Posted: Monday, October 20, 2008 9:31 am

Galina Barskaya

 Choosing natural pet foods 

According to a recent Green-field Online study, 41 percent of Denver residents feed their pets natural foods. 

“The problem is, natural doesn’t always mean healthy,” says Heidi Hulon, a veterinarian who helped develop the Nature’s Best line of pet food. “While natural products may contain better ingredients, many aren’t nutritionally balanced. Excess nutrients can lead to kidney, urinary and digestive disease.”

Look for pet food that:

• mentions both the Association of American Feeding Control Officials and Animal Feeding Trials on the label

• provides water, energy, protein, essential fatty acids, minerals and vitamins

• lists a named meat or fish (turkey, lamb, herring) as opposed to an unnamed food ingredient (bone meal) 

• uses natural preservatives like mixed tocopherols and Vitamin E instead of BHA, BHT or ethoxyquin

For more tips about what to look for, visit www.hillspet.com/naturesbest