acids. LAMB: Lamb is range fed LECITHIN: Lecithin protects cells from damage caused by oxidation. Lecithin is largely composed of the B vitamin choline - with linoleic acid and inositol. FISH: Menhaden Fish - a herring-like fish found along the North Atlantic coast of the United States - the flesh is an excellent source of menhaden oil for coat and skin. Fish is a prime source of a complete protein - it includes all the essential amino acids. Rich in unsaturated fats (Omega 3 fatty acids), Vitamins A and K, and also contains iodine, calcium, phosphorus, iron, potassium copper and fluoride. SOURCE OF GRAINS: Grains are purchased from major commercial suppliers like General Mills - fully tested and retested when received. This testing insures the very best quality and reduces the possibility of toxic molds. Grain is cheaper when purchased direct from the farm - however, the risk of toxic mold is greater. MINERALS: Minerals are Chelated (bonded with protein) which makes them easier to absorb into the animals' systems. MEAL: Meal means reduced in size. The flesh is cooked, some water removed and reduced in size (ground) in order for a uniform mix of the meat, ground grains, vitamins and chelated minerals. There are no rendered by-products, feet, heads, intestines or other meat products not fit for human consumption in Flint River Ranch products. COPPER AND IRON: A deficiency of iron causes nutritional anemia. A small amount of copper will improve utilization of iron. MEDICAL ADVICE: We do not provide medical advice; this is left to your Vet who knows your animal. Most professionals are following the national trend for a healthier lifestyle and have upgraded the quality of any pet food they recommend. The quality of professional work being provided to our companion animals today is very impressive. Regardless of professional advice, it is up to each pet owner to read and understand pet food labels. Much of the widely advertised pet food contains by-products and the remains from the human garbage chain with harmful chemical additives. FAT CATS AND OVERWEIGHT DOGS: Humans and pets both have to push away from the table. We find many pet owners that have switched to Flint River Ranch products still feeding the amount of food they formerly fed. With concentrated Flint River Ranch super premium foods, it is best to feed at least 25% less. Pets, like humans, require a little adjustment over a period of time to shrink the stomach and reduce their food intake. During this period of reducing the amount fed to a dog, add lightly cooked vegetables of all types - carrots, rice, broccoli, potatoes, celery, green beans and pasta. This is great for your dog's health. Keep in mind, when you feed a diet that is low in protein and fat, sometimes the pet will eat more than they should in order to satisfy their taste buds. Improper feeding is the greatest cause of a pet being overweight (along with those extra treats from the dinner table), not the protein content or quality of the food. SOFT STOOL: Premium food is very rich and has little in the way of useless fillers - during a change to a premium food, some pets may have a softer stool. A premium food will start cleaning the pet's digestive tract rather than just passing though the system. In time you will have a firmer, much smaller stool for easy clean-up. CAT FOOD: The Flint River Ranch cat food is extruded with the addition of a slight "baking" process to give it the crusty texture. Cat food is higher in price because there is more pure meat protein in cat food. Taurine level is not less than 0. 1 % - pH is below 6.4 - Magnesium is less than 0.095% - ash is less than 5.5% - all important to help prevent Feline Urological Syndrome. We feel that providing distilled or pure water in the cat's water dish is a must if you have a concern for your kitty. TAURINE: Taurine is an essential amino acid necessary for the proper development and ongoing health of the heart and eyes. CAT TREATS: While they provide important vitamins and chelated minerals, the feline treats are not formulated to he a complete and balanced meal. They include an organic compound of Iodine - Ethylane Diamine Dihydriodid. The thyroid gland stores and uses iodine for the pets growth and development. The secret to Flint River Ranch's great nutrition is how many nutrients are present in the petfood and how efficiently they are utilized when digested. PROTEINS: Proteins are organic chemical compounds and a major component of the structure of all living organisms. Protein functions to build and repair body structure. A good pet food should contain highly digestible protein sources that provide the essential amino acids in adequate amounts. Digestible food protein from several sources is more desirable for protein from only one source. CARBOHYDRATES: Carbohydrates serve primarily as an energy source while giving bulk to the diet. Plant material is made up of a high percentage of carbohydrates. FATS: Fats are complex molecules that are broken down by the digestive system into smaller molecules known as fatty acids. Fat is a concentrated source of energy and works toward making hormones, skins and coat oils, membranes and parts of body cells. ESSENTIAL FATTY ACIDS: Linolenic Acid (Omega 3). Linoleic Acid (Omega 6) MILDEW SPOILAGE: Natural pet foods attract moisture quickly - which can turn into mildew spoilage overnight in the summer weather and high humidity areas. Store all pet food in a dry, cool place. INFESTATION; MOTHS - WORMS - INSECTS: The heat in manufacturing destroys any potential insect eggs that might be left after the cleaning process. Food not property stored after purchase, or when the bag is left open will attract all types of ants, flying bugs and insects that lay eggs in the rich food. In an extremely fast time, these eggs turn into worms and moths. This problem appears in all food and pet food; however, it is more frequent in natural pet foods like Flint River Ranch. All pet food must be stored in a dry, cool place and sealed to reduce the change of insect infestation. PET FOOD LABELING: During the past few years, there have been dynamic quality improvements in the ingredients used in the manufacture of pet foods. These improvements for better products have resulted from the pressure of health-conscious consumers. Still, many pet owners are unaware of what they are feeding their pets. Pet feeding, like many other aspects of our daily exposure to the marketplace, is subject to fads, trends, paranoia and misinformation. The vast array of pet foods available can cause tremendous confusion and most pet owners select their pet's diet on the price or the effective hype of advertising campaigns, rather than for objective reasons. Consumers have become "label readers" on both human and pet food. They are starting to question pronouncements from the "experts" and "testing labs" on pet food labeling. They have concerns that animal meat by-products may not actually provide a nourishing and balanced diet for pets. Such by-products can include diseased and contaminated slaughterhouse meats, feathers, intestines, hair, animal road kills, euthanized companion animals and dehydrated garbage all rendered together and used in some pet foods. They have additional concerns about the harmful effects in the use of chemical additives. There are no breakfast food by-products, cottonseed, corn cobs, peanut hulls, wood fibers, citrus pulp, soy beans, fillers or other foreign materials such as weeds, straw or chaff in Flint River Ranch foods. Flint River Ranch foods have maintained the same consistent quality since first formulated. The use of low quality by-products and chemical preservatives may be associated with dry skin, allergic reactions, dental disease, poor health and degenerative organ dysfunction. Healthy pet diets can also mean less medical bills. There is a strong link between high quality foods and the dynamic health of pets. QUESTIONS: All questions about Flint River Ranch products, ingredients, assay analysis or Distributor policy and procedure must be in writing - mailed or faxed. We will respond to your questions as quickly as possible.